Election 79 The parties ... and their promises by Esther Shannon and timetables make this kind at home with your parents. Liberal moves to force in the PC - parfY, says that Liberal party policies "assume 'Of Canada's three major of "progress" inevitable. As well the Liberal women out of the work force The PCs propose to that the influx of women into political parties with any government has removed apparently stem from their "accelerate the movement of hopes of a hand on the levels women as a target group for belief that women still work women to an equitable share the job market is a temporary of power for the next five government employment for extras. Forty per cent of of middle and senior public phenomenon." The presitigi­ years, only one, the New strategies. The most telling women who work are single, service positions through ous C.D. Howe Institute has Democratic Party has consequence of this has been improved training." No warned Canadians this is not identified women as an the cuts in the Canada quotas, no target dates and no the case. The great majority of election issue. The Liberals Manpower Outreach pro­ mention of the necessity of women who currently work and the Progressive Conser­ grams for women. Services affirmative action programs in are doing so out of need, but vatives have been silent on the such as Ottawa's Women's the private sector. women are now beginning to subject of the status of Career Counselling Service The Liberal proposal, "to claim the right to work as a women during the election. and Toronto's Times Change actively plan and then human right, irrespective of campaign .. If one digs, have suffered budget cuts of implement measures to need. howe.veJ, one finds that both 40 to 45 per cent and won't be produce identifiable results in The NOP and PC parties the Liberals and Conserva­ funded after,. next year. the provision of equal fiave gone on record tives have prepared policy These were measures that opportunties for women" denouncing the Manpower statements and proposals for convinced feminists the {within the Public Service) is Liberal government was the improvement of the training program and equally short on specifics and trying to force Canadian position of Canadian women. Outreach cuts. Both parties if the past Liberal record is any women out of the work force Let's review what Canada's promise · to re-incorporate indication, equally inade­ and back into the home. three major parties are women into their govern­ quate. Liberals talked of secondary offering_ to women: ment's employment strate­ ,,wage earners in an effort to Economic measures-women Ed Broadbent gies, re-fund Outreach and Affirmative action make women the scapegoa,ts In the work force increase training allowances. for Canada's high unemploy­ divorced o~ separated, their On the recommendation ·of All three parties have Unemployment Insurance ment problems-despite families' sole support. Most of the Royal Commission on the committed themselves to {UI) is a new women's issue. statistics showing that even if the 60 per cent of married Status of Women, the Liberal calling a conference or doing Measures that the Liberal we sent home the 2,212,000 women who work do so to government established the research on women and the government announced in the bring family incomes above Office of Equal Opportunities ,married women who had jobs fall of '78 openly discriminate the poverty line. economy in an effort to for Women {EOW) within the in Canada last year and gave against women. UI benefits David MacDonald, PC develop long term employ­ Public Service Commission in those jobs to the 212,000 spokesperson on the status of ment strategies that incorpor­ 1972. EOW's function is have been cut from 66 per cent unemployed men there would ate women. ensuring that women receive still be more than 2 million women and a strong e_qual opportunities for jobs unfilled. supporter of women's equality continued on p. 10 training and promotion within the federal government. The New Democratic Party has promised it will set quotas and timetables within the New party seeks women's support public service for hiring, promotion, training and career development for A new political party has Canada must be free of The party is small and is women. been formed in Canada and it foreign control. running only one candidate in As well, the NOP intends to is looking for support from "Canadian nationalism," its this election-Carleton provide incentives within the women because, it says, it policy booklet says, "seeks to University professor Robin private sector, in the form of "integrates the equality of realize the Canadian people's Mathews is contesting the government contracts, grants, women in its structures, will in Canada, and to oppose seat in Ottawa Cen'tre. etc., to those . cornpanle~ .. wh1cli msfffi::fre-··attirmative attitudes and political the efforts of other nations to Mathews is probably best platforms." action programs. Like the impose their will in Canada known for a book he co­ Pierre Trudeau The National Party of American government, the and elsewhere. It does not authored some years ago with to 60 per cent of your previous NDP would set targets and Canada was founded last s.eek to impose its will on other James Steele on the salary. For a woman who timetables for private April on the principle that nations." continued on p. 3 earns the average women's companies who developed salary of $8,200 this means a affirmative action programs. cut in benefits from $104 a May 1979 The NOP proposals show a week to $96 per week. A man. clear understanding of the who earns the average man's reasons why the current EOW salary of $15,500 is unaffec­ program has been inade­ ted. He still gets the UI weekly quate. maximum of $160. {Think To date, under the Liberal what this policy does to a government only 20 of the 51 woman who was earning federal government depart­ minimum wage.) ments have EOW coordina­ UI has been eliminated for tors. The number of women in people working less than 20 high status career positions in the public service has gone hours a week; previously from 30 per cent in 1975to14 accessiblity for UI benefits OWL issues and strategi_~s for part-time workers was per cent in 1979. Administra­ Women in the Ottawa be returned to OWL and tive support jobs filled by based on weekly earnings. his wife, sexual orientation, Most part-time workers work Wom~n's Lobby (OWL) are used to prove to candidates and federal funding of rape women have increased ready for this federal election. that the electorate is indeed steadily over the past five less than this period and the crisis and women's centres vast majority of part-time The strategies they have interested in status-of women are also covered. years-from 62.2 per cent in chosen are simple but issues. Si nee 35% of the voters 1972 to 78.8 per cent in 1976. workers are women. OWL's two · "must do" Also the number of weeks effective, and can be adapted are uncommitted, 400 such strategies are making sure necessary to claim for a for use in rural or urban letters are clout, even in an that the candidates' written or person re-entering the work ridings across Canada. urban riding. OWL then signed responses to the force has gone up -from 14 First, OWL chose its two major developed a list of 15 "slightly questionnaire are reported to weeks to 20 weeks. Most re­ election issues: employment loaded" questions for each the general public, and asking entrants are women, and and poverty. Then, OWL candidate to answer. Most of candidates questions (drawn women are most often last wrote a brief election the questions focus on mainly from the question­ hired and. first fired. pamphlet on how these issues employment and poverty, but naire) at public meetings. Both the NOP - and the affected local voters. For daycare, removal of a OWL also identified several Conservative parties have example, Ottawa is a public husband's legal right to rape "nice-to-do" strategies that labelled these changes in UI service town, but the fact that continued on p. 7 legislation discriminatory and only 37% of public servants have pledged to abolish them. are female but that women The Liberal party, which account for 53% of employees Joe Clark Decision '79 drafted the legislation, is laid off by the federal Wage gaps between men and silent of the possibility of its government could be a hot women in the public service repeal. election issue. To typeset and El~cti

Betsy Wood and Gay Hoon put either of the accused on crown has proceded against card as a signal that det~ils for having purchased informa­ are not guilty of attempted trial." us." .the escape had been taken tion. The only direct link made prison break and public Despite "no sufficient As Wood developed her care of. Bruce produced that between Hoon and the escape mischief. That's what the jury case" the Attorney General defence, prisoners described postcard in court. Later, a attempt came from one found March 2. persisted in putting the their experience of being in handwriting expert confirmed prisoner whose version; Sl:!id "The prison system of this accused on trial again. He, solitary. that the writing on the card Vilvang, conflicted with all country is guilty," said Betsy proceded to direct indictment, Among the witnesses she appeared to match the other accounts. Wood, in her clo.sing an historically rare move. That called was Andy Bruce. guard's. At a rally following the ac­ statement. "It will remain lead to the five and a half week Bruce's testimony alleged that guilty as long as prisoners are The guard, who in court quittal, on Saturday March 3, trial at the B.C. Supreme a Pen guard had played an denied any knowledge of the held year after year after year, Hoon and Wood told the Court, with Wood conducting active role in the escape escape plans, may now face for 23 and a half hours a day in crowd of 150 that they were her own defence. attempt. perjury charges. a concrete box with a steel "When it comes to prison anxious to get back to their The guard, said Bruce, had In his closing state­ door." work: opposition to the crime activists," said Wood, "they brought in a gun, for a fee. He ment, Hoon's lawyer James Wood and Hoon's trial of solitary confinement. have their minds made up." had also mailed Bruce a post- Yilvang accused the Crown of turned out to be what activists "Among the people who reprinted from Kinesis said it was all along: a trial of were locked into the Visiting B.C. Pen, and a stringent and Correspondence building Women's program consultation indictment of the corruptions that day by the guards," ex­ of our prison system. plained Wood in her opening It was the second time that statement, "Gay and I were Funding given priority Wood and Hoon had been the only ones who were ac­ completely cleared of all tivists, visible people, who by Deirdre Gotto for ACSW "in development of had been voiced. 0 ne charges relating to an escape could be used to make a Representatives of 21 policies and programs relatin~ representative assured attempt at the B.p~ Pen in theatrical case against the national women's organi­ to the status of women;". and Rousseau that the intention January 78. A preliminary in­ prisoners' rights movement.., zations met in the Conference "that women and women's was not to down-grade the quiry in June of that year had So regardless of facts or Center in Ottawa on March 22 groups will be involved in the ACSW but to deplore the found "no sufficient case ... to evidence to the contrary, the and 23 for a third annual implementation (of the federal inadequate role she feared it consultation, sponsored by the Plan of Action) with specific may have been allowed in con­ Trades women's Secretary of State Women's reference to any research to be sultation concerning the plan. Programme. The economic conducted." Rousseau responded that with status of women and the newly The statement will be $600,000 and 13 people, "not organization released federal Plan of Action submitted as the basts of a even a drop of water in the The Women in Trades employment opportunities for were the prominent issues. conference report to the ocean," the role of ACSW was Association in Manitoba is tradeswomen. Many of the As­ A statement produced at the Secretary of State. naturally curtailed. This remark currently inviting associate sociation's members are consultation listed areas of Discussion on the Plan of drew general agreement and it members in other provinces graduates of a pre-trades recommendation. First priority Ar.tion focussed on what was was recognized, again, that and communities. Women in training course offered for went to funding. The three included and what was limited funding was a stumbling Trades is an organizatin of women at two Manitoba government agencies concer­ conspicuous by its absence. block of ma[or proportions. about 60 female plumbers, community colleges. ned with improving the status of The plan (published as Towards the close of the mechanics, carpenters, For additional information women (Advisory Council on "Towards Equality for meeting, the visiting represen­ welders and other trades­ please contact: the Status of Women; Status of Women/Femme en Voie tative· from the office of the women. It is the first group of Women in Trades Association Women. Canada; and the D'Egalite") is the province of Status of Women Canada its kind in Canada and hopes 730 Alexander Avenue Women's Programme, (Sec­ Marc Lalonde, minister suggested that each group to expand nationally. 3rd Floor retary of State) operate on a responsible for the status of represented at the consultation Founded in the summer of Winnipeg, Manitoba total budget of "less than women. It is important, said one make a statement of concerns, 1977, Women in Trades is R3E 1H9 $2,000,000", a meager sum woman representative, to by ·June. These would be working to widen the range of Tel. (204) 783-8501 considering that these three ensure that the committments programmes "are concerned made by Lalonde follow the included in the federal Plan of with the needs of over half the limits set by the plan. Action which is to be presented Demonstration grant population," according to the Yvette Rousseau, then to the United Nations for the statement. president of the ACSW and a 1980 World Conference. The It was recommended that visitor to the consultation, 1980 conference marks the extended "the budget of these three asked for solidarity and half-way point in the 1975-1985 The Ottawa Rape Crisis As well, the Centre faces the offices be tripled" to ensure the committment to the Plan of Decade for Women, and will Centre has recently learned threat of losing its $10,000 effective functioning of these Action. Previous to her address, serve to gauge the progress of that it has been granted a one grant from the Regional agencies; that the government misgivings about the role of member states in achieving the year extension to its three Municipality of Ottawa assure a full participatory role ACSW in drawing up the plan goals outlined in 1975. year Health and Welfare Carleton. The Regional Demonstration grant. money camei with the rider that if the Centre received .INTERNATIONAL The ORCC, which had funds from any other source applied to Health and Wel­ the $10,000 grant would be fare with a budget of $72,000, .withdrawn. Reclaim the night arrests received only $27,980. The cut At press time the Centre means that the Cenfre will was unable to comment on Sixteen English women will suming and potentially costly strations. operate with one staff person how or whether its reduced appear in court in London this process if the women are A world wide appeal is down from three, and re­ budget would affect programs month to face charges stem­ found guilty. The women going out to feminists to help duced operating expenses. and services. nii rig from an October 31, believe their arrests were defray the Soho Sixteen's 1978. Reclaim the Ni"ght meant to serve as an example defence costs. Please make ------''------~Demonstration. The women, which would discour.age cheques and money orders calling themselves the "Soho English women from further payable to PS Defense Com­ Nestle'-s boycott Sixteen", have been charged direct action tactics sL,Jch as mittee, Box 1, 190 Upper with obstruction, threatening Reclaim the Night demon- Street, London, N1. The Infant Formula Action earn less than $500 a year, but behavior, assaulting police Coalition-or INFACT-reports ironically Nestle is promoting officers and bodily harm. Jhat the Nestle's Company has a product to prevcent the very The demonstration, the Women fight strip done it again. diarrhea its special infant food third of its kind in London, was The Coalition says that in formula causes under for the first time marked by addition to continuing to sell unsterile conditions. police violence and harass­ searches infant formula to women in INFACT urges a boycott of ment. Five women were As many as sixty-five systematically practicing sex Third World countries who Nestle's because they say the treated in hospital with face women may join together in a discrimination; often women don't have the sterile facilities company's promotion of baby and head injuries. class action suit against the who have been arrested with to prepare the food supple­ foods abroad is unethical. The Soho Sixteen have all City of Chicago in connection men are subjected to strip ment for their babies, the Reprinted from New Women's elected to plead not guilty to with alleged strip searches of searches while the men are the charges, a time con- company has also been Times women arrested, often for "pad-searched" over their selling another product it minor traffic offenses. clothes. claims is a special food for the The class action suit will ask Apparently, many Chicago prevention of infant diarrhea. Women pilots $1 million in punitive damages women that police had no INFACT says that on a reason to believe were applied to fly for Ansett in for each victim of the alleged recent tour of Guatemala and Women may soon be dangerous were routinely 1976, but was turned down. searches, charging that police Honduras, two researchers piloting Australia's big jets. subjected to humiliating The airline, in its turn, asked violated the fourth amend­ found that Nestle was selling a The Victoria, Australia searches of their body cavities for a three-year exemption ment to the Constitution product caUed "Nestoban" Equal Opportunity Board has during minor arrests such as from employing women governing search and seizure, which claims to prevent told Sir Reginals Ansett, of the as well as the 14th amendment traffic violation. pi Io ts. The board has diarrhea. Nestoban, says Ansett Airlines, he had better governing equal protection Authorities investigating IN FACT, sells for $2.20 a can, get with ,it, and hire women refused the exemption. under the law. the strip searches are also which only lasts a two-month­ pilots. Lawrie hasn't been hired ACLU spokeswoman Sheila looking into charges that male I old infant eight.days. The ruling came in yet, but says she will go all the Meyer contends that besides officers watched the strip INFACT says not only is . response to the plea of 25 way to the Supreme Court to violating the fourth amend­ searchings on closed circuit Nestoban an expensive get her job. I year-old Deborah Lawrie. ment, the police are TV's. purchase for Hondurans who Lawrie, a flying instructor, Reprinted from New Women's Reprinted from Sojourner Times r..--taV1·~79. s .. b I! t; 5 4 ¥§if, 4 g I i 1 t 4 I J l 2 t. 1 ., l 1. Daycare workers organize

by Esther Shannon Workers in existing daycare In 1978, the provincial The committee recommen­ facilities and children government raised a storm of dation was accepted and the receiving inadequate provi­ protest when it announced a long process of winning sions are the ones who have freeze on daycare expansion recognition and negotiating ))ayCQrra. been subsidizing daycare and set limits to cost increases first collective agreements according to the Canadian on existing programs. began. The union is currently Union of Public Employees Currently, only 0.3% of the involved in joint collective rsC. (CUPE). In an effort to rectify provincial government's total bargaining with five of the this situation, eight of budget is allocated to the eight daycares organized. the ceht~ Ottawa's privately-run provision of daycare services. Nepean and Bayshore daycare centres have recently . Early in 1978 daycare Centres bargaining units are been organized by CUPE. teachers met to discuss the negotiating' individually with J W\f'r\ Their local, 2204, includes cutbacks and the impact these their management. daycare teachers, cooks; were having on their work. According to CUPE '\ k:\d<) cleaning staff, home daycare "While many of the teachers researcher Larry Katz, visitors and some clerical were part of the Ottawa­ collective bargaining is a new Of\d staff. Carleton Daycare Association experience in the Ottawa According to Penny Lane, (a group formed to lobby daycare community. Katz said --te.QC~rs president of the newly-formed governments on daycare the bargaining process has local, the union was formed to issues), we never really had a meant "educating both the allow daycare workers to have separate forum for the people daycare boards and our own -t~J /,ke_ an impact on the various employed by the centres to members. But initial fears levels of government which get together," explained Lane. have been set aside and fund daycare. "Out of these discussions negotiations for the five non­ "Lack of adequate funding," on cutbacks the topic of profit centres are proceeding she said, "leads to low unionization came up." An smoothly." salaries,, lack of job security, Ottawa Daycare Workers The union's demands reduction of spaces for Committee on Unionization include parity with the tatives of the boards and the The service has been daycare workers who are union accompany regional hampered by a static concept employed by the Regional government officials to of the family and the role that Municipality of Ottawa­ Toronto to convince provin­ women assume in it." Carleton. RMOC workers earn cial government officials that Whether Local and board between two and five it must increase its expendi­ members will travel to thousand dollars more per tures on daycare. Toronto with regional year than Local 2204 The regional government •representatives to meet members. has accepted , the brief's provincial government "Our proposal is a modest recommendations regarding officials is still unknown. orie," says president Penny wage increases providing the According to Katz, the long Lane. "We want to close the provincial government agrees term aim in the struggle to gap over three years, thus to raise its contribution. organize daycare workers giving the regional and That the provincial must be to provide a province­ provincial governments time government will roll back its wide link creating an effective to adjust to these increased daycare cutbacks and agree lobbying force the provincial costs." to increase its contribution is government will have to heed. Improvements to welfare doubtful. According to Larry Local 2204 has also made benefit plans are als.o being Katz, the overall problem contact with other daycare sought. For example, pension which confronts the daycare workers in Ontario and plans, OHIP coverage, and community in Ontario is a lack affiliated with Ontario CUPE group life insurance are some of financial commitment to Social Service Workers of the fringe benefits denied to the service on the part of Committee. daycare workers. government. This committee works to children and the ever-present was formed to research the In the meantime, Local 2204 "This results from the break down isolation between threat of deterioration of the various options open to the members have taken seriously provincial government's social service workers, to quality of service." daycare workers. In its report the need to forge alliances philosophical approach to the confront government policy Currently, daycare services the Committee recommended with board members and service," Katz said. "Histori­ and direct the provincial are funded by three levels of that the Canadian Union of parents and to get involved in cally, daycare has been social services resources government, regional, Public Employees, because of the political proeess. perceived as a fringe service towards the real needs of the provincial and federal, under a its commitment to fight social In recent municipal for families in special need. people. It also encourages the cost-sharing arrangement service cutbacks, its strength elections local members Government has accepted organlZation of unorganized which sets the regional and its present daycare canvassed all candidates and and reinforced this notion. social services workers. contribution at 20%, the membership (CUPE also sponsored an all-candidates provincial government's at represents municipal daycare meeting on daycare. 30% with the federal workers), would be the most Recently a brief on daycare government contributing the effective union to represent budgetary needs presented remaining 50%. the daycare teachers. jointly by the boards of five centres and L-0cal 2204 to the Continued from page 1 Regional Municipality of and oi the Third World." It Ottawa-Carleton urged the dominance of Canadian does not say what it is going to regional government to universities by American do about it. provide increased funds to professors. As of yet, the party's daycare centres for salary and What does the National policies do not mention wage increases. The brief also Party have to offer women? Its Criminal Code amendments recommended that represen- AUTHORIZED i!Y THE OFFICIAL AGENT OF JEAN P'.GOTT, 1505 LAPERRIERE policies include property law regarding rape, porn.ography that is based on the principle and prostitution. of equality in marriage and is While the National Party's consistent in all provinces and policies on women may be territories in Canada; attractive, they go hand-in­ education and training hand with a strong belief in incentives to encourage Canadian nationalism. Many women to move out of people support the develop­ traditional job ghettos; ment of a Canadian manufac­ universally-available, quality, turing sector to end the non-profit child care; a system exportatioa of raw resources of maternity leave that does which are sold back to us at not penalize men or women higher costs and result in for time spent out of the profits leaving the country, labour force; greater research but much of the party's policy_ into birth control and in that area is still very vague. dissemination of family For instance, would the planning information; the National Party support right to choose abortion; and Canadian-owned corpora­ preference in contracting tions which operate in other government work given to countries of the world in the businesses which encourage same manner that multina­ John Evans the equality of women. tionals now treat Canada? Also relevant to women is a In considering support for policy in the Agriculture and the National Party, women Food section which states that should look carefully at its Ottawa Centre the party "supports breast policies on women's rights, feeding as being the most and finally, ask themselves natural and desireable way of whether nationalism is really Drop in or call-Headquarters, 155 Bank, 236-6651 feeding infants of this country t~e cure for our country's ills. Published by: Cliff Bowditch, Official Agent .1 I

'4/l)PSJHEAM.". f J : ' Armstrong speech Jobs are secondary, not workers

by Mandy Chepeka important than men and that question the wrong way. of women employed," work. Women workers have government places more Another myth about women suffered disproportionately Women's unemployment, in Armstrong said. "Given the importance on prime age male workers is that they do not type of work women do in the from unemployment. Since comparison to men's earners instead. She believes really need to work, and that 1966 women's employment unemployment, is getting labour force, most men the only way to use the term the majority of divorced, wouldn't and couldn't take has gone up 6% but proportionately worse claims "secopdary worker'' is to separated women live on what unemployment has gone up Pat Armstrong, co-author of them given the wages that are examine what "secondary" they earn, rather than on available," she said. 12,3%. Armstrong cites a "The Double Ghetto." jobs are like. "When you look alimony payments, says study done by the Social Plan­ Armstrong spoke at a session at secondary jobs, you talk Armstrong. Seven percent of The two categories used by ning Council of Metropolitan on unemployment at Carleton about jobs that are lower in the families in Canada who government regarding unem­ Toronto, calculated before University and emphasized pay, responsibility, and lived below the poverty line in ployment and unemployment recent UIC changes, which that attitudes towards women attractiveness," Armstrong 1966 moved above it in 1977. benefits are incomplete, says showed a downward trend in and work must be changed said. Women are slotted into Arm.strong explained, "I think Armstrong. The categories the use of unemployment before real progress can l;>e these types of jobs; that you can see that this is the used are percentage of the insurance by women and made. Armstrong's theory. is that the result otwomen going into the labour force (for example young adults. "We are told by govern­ jobs are secondary, not the labour force, not of welfare young men and women made The four myths concerning ment that women's unemploy­ workers. She says the argu­ payments or govenment up 49.3% of the labour force in women and their work can ment is unimportant because ment dismi~sing women's subsidies, but because the 1972) and percentage of easily be dispelled says the They are 'secondary wor­ unemployment as unimpor­ family has two or more benefits received. These same author. "Women work kers',"said Armstrong. She tant because they are income · earners now... The young men and women because they need the money explained that this is used to secondary workers is very fact that women would go received 50.6% of unemploy­ and they get far less reward imply that woinen are less incorrect and goes about the out to work, given the wages ment benefits and were there­ for tflem than do men." But and Jobs available, the fore deemed to be "ripping these arguments are impor­ scarcity of day care, and that off" the Unemployment tant because they get trans- they have two roles to fulfill, it­ I nsu ranee Commission. 1ate d into government self indicates that they need "What these statistics leave policies. They are not simply the work." out is the percentage they are platform or debate questions. of the unemployed. In 1972, "They get translated into Armstrong shoots down the young people were two-thirds policies in terms of changes in argument that women cause of the unemployed and they the unimployment act, and in unemployment by taking got only half the benefits. In terms of wiping out support jobs away from men by citing 1976 young men and women for women's programs," she the fact that 8% of all women made up 71.7% of all the said. who work, work in the service unemployed and received The solution to this,· AUlHOIUZED BY TH£ OfFICIAL AGENT Of' JEAN PIGOTT. 1505 l.APEllRIEP.E sector and that less than one­ only 56.5% of the benefits," Armstrong says, is to get more quarter of the men looking for she said. information and distribute it jobs are looking for jobs in the Changes in the unemploy­ because the unemployment service sector. She says 43% ment insurance act will hurt situation for women is getting of unemployed men are women as well. Now one must worse. "We should all be con­ looking for jobs in construc­ work 20 hours a week or more cerned about whether there tion and manufacturing, not to be eligible which will affect, are jobs because the fact that service or trade. according to Armstrong's there are a lot of people who "Men are looking for jobs calculations, .7% of men who do not have jobs is affecting where there are less than 3% work and 2.4% of women who those of us who do." Harrisburg /Women and children first ..

by Rosemary Knes .. On March 28, 1979, near 'growing organs of a child tend tenth week of gestation, when Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to collect more of such the embryo begins to form spurts of steam were released substances than those of a of radiation 'is death of the from a power-generating adult. When such substances embryo. From the· second to plant. Two days later, the stay for long periods in bones, organs, radiation can cause Governor ,of Pennsylvania the thyroid gland, or other malformations. The type ordered 23 schools closed. organs, the radiation can lead depends on the particular The next day, the Goverrior to benign tumors, cancer, and state of organ development at advised the evacuation of such other serious medical the time of exposure. pregnant women and young problems as hormonal Radiation effects on the children within a radius of 8 disorders. fetus after the tenth week of km (5 miles). The most critical period of gestation tend to be less The steam contained a radiation exposure to the anatomical defects and more variety of radioactive gases; pregnant woman is during the functional abnormalities, the plant was a nuclear plant first three months of such as in the brain - mental at Three Mile Island operated pregnancy. The cells of the retardation and smaller head by the Metropolitan-Edison embryo during the first eight sizes of children. Co., and March 28, 1979 weeks of pregnancy and of the Yet, all this depends greatly became known as the date ' when the "worst nuclear accident in US history" occurred. On April 10, Pennsylvania Governor, Dick Thornburgh lifted his evacuation advisory for pregnant women and young children and reopened the schools he had ordered closed. The worst was over Lloyd answered the concerns of feminists regarding but the questions still possible sex discrimination inherent in Bill C-28. ren:iained. What effects did Throughout the summer of '78 Lloyd was involved in radiation released from the special Liberal Caucus meetings which resolved the Three Mile Island plant have problem through a new Bill C-22, which stated that the on the unborn and. young children who are said to be the Bill could not contravene the Human Rights Act. most vulnerable to the harms of radiation? fetus from the second month on the amount of radiation .. .effective experience! A child's metabolism or to birth divide. For received. We are exposed in biochemical processes, differ unknown reasons, cells in the everyday life to radiation in in major ways from those of a process of division are our natural environment and adult. The same amount of the extremely sensitive to in such things as medical X­ same radioactive substance radiation. Resultant damage rays. Radiation is measured in Re-elect Lloyd Francis can cause more damage to a to chromosomes, the bundles rems and millirems. A chest X­ LIBERAL/OTTAWA WEST child than an adult. Radio­ of genetic material within the ray exposes a person to 45 active strontium can get into cells, can lead to birth defects millirems in a few seconds. growing bones, radioactive such a Down's Syndrome. The accepted maximum iodine can settle in the thyroid During the first two weeks annual exposure is 500 Published by the Official Agent for Lloyd Francis, gland in the neck. The of pregnancy th~ major effect millirems. 303 Richmond Road, Ottawa, Ontario, 728-1931 ,M"ay 197$ UPSTR,E1'M/Ei Unions vi~ to represent telephone operators; await decision by Jean Frances understandably did oot want bulletin sent to members, and said, but she suspects that a we had to fighJ alone they'd Operators and dining room to be taken over by a union getting information from lot of them end up in the crush us. We're tired of staff at Bell Canada, currently which represented mainly representatives was very wastebasket. waiting for a union that says unionized under the Commu­ men. She said that in a difficult. "The CUC does things for they bvelieve in 'social nications Union Canada takeover, the new members of When asked about this, its members," Hofstede said, responsibility' to get us what (CUC) are awaiting the the ewe would be "subservi­ Hamilton said that it was "too "but in the ewe the members we need by asking politely. It's decision of the Canada ent" to other members. expensive" to mail out are the union." time to stand together-to Labour Relations Board on Gladys Proulx said that individual letters to the Another operator said, have one strong democratic whether or not the latest raid although the CWC's member­ members on a regular basis. "Everything we have now the union, and to get what we by the Communications ship in Ottawa is primarily Regular bulletins were sent company gave us. We've need for ourselves." Workers of Canada-an male, it was not true of other out to representatives, she never fought for anything. If attempt to get enough areas. Also, she said, members of one union to join operators and dining staff, if another to force a change in they joined the ewe, would bargaining agents-will be negotiate their own contract successful. The first raid tailored to their needs. began in June ot"1978, and the On the surface, it does look application for takeover, like a battle between two submitted in October of that unions. But there are larger year, was rejected. issues at stake. The CWC reapplied in April According to one source, after signing more than 4,000 when the CWC's application employees in less than a for certification went to the month. Canadian Labour Relations On the surface it appears to Board last October, checklists be a battle between the two of Bell employees provided by unions for the right to the company were inflated. represent about 7 ,500 Bell Names on the list included employees, the majority of former employees and those whom are women. But the who had started work after the main issue is one of application had been filed, bargainir;ig strength. she said, adding that the ewe At the moment, if members had photocopies of the list. of the CUC were to strike, they Hamilton said that the list would not be able to count on had been provided in other Bell employees for any accordance with CLRB kind .of support. Also, requirements. Some names, according to Gladys Proulx, like the names of the acting an operator and organizer for president and former. the CWC, Bell management president of the CUC, were WOMEN HAVE LES FEMMES ONT ATTENDU could use plant and technical legitimately included be­ workers to take over the cause, although they had WAITED TOO LONG TROP LONGTEMPS operators' jobs. Cheryl been on leave of abscene for Hamilton, a CUC representa­ - some years and were not on tive in Toronto, admits that the company's payroll, they The NOP team in Ottawa L'equipe NPO d'Ottawa lutte other personnel could be were still Bell employees. Bell, brought in if there were a she said, would not be so fighting for women's rights pour les droits de femmes strike, but that such a move stupid as to include names would not really be effective. illegally. The CWC currently repres­ When· an application for Jill Vickers (Ottawa-Carleton)-523-8001 sents about 18,000 Bell certification is filed, the CLRB Marnie Gervin (Nepean-Carleton)-226-3320 employees in Ontario and has the discretionary power to Abby Pol lonetsky ( Ottawa-West)-722-9374 Quebec, as well as communi­ order a representation vote to Paul Michaud (Ottawa-Vanier)-74~-2181 cations workers in other parts be taken among employees in John Smart (Ottawa-Centre)-236-2316 ·of the country. In 1975 the the unit if 35% to 50% of its ewe proposed a merger with members want to switch. It did the CUC. The talks broke not exercise this discretion, Authorized by the Official Agent of the campaigns_ of: Autoris6 par /'agent omciel des c11mp11gnes de: Ott11w11-Carleton, Nepean-Carleton, Ottaw•-Wut, Ottawa-Vanier, Ottawa-Centre, NE'r't_ DEMOCRATIC PARTY down when CUC representa­ and so the ewe filed an tives indicated that they were appeal. unwilling to consider such a Jannette Hofstede, an merger unless the Canadian operator and ewe organizer, Why should women be interested -in us? Telephone Employees said, "It's not just a battle Q. Association, described as a between two unions. The company union, were Labour Board is reluctant to included in the merger plans. act on the request of the Because we are the only political party that Then, according to Proulx, union, and that's- to the operators became dissatisfied A. company's benefit. It's getting integrates the equality of women into the very with the CUC and went to the harder and harder for unions CWC for help. In June 1978 to organize, and the people structure of the party itself! the first raid was initiated. this really affects are mainly Members of the CUC were women-bank tellers, operat­ against the raid because they ors, food service workers, We have a strong and progressive marriage. said it would weaken the people like that. Only 30% of policy on issues affecting women because education and incentives in the form structure of the union. In a Canadians are unior'iized in women have played an equal part in of training programs designed to letter from the CUC to J.S. the first place. This summer building the party and shaping its encourage women to move out of Roushorne of the Anti- the price for signing a union directions. traditionally female occupations and job 1nflation Board, dated card is going up, from $2 to $5. ghettoes. January, 1978, the objection is That's a hell of a lot of money Background papers and sympathy are expressed: for -someone on minimum not enough. To change the role of the right to choose abortion should be "The objective of our wage." women in the economy and the image recognized and made equally accessible. politically dissident members Operators' starting wages in of women that is fed us in our foreign­ universally-available child-care services (CWC supporters) is a weaker British Columbia are higher controlled culture, we have to have the on a non-profit basis. union structure, one in which th'an top wages made by economic and political power to act. the path to control and power operators in Ottawa. The The National Party/Le parti national is a proper system of maternity leave that is more accessible. The contracts were negotiated in the only party committed to regaining does not penalize in any way for time objective .of our Uuebec 1977 by the Telecommunica­ that power. out of the work force. separatist members is clear. tions Workers Union (affili­ They desire a structure that ated with the CWC) in BC and The struggle for personal indepen­ Our candidate in Ottawa Centre is will grant a greater degree of by the CUC in Ontario- cence in an economic and cultural autonomy to the Quebec Quebec. colony has got to coincide with the region than our present "But it's more than just the struggle for the means to control the Robin Mathews 0 structure, to provide a better difference in wages," circumstances under which women are base from which to effect an Hofstede said. "Operators in employed or not employed, valued or ultimate split from Ontario other areas get better benefits Please join, contribute, work, votet and the rest of Canada." than we do. They get more not valued, encouraged to contribute to Contact: Cheryl Hamilton said that paid holidays, more vacation society or explQited and demeaned. Gail Dexter/ Party President although the cue does not time, bettEV" pay for overtime, Resolutions passed at the 1st National Terry Binnersley/2nd Vice-President regard itself as a women's and all sorts of little benefits Policy Convention include: Julie Swettenham/National Secretary union, it does represent we don't get." mainly women. The CUC Some operators in the CUC the right to full employment and a The National Party of Canada/ would have considered say that their union is minimum standard of living above the Le parti national du Canada merging with the ewe if its undemocratic because union poverty level for women and men both. members could be on an business is conducted 235-5420 equal, fifty-fifty basis with without their knowledge. property law made to conform to the Pubnshed by J. Larwia, Official Agent ewe members, she said, but They say there is no regular principle of equal partnership in ~/UPST~~AM

-----~DITORIAL-----

Women have always had !hemselves to speak for those someone else-usually men-doing women who are feeling more than their talking for them: telling them anyone else the burden of our what they want and need . .The only current economic crisis. "Don't difference today is that other worry, we'll make sure your women who may be no more concerns are heard," they say, and qualified are doing it. in workshops decide just what it is During the National Action poor women, immigrant women, Committee on the Status of Women Indian women want. annual meeting and conference in We have seen women leave NAC Ottaw~ in March, a number of conferences filled with bitterness women-mostly from low income because they felt the things they groups-were excluded because wanted to discuss were blocked and they had not preregistered. (See shunted aside by "parliamentari­ centrespread.) But bureaucratic ans" using. rules of order they did rules are not the only things that not understand. We have heard keep many women out of women talk about how "stupid" they organizations like NAC. felt because they could not follow In fact many of the strategies and ·discussions which they had tactics adopted by women's groups initiEJted. Perhaps the worst thing is from rape crisis centres to status of talking to women who wanted badly women councils are exclusive. The to attend a conference but could not National Action. Committee has afford the registration fee. opted for establishment politics,· We do not have a solution to offer playing the game with traditional to this problem right now, but here lobbying tactics. are some suggestions for What equipment do you need to discussion: women's organizations play the game? First and foremost should consider a wide range of you can't be intimidated by power strategies from lobbying to radical, figures-police, politicians, direct action; an examination of how bureaucrats, even teachers. our.common concerns as feminists Secondly, you have to speak the hold up when it comes to class and same, learned language. And you race differences; are we prepared to need a knowledge of the protocol support each other even though we used in legislative circles. differ in our choices of tactics? Even We believe that these skills are if all women did have the skills most readily available to women necessary for establishment who have had the privilege of higher politics, would that route lead to the education-not just university, but solutions we seek? Or, is that a finishing high school-to women strategy chosen by women who who have the time to meet with the have a vested interest in the status authorities and the money to dress quo; who do not want to change the in the latest, sophisticated fashions. system but expand it so that it (Spare time, by the way, most often incorporates them? comes with salaried jobs where you This is the first time in two and a have some individual responsibility. half years that UPSTREAM has been To get that kind of job, a post­ truly critical of any aspect of the secondary education is likely women's movement. We have felt necessary.) the need in the past to critiaize but Electing a strategy that demands have held back for fear of our these skills often results in the criticism being used against thfJ exclusion, by their own .choice or movement or causing rifts within the not, of those women who have movement itself. With the NAG always been forgotten-poor conference, we felt the problems women, immigrants, Indians, and were too serious to ignore. We 1..,ETTERS blue collar workers. cannot expect to put forth a united We cannot expect women who front when the actions of some have lived as the ultimate victims of women are causing resentment in capitalist and patriarchal power to other women. Journal UPSTREAM, be comfortable meeting with the We believe it is imperative that an Bien qu'avec un peu de retard, je very people who wield that power. open discussion on the direction of. desire apporter mon commentaire suite We cannot expect women who have the women's movement in Canada a votre editorial paru dans le numero de not had the opportunity to complete begin. Please share your reactions fevrier dernier concernant les postes secondary or post-secondary and ideas with us. recemment offerts aux femmes dans les education to be prepared for "We felt that understanding what Force armees canadiennes. grandiose phrases and bureaucratic happened in the movement L'auteur se rejouit de la percee des jargon. And most important, we necessitated a critical examination femmes dans ce domaine tout en must. not expect women who have of ideas, actions and their fustigeant M. Danson et compagnie learned that to survive you take what consequences for women. Some qu'elle a vu venir avec leurs gros "chars ... " y~u can get when you can get it, to would see in this the danger of Loin de vouloir me dissocier de la Jutte check that it's all ~ight with everyone factionalism or betraying unity in des femmes en vue de leur integration else first. the movement. We looked at our dans tous les secteurs d'emploi If we decide we want to play the own experiences and saw that unity traditionnellement reserves aux game, we have to make sure we help did not exist." hommes, je demeure toutefois perplexe all women learn those skills because -Feminist Revolution lorsqu'il s'agit des Forces armees. they know what they want and have by Redstockings La ou je "decroche" c'est au niveau de definite ideas about how to get it. !'implication sociale du travail militaire. But, what seems to be happening in Let us try, in Canada, to make Je ne peux et ne veux tout simplement organizations like NAC is that pas m'associer a une force history without repeating its d'intimidation, d'oppression -et de mort privile§led women are taking it upon mistakes. que constituent les Forces armees, alors que tout mon etre mane a la vie. M. Danson ettous les Danson avant lui ont toujours objecte: "Non1 vous etes une femme." Je lui reponds aujourd'hui: . "Non, merci, je suis une femme." Lise Lebeau \ ', l May 1979 lJR$Ji!;iJ1~A~t~, 'FORUM Women and unions ... "you can do it'' Dear UPSTREAM, Recently, as was cleaning out my women and not the men? The answers desk, ran across your newspaper again usually go something like this-because and took a good look at it and read some whatever men talk about is useful and of the interesting articles it had to offer whatever women talk about is nonsense! and decided to be one of the participants 2. Do you feel generally the bosses are that you had requested, to write articles scared of the men? And the answer to or whatever, for your newspaper. WANTED that one was Yes, the bosses are really I had recently attended a Canadian scared of the men because they are their Labour Congress Conference and as a fellow man. result, was requested to contribute 3. Why do the bosses stress a point to excerpts from the conference at one of MALE OR FEMALE* the.women but casually mention it to the our union meetings. men? The same, and usual answer­ I, as well as some of my co-workers TO FILL EXECUTIVE POSITION because they think the women don't found the speech informative and be­ understand and the same old story­ neficial and thought maybe you would APPLICANTS MUST HAVE they don't want to get on the bad side of like to insert the speech in one ot your ALL the fellow man. up-and-coming U~STREAM issues. There are many, many controversies During the conference, we listened to EXPERIENCE .AND REFERENCES in today's workir:ig world of women in many, very interesting speeches, we regard to equal opportunity. We often were shown numerous films about FEMALE APPLICANTS Ml/ST BE l)BLE TO see and lately have bE;?come more aware problems women in the work force of a man given a seniority position over encounter and we also had the LEAP TALL 8/JIL/JINGS IN A SINGLE BOUND women with higher seniority. Women opportunity to participate in workshops, have also been discriminated. against which literally meant, talking about our because of their religious beliefs. It has problems, listening to other women's also been heard that if you don't wear problems and trying to find answers to are 25-44 and with most of them being opportunity. Many of us have probably pants, you're not going to get anywhere. these ,problems. married. asked ourselves this familiar phrase, .::fhey'll try and talk you down, but you Speaking for myself, I found the There are many statements to "Why should we sit back and take just don't give up that easily. If we want conference most interesting, ve~ consider regarding equality, some of everything that is thrown at us because to get anywhere in this so-called "man's informative and very satisfying as far as them being - No employer can we are women." world," there are four phases in our lives my own personal inquisitions of differentiate between men or women for I saw a cartoon recently, in a we must consider: problems of the working women. equal pay for equal work. No reduction newspaper · published for working 1. Overcome personal roadblocks I would like now to mention some of in rate of pay for women and we would women, and it went something like this: 2. Overcome home roadblocks the interesti(lg points heard during the like equal benefits. In 1976, $16,813 was Picture a little boy and a little gir.1 sitting 3. Overcome job roadblocks and previously mentioned speeches and repaid to women tor equal pay on a fence. 4. Overcome union roadblocks. films. violations. Inferiority to women began LITTLE BOY: Today, qualified women When we have accomplished these Most of the situations mentioned all early in life and later on, in the work can hold the same position as men. feats, then there are no limits. boiled down to the same thing, time and force, it was very easy to make life LITTLE GIRL: That's not equality. If We have also heard mention of ihe time again-seperating the men from miserable for a woman worker by her we were equal, even dumb women could traditional role we, as women, play in the women and as some examples, men boss. As a result, Equal Value be in high positions! get more pay, men given better job Legislation is to be amended, and That's one more for the women, this world. The roles such as service opportunities, etc., etc., etc. But how do hopefully, women's jobs will be wouldn't you say! duties, clerical, teaching and nursing to we cure this! analyzed more effectively. Also, the new Getting back to employment and the mention a few. But very few women are Women must have more job security Human Rights Act was recently passed role discrimination plays, we've found being recognized in the non-traditional and bring about equality plus have and will be mentioned in the newspapers that many employers conjure up job roles such as mechanics, engineers, training for equal job opportunities. This soon. descriptions so absurdly that most farmers, architects, doctors and many is a difficult time for women and now is Getting back to the job, how many people would need a lawyer to explain it. highly skilled workers. We, then come to the time to discuss our problems. times have we noticed that the men do There are far too many primitive the question, probably a great many of To change the status of women, not appreciate what extras the working procedures still being followed and too us have asked ourselves-how do we go recently, the Canadian Human Rights women do. We women need to be many women-through no one's fault about to change this tradition: Many of Commission was created, offering, for. released from the working ghettos. In but their own-are afraid to 1ile the answers are-educate us more, one, better protection regarding yet another survey conducted in 1976, complaints. change our ways of thin1

Continued from page 1 approaches agreed upon and to distribute the "clout" By no coincidence at all, is available in both official could be used witt:iin were that OWL divide its form letters. this date is the 51 st languages. For further individual ridings, such as mailing list into ridings (using OWL people in each riding anniversary of non-persons information about OWL, write open letters to the news­ free maps from the local were phoned, told about their day, the day the Supreme c/o Suite 15-.191 Mcleod St., papers, organizing and OWL electoral office). One person Court of Canada declared that Ottawa or call 1-613-236- local riding strategies and all-candidates meeting in each of the r.idings where 0590. options. Each OWL riding encouraging people to phone OWL people live volunteered women were not persons, OWL is an association of group then had a meeting to and ask candidates when they 'to act as election co­ according to the British North individuals and .local finalize its plans. A sub­ were going to talk about ordinator. Her job is to find out America Act, and therefore community groups sharing a sequent general meeting of issues concerning women, when candidates are appear­ common concern in status-of OWL then decided to issue a and placing articles about ing in public and arranging for ineligible for federal women issues at the federal press release to unveil the OWL's positions in com­ OWL representatives to be appointments. level. munity newspapers. there. She also finds people to total regional package on All OWL election infor­ The overall tactical administer the questionnaire, April 24: mation for public distribution 8/UPSTREAM.» '.'.' May 1979

"Footbinding was a political In the hazardous structure of the institution which reflected and nuclear family, women are destined, perpetuated the inferiority of women; FEMINIST among other things, for the role of footbinding cemented women to a consumers. We keep domestic markets certain sphere, with a certain function­ CONNECTIONS: viable for business by maintaining the women were sexual objects and "home and children beautiful, and the breeders." body beautiful." (It's. all a cruel hoax­ (from Woman Hating, by Andrea most women live close to or below the Dworkin) poverty line, and/or are dependent on a Have you been watching shoe styles COUNSELLING man's income.) Trained to doubt our for women lately? Have you tried to find own value and our own good judgement, a pair of plain, well built, reasonable by Helen Levine FOR CHANGE many of us try desperately to conform to priced shoes? Or have you decided that male-defined standards of beauty and high heels look and feel great, despite consumption. lncuding shoes. the "opposition?" Are you in fact Shoes seem to epitomize a wearing them? Western women think of Chinese foot­ convenience, my refusal to be bound. particularly vicious form of Maybe its old age, but I consider binding as a form of mediaeval torture. It Think of what shoes are like for men. consumerism foisted on women. Add shoes to be a kind of political barometer was, but we in turn tend not to recognize Though fashion influences male makeup, advertising, fashion, pills (birth for women. Meaning that when shoes the mediaeval torture in our midst, in the footwear to some extent, by and large control, tranquillizers, etc.), and the become more and more skimpy and form of shoes for women that deny us men's shoes are made to be sturdy, connection between billion-dollar pointy, and as heels become higher and comfort, freedom, and health, shoes that comfortable, and planted firmly on the industries and women's oppression becomes remarkably clear. narrower, they're sending a messge keep us from having our two feet planted ground. Like trousers, men's shoes regarding how we are supposed to live firmly on the ground, from being in provide the maximum in freedom, Just in case I come across as a total and think and act-or how not to think charge of our bodies and the space we convenience, and practicality. It's no killjoy, let me add that I think dressing and not act, to be more precise. stand on. accident. If men are to control the world, up, and making up, and looking special The other part of the barometer is This whole question of footwear hit make the decisions, run industry, can sometimes be fun and feel good, for whether women at any particular time me last fall when I was looking for a pair government, the professions-and women and men. But not in our daily are going to cave in to fashion blackmail, of plain rubber boots. For rainy days. women-they certainly need their feet lives and not at the expense of our or consciously fight back:'by boycotting The kind of boots that have been around well shod. comfort, freedom, and in the long term, health. the product; by deciding that fashion for eons of time. My search took me into Consider, for example, which sex can be fun, but not when it's ruinous to several local . shoe stores, only to owns and controls shoe manufacturing, Don't kid yourself. The shoes you buy feet and backs; by blasting the discover that suC:h practical items were which sex shapes and defines women's or wear are political! manufacturers. not available. The stores were tastes and "needs" in footwear. "Pain is an essential part of _the Shoes, I think, are one grim form of overflowing with expensive, stylized, Shoes of course are only one blatant grooming process, and that is not social control over women. And they and uncomfortable looking winter example of how women's lives are accidental. Plucking the eyebrows, have a history, foot binding being the boots, and frail, highheeled, dressy controlled by profits and men. In a way, shaving under the arms, wearing a most obvious example. ·Foot binding shoes. It took a trip to a basement shoe it is simply another illustration of how girdle, learning to walk in high-heeled kept women "in their place" in pre­ department in Toronto to locate my women are held in contempt. Who else shoes, fiaving one's nos.e fixed, liberation China, properly restricted, current boots. They weren't exactly a to put on frail stilts, but people who are straightening or curling one's hair­ subdued and contained. Women great buy. The only pair that fit had steel primarily decorative objects to be seen these things hurt. The pain, of course, hobbled painfully all their lives, in the toes, Orange Steel Toes! I bought those teaches an important lesson: no price 1s and used? Women are taught to collude too great, no process too repulsive, no name of delicacy, sensuality, ridiculous boots in desperation and am in such definitions of fashion and helplessness, in the name of pleasing now quite attached to them. They operation too painful for the woman beauty, but let's make sure we keep the who would be beautiful." men. symbolize my demand for comfort and blame where it really belongs. (Andrea Dworkin again)

PERSUADING PARLIAMENT by Marie Harte

women's rights. Perhap.s suph number of vital issues. previously-stated positions. Conserva­ Halfway through the national statements were being saved for the A scorecard shows the NOP most tives were decidedly wishy-washy. campaign for the May 22 election, New crucial final weeks of the campaign? agreeable (although some would argue So, in the spirit of the electoral Democratic Party leader Ed Broadbent Perhaps the two major parties felt that the NOP can afford to promise contest, the rest of this space contains a was the only party leader who had women's rights were not worth singling anything since it will not win the majority scorecard from that day. declared women's rights a major issue in out? of seats). Liberals stood by their The scorecard: the contest to win votes. No thinking person would cast a vote He wasted no time, pledging the NDP for any politician simply on grounds that Women's proposal NOP LIBERAL CONSERVATIVE would make women's rights a prime he or. she had spouted the words Do not re-introduce Yes No ·Maybe campaign issue the night Prime Minister WOMEN'S RIGHTS. It's no magic the anti-prostitution Trudeau called the ele<;;tion. He backed formula. Voters also examine economic bill that up a few days later on the campaign policy, judicial proposals, political trail in Edmonton, unveiling the NDP's philosophy, a party's record in Remove exemption in Yes Don't know Maybe eight-point equality-for-women-in-the­ Parliament. proposed rape law that work-force plan. That women, and men, are not willing would prevent woman The NDP plan is far from to vote (en masse at any rate) on the one from prosecuting her comprehensive. It was carelessly left issue of women's rights, fundamental as husband. ha_nging with holes in it. But it did, for it is, has been proven by failed attempts Not re-introduce Bill Yes No No one day anyway, draw public attention in the past to form a women's political C-22 which ties public to the need for EjXCeptional measures party. And past performances in the service wages to levels that would elevate women to equality in Commons have shown that electing a in private sector. tile paid labour force. woman is no guarantee of having ·a Toughen human rights Yes Refer to Yes The NDP proposed affirmative action feminist in the corridors of power. commission equal pay commission. programs with quotas, hire-women A systematic analysis of the parties for work of equal value r u I es f o r co m p a·n i es see k i n g and their positions· on women's rights law. government contracts, reinstatement of during the campaign was promised by $3 million in job training and counselling the National Action Committee on the Appoint independent· Yes No, internal Would review, but not services such as Outreach projects, Status · of Women. The committee inquiry into effect of study will do. necessarily with increased vocational training, more day represents thousands of women In new unemployment independent inquiry. care centres, a better deal for part-time about 160 organizations across the' insurance regulations workers, pensions for some country. on female workers. homemakers and a $15 million fund for And the committee got a nice head Pledge not to base Yes Yes Yes but would pay rape crisis centres and other social start, squeezing its annual lobby of MPs unemployment in­ lower benefits to needs. in, coincidentally, the day Trudeau surance benefits on claimants without By contrast, neither Trudeau nor announced the election. The women family income. dependents. Progressive Conservative leader Joe asked leading members of each caucus Rescind section 12(1 )b Yes Yes Yes Clark had made any statement on to state their party's position on a of the lndianActwhich denies rights to Indian women who marry non-Indians. MEMBER OF THE OTIAWA REAL ESTATE BOARD Restore lost rights to Yes No Don't know. Indian women retro­ actively. Maintain federal juris­ No Don't knqw. CHERYL CHARTIER Canada Trust diction over divorce REPRESENTATIVE instead of relinquishing it to the provinces. Westgate Shopping Centre Create a system for Don't know. No, because Don't know. Carling at Merivale Off.: 7294376 automatic enforce­ would be provin­ Ottawa, Ontario Res.: 7294087 ment of maintenance cial responsibili­ orders. ty. Raise family allowance Yes, and would in- No Non-answer back to previous levels crease as well UPSTREAM/9 May ,1979 WOMEN ______HELPING WOMEN______

Jumai tells it this way. "I was only 10 pregnancy can they avoid regular sexual Instead of recommending working the family." years old. My elderly aunt undressed me contact. .directly to stop excision, the writers Being controllable, the mutilated and blindfolded me with a scarf. I was Other long-term consequences are suggested that "the whole of society female is therefore more valuable to her then forcibly held down and my legs uninary system damage, genital must evolve .. .tirst, both sexes must family as property. And, since pulled apart while the barber/surgeon infections, and, almost always; become aware of the fundamental intercourse is agony, her later did his work. I was screaming until I childbirth complications. The mutilation eqaality of the rights of man and woman faithfulness-or value-to her husband could scream no more and passed out." produces scar tissue so tough that without confusing equality with is guaranteed as well. Another reason Jumai, like her sisters in Africa, Asia, labour can last for days until both identity." One wonders whether the for tlie practice, Ogunmodede suggests, and Latin America, was the victim of mother and child die of exhaustion. writers would have sermonized about is that the woman's narrowed vaginal cliterodotomy. Depending on local Of the short-term consequences, the exaggeration, context, and social opening increases the man's pleasure. custom, this can mean anything from major one is death. Massive bleeding in evolution if the practice under The lnternatlonal action slightly cutting the clitoris to rel"[loving it the crotch-rich in blood vessels-is discussion had been razoring away the altogether complete with pieees of the just one cause. The others are infection, testicles instead of the clito(is. What to do? In 1958 the United inner vaginal lips and then sewing the tetanus, or blood-poisoning from the Nations started talking ·about the outer lips together with cat gut. In th is dirty knife, razor blade, finger-nail, hot subject. Says Ogunmodede, "It is quite The victims' analysis case, a small opening will be left so that coal or piece of glass used-without clear that nothing more drastic than talk menstrual blood can seep out. anaesthetic-to scrape the girls1 genital In a separate article in the same issue has taken place since ... Nothing short of Cliterodotomy is genteely and areas raw. of People, however, Nigerian author a world-wide campaign ... will ... eradicate absurdly called "female circumcision" Esther Ogunmodede magnificently genital mutilation of girls." The liberals' analysls although in extent, pain, and dissents from this high-toned ~isplay of In Canada, women can start such consequences, it is completely unlike Pe9ple, the journal of the Custom and tradition, she agrees, are action right now by pressuring male circumcision which is merely the International Planned Parenthood the commonest reasons given for governments and businesses to tie removal of the foreskin from the penis. Federation, recently published a destroying female genitals. "But the future money deals with countries valuable "special inquiry" into the world now knows the reasons, just as practising excision to promises that The consequences traditionas and cultural importance of our forebears knew. Our ancestors ... these countries will launch anti­ The m.ost common result of "female circumcision." The People knew where and what were the seat of c Ii t er o dot om y campaigns. If cliterodotomy is the formation of a inquirers, however, criticized feminists sexual pleasure in a woman-so they governments or businesses refuse our neuroma-a bundle of nerve tissue gone for "their opposition (to cliterodotomy), chopped it off before the girl could very modest and JUSt requests, we wrong-at the amputation site. This which is at times exaggerated" and for discover. Girls in Africa are circumcised should publicly embarrass them. In the makes sex so intensely painful that having "committed the mistake of to decrease their sexual urge before touchy world of i nterna tf on al many women become pregnant as often speaking of the problems of excision by marriage, thereby preventing them from development, a red face can work as, possible because only during isolating the practice from its context." being 'wayward' and bringing shame on wonders.

Contrary to popular views, common Some of the coi>t of children can be law spouses are not protected by the recouped by common law partners new family law in Ontario, except for through use of the income tax laws. A those in a condition of dependency single parent who maintains a coupled with a five-year long re­ household· can deduct tile marital lationship ot one year if a child is FOR WOMEN exemption for one child - as can a sep­ born. Any woman who is self-supporting LAW arated spouse. In each case, she must will have no new rights under family law be contributing to the maintenance of in Ontario. by Shirley Greenberg the home. A common law spouse can be protected if she has a contract. This Death means that the two persons living accordance with ability to pay. name. However, if the purchase was together have reached agreement on After self-support and child support, made possible with her money but Both the common law spouse and the division of property, income, and the next obligation is to support your placed in another's name, the law legal spouse are without protection from functions or roles in the relationship. If spouse-if that spouse is not self­ implies a trust so that the property is the Family Law Reform Act should death no formal contract exists, there is some supporting. considered to remain that of the bne occur to the other spouse. The Will protection available under common law To qualify for support, a common law who paid for it. determines who gets what. But if you are or judge-made law in certain conditions, spouse has to prove a five year The legal spouse's protection from a dependent who is left out of the Will (or for example where one party's conduct relationship, (or one year if a child is having to share her property is to put her receive very little), you, can make an is a result of reliance upon the other's born), inability to be self-supporting, money into investments or business application to court to obtain 'support promise of reward for that conduct, or and that the other spouse has ability to property that is never subject to sharing. from the estate. Even a divorced spouse where a 'Contribution of money was pax. If an applicant is capable of Do not buy objects or property that are can obtain protection-as long as she is made to acquisition of property, either becoming self-supporting, she will be likely to be used by other family a dependant. The Succession Law directly or indirectly in some oases. expected to do so as quickly as possible, members, because itr is use that Reform Act applies here. A woman who has invested time and and a support award cannot be made for determines what is a family's asset, not effort in home maintenance and an indefinite period unless there is a ownership. But a legal spouse's net provision of services could in some permanent handicap. worth will be considered at the time of Private contracts cases succeed in getting some If the applicant qualifies for support, marriage breakdown, and a shift in compensation, as in the Marvin case in the next question is: to what level or income and assets will occur if' one Any protection lacking in law can be California. Where she can prove that her standard of living is the spouse entitled? spouse is very much wealthier than the supplied through contract made effort only resulted tr.om her expectation Sometimes the income of the other other, and the poor one has made between the two parties, preferably with that she would be compensated, she spouse is the determining factor, contributions to family life to qualify as a the help of a lawyer. Yourfirstdecision is might get quite generous compensa­ because there is simply not enough to partner, in the sense that marriage is whether or not to. opt in to or out of the tion, if any is available, depending upon support two households at the level of a partnership. provisions of the Family Law Reform the kind of services contributed. the previous one. Common law spouses are taken more Act. If you are unmarried, you must have While the stigma attached to Legally married persons do not have or less to have avoided marriage in order a contract .in order to ensure that housework and child care is being done to meet the condition of a five-year to avoid incurring legal obligations of property is shared or that support is away with as these services are relationship or one year with a child, but support and property-sharing. Ideally, available should dependency occu~ becoming recognized as valuable and otherwise the same factors apply in they have chosen their situation fully before five years in a childless worthy of compensation, nevertheless a determining eligibility for support. And conscious of what they let themselves in relationship, or that possession of the woman must carefully weigh the value of for all recipients of support the· order for. But in fact, few common law family home is equal. Your contract will her time in determining how it will be is never final: it can be varied if cir­ spouses ever think far ahead or actually not hold if· one spouse goes on welfare allocated. Some tasks performed for cumstances change materially, up or explore the legal consequences of their and the other is earning a good income, reasons of the heart will never enable down, as when one's income increases actions. but. otherwise you can regulate your you to get compensation except in the significantly or when one loses a job. Prudence dictates that unpaid work or affairs to suit y6urselves. same currency. That doesn't feed you or Cost of living also may be a factor. work that drains time and attention be Self-help dress you or keep you in your old age. Property· avoided, especially when one's energy is so cut down that one's career or Dependence and support Women have to be careful that their Acommon law spouse has no right to productive life suffers. Women are time and energy are not allocated in Ontario's new Family Law Reform Act property under the Family Law Reform especially vulnerable because it is they unproductive areas. If they devote deals with the support obligation Act, nor any right to possession of the who are expected to contribute unpaid themselves to service in the home, they between spouses in Part II of the Act, family home when the lessee or owner is services. While certain work, like child should know the legal consequences. If and spouse is defined to include the other spouse. The doctrine of care, is emotionally enriching, the relationship ends after twenty years common law spouse in certain sharing f<\.mily assets on marriage remember that the reward is in its doing. of service in the home, a spouse will conditions (five year relationship or one­ breakdown is restricted to those who are You can't collect in money or property. nevertheless be expected to become year with a child). Your first and primary legally married, but the sharing will Children employable in the shortest possible obligation under the law is to be self­ never occur unless there is a marriage time, even if she is in her forties. A share The law applicable to children is the su pporti ng. So if you make an breakdown with no chance of re­ of property will be her compensation same whether you are married or not. application for support from your conciliation. On death, the only sharing only if she is legally married or has a The biological tle may not be as spouse, you will have to explain why you is that determined in the Will. During the contract gu;:iranteeing that. In some important as the psychological one. cannot support yourself, and you'd currency of the marriage, the separate situations, it will still be possible to claim Both combined will be important in better have convincing reasons (illness, property system applie§., so that you compensation or support or an interest determining which parent wins in a lack of skills and need for retraining, own only'what you purchase with your in property, sometimes even after a custody dispute, but the quality of the age, etc.). own money (not what you buy with marriage has ended, but it is necessary The next obligation is to s,upport your savings from a household allowance­ relationship with the child is the overriding factor. to consult a lawyer to determine if a child or children-at least until age 16. If which belongs legally to your common particular case can succeed in such a the child is in school full time, he or she law husband) or receive by gift or Children are costly, but seldom is it .decided before the child is born how that cla.im. And it is wise to have legal advice can require support from parents until inheritance. before making a decision. A little age 18. Both parents are equally A common law spouse's protection is cost is to be shared, and if one loses more than the other, how compensation preventative law can go a long way to obligated to support their children, but to purchase property with her own is to be paid, if at all. saving grief. generally the obligation is honoured in money and always keep it in her own women's studies Feminism and women's studies incompatible?

by Sondra Corry schools, there will be little en­ and they chose the role and Two men and two women. We subject, having spent a good couragement, and there will status of women. The content of the material get equality in all women's deal of time studying and be few women teachers with And when the school below is factual although the courses. Were the women in observing education. How­ whom they can identify. advertised, you applied. Were the course consulted about ever the school naturally has structure. of the interview was your quall(ications up to par? invented. The incident Ann, I understand you've the change In the course? its own philosophy of Not quite. They would like the occured recently on the just applied for a teaching They did, after all, choose a education or outlook which M.A. completed, of course, campus of an English­ post at the CEGEP. Tell me a course in the role and status of only someone on the inside and I haven't writen the thesis, language CEGEP in a small little about the job. women. would know. We hear so often but I've completed the course community in Quebec. Well, as you know, I've been Not to my knowledge. I in this town the criticism of the studying the various facets of work and have an unusual believe they did not know hiring that is done from the On my way home from the women's experience for some number of undergraduate about the change until they inside, the hiring of people library the other day, after time, since 1972, I guess. credits. went to class the first day of already related to the schools. researching an article, I When I saw the job advertised, You received a reply this time? the course. The man who was The person who is already stopped at a restaurant for I must admit I was a little Yes, and was called for an hired is an administrator on familiar with the school is, of coffee before going home to excited. I've applied many interview. There were eight the college. This is one more course, going to have the start dinner. It is usually quiet times to the CEGEP, but most members on the committee, anomaly, because there advantage on such questions. there in the late afternoon, of the time you don't even seven men and one women!!! seemed to be concern during But the school suffers, and the and I read the paper waiJing receive an acknowledgement Why the unbalance? Is that the interview as to whether I students, because hiring for a surge of energy to boost of your application. representative of the faculty could relate well to the. insiders prevents a freshness me through the next few You mean they don't even as a whole? students. Obviously the of ideas. hours. Un this particular send you a thanks-but-no­ No. concern was not real, since afternoon, however, I met an thanks? Was there a student there is a great gulf between I don't want to be unjustifiably old friend I hadn't seen since Nothing. I'm careful to deliver _representative on the women returning to school fair regarding employment we were at university the applications in person committee? and male administrators, practices in this community. together. She and I had met now so I don't wonder if they No. whereas my own situation is But if all candidates were there in 1971 having returned are lost in the mail. This time I Well, if I remember correctly, so similar to the women's briefed in advance, and after our children. were old called the Director in order to Ann a long time ago you Ann, I find this disturbing. In thoroughly, about the school, enough to enter school. We establish verbal contact. The worked with students at that this area we have so much they would be on an equal footing from the start. were part of a wave of women exciting part was that the CEGEP to put students on unemployment among going back to school, women course was in my area, it was hiring committees. Is this women, and in Quebec, What other suggestions who had spent a decade or so on the Role And Status of correct? English-speaking women would you amke? in the home. She had been Women. That's right. In 1972, we won have the added difficulty of Well, you and I know the active in campus politics, You've done a lot of work in the right to student represent­ finding work in their own problems r~garding women ·evolving from student's rights that subject. I remember when ation on hiring committees. I language. I must confess I feel must be dealt with through a to women's issue~. She you went to Sir George in was on several of the that the teaching jobs in an all­ women's organisation. Until looked older, tired, and rather Montreal to a women's committees myself. women program should have women organize themselves down when I met her. When I Studies program. What did Was the right withdrawn at belonged to women. The on this campus there will be asked her about it, she told me you study? . . any time? hiring committee has shown no break-throughs. We tried a story I felt should be Yes, I went to the Summer Not to my !

EOW -series: Jackie Smith - Prod.uction Manager

This is the third in a series innovations in communica­ way that they become specific number of colours, contacts. If they're good, I of articles featuring women tions for the benefit of people everyone's problems." A light and so on. A design job is make them a standing offer who work for the federal in a changing world. Jackie touch and a sense of humour different. How can you ask for and shoot any work I can their government. It is brought to receives a draft from the are the hallmarks of her tenders on the ideas in way." you by the Office of Equal researcher and guides it· managerial style. "I'll call a someones head?" She Opportunities for Women, through rewriting, design and designer and say, 'Help! I need_ prefers to make standing _"Despite progress, women Public Service Commission. printing so it reaches its the moon by Monday. What offers with various designers have a lot further to go, but we intended audiehce in the most can you do?' and I find people and develop a relationship are achieving something. We will rise to these situations." with them over a period of have to be able to make our by Kate Nonesuch useful, attractive and accurate form possible. She takes a As a manager she finds time. "I get to know their own choices about our "You can't expect people to research paper, for example, herself working on the one interests and the kinds of bodies, our jobs, our lives. We jump through hoops for no has it rewritten to professional have to be our own reason," says Jackie Smith, standards, supervises its bosses. It's my belief that the Publications Manager for translation and adaptation job classification system in Jnformation Services in the into the other official the government works to De_partment of Communica­ language, enters into a prevent women from getting tions, but she does expect contract with a designer for ahead, or transferring from them to make a superhuman layout and artwork, writes one field to another." Jackie effort when it is necessary. specs and makes arrange­ comments that in a former job "We enjoy ourselves here. We ments for printing. at an advertising agency she work hard, but when the job's It is a job with a lot of was able to move from budget done, we dance on the desks." pressure-deadlines, frustra.., control into production quite After seven years, she still tion, juggling shifting informally, by filling in where finds the job challenging and priorities and mechanical \fleeded after watching and interesting, in part because of problems. In spite of it all she learning from others as they the constant flow of says, "I like to work under worked. In the government, innovative developments pressure. I don't like to work she says, "There is no coming out of the space and under stress." Her shop has f provision for people to do research sectors of her just bee·n through the annual hand with writers and things they are particularly that. There is no way of department, innovations that end-of-the-fiscal year rush. designers-"a special breed, good at." recognizing newly acquired in recent years have included March 31 is the deadline for very wingy people"-and on She notes that many women skills; salary bands in satellite communications, practically everything and the the other with bureaucrats entering the design field as competitions often prevent TELIDON, and fi,bre optics. pressure is on to complete who tend to see her freelancers bring 'their them from moving into Resea·rch scientists want to projects in the year they were publications as just another portfolios tq show her when another classification. publish their material for the budgeted for. Stress comes project. "They'd like me to they are looking for work. Women need opportunties for scientific community; the into it when projects aren't tender every project," she "They may come t-0 see me, training and a more flexible same material must be managed properly and people says, "You can certainly particularly, because they system of job classification if adapted for the general lose their tempers or have tender contracts for a printing recognize my name as a they are going to be able to public, and there are other crying fits. "I try notto lose my job because that's concrete­ woman's when they are going switch into areas that offer questions to be answered: temper," she says, "And I try so many thousand copies on a through the government them scope for advance­ how best to use technologital to pres~nt problems in such a certain quality of stock, a phone book looking for ment."

A Concrete Program.For Real Women's Equality~ ..

Equal pay for work of equal Increase family allowance and value legislation with federal and manpower training funds provincial governments setting examples in implementation End violence against. women. Full government funding for homes for battered wives, rape Government funding for crisis centres, and abortion on special job creation programs for women demand

Paid maternity Jeave with no Implementation of affirmative loss in seniority. Funds for day action programs in all care centres and supervised government and industry hiring child care after school for children up to 12 years of age End Unemployment Insur­ ance Commission discrimination Legislation ensuring full legal against women and property rights for women

In Ottawa- Center Vote Marvin Glass

•LOCAL CAMPAIGN HEADQUARTERS: 855 SOMERSET WEST, OTTAWA 233-336Z AUTHORIZED BY THE OFFICIAL AGENT, MARVIN GLASS CAMPAIGN, OTTAWA CENTRE 12/UPSTREAM May 1979 NAC conference --the resolutions The National Action Committee on the Status of Women held its annual meeting and conference Income Support Divorce in Ottawa March 23-26. Representatives of 160 women's groups from across Canada approved the following resolutions: .we recommend to the federal government that the Guaranteed Income Supplement for people • Urging that fedsra"/ J over 65 be increased to bring the total minimum income (including the Old Age Security Pension) recognizing provincial ) Employment of all senior citizens to at least the poverty line established for large cities by Statistics Canada. recommend the impleme That NAC urge the government to increase employment services geared to the unique problems We recommend that the federal government introduce a full income-tested federal allowance with adequate and cona of women, and Outreach in particular. Outreach projects should be fully funded up to their -equivalent to the 0/d Age Secqrity Rension (OAS) and Guaranteed Income Supplement ( GIS) for system. previous levels adding an increment for cost of living increases. all needy Canadians between the ages of 60 and 65. We recommend thats NAC supports the development of a national economic plan for Canada which would reduce the Immigration maintenance orders gra1 activity of multi-national corporations in order to gain economic autonomy for the people of this Prostitution country. We resolve on. behalf of immigrant women whose life choices are contingent upon the NAC opposes Bill C-22 and any other attempt to introduce comparability whicry will prevent the regulations and d1scret1onarv procedures of the lmmioration Act: We recommend that 1 a) tnat wrttten information on current immigration and deportation regulations and procedures be equalization o~ pay by collective bargaining. prostitution, and bawdy NAC encourages and sees as priority the increasing unionization of full and part-time women provided to every .potential Canadian. immifJrant, in understandable language, at_ point of a Pornography workers, recognizing this as one of the most important means in women's struggle for equality in appltcat1on for 1mm1grant status, and be made easily accessible in Canada for the information ot the work force. _ both immigrants and Canadian citizens. We request that the gc That NAC press for human rights and employment legislation to inciude a provision that shifts b) th.at the government develop specific criteria for immigration and deportations, such that it is (including speclflcally s1 the onus to the employer to prove that there was not any discrimination. possible to determine whether the discretionary actions of immigration officials may reflect bias on violent behaviour. the basis of sex and/or race. We recommend that t Native Women's Rights c) that study be made of the access of immigration applicants and immigrants to Code until such time as rl justice, if any immigration authority fails to follow the rules and regulations. We recommend that Section 12(1 )b of the Indian Act be repealed and that the repeal be Violence retroactive. We recommend that anyone counselling immigrant women be conversant with the ramifications We recommend that non-status Indian women must have a voice and be part of the decision­ -0f 1mm1grat1on law. _ We recommend that th making process concerning the revision of the Indian Act and in particular Section 12(1 )b. Women and International Y•r of the Child nffences be submitt&d to I ~e recommend that the Canadian Human Rights Act, 1977, be amended to repeal Section 63(2) We recommend th.at NAC rfl

Betty, Mary and Loretta government departments. we did it." wash them in three or four didn Burt (Betty and Loretta are It all started when the Squidjigging means rising waters. You've got to take it then by Pat Daley sisters-in-law; Mary is no women decided to go at about 5 a.m., dressing in home and hang it on lines to lns1 relation) were in Ottawa squid jigging catching, rubber clothes and going out dry." Can When 350 women on the during the NAC conference cleaning and drying squid for twp to a boat. Using a reel and There are 10 horns on each­ "V north-east coast of New­ March 23-26 to try to do­ sale to the Japanese market­ line with about 40 jiggers squid and the second day they sam' foundland decided to become s om et hi n g about their for last year's season running attached, it takes an hour to an have to be pulled apart. The "Th self-employed last year, they situation. from August to November. hour and a half to jig squid. drying process takes three to une did not expect to be penalized Besides meeting with "In our area, there's no The women say it's messy four days in all. Then they are bem for their initiative. unemployment and immigra­ other employment," Mary said work but fun. After the catch, packed in 30 or 40 lb. boxes The But, the Notre-Dame Bay tion minister Bud Cullen, who in an interview. "There's a the squid are taken back to and shipped to the buyers. told Squid Fishing Women have was "not very helpful," and hospital and two fish plants shore and pulled up over the The women didn't run into Tt been waiting five months to Tony Abbott, minister of where the same people have wharf using five-gallon any opposition from men to the national revenue, they filed collect 1,1nemployment worked for the last 1o or 15 buckets. It takes two or three their work. The three Burts fish' complaints with the Canadian insurance benefits because years. Usually families take hours to clean them. only see their husbands on hust the·government won't believe Human Rights Commission jobs in stores. "Then we have to wash weekends anyway, because eligi they did the work themselves. against those two federal "It's the only job-this is why them," Mary said. "We usually they go away to work, so "we said: ''Let them eat cake'' representing the Immigrant Women's Ce by Kathleen Macleod Jamieson also a board member). In additioA.iB611 The limits to sisterhood were clearly spelled out at the president of the Ottawa Tenants' Cburrc~ National Action Committee (NAC) annual conference in speak on women and poverty in the ope1 Ottawa last month when some 20 representatives of lower Dorothy O'Connell's friends were not, ti: income women's groups. were prevented from registering as to hear her speak. By a strange coincidenc observers. The objective was to exclude them from the entire OWL who had raised awkward question proceedings and the message came wrapped in a not unfamiliar - were also kept out. package of tokenism and elitism. The difference was that this. At the opening session of the confere1 time it wasn't men doing it to women but women doing it to representatives guarded the main doors. I women. off a third of the conference hall were t Whether this benaviour was unintentional (as men always forcibly shut by male hotel employees say) or not it is unacceptable from any feminist group and rasies excluded women were trying to open th serious questions about the direction that the women's reducing of the space available by screeni movement in Canada is now .taking. NAC is not the whole give credence to the blaim that there wi women's movement but it does seem to be the only effective extra women who wanted to enter. independent organization working to improve the status of It was an unedifying spectacle to s~ women in Canada. And as the worsening economic situation situation might have deteriorated had has made more women aware that economic powerlessness in intervention of Ottawa Mayor Marion De~ the job and in the home are key factors in explaining women's Ottawa Tenants' Council president Dorothy O'Connell from the floor for some evidence of sisterh low status, an organization such as NAC which seems to offer addressing the NAC conference. dividing the room to be opened so that thE hope and the means for changing this situation appears all. Several votes were taken and event1 increasingly attractive. Naturally those hardest pressed, low Wages for Housework will speak for itself but we should be prevailed. The doors were opened. Then income women, are among those women whose need to be aware that it is part of a developing cross-Canada network of and all those who wished heard most of th heard is the most urgent. lower income women's groups. Consequently the Ottawa "unregistereds" were even allowed to att~ At the NAC conference the main target of NAC's displeasure Tenants Council, also part of that network, were not very the afternoon though they were warned t was a - Toronto group known as Wages for Housework impressed with l\IAC's arguments. Neither for that matter were permitted to speak. Some workshop leade composed mainly of single mothers on welfare. The other some members of OWL nor the representatives of the to ignore this stricture. There were no di groups seem to have got caught in the cross-fire but this didn't Immigrant Women's Centre from Toronto nor the So was this event a storm in a teacui seem to have bothered NAC. Some of the reason's for NAC's representatives of Women Against Violence from Winnipeg. All misunderstanding, mismanagement anG aversion to this group were explained to the Ottawa Tenants' of these NAC suddenly found they could not accomodate or does it have greater significance? Council and to members of the Ottawa Women's Lobby (OWL) register as observers on the Friday morning preceding the Certainly for the lower income women before the conference. These were that Wages for Housework conference. were bitterly disappointed and fille< women were being manipulated by international left-wing Louis the XVI and Marie Antoinette confronted by the mob resentment. It seemed that their worst fear elements, that their objective of ensuring an income for women were not more indignant than the NAC executive when these NAC for all its claims to represent four mil who stay at home was contrary to NAC policy, and that they women had the sheer effrontery to turn up at the opening represents the interests of only an elite fe' could not be relied on to behave with the decorum usually session the following day. of alienation from the women's mov~ observed at NAC meetings and might disrupt the proceedings. The lower income women's groups, however, had a few good feelings were greatly intensified. Then there was the business of charging a registration fee of reasons for being there and for thinking that the NAC The NAC executiv~ will probably prefe $25 which is in itself an effe.ctive barrier to participation of poor conference had something to offer them and vice-versa. They forget the whole incident and pretend it women as observers. "But they have all year to save for it," said pointed out that the worsening economic situation has hit them For some of us, however, it was a sad IE one member of the NAC executive. more severly than anyone else and that many low income not the prerogative of men and a sharp The main questions that all this seems to raise are whether women and their children are now having to do without food differences in the economic situations of NAC has the moral right to say it represents several million and that they are desperate to make their plight known. the·basic lack of understanding of those' Canadian women and be so exclusive; whether it can say that NAC, which has achieved its recent high profile by claiming who have. there is only one true feminist political philosophy and that it to represent several million Canadian women and hammering This incident should not be swept undi has been carved in stone and is called The Report of the Royal the government about economic set-backs which have affected there was a little fresh air and open debat· Commission on the Status of Women (an admirable document women more than men, was going to talk about them. women's movement is evolving in Canad in its time, but the women's movement has developed and Apparently underlining NAC's commitment to fight for social why there is so little grass roots involve changtfo a great deal in the past 10 years since that report was change, benefiting all women was the conference agenda listing what we seem see happening is not reas1 written.); whether NAC can exclude women on the basis that workshops and speeches on topics of crucial concern to these bureaucratization and inflexibility in ass they use non-ladylike tactics (would they have admitted Nellie women-income support, immigration, poverty and violence. cooption of leadership. If th~ history of th McClung or the Pankhursts?); whether they are not seeking to Above all, they don't need any more people to tell them what's in the past century is any guide, the out impose rigid middle-class values and behaviors on an good for them. They wanted to be involved in decisions that organization which at this time seems to have the potential for concerned them. Kathleen MacLeod Jamieson is a member of the Otts not admitted to the NAC conference. These opinions acting as a catalyst which would unify all Canadian women in a Besides, Judith Ramirez, the president of Wages for Another viewpoint of what happened at the NAC co widespread movement for social change. Housework, had been invited to be a resource person next month's UPSTREAM. r 1979 UPSTREAM/13

rat feder_a"f ~ur!sdict!on ovar divorca not ba ralinquishad to tha provincas, and provincial 1uns~1ctt0n ovar .proparty, custody and administration of justica, wa tha 1mplamant~t1on of a Untf1ed Family Court systam Jn a~ch provinca and tarritory, ra and continuing fadaral fundmg specifically allocatad to tha Unifiad Family Court rmand that all Unifiad Family Courts implamant automatic anforcamant systams for orders grantad bafora and attar d/vorca.

1mand that a// current laglslation ralating to soliciting, loitaring for tha purposa of and bawdy houses ba ramovad from tha Criminal Code.

It t~a.t the govarnment fund a study on tha causal ralationship batw88n pornography )8C1f1ca//y sado-masochlstic and child pornography) and saxually agrasslva and rlour. men_d that thara ba a moratorium on changas ragarding obscanity in tha Criminal 'ch t1ma as ralavant ampirical data ara availabla on which to basa sound social po/Icy. rnand that tha proposals of tha National Association of Woman and tha Law on saxual ubmittadto tha NAG axacutiva forimmadiata considaration with a viaw to formulation :ooa amendmants for submission to the min/star of justice for lmplamentation as soon .. t:., .c: u elieve us'' ~ .c:.. u

didn't have to bother with we were working. They felt the them. It's Unemployment arm of one women who was Insurance and Revenue slim and said, 'you couldn't lift Canada." a five-gallon bucket." Status of immigrant women "We worked for 12 weeks, First, they had to fill out same as the men," Betty said. "terrible" questionnaires from by Pat Daley fired 36 people. Then there "The men applied for national revenue-"whose service sector are not was · a time lag between It was the National Action unionized and rely on unemployment insurance boat we used, how many certification and negotiations, Committee's annual meeting provincial labour laws for during which people left. benefits and received them. persons, how many jibbers on The women applied and were and conference and we were protection. But even with Finally, "all the hosiery factory the line, where we bought sitting in the ballroom of the laws, many are afraid to (owners) got together and told they weren't eligible." them, how many hours a day Skyline Hotel in Ottawa complain. After Arnopoulos's paid the guy to close his The government put them in we spent catching and banqueting on coq au vin and newspaper article on Atlantic factory down. A few months the category of women who processing." Then they were strawberry parfaits. Someone Hosiery appeared, it took later it reopened with a new fish' in the same boat as their told to produce receipts for 1o was going around to all the some time for inspectors to name." husbands and who are not separate shipments of squid, tables asking that we leave visit the factory. The union organizing had to eligible for U I benefits. Loretta but "sometimes we didn't ship something extra for the "It took a year and a half for start again from scratch and said: "They don't believe that squid for three weeks. The women who are serving us­ the women to get their money "people active in the union and to keep it quiet because (to bring wages up to the men have never been asked to were blacklisted throughout the money might be taken minimum)," she said. "The show their receipts." the entire hosiery industry in away from them. women who were interviewed Montreal. So why join a Two women did receive "But, isn't the tip included in (by inspectors) were so union? benefits-their names are the bill?" one woman asked. terrified they didn't tell the Arnopoulos recommended Frances and Georgie. "Other )men's Centre (of which she is And then Sheila Arnopou­ truth." changes in provincial labour titian,' Dorothy O'Connell, the women phoned unemploy­ los, former Montreal Star Throughout 1977 in British legislation to provide for first ls' C1>uncl/, had been invited to ment insurance and asked reporter and author of a report Columbia, Ontario and contract arbitration to ir!Jhe opening panel. why they were getting on immigrant women for the Quebec, she said, $8 million improve this situation. On the federal Advisory Council on ~ere not, however, to be allowed benefits. When they found out was collected from the federal side, she said, "the :oincidence the two members of they were females they the Status of Women, rose and companies on behalf of 4,000 government is cutting back on told us about the Dickensian questions earlier in the week automatically cut off their employees not getting language training, particular­ working conditions still facing minimum wage. These were ly for women who don't have benefits,"Mary said. 9 conference tight-lipped NAC many immigrant women in just the people who com­ to speak English on the job.'' This isn't the first time Canada. plained. Instead, she said, we need on­ in doors. Folding doors cutting women have jigged squid. all were being kept firmly and In her study, based on "One way to improve the the-job training for language, Mary Burt received UI benefits mployees while a few of the women who came to this situation is to lay on really some of which is now done in o open them. Presumably this last year, but· then "there country after 1961, Arnopou­ high fines. However, in most Toronto and Vancouver. t>y screening it off was meant to wasn't much money invoved," los found that about one-third provinces fines are fairly low Another problem, she said, t there was no room for these she said. "There was only a of immigrant women, and not often applied," she is the new immigration act, 1ter. few of us -nine or ten. compared to one-fifth of said. ''The whole area of which says "you can be tcle to say the least and the She had to fm out the same Canadian women, are minimum standards is crucial deported if anybody thinks employed in the low-wage, 1ted had it not been for the application at national for all women's groups." you may engage in subversive service sector-laundries, Why do these women not activities. There is no arion Dewar, who made a plea revenue. "They asked me if I textile factories, and organize ·into unions? independent adjudication. 1 of sisterhood and for the doors did the work myself and I told restaurants. As a reporter, she Arnopoulos told the story of That stops an awful lot of so tha~ there wou Id .be room for them yes . I received my 1nd eventually common sense discovered first-hand what Crystal Hosiery in Montreal. immigrants from being benefits just like that." She ied. There was plenty of room their working conditions are which employs about 50 prepared to form unions. most of the morning panel. The says Bud Cullen's reason for like. people, many of whom are Anybody who has been here ved to attend the workshops in holding back this time is Arnopoulos applied for a Greek women. for three years and is eligible warned that they would not be "there's alot more women job in a hosiery factory after "On the night shift, the for citizenship should not be hop leaders had the good sense involved." seeing_ an ad for general owner would lock the front subject to these laws." rere no disruptions. After appealing the UI workers in a Montreal paper. door and everybody had to Arnopoulos also described Her first surprise came not 1 a teacup? A combination of decision in Newfoundland jump out a window, onto a the cortditions of domestics­ only when she did not have to garage and then onto the ment and sheer bad luck, or and learning they might have women who come here on fill out an application, but street to get out. There were limited work permits to work 1e? to wait until for an '19ao when no one even asked her rats in the toilet. When there for Canadian families. 1e women's .groups it did. They answer, the 350 women md filled with smouldering name or her social insurance was a fot of work they had to "Most Canadian.families are organized themselves in worst fears were confirmed that number. do forced overtime. They were not treating domestics -very It four million Canadian women February as the Notre-Dame "The manager said to go not paid to day they were not well," she said. "Manpower m elite few. If they had feelings Bay Squid Fishing Women. down to the basement. I stood not there. counsellors, when' told they n's movement before, these With the help of Status of around fOl'-20 minutes. There "They were not paid time had to tell employers to pay I. Women Newfoundland, they were no windows whatsoever. and a half for overtime. It was domestics $70 a week, 1bly prefer on the other hand to raised . the money to send In the corners, three or four all piecework as well. You revolted. Why? Because many women were counting •retend it never happened. ministers and file their have to make minimum. wage of them employ these stockings. There were old oil on it, however, that's not ~s a sad lesson that tokenism is complaint with the Human domestics. That sort of a sharp reminder of the deep drums around filled with rags. always the case." attitude is extremely Rights Commission. They "Finally someone said, When the women decided widespread." ations of Canadian women and have received a good deal of of those who have not by those 'hang your coat in the boiler conditions were not up to Domestics are not covered publicity and support in room.' I didn't see where I scratch, they went to the by. any minimum standards rvept under the carpet. It's time Newfoundland and are CQl.Jld work. The women were Canadian Hellenic Labour legislation except in Quebec, all standing up and working 1en debate into the way that the looking for more support from Organization, which told them where the Parti Quebecois' in Canada and particularly into women's groups while they on cardboard boxes. Some­ to try to form a union. At first new law, Bill 125, will include :s involvement. At the moment wait to see what will happen. one threw ·some machine,.Y on the women balked because those who live in and work 30 not reassuring-an increasing "They (the !:jovernment) the floor off some boxes and they thought it was commun­ hours a week. that was my workplace." lty in associations, elitism and didn't think that women from ist activity, "but the problem "I hope middle class When Arnopoulos asked became convincing their tory of the women's movement the place where we live would women, as I think most of you wl'lat the wages were, she was husbands to let them sign are, will rally fo immigrant 1, the outlook is bleak. come this far," Mary said. told they were based on union cards. Organizers went women and not just leave it up "If they find a way to get us piecework. "I wasn't able to r of tha Ottawa Woman's Lobby.who was around door-to-door convin­ to small pressure groups," 1se oplnioM are her own. unemployment .insurance make any more than 60¢ an cing the husbands." Arnopoulos concluded. tha NAG confaranca will ba prasantadin benefits and give us jobs, that hour," she said. When they went for "Without grass roots pressure would be fine." Most. of· the women .in the certification, the employer there is nothing." f4/UPSTREAM Leadership - .. yes or no?

This is the first of a series of articles by the Political Action Collective of the because they made the same "bad" decisions themselves and saw the results; Ottawa Women's Centre. The issues to be dealt with in the series were the however, in the interests of being democratic and in order not to intimidate, they subject of a day-long conference organized by the collective and held on March remain silent or play down their experience. 10, 1979. Many of the ideas discussed in this article were raised in the leadership Manipulative because they know that their opinions carry more weight and in workshop at that conference. We welcome comments and criticism from the women's community. spite of everyone's equal right to speak, their decisions will be the group's decisions. To the best of our klilOWledge, most women's groups since the "new" women's This dynamic is one of the causes of our failure to build a broad-based radical movement began in the 60s have accepted the principle of leaderlessness. The movement in Ottawa. New women trying to get involved find it difficult to idea behind the principle is, generally, that all women will eventually become participate. They are told there are no leaders, but they are "led" into making leaders whereas in the past, and in the patriarchy,they have been followers. decisions they are not prepared to make and whose rationale they don't Participating in a leaderless group should give all women the opportunity to understand. As well, they cannot challenge the "leaders" openly since we have speak for themselves and learn skills that have been denied them by the male no leaders. The queen cannot be deposed if she doesn't wear a crown. They establishment. perceive the women's movement in Ottawa to be run by a clique of friends; they

Mechanisms for power-sharing were built into structureless groups. r drop out because they can't see how to break into the clique. Enforced rotation of the chair at meetings, fdr exam pie, meant that everyone got Old women are burning out, frustrated by running on the spot, constantly a chance to chair whether they were ready to take that responsibility or not. remaking the same decisions with a new set of women while denying their Women who worked in pairs on suc.h assignments as public speaking and experience or their expertise; they are exhausted by the strain of internal dealing with government officials gave each other support and learned from struggles to keep the movement as radical as it is, and frustrated by the lack of each other. time and energy for thinking and talking and acting to keep the movement going · In the workshop, discussion centered on the way this ideal is practiced. When in new direction_ll...... the Women's Centre opened on Lewis Street in 1972, the 20 or 30 women who If we as a community accept that the dynamic described above exists, there met every Monday for discussion had each about the same amount of are three questions which must be addressed: experience in the women's movement....lvery little. They had done a lot of 1. Do we accept the leaderlessness principle? Do we understand the profound ·reading and discussion with friends, but in terms of working as a group, the implications of not having leaders? Do we understand.the theory? Is the theory ideals of consensus, collectivity, and leaderlessness had to be worked out, only negative, that is anti-establishment, or is it truly positive, that is, does it refined, and put into practice. contribute to the growth of a strong women's movement? With the growth of the movement in Ottawa, feminists who are "old hands" -2. If we accept the principle, we must address the question of equality and the find themselves working in various groups-Rape Crisis Centre, UPSTREAM, obvious contradictions we see in the practice of the theory. If some of us see Interval House, Policy Committee-with women who are just getting into the ourselves and are seen as leaders (acknowledged or not) does this mean that as movement. They often act as leaders, or are perceived as leaders. Many women a community we reject the theory? Or does it mean that we must develop new at the workshop acknowledged that by 'virtue of being articulate or ways and means of putting the theory into practice? Are the "leaders" really / knowledgeable or experienced or hard-working they tended to dominate the leaders or just confused feminists? Are they seen as leaders or confused groups they were in. They make most of the decisions (whether other women feminists or women on ego trips? contribute or not, it is finally the "leaders" whose words count). Generally such 3. If we do not accept the principle, we must be prepared to define a new theory. "leaders" are uncomfortable with this unwanted power, which they have If we are going to have leaders we must decide who and what these leaders will acquired gradually and unthinkingly, not through any Machiavellian be; what their responsibilities will be; to whom they will be accountable; and machinations. finally whether those who now see themselves or are seen as leaders are really They feel .responsible for encouraging the "non-leaders" to participate in fit to be our leaders. making decisions because this is what the theory says must happen, but often We must look more closely at the sources of the idea. Who said we should not find themselves either intimidating or manipulating the group or being have leaders? What did they mean by that? How does a policy of leaderlessness manipulated by the process. further the liberation of women? As a community we have a responsibility to Manipulated because "bad" decisions are made-they're in a position to k.now ourselves to answer these questions. Some lead~rs speak out

Many of the women at the leadership workshop often means that mistakes are repeated and little progress is acknowledged that they consider themselves or are perceived made. · by the community to be leaders. They recognized that this state · - The group makes no major (sometimes not even minor of affairs is in contradiction of the leaderlessness ideal, and decisions if they are absent. talked about the bind they are in because they are perceived as 6. When they meet with their sisters with whom they agn women who have decision-making power in the community, politically other women say they are elitist. · power which often they neither want nor deserve. Briefly, some of thejr concerns were: 1. The women's movement is going nowhere because there is no energy except their own which they sprea<;i thinly over many issues and groups. · Decision '79 2. Other radical women feel safe when one of the' leaders' is on a continued from p. 1 collective they don't have the energy for, because they trust her election camp_S:igns you are going to miss out on three-quarters . not to let it become liberal or wishy-washy. 3. They have to stay on collectives they have long.lost interest in of your opportunities. Don't misunderstand this--groups such or don't have the energy for because they are afraid that if they as the National Action Committee on the Status of Women are doing i·nvaluable work during this campaign sensitizing the leave it the group will either 'fall apart or become liberal. candidates to women's issues, but that is not ot be taken for the 4.They are seen as the guardians of some vague feminist in-depth education that can be given to the select group of 282 principles that they themselves are not very sure of. members of Parliament that we are going to have to bear with 5.Because their leadership is unacknowledged and often unchallenged, one or more of the following patterns develop at for the next four years or so. Education, however, begins on May 23 and lasts for the full meetings, especially where there are several inexperienced women present: term of Parliament. Between election day and the day the House opens, the - They intimidate everyone into accepting their views because government-elect will be determining policy priorities for their they articulate them in terms of some vague feminist rhetoric term in office. We must ensure that our respective and that no one challenges because it sounds good. sensitized representatives are treated to foor years of ""-- They feel they have to withhold their knowledge and experience so other (newer) women can make decisions; this unceasing "education" on women's issues. We can begin by immediatly sending a congratulatory letter to our member of Parliament, outlining the issues that are important to us and ensuring him or her of our "very close cooperation" on issues we would like to see improved before we exercise our option to vote inthe next election. At this stage we can remind him or her that women make up more than 6 million voters in this country. Press for an appointment, preferably before the House sits and go armed with liturature (briefs, pamphlets, letters etc) to ensure input at the earliest possible stage of policy decision­ making. The first measure of success will be the day Parliament opens. Policy priorities that have been set by the government between May 22 and this date will be outlined to the public in the Speech from the Throne - reported in Hansard, on television, radio and in newspapers across the country. From the first day of the 31st Parliament our government will tell us what their priorities are. Over the next four years it is up to us to ensure that those priorities are the same as ours.

AIJT1iONZED BY THE OFFIClAL AGENT OF JEAN PIGOTT, 1505 lAPEMIEllE Ma.'y 1979 l!P&f.R EAM/15

Women Learning conference

Women ha11e special issues action and to plan strategy. in education. The current As well, there will be a economic crisis and cutbacks number of skill and pro­ UpSfR~en'sMlication in education make them all fession a I development more acute and bring new and workshops offering a unique equally serious problems to opportunity to share in the UPSTREAM :needs your support. the forefront. resources women are The Women Learning developing for women. Subscribe today. Conference will provide a The conference will be held forum where women across· on Friday June 1 to Sunday If you already are a subscriber, the province can come to­ June 3 at the Ontario Insti­ gether to discuss major issues tute for Studies in Education give a friend for women in education, to .in Toronto. Registration is a subscription to UPSTREAM. share skills, experience and $15.00; $5.00 for students and knowledge, to increase our low-:-income people. understanding of women's For further' information Help in what Agnes McPhail educational situation, and to and/or to register, write develop networks and Women Learning Conference, calls the ··unending struggle." strategies. There will be work­ c/o OISE, Sociology in shops to explore the issu~s. Education, 252 Bloor St. West, opportunities to talk about Toronto M5S 1V6. ------Ontario federation of women I'll subscribe for Done year (individual) at $6 More than 100 women beginning at 10 a.m. at St. Done year (institution) at $15 representing 30 women's Paul's Centre, 121 Avenue D enclosed. groups from across Ontario Road, Toronto, will include a met in late February and discussion of possible D Bill me later. agreed it was time to form a policies. federation of women in that "The goal of feminism is to province. create a society where women A coordinating committee are free, full, self-defined Name ...... was struck at that meeting to human beings sexually, Address ...... initiate contact and communi- economically, politically, and cation with women's groups in socially," the introduction to Postal Code . Ontario, discuss information possible policies states. "As a on structure, policy and group of women originating ------action; and report back to a in Tor9nto, we have excluded meeting May 12. issues of primary concern to many women and especially ------The committee has sent out those living outside of major a questionnaire to prepare for urban areas. I'll subscribe for that meeting, which will The list includes children, further refine the proposed education, family law, money, Done year,Jindividual) at $6 goals and structures of a health, mental health, media, Done year (institution) at $15 federation. They ask that sexuality, women in prison, women's groups fill out the women and work, and D enclosed. form and return it to the violence-. D Bill me later. Ontario Federation of Please circulate the Women, Box 142, Statioh G, following questionnaire in Toronto. your group and return it to the The May 12 meeting, coordinating committee. Na1ne ...... Address ...... Postal Code ...... Questionnaire Name of group ------Address ------Phone No.------~ .No. of members I'll subscribe for A. Need for a federation: Done year (individual) at $6 What would you see as the purpose of an Ontario-Federation of Women? Done year (institution) at $15 What are the ways in which we can work together as a province D enclosed. wide organization, e.g. facilitate communication, collective action, coordination around issues of general concern? D Bill me later. B. Structure: How do you see representation taking place? What suggestions would you have for potential regions based on natural Na1ne ...... geographical borders-easy access, transportation, population of area, ease of meeting on a three month or biannual basis Address ...... whithin regions-for instance the province could be divided up Postal Code into regions each sending representation to a standing committee in cities or town centers within regions? ------C. Policy What are the issues of general concern in your organization and area? ------What sort of organization/action has taken place around these issues? e.g. demonstrations, conferences, briefs, I'll subscribe for meetings.workshops, media, newsletters, newspapers. Please send copies of any newsletters or other publications. D·one year (individual) at $6 D. Are there.· any language or particular cultural concerns Done year (institution) at SIS (native rights, ethnic minorities) in your area? D Payment enclosed. What sort of provisions would be necessary, e.g. translations­ D me later. which languages? etc. to accomodate your needs. Bill E. Is there anything we haven't thought of that we should be considering? Name ...... Your response is vital to events at the May 12 preliminary meeting. Address .. . finally, you might want to consider the possibility of having a local meeting with other groups and organizations in your Postal Code surrounding area to discuss what you see as the need for an Ontario Federation of Women. ------16/UR!):rREA~ 1, May.1979.,

by Rose Jones In the past, few joggers of the body that takes the push as if trying to hold up the concentrate on placing the Today, more and more wer:e seen. Today, jogging has beating. The most important wall. You should feel the calf heel down first, followed be research is being done on the become popular among muscle to stretch is the calf muscle being stretched. the rest of the foot, then psychology of running. It people of all ages. Similiar to because this muscle tighlens Switch feet and repeat. Now pushing off with a small appears that people· are not other types of sports, there is a up the most. the body is ready for the run­ bounce. At first the movement only running for fitness, but in right way and a wrong way to One excellent excercise do up the laces! will seem awkward, but soon a search of mental well-being as jog. First, before lacing up the (used by almost everyone who Try to jog on grass rather light, easy rythm will develop well. One authority on runners, a few simple jogs) is to find a wall, put the than cement. It's easier on and the motion will be as running, Joe Henderson, excercises and leg stretches palms of the hands against the the feet because the grass natural as getting _up every says, "I think the mental should be done to loosen wall, then slant the rest of the helps cushion each pounding day. aspects of running are going muscles and prepare the body body, so that a right triangle is step. Because jogging on Don't try to run the to be the next big field of for the jog. formed -with the wall and grass is not always possible, it marathon first time out jog at a investigation. That's where Start with a couple of sit­ ground. Extend one foot in is important to know how to comfortable pace, even if it the breakthroughs will come." ups for general loosening. front of the other, making sure jog properly, thus saving means doing barely a walk! It is reported that psychia­ Next, do a few ankle turns, this the heel of the other foot is yourself as much discomfort Have a goal in mind, the trists in the United States are helps prevent a sprain~ Follow planted on the ground. With as possible. Never jog flat­ distance you want to run starting to take their patients with some leg ·stretching one foot out in . front and footed or on the balls of the should-take into account your jogging because they seem to excercises since it is this part hands against the wall, start to feet. The jogger should own endurance and fitness respond more quickly - what level, eventually build up this. takes six months to learn from level by speeding up the pace a 'couch-patient' can or increasing the distance s"ometimes take less than half jogged. the time to learn while After jogging, the muscles jogging. will be tight. Again, do leg Ted Corbitt, marathon UPSJREAM stretches to loosen up, champion of the U.S. in 1954 especially the wall excercise said, "Everyone benefits from Une publication pour les femmes du Canada to loosen the calf muscles. running, both in ways they Once finished, take a hot recognize and in ways they shower to relax the tightened don't. One thing that almost muscles. always happens is that your UPSTREAM a besoin de votre appui. As for the expense- well, it sense of self-worth improves. II faut vous y abonner aujourd'hui meme. depends on how seriously a You accept yourself a little person wants to get involved better." His message refers'to with jogging. Th& more life in general, not necessarily serious, the more expensive to winning a marathon. Si c'est deja fait, une amie serait heureuse de jogging will become. The Running can change our recevoir un abonnement a,UPSTREAM. jogger will want to buy the attitude toward defeat and can best of everything-running easily act as an anti­ shoes, jogging suit, etc. And depressant. How could a Allons, un coup de main pour la cause qu 'Agnes McPhail of course there is the person feel sorry for occasional marathon to enter themselves at the same time appelait le "sempiternel combat". which involves travel expense. as they're jogging long and However.if your the type of hard? person who just wants to stay How can this phenomenon in shape by jogging, the only occur, that jogging can make - - - - - piece of equipment recom­ a person healthier mentally as ------mended is a pair of running well as phisically? Here are Je desire un abonnement shoes. If you're concerned two theor;ies put forth by d'un an (individuel) $6 about the amount of sweat, psychologists: D a wear a cotton t-shirt, the only First, psychologists believe D d'un an Cde societe) a other thing rieeded is a pair of that the brain is nourished by shorts. In winter, a few more an unusually rich supply of D J'inclus le paiement. layers of clothing are put on, if oxygen because of jogging. U t J D J e prefere recevoir . breathing becomes hard tie a Thus the brain .responds by ·scarf aroun.Q the mouth. calling into play its self­ aider une facture. Why do . people bother to correcting mechanisms. jog? What could a person get The second theory is a out of pounding the turf simple one. Psychologists see Norn ...... endlessly? Here are a few that the body and mind are so Adresse ...... reasons: "for fitness... helps closely linked, that when you relieve my nervous tension ... help the body (through Code postal ...... to lose wieght... I feel good jogging), you undoubtedly about joggin'g and about help the mind. - - - - '------myself... it helps me to feel Well the theories are a start calm and less anxious ... it's a in explaining the psycho­ - -- ;------nice break in the day ... get logical effect of jogging but away from the office at lunch there is still a lot of ground to Je desire un abonnement time ... I don't feeis1eepy in the cover. D d'un an Cindi~idue1) a $6 afternoon, I'm refreshed and As for those who are still feel like working the rest of the skeptical, you know what they • D d'u_n an cde societe) a day ... " The list of reasons say, "Don't knock it until D J'inclus le paiement. could go on. Just as each you've tried it." Give jogging a individual is different, so are fair chance. Who knows, it U t J D Je prefere recevoir the reasons for jogging. might even grow on you. veux aider une facture.

Norn ...... Adresse ...... Code postal ...... ------1 ------Je desire un abonnement D d'un an (individuel) a $6 • D d'un an (de societe) a $151 D J'inclus le paiement. " ... and then I started jogging fif3t thing m the J e prffere recevoir morning, and sneaking out during my lunch U t J D hour for a quick jog... " · aider une facture.

Norn .. Adresse ...... Code postal ...... - - - - - AUTHORIZED BY THE OFFICIAL AGENT OF JEAN !'IGOTT, 1505 LAPERRIERE May 197.9 UPSTREAM/17' ' tff1STORY Jewish women pioneers-what was it like?

by Alma Norman

Stories of opening the Canadian West· usually conjure up visions of burly Ukranian peasants and their sad-eyed wives, or maybe sturdy self-confident Scandinavians streaming northward across the border bringing their goods and skills and families to Canada's "last best west." Or mystical Dukhobors, dour men and kerchiefed women leaving Russia for freedom. Settling the Canadian Prairies does not usually arouse pictures of bearded Jews coming from Eastern Europe with their wives and children to settle as farmers in the Canadian West. Yet offers of free land and the promise of a life of freedom and dignity drew Jews from the persecutions of Eastern Europe, jus~ as they drew others from poverty and persecution. Land was bought by an organization based in London called the Jewish Colonization Society (JCA), and distributed along with some tools, some stock and seed to Jewish immigrants prepared to establish themselves as farmers. Several tracts of land were bought for this scheme by the JCA in Manitoba and Saskatchewan (with such names as Lipton, Hirsch-named after the Baron de Hirsch whose fortune made the scheme possible-Yorkton, Oxbow, Qu'Appelle). The settlements lasted several years, but for a number of reasons never grew into thriving communities such as the Ukranians, Germans, and Icelanders Lipton homesteaders. (Photo from Salt of the Eartti by Heather Robertson) developed. For one thing, the number of Jewish agricultural settlers was small compared to those of other groups of immigrants; Jews were predominantly where he was to be given land and the their tent leaving them to huddle, to her. No doubt she worked hard as an urban people with urban skills and means to start life as an independent soaked, until daybreak. Mary did on the farm. Mary herself was they tended to congregate in larger farmer. The first priority was shelter, and all- able eventually to go to a school which The family went to Rumania to centres._ Those with a farming the mother, two girls, and the father­ opened five miles away. Unfortunately, background- who settled on the land Constantinople, and from there by ship laboured to get a dugout completed as she recalls, the male teacher had a made successful farmers, but found as to Halifax. The journey in the crowded, way of calling the girls up singly and before winter. Mr. Brodie built a small their families grew that the isolation of hot, stinking conditions of immigrant stone oven, a luxury indeed. But the fondling them. He was fired, bl!! many of life on the Canadian prairies made it accomodation must have been a the girls did not return. We don't know dugout had no heat, and so they passed difficult for them to live fully as Jews. nightmare. No doubt there were times what Mary did. that first winter, cold, often hungry, at Procuring Kosher meat was a problem; when Brodie wondered if he had been Eventually Mr. Brodie sold his farm times eating nothing but boiled wheat. It Jewish education for their children was wise. But what of Mrs. Brodie? It was she was perhaps during this first winter that and moved to Lipton, then a thriving impossible unless there were a ·who must have offered strength when community where he opened a grocery Mrs. Brodie conceived a third child; by community of Jews to share the cost. her husband doubted, she who store. He moved from there to Regina, the time Mary was 14 she would have Individual Jewish families continued to comforted and calmed the two small three more, all three born with the help then to Saskatoon, Mrs. Brodie packing farm, but Jewish agricultural children missing home and friends. Did the family belongings and following him of a neighbouring grandmother­ settlements dwindled and eventually they get seasick during the month-long midwife. there with the-three youngest children. disappeared. journey? Did one or both suffer from Their second winter Mr. Brodie built a But to a woman who had made the What follows is an attempt to recreate diarrhea? Did she suffer menstrual nightmare journey from Constantinople more substantial house. It had but one the experiences of what it must have cramps during that interminable month to Halifax, and the soot-choked train trip room and an earthen floor, but at least it been like to be a Jewish woman in such a and still find energy to be ,a pillar of had four walls and room to stand from Halifax to Qu'Appelle, thse moves settlement. The history of Jewish strength and a source of comfort to her upright. Unfortunately, though this was must have seemed almost a holiday. women settlers, like so much of family? unforeseen at the time of building, the Yet everything said about Mrs. Brodie women's history, has largely been lost to Imagine the final long-awaited accomodation had to be shared with is speculation. What was she like? Did us. But occasionally someone is lucky landing at Halifax. Dry land at least, but their cow: the JCA had provided Mr. she feel herself a part of this new country enough to meet and interview an elderly not quiet or comfort. The shouts of other Brodie during the summer with a cow in which her three youngest children woman who has been part of that bewildered immigrants, the struggles which had calved. The calf, kept in their had been born?' Did she long for the history, and so our understanding of with the customs officials who smirked original dugout, froze to death, and customs and music and accents of her at the foreigners' clothes and language, women's life is slowly built up. fearful of also losing the cow they native land? Was she proud that her and no doubt wrinkled their noses at This article presents some fragments brought it into the house with them. daughter Mary was able to earn $3 a of two women's lives. Orie, Mary Aron, their smell after that long sea journey. week in Winnipeg at the age of 14? Did Was Mrs. Brodie pregnant during who came to Canada at the age of three, (Was the family's name really Brodie? Or she ever see tier two grandchildren born that winter? Did she have a toddler was interviewed by Prof. J.B. Lightman was that the name decided on by some to Mary? When Mary and her husband crawling along the earthen floor for the JIAS News. The other woman, harried immigration officer unable to moved to Montreal, did "Bubba Brodie" barely mentioned in the interview is cope with the foreign sounds?) At last, fascinated by the cow's tail and udder­ come with them? Did she visit? and droppings? Did she suffer from Mary's mother. Based on the the familiar sounds of Yiddish, someone So many questions, so little information which Mary recalls at 83, who introduced himself as a morning sickness as she tried to keep information to describe a woman's let's speculate about what her mother's representative of the JCA, a brief some semblance of order? lifetime. Our women's history is built on experiences must have been. stopover, clean clothes and a bath, a By their second summer the Brodies just such gaps. Some stories, like Mrs. The family whose name was Brodie. good Jewish meal. Then the drive to the were provided with more equipment Brodie's can perhaps never be told. But which they were to share with the other came from Rumania. We don't even CP station, and another journey, by train some can still be preserved. two families: a pair of oxen, a wagon, a know the first names of Mr. and Mrs. this time, to the halt at Fort Qu'Appelle. So this article ends with a plea: If you large sleigh, and farming implements. Brodie, or of Mary's older sister who was There, on the plains of Saskatchewan, know any elderly women-relatives or These were to serve three families, each eight when they fled Rumania to start a Mrs. Brodie and her family at last came friends or neighbours-get a tape cultivating 12 acres. Did the women new life in Canada. We know the family to rest on Canadian soil. recorder and try to get their story. Beg, sometimes pull the plough because had farmed in Rumania, though it is Two other Jewish families, also new borrow, or scrounge any letters, diaries, someone else was using the oxen? unlikely that that farming was in any way arrivals to Canada, joined them there. photo albums, newspaper clippings. If There was only one son fn this family, similar to what they were to be doing in Exhausted and disoriented, Mrs. Brodie you can, please photocopy them and and he still a baby. the Canadian west. We can be certain, must have wanted nothing more than to send them to us, c/o Alma Norman, too, that in Rumania they had lived in a feed and shelter her family. TheJCA had There were lighter moments too. UPSTREAM. Jewish holidays were celebrated, and all Jewish community, with easy access to thoughtfully provided them with some There weren't many of us famous Jewish families attended the weddings Kosher shops, to a synagogue, to necessities-one large tent for the three enough to get ourselves mentioned in which took place in the bride's home. Jewish schools, and to the whole range families, nine people in all with all their the "real" history books, so we have to .Many of the neighbouring settlers were of Jewish religious and community life. belongings. There was no stove, and no make our own. And we've got to do it in In 1901, no doubt following one of the water. The woods provided for their also Rumanians and it must have been a that step-by-step, painstaking, woman's many waves of persecution against basic necessities-fuel to cook joyous-and perhaps also homesick­ way. Jews, Mr. Brodie was persuaded by the outdoors, water scooped up from time reminiscing about family left behind. Information on Mary Aron takan from: "Mary Aron JCA to pull up his roots and emigrate shallow slews which had to be boiled and Har Immigrant Pionaar Roots," a parsonal with his wife and two daughters to an before it could be drunk, and the toilet. A We don't know what Mary's sister die! intarviaw by Prof. J.B. Lightman, JIAS Naws, Spring unknown promised land called Canada, storm one summer night blew down when she left home, and what happened 1979. Ma'v·1979 r , f t l ' f ' ' \ ''Bringing about the end of God'''

Changing of the Gods: contradict the tenets of that books, music, or a successful Feminism and the End of religion. And as the religious enterprise.. The crone is the

Traditional Religions backlash sweeps Islamic goddess of 1wisdom and Naomi R. Goldenberg. states, women are being prophesy. pushed back into homes and ~ "Witchcraft has a tremen­ published by Beacon Press, back behind chaderis. dous respect for the natural Boston, April 1979 Islam, however, is more world, and for cycles and hardcover: $9.95 than a religion;· it is also a energy. And I think that is a state. Women's treatment )lery life-giving religion thatls under Islamic law is perhaps being practiced now." the best indicator of Islamic The advantages of a fem~e beliefs. According to god, according to Golden­ Goldenberg: "You need the berg, is that she can never be by Sheila Bird testimony of two women to seen as transcendent because Many women who consider equal that of one man, only if we are all raised by women themselves feminists are also those women are supported first, and because we see active in church affairs or feel by another man in the law mothers as women tied to they are personally religious. courts." the Protestant Church have stick to her opinion. For her basic life and earth. She says The connections between the Judaism, says Goldenberg, done much in the last few trouble she got kicked out of she is not suggesting we all two beliefs: in a god, and that is concerned with keeping decades to bring women into the Garden of Eden, and she worship a female god: we women and men. are equal, women "separate but equal." the church. Some have even has1received nothing but bad need many symbols in any has never been significant She says the most important allowed women to become press since. new religion. Witchcraft, before. But a new book by an thing one can do in Judaism is ministers. But in Changing of But of all the possible currently, is being practiced assistant professor of to obey the teachings of God the Gods, Goldenberg says replacements for our male­ largely by women, and religious studies at Ottawa and to uphold God's rituals. revision of religions won't do, dominated religions, the one Goldenberg admits there has University may change' all "That,"_ she says, "Is the despite the fact many women worthy of most discussion in to be a way to incorporate that. business of men." She points would be more comfortable the book is feminist men into a community. She Naomi Goldenberg, in .her to the oft-used example of the with that approach. Even if witchcraft. The religion which says she sees her own work book Changing of the Gods: morning prayer Jewish men churches· took away all goes by the name of going in that direction; trying Feminism and the End of recite thanking God for not objectionable teachings, tried witchcraft these days values to think of what we need to Traditional· Religions makes making them women, and the to involve women more and women very much, according sustain feelings of community the connection between what prayer· the women recite seriously tried to reform to Goldenberg, who has done withi'n a religion. may have seemed like two thankin'g God for making themselves, the basic tenets a lot of research on the When asked what she feels totally separate issues. them just as they are. of the religions "are not subject. "I see it as good for a the impact of her book will Goldenberg says not only are "I found it interesting there relevant to a society where lot of reasons. It gives women have on regligious feminists, the two related, but the rise of is an association of rabbis' men and women are equal." a sense of strength, it talks Goldenberg replied: "I think one will necessa~ily mean the wives in the States. And Short of changing the about the goddess within that some feminists are going downfall of the other. they've come out with a religions' mythologies from each of us." to wish I hadn't said what I Goldenberg says, "Every statement against the Equal day-one, the basic premise According to Changing of said. Because many times in woman working to improve Rights Amendment, saying remains. And once the the Gods: "Like psycholo­ the women's movement we try her own position in sociefy, or that if the amendment were mythologies are changed, gists, witches practice a craft, to talk about how minor that of women in general, is passed this would be a serious then everything about the the aim of which is to put changes are. And we don't see bringing about the end of threat to Jewish life. And you religions, short of their names, people on better terms with that what we are implying is a God." know? They are right." would be changed. their own mental life, so they major overthrow of the The problem with the Speaking about Christiani­ Given tnat male-oriented can lead fuller more system's philosophical, world'S>major religions are the ty,, Goldenberg quotes Pope religions will become less productive lives." religious and political systems same. They are based on male Paul's reaffirmation of 'the relevant in a world that The teachings of modern that have sustained us. And gods, and they are basically Roman Catholic rule that accepts women as equals, the witchcraft involve a celebra­ what excites me as a thinker, misogynist. In a recent women cannot be priests questions remains: What will tion of Wicca (the Old English as a woman, as a feminist, is interview, Golden bel'g because Jesus Christ was a replac::e what we have now? · world for wise woman or the extent to which feminism explained: "Christianity, mal1:1 and; becaase all Jesus' Ttf1e bpok lists a numbi;ir)of witch). It tj:!aches the feminine calls for ~ry radica,,ctiange." Judaism·· and Islam are disciples were male. '.'I'm the possibilities, from the worship life force~ or the ' goddess, Perhaps the time has come patriarchal mindsets. They only feminist I know that of androgynous gods to appears i.n three forms: the for women to consider just are mindsets of a society in agrees with him.· He has reviving some of the bad girls maiden, the mother and the how enormous the changes w,hich men hold pqwer." realized that th~ basic of our present religions like crone. The maiden is a woman are that feminism will bring. Recent events in Iran and structure of that religion Lilith, Adam's first wife. independent of her lovers and And it is time to consider Pakistan have underlined depends on keeping men in According to Jewish legend free to move and to have Goldenberg's statement: "If Islam's position on women's power." Lilith fought with her husband adventures. The mother men are no longer the sole place in society. What few Many memoers of Protest­ about positions during sexual goddess is the adult, rulers of the earth, it makes no gains women have made in ant congregations will point to Intercourse. God sided with nurturing woman. She is the sense to leave them in charge Islamic states directly the fact that many branches of Adam, but Lilith continued to mother of all life forms, and of of heaven."

Radical feminism Ripped off and diluted

Feminist Revolution, An Women and Redstockings) were written out of history ists) have distorted authentic Abridge_d Edition Wlfh began to dissolve. Why this when they themselves radical femini'sm. (" ... it didn't Additional Writings, process occurred is the story immediately began to have to attach another issue to by. Redstocklngs of the of what happened to all experience the same invisibili­ itself to be valid.") Women's Liberation Move­ radical feminists working in ty. The article contains the Other sections of the book ment. this period, a story which we lessons they learned about on "Organizing," "Resist­ feel we have come to an leadership and history, ances to Women's Conscious­ understanding of and which lessons which led ultimately ness" (e.g. psychological Random House, 224 pages, we will be sharing in these to the writing of .this book. terrorism, ."The Myth of $7.95 pages." "History after all, is all about Docility" and men's libera­ (available at Octopus Books) The book has as its theme what was done and who did it tion) and "The Pro-Woman the ways in which the original and what was important and Line on Work" contain radical women's liberation how it was accomplished. And enough stimulating ideas to by Wendy McPeake movement was taken over, who does things and how it is keep feminists talking for Feminist Revolution is a weakened, and diluted and, accomplished is all about years. The Appendix contains collection of articles originally finally, blacked-out by the leadership." This essay is the the pioneer articles on publis)led in 1975 by the Establishment and the "male­ who, what, where, when and consciousness-raising and Redsfockings Collective and supremacist left." The articles how of the early women's "the personal is the political." was intended to be an annual (there are 40) document the movement and contains Any woman who . hasn't 'journal. It took three years to way that the powerful ideas invaluable lessons for all already read this book should. produce. This second edition, behind "sisterhood is women actively involved in I felt cheated that I never took, published by Random House, powerful," "the personal is building the movement. was given or found the contains several new articles political," consciousness­ The articles, "The Retreat to opportunity to read it sooner. and deletes some of the old raising, and the idea of Cultural Feminism," "The It's a gold mine of the ideas we ones (notably, the famous women's groups excluding Pseudo-Left/Lesbian Alliance all truck around with and "Gloria Steinem and the men were "ripped off" the Against Feminism," and which are still relevant and CIA"). A new preface states original radical feminists and "Separate to Integrate" will be worth discussing. the purpose of the book: "Just llc'>ed to . slow down the of special interest to Ottawa In 1969, one of the when the Women's Liberation movement. feminists. Ail three articles Redstockings' stated prin­ Movement was getting off the In the first article entitled discuss the directions which ciples was, "We do not ask ground, just when the radical 'The Power of History," feminist ideology has taken what is radical, revolutionary, slogans and organizing ideas Kathie Sarachild describes and the ways in which these re!formist or moral-we ask: is were proving to have how the second wave had no diverse, but similar groups it good for women or bad for enormous popularity, these sooner identified how the (socialist-feminists, lesbian­ women?" This book is good groups (New York Radical feminists of the last century feminists, lesbian vanguard- for women. .May 19.79 UP.$,TREP,.M/19

Desmarais has control of her medium

Exhibition of work by Diane impact lies iri their colours, These paintings are about Desmarais, Pelntre et which are subtle and rich at people, androgenous groups lllustrateur, at Theater de the same time. The colours engaging in simple pleasures: L'lle, Hull. From Aprll 5 to maintain the impression of two women on a couch; a Aprll 28. monochrome, but manage to woman sunbathing with cats; deviate from that rule with two people on a beach. by Maureen Fraser muted accents of other hues. The concisely designed I was recently coerced into The paintings are mainly done compositions draw the viewer attending the opening· of an in ink washes with finely directly to their faces, staring, art exhibit at Theatre de L'lle drawn outlines and details; seemingly vapid and emotion­ in Hull. Hating openings with the highly textured paper less until the mystery takes a vengeance, I was neverthe­ takes very readily to Ms. over. Then the expressions less enticed by the prospect of are revealing in their brooding viewing new paintings by a and depth. The faces are young women from Hull haunting, sometimes quiz­ whose reputation had zical; occasionally melanc­ preceded her. Although I holy, but always subtle, and arriv.ed with mixed tellings I invariably open to inter­ needn't have worried. pretation. There is a delicious Diane Desmarais studied at temptation to indulge in lazy the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in fantasies, and just beneath the Montreal until 1969. Since surface runs an infectious then she, has participated in streak of humour. several group exhibits, The titles augment both the worked on government humour and the humanity. A commissions, in graphic women sitting alone knitting design, and continued to among rows of empty theatre produce an intriguing body of Kate Middleton/Happenstance seats is called Entracte; anot­ work in ink and oils. I was Desmarais' style, and the her pensive woman sits with surprised not only by the overall. result is one of her head in her hands with the exceptional character of her technical excellence. The worqs "and what are we going paintings, but by their sheer marriage of graphic design to·do about you darling" print­ numbers: Ms. Desmerais is with a more painterly ed next to her. Kate Middleton/Happenstance obviously sn artist who works approach is often a troubled It is heartening to view seriously at her craft. relationship, but Ms. exhibits of women's art like The paintings themselves Desmarais brings it off with this one. Diane Desmarais' is within it-encouraging news to repetitive dullness which are difficult to describe. great success and enviable in control of her medium, and those of us who become permeates the work of so Perhaps their immediate style. apparently unafraid to grow increasingly weary of the stale .many young artil?ts.

by Dorothy A. Drinkwater When I first heard that Sally \ fathers, live with her parents. the kids. After a scene to prison for her beliefs, but I Field was playing the leading Her father is protective of her b~tween them where Norma she has already won over the role in a film about the and is always hovering nearby Rae throws a bunch of things workers. Here I would add; unionization of textile giving her incestuous looks. from the refrigerator into a however, that although the workers, I had visions of a Her mother is frail and almost pot-"You wan.t me to struggles of the workers are woman in ·a big white hat deaf from working in the mill cook?"-fills the sink full of real, the film is pro-union to flying above a crowd most of her life. Into this scene water and whips the laundry the point of propaganda. The chanting, "sisters unite!" of southern bliss walks in~"You want me to do the United Textile Workers of Fortunately, Norma Rae is a Reuben Markowitz (Ron wash?"-he decides he wants America union does not solve film made of more serious Liebman), a New York Jew the marriage enpugh to do his the workers' problems in this stuff and Sally Field does a and uniori organizer. Norma share of the housework. film, nor is it ever really clear commendable job in this, her Rae joins forces with Reuben Although Norma is second­ what problems it will solve in first, dramatic role for the big and "risks everything for what ary to the cynical intellectual the future. Unions, like the screen. she believes is right." Reuben in that he knows the management they oppose, are The film is set in a southern After her father dies in the law and knows what to do, he male-dominated, even though textile mill town, but unlike mill, Norma Rae spends her accepts her as an equal and most of the workers they many other films about the off hours working towards the knows he needs her help. In a represent are women. south (Walking Tall and the union. This puts a strain on particularly moving scene in The movie ends, refreshing­ like). it contains no endless her marriage: her husband the factory, she jumps up on a ly I thought, with two people scenes of people shooting (Beau Bridges), who married workbench and holds up a~ appreciating each other's holes through one another or her so they could share the card reading "UNION." All of strengths and both knowing bashing each other's brains resonsibility of rearing his the workers stop their there is still work to be done. out with baseball bats. The child and her two, finds out ~achines in a gesture of Norma is definitely one of the violence in Norma Rae is more this means he has to look after solidarity. Norma Rae is sent better films of the year. "real"-in one scene Norma Rae gets a bloody nose from a jerk who can't take it because she no longer wants to sleep with him; in another a short Ferget the Lafayette fist fight breaks out between black and white male factory workers after the company Rendezvous management starts a rumour that the blacks want to start a union so they can "take over." At the outset of the film, we find ourselves in a textile mill-almost everybody in the the pay is low, and the noise c150Z"i50as town works there and entire from the machinery is Centre des femmes d'Ottawa families have done so for deafening. Norma Rae and generations. The work is hard, her two children of different Information 235-4035 Renseignements

Memberships available at the door Cartes de membres · a la porte Hours: Heures: Wednesday, Thursday 5-11 mercredi, jeudi l 7h a 23h Friday 5-1 vendredi 17h a lh Saturday 2-1 samedi 14h a lh­ Sunday hoon-8 dimanche midi a 20h 2~URSTR'EAM'

Someone who loves me made me a supper of artichokes. We scraped each separate leaf between our teeth peeled ourselves slowly to the choke devoured even that and offered each other the heart. For dessert we ate avocados. Kate Nonesuch LIT RARY

I lie in bed listening to the Trussed voices filtering in through the wafer walls: A man and woman discussing anything/nothing. The sounds become punctuated by silences That seem to grow until only The creaking of the bed fills the room. Their room and mine. Ants circularly entering their Hole Lead more intricate lives. Viviana Frankel

...... I gaze at the map for hours Let my finger wander ...... along imaginary routes .... . Finger mazes winding intricately : ... like a snail shell ...... Our lives wind together so closely parallel ...... that they blend into one line ...... traced by my index finger on the chart You have travelled through cities ...... countries continents \ . to break the unity to place barriers between us If I could .follow my finger across that map to touch you grope for a tangency of you to trace the elusive lines of your body compare it to the memory I hold of it ...... to unite our borders, erase the boundaries that isolate us to retain you there no longer an evanescent imaginary trace ..... on my brain but \ \ ///;; how to do it Viviana Frankel

all material copyright by authors ,Meyy 197!:l. ups:rR EAM/Z1'

If I could crawl outside my skin And into yours, I would probably find A strong stomach, A liver enlarged by overindulgence, And a big heart. But I would be intrigued By the little man inside your head. He'd most certainly invite me in For a nice long chat, And he'd answer all my questions About you politely, And offer me a drink, And then he'd guide me to the door And even escort me to the elevator. But afterwards, when I'd crawled back inside me, I would think back, And remember that He said nothing. Viviane Frankel

We take shifts on the bed Sleeping at fitful intervals, Neither of us knowing whether Day or night will greet us. The void beside me on your half of the sheet disturbs my sleep. I roll over to feel the warmth Of your nonexistent body, Listening for your spasmodic breathing, Expecting your uninhibited and violel"!t movements.

You emerge from the darkened bedroom Hours after I have left it,' The shapes of sleep still imprinted On yoyr retina, speaking through Cavernous yawns and long silences.

7 We talk at fitful intervals.· Viviane Frankel

The first snow hushes whispers of wrinkled leaves with the sweep of a shroud brazen colours are put to rest Naked arms stand proud against the winds that bear down upon them. My dearest father, can you feel the pressing down of feather flakes, do the trees uproot your only privacy, do the words I chose please you they ar~ indelible carved on marble the rain splashes I count the winters that erode the lines of of your smile. Margaret Leedis-Georgis

graphics by Anne Grlgotza Hauser Feminist, poet, factory worker by Kate Middleton Gwen Hauser, to date, has her writing and for four poetry published four books of readings a year, is forced to go Gwen_ Hauser jumped about poetry. "Poems from. the back to factory work to on the floor, swinging a bottle . Sundance and other Tribes " support herself. During her of ketchup over her head, (1972) was her first collecte'd times in the factory there is performing her "Ketchup work, published by lnterme­ very little time left for writing. Poem" at the S.A.W. Gallery dia and New Left Press. When Gwen Hauser disap­ April 17. With a broad smile on "Fascist Branding Poems #2" pears into the factory, the poet her face, she continued to followed in December1974. In becomes woman, creating not brandish the bottle menacing­ 1978, Gwen's work appeared poetry but countless bottles of ly as she completed her in two books, "hands get pop, candy bars and contribution to "Conceptual lonely sometimes," and "The manufactured goods, things Art," Toronto style. The Ordinary Invisible Woman." we seldom realize are the performance, a mild jab at a Recent government cut­ creations of hordes of Toronto poet who will remain backs in funding to the ordinary invisible women. un-named, introduced the Canada Council have At present, Gwen is small audience at the S.A.W. seriously hampered many collecting poems from women to a poet who is anything but artists. Gwen, who receives across Canada. An anthology invisible .. Canada Council funding for of the best of the submissions will be published by Steel Rail Press. All poems should be sent to her no later than more on King Kong September 1979, at the & Fave Rave' following address: Gwen Hauser so you're looklng Apt. 608 for a movie 100 Gloucester St. to be King Kong Toronto, Ont. M4Y 1M1 to some Fave Rave in Gwen Hauser Kate Middleton/Happenstance is that it, or a James Baldwin novel Un panel sur la situation de la femme to fall in love with a white blonde-haired dans le theatre Quebecois Ruling Class woman in so Iha.I you can punish her eternally par Suzanne Camu & still maintain your own contexte du debat de ce soir­ veritablement entre elles, white middle class aspirations Ce soir-la, ils etaient au la. Bien sur, j'ai releve chez mais chacunes s'exprime par nombre de cinq. Je suis elle une certaine aversion un monologue interieur (only it always turns out obligee d'employer le pronom envers le clerge, sentiment adresse au public. Tremb!ay a that you're Fave Rave "ils" parce que grammaticale­ qu'elle partage avec un eu le loisir d'elaborer and she's King Kong) ment parlant, lorsqu'un certain nombre de femmes longuement son point de vue well no matter homme est pres~nt au milieu puisque !'influence clericale a ace sujet et de fagon generale who's King Kong d'un groupe de femmes, le pese lourdement sur les au sujet de ses oeuvres. & who's masculin l'emporte. Et ce soir­ moeurs feminines par le Beaucoup de questions lui ont Fave Rave la, ii l'a effectivement emporte passe. Pour ma part, je crois ete adressees. A un tel point the fact of the matter was a un moment de la soiree. que Michele Lalonde l'a qu'on a oublie le sujet du you loved each other Ces cinq personnes, ressentie de la maniere assez panel. D'une tacon, je wasn't It? Daniele Suissa, metteur en vive dans son enfance. A ce regrette, je deplore meme que scene, Yvette Brind'Amour, propos', elle nous a confies ce fait se soit produit parce no matter how short fondatrice du Theatre du que le public n'a pas reconnu que c'rst inevitable lorsqu'un you cut your hair Rideau-Vert et comedienne l'anticlericalisme· dont elle a hommE:l se retrouve au milieu & show off your muscles, bien connue, Michele fait preuve a travers sa d'un groupe de femmes. no matter how long Lalonde, ecrivain, Michele derniere oeuvre. Elle en J'estime que l'animatric& du her hair is Rossignol, "actrice" comme attribue la cause au fait qu'elle panel aurait du controler la or how white elle se plait a etre designee, et n'a pas .dessine une fresque situation davantage et her skin is, enfin, Michel Tremblay, caricaturale du clerge mais reorienter le debat dans son the fact of the matter is dramaturge et romancierdont qu'elle en a trace un portrait contexte initial. she's Queen Kong la reputation n'est plus a faire, assez sobre et serieux. C'est un peu a cau&e de ce carrying ces cinq personnes, je disais Autant la prise de position manque d'orientation, qu'on the heavy burden done, etaient conviees a un de Michele Lalonde m'a n'a pas accorde assez semble ambigue dans le cadre of your frail ego. panel a l'Universite d'Ottawa, d'attention au metteur en de ce panel, autant celle de (women, as Yoko Ono says, jeudi, le 29 mars dernier a scene, Daniele Suissa. Elle a being the niggers !'amphitheatre du pavilion Michele Rossignol m'a semble pris. la parole au debut du rigoureuse et precise. En of the world). Marion, afin de discuter de panel et a quelques reprises !'image de la femme dans le effet, cette derniere nous a par la suite mais j'ai retenu Fave Rave being theatre quebecois. livres ces impressions attentivement ses propos sans as I myself know Cette table rond, rectangu­ lorsqu'elle joue un role au doute a cause de leur the man laire en l'occurence, nous a· theatre classique. Elle a fait originalite. Pour elle, c'est that women evidemment fait connaitre les allusion a son interpretation avant tout une question go crazy for) propos varies de chaque ·de la megere dans la piece de d'individualisme. C'est-a-dire personally, paneliste sur la q!}estion. Pour Shakespeare intitulee "La qu'elle ne s'identifie pas I'm jealous of Fave Rave ma part, j'ai ete profondement megere apprivoisee." Dans comme fen me metteur en : I want to be a man touchee par la force cette piece, Michele Rossign­ scene mais plutot comme so that I'm allowed extraordinaire qui anime ol a ressenti une grande metteur en ~ cene unique­ to be that feminine again. Yvette Brind'Amour. En effet, jouissance en interpretant le ment. Bien sur, 9fle se permet elle m'est apparue com me une role de la megere puisque le de creer, de diriger !'interpre­ i want to have people femme pleine de vigueur et personnage s'affirme avec tation de ses comediens et worrying about me, d'ardeur, prate a relever les une audacieuse fermete. comediennes a sa guise et de saying Oh dear defis qui s'offrent a elle. Elle Cependant, Michele s'est differer de l'optique d'un you look so depressed nous a expliques qu'en sentie frustree en declamant metteur en scene masculin. you're so upset assumant la direction du le discours de sou mission a la Cependant, elle ne le fait pas doing my xeroxing for me Theatre du Rideau-Vert, elle a fin de la piece puisque cela deliberement et refuse & going to the bank for me du s'armer de courage et de represente l'aneantissement d'attribuer cette difference a du personnage feminin as i chase my lover conviction afin de prouver sa femininite. principal. around City Hall surtout que les femmes Ce panel m'a donne threatening to rape him peuvent exceller dans un Michel Tremblay a d'ailleurs beaucoup de matiere a & stealing his wallet travail de ce genre. Elle nous a souleve cette evolution qui se reflexion. Je vous en livre avoues d'ailleurs qu'elle etait dessine lentement dans d'ailleurs en guise de I want to have people la premiere femme au Quebec !'image refletee par le theatre conclusion. A mon avis, worrying about m.e a prendre en charge une telle a travers les siecles. II taut !'interpretation et la cr€ativite i want to push men around responsabilite. Je puis ajouter d'apres lui non pas renier ce permettent finalement in a locked room a son sujet qu'elle a contribue qui s'est deja fait a ce niveau beaucoup de latitude. J'ose ' & tear the buttons de fagon assez energique au mais s'en servir afin de esperer que le travail qui off theifshirts debat en presentant . des modifier constamment nos s'accomplit au niveau de (I want to sit on top of them exemples interessants pour prises de position. II a ajoute l'ecriture, de la mise en scene & threaten them with rape ... illustrer ses propos, telle que lorsqu'il a ecrit "Les et de !'interpretation soit yeah, i wanna get !'image de sa grand-mere qui belle-soeurs" en 1968, ii s'est davantage caracterise, my jollies too symbolise a ses yeux l'ame de plie a certaines normes impregne de creativite afin sa famille. acceptables a cette epoque. que le rapport feminin­ Gwen Hauser Quant a Michele Lalonde, Ainsi, dans la piece, on masculin reflete davantage j'ai eprouve de la difficulte a constate que le groupe de deux presences en affronte­ cerner son opinion dans le femmes ne se parlent jamais ment et en accord perpetuals. May 1.979 UPSTBEAIW23, 1. Simmer 1112 cups of prepared· Ground ivy makes a tasty tea, which fiddleheads for five minutes. Drain: can be drunk any time but has the added 2. Have ready 8 cups of clear chicken attraction of its medicinal value. It can HERBS: stock. Beat four eggs until frothy, be used for colds and long-standing gradually adding 1h a cup of fresh lemon coughs, and to reduce fever. The juice juice. Add about a cup of the hot stock to squeezed from the fresh ptant is said to YOURS the egg-and-lemon mixture, mixing be soothing to bruises and black eyes. well. Return it to the stock in the pot. The dried herb can bjl crushed finely FOR THE PICKING 3. Heat, stirring, until the soup is slightly and used as snuff, which is supposed to thickened, but do not allow to boil. Taste relieve dull, congestive headaches. by Jean Frances for seasoning and add salt and pepper if What I like best about this herb is its desired. Add the fiddleheads and serve. popular names. I used to know it as Another herb available as soon as the Creeping Charlie, but M. Grieve lists Now that the snow is off the ground, you like the buds, look alongside snow disappears, and until it returns also: Alehoof; Gill-go-over-the-ground; fresh vegetables are available again. The buildings in grassy patches that get the again, is chickweed. This innocuous Haymaids; Tun-hoof; Hedgemaids; kids and I were foraging by the Rideau afternoon sun; they've been out for little plant is almost as much the bane of Lizzy-run-up-the-hedge; G i 11-go-by­ River in the second week of April and we weeks already. lawn· growers as the dandelion is. The the-hedge; Catsfoot; and Robin-run-in­ found a lovely clump of Shepherd's The last week in April and the first _weak, reclining stem is much branched the-hedge. Purse which hadn't developed flower week in May, or thereabouts, is and supports pairs of small oval leave~. buds yet. {See UPSTREAM, May 1978.) fiddlehead season. Fiddleheads can The flowers are tiny, white and star­ If you can find it like this the leaves are sometimes be found frozen in shaped, situated in the midst of the sweet and succulent and are best eaten supermarkets, or fresh in local market upper leaves. This delicate herb is best raw in a salad. Or you can snack on them stalls during their short season. Either eaten raw. If you must cook it, treat it like where ever you happen to find them. If way, they are very e£pensive. But since spinach: rinse with water two or three many people consider them to be a great times as much of the raw vegetable as delicacy, they pay the price demanded., you want to end up with (it "cooks down" This delicious vegetable can be yours like spinach), and put it in a pot with a for no more than the effort of gathering tight-fitting lid and no extra water. Cook it. over high heat for two or three minutes, Fiddleheads are the young, tightly no more. Serve with butter. curled fronds of the common (or Chickweed is also a medicinal herb. ostrich) fern. They should be gathered An infusion made with 3 teaspoons of just as they emerge from the earth­ the fresh herb or 1 teaspoon of the dried once they start to unfurl they be~ome can be used for colds, coughs, and tough and bitter. They look just like their hoarseness. The fresh leaves boiled and name suggests: like the top of a fiddle. placed in a cloth can be used· as a They're covered with reddish-brown poultice for burns, inflammations papery scales which can be removed by superficial wounds, boils, and other skin rubbing them gently between the hands. irritations. It can be used in the same Look for them in rich woods and along way to soothe tired, burning eyes. Use / Chickweed stream banks. the water in which the herb was boiled to If you like them and are lucky enough bathe the affected part. One source to find a good-size patch all to yourself, suggests boiling chickweed in lard for The herbs I have mentioned in this pick a lot and freeze them. To eat them use as an ointment "good for piles and column up to now are available in many right away, remove the chaff and wash sores, and cutaneous diseases." parts of ca·nada, and certainly in the the fiddleheads. Steam gently in a small Also abundantly available now is Ottawa Valley where I live. If amount of salted water for 10 to 15 ground ivy. This a creeping plant with UPSTREAM readers anywhere have minutes, and serve with butter and a round or kidney shaped leaves, dark knowledge of plants peculiar to their squeeze of lemon, or in a cream sauce. green, shiny and scalloped at the edge. locality, please share it with us. Send This recipe for Egg and Lemon Soup The tiny purple flowers are in small the details, along with a drawing, Fiddleheads with Fiddleheads comes from The New clusters in the leaf axils. It can be found photograph or book reference, if York Times Natural Foods Cook _Book, on lawns, along road sides and in shady possible, to me care of UPSTREAM by Jean Hewitt. spots. {address on the back cover). ·

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Ottawa Women's Lobby (OWL) is Women Learning: Issues and holding a federal All-Candidates Opportunities, a conference on women meeting for Ottawa Centre on Monday, and. education, June 1-3, at OISE, May 7 at the Jack Purcell Comrl]unity Toronto. Registration fee $15, or $5, Centre, 8:30 p.m. For more information students and low income. For more call 236-0590. information write to the Conference Breaking the Mold-a workshop on sex­ Office, Ontario Institute for Stvdies in role stereotyping May 11-12 at the Education, 252 Bloor St. West, Toronto, Chateau Laurier. The workshop is open Ont. M5S 1V6. to all educators, parents, community Women's ln.terest Group of Ottawa representatives. For more information South meets every Friday morning from call Michelle Labelle at 563-2220. 9:30 to 11 :30 at the Old Firehall on A two day Wen Do {women's self­ Sunnyside. Guest speakers, coffee, defence) course is being offered at Jack good conversation. Babysitting Purcell Community Centre on Elgin available. For more information call 233- 409 Bronson at James 7459. 233-2701 Street, Ottawa on Saturday May 26 and closed Mondays Sunday May 27, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Toronto Lesbian Conference May 19-21. cost is $15 but free to women unable to Registration is on Friday May 19 at Hart pay the fee. Proceeds go to the Ottawa House at the University of Toronto. Cost Women's Centre. To register call 233- is $1 O or $8 in advance The Conference 2560. opens with a coffee house on Friday May 5 is the Ottawa Women's Centre's night with Ferron, Heather Bishop, April seventh birthday. Films and reminiscing Kassirer, Georgina Chambers. are among the plans for the day. Details Conference organizers are looking for CLASSIFIED Ans to be announced or call 233-2560. women to facilitate workshops and help with translation. Booths will be available Ottawa Public Library "Come and bring for artisans. Billetting and childcare a friend" is a program for adults held in available. For more information, write to Rates conjunction with the· preschool story 342 Jarvis St., Toronto. time each Thursday at 10:30 a.m. Individuals: 10¢ per word, minimum $2. Let V.l.P. Answering Service answer May 10-Women Writers of Science Business: 15¢ per word, minimum $6. your telephone during the summer. Fiction Forwarding service: $1 per ad per issue. Good service, good prices, call 236- May 17-Nutrition for Young and Old For Children Print your ad clearly in block letters. 7026. All ads must be prepaid. Exp1orlng the Violence Women Live May 12, 2 p.m.-Environmental Theatre With-a four-part series to be held at the Worksf\op (bilingual) Address to: Upstream West Ottawa Community Centre, 1064 May 13, 3 p.m.-"All for Beaver Hats" by 424-B Queen St., Wellington St., Tuesdays at 8 p.m. Theatre Direct Canada (English) Ottawa, Ontario RECREATION May 26, 2 p.m.-The Toy Box and other May 28-What is it? Where does it come K1R SAS Family .Camping at its best. Red Pine surprises (English) from? Film, speakers, discussion Camp offers a wide variety of aquatic June 5-Canadian feature film Wedding May 27, 2 p.m.-Stories and Songs by and land sports. Good food, cabin in White with discussion Tante Lucille (French) accommodation. For information call June 9, 2 p.m.-Traditional Chinese June 12-Panel discussion: Daycare, 234-1969; 270 Maclaren St. K2P OM;3. Housing, Unemployment, healthcare Activities; music, painting, dance, BUSINESSES and violence against women. What's the demonstrations of Tai Chi and Kung Fu PARTIES for discounted fashions. Invite connection? {bilingual) friends for enjoyable afternoon or June 19-What can we do? Panel and These programs are sponsored by the evening. Name brands. 10% hostess discussion National Museum of Man at Mcleod and credit. Call Judy 828-1853. Free admission, babysitting costs Metcalfe. Admission free. For more shared, sponsored by Interval House, information caJI 992-3497. 234-5181. \ O> l'- ,..0> >. C'CS :E

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BENEFIT Staff this Issue Esther Shannon Maureen Fraser Kate Middleton Anne Grigotza Janick Belleau Pat Daley Dorothy Elias Barb Arkle Susan Pye

UPSTREAM is a monthly newsmagazine published by Feminist Publications of Ottawa. The staff is a collective with departmental coordinators. UPSTREAM welcomes Typesetting submissions. Copy deadline is the JSth of every month. Submissions should be typed, doublespaced. News, sports, Kate Nonesuch arts-type on a 62 unit line. Forum, features, fetters-on a 78 Sue Quip· unit line. All copy (except letters) is subject to editing. All Rosemary Knes correspondence should be addressed to UPSTREAM, 424-B · Queen Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1 R SAS. Phone 232-0313 or Cover Design 232-0568. ISSN 0700-9992. Anne Grigotza Second Class Mail Registration No. 4017

Production Press Gang Is a feminist publlshlng and printing Rosemary Knes Don't forget to renew your collective run by women In Vancouver. A ticket to our Sue Quip 1979 At-Home Benefit entitles our supporters to cool Julie O'Neil subscription! their heels on May 11th, and enjoy a quiet evening to C. J. Campbell themselves, at home. They cost only $2.99. Just mall Betty Baxter away to Press Gang, 603 Powell, Vancouver. We'll Carol Henderson send you a spiffy At-Home Ticket. On May 11th, the Dierdre Gotto rest will be up to you. Sheila Gilhooly · Bitsy Bateman Maureen Fraser Debbie Parent Solange Letourreau STAY HOME Esther Shannon Helen Murphy Marilyn Burnett MAY 11th Chris Jamieson Make cheques payable to: Feminist Publications of Ottawa

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