UNPAC’s Beijing Plus 5 Project Review of
Manitoba’s Implementation of the United Nations “Platform for Action”

FINAL REPORT,
June 2000

Table of Contents — Final Report

Acknowledgements
Introduction

UNPAC’s Beijing +5 Project

Methodology and Research Process

Summary of Recommended Provincial Government Actions

Women and Health
Women and Poverty
Violence Against Women

Women and Health

Summary of Policy Review
Summary of Workshop Findings
Policy Recommendations

Women and Poverty

Summary of Policy Review
Summary of Workshop Findings
Policy Recommendations

Violence Against Women

Summary of Policy Review
Summary of Workshop Findings
Policy Recommendations

Conclusions

Appendix A

Beijing +5 Workshop Agenda (Brandon, Thompson, Carman)
Beijing +5 Workshop Agenda (Winnipeg)
Beijing +5 - Participant Consent and Confidentiality Instructions for Facilitators

Appendix B

Beijing +5 Youth Project Report

Response to the Beijing+5 Final Report from The Honourable Diane McGifford, Minister Responsible for the Status of Women.

Acknowledgements

UNPAC (MB) wishes to acknowledge the following individuals who have contributed to the process of making our Beijing+5 Project a success:

• the organizers of local workshops in Carman, Brandon, and Thompson
• Forum Consulting and Facilitating who worked with the youth involved in the project
• the panellists at the Winnipeg Workshop: Kelly Gorkoff, Janet Smith, Kathy Mallett, and Jillian Hill-Carroll
• Status of Women Canada for funding contributions
• the Manitoba Women’s Advisory Council for technical support
• Jennifer Howard for analyzing the data and writing the Final Report
• all of the workshop participants, especially the youth participants, who shared their stories and experiences
• the volunteers and members of UNPAC (MB)

The views and opinions expressed in this report are not necessarily those of the Status of Women Canada or the Status of Women Canada Women’s Programme.

Introduction

In 1995, the Canadian government signed the United Nations Platform for Action at the Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing, China.

The Platform for Action contained twelve strategic commitments for governments and non-governmental organizations to act on to enhance the status of women worldwide.

The critical action areas are: violence; poverty; education and training; health care and related services; the effects of armed or other kinds of conflict on women; economic structures and policies; power and decision making; mechanisms to promote the advancement of women; human rights; media stereotyping; environment and natural resources safeguarding; and the rights of the girl child.

By agreeing to the Platform for Action, all Canadian governments — federal, provincial/territorial and civic — along with other governments of the world, have committed themselves to taking action and making the changes necessary to implement these recommendations. It is noteworthy that the Manitoba government was represented at the Fourth World Conference in Beijing.

As members of the United Nations, governments are morally obligated to undertake the recommendations of the Beijing conference as well as its predecessor documents including, but not limited to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Declaration on the Right to Development, and The Nairobi Forward Looking Strategies to the Year 2000.

UNPAC (MB) was established in 1995 to advocate for the implementation of the Platform for Action and other United Nations agreements which advance women’s equality. UNPAC’s predecessor was the UN Decades for Women, which was formed when Manitoba women participated in the First World Conference on Women in Nairobi in 1985. Ten years later, 30 Manitoba women went to Beijing for the Fourth World Conference on Women, participating in both the UN Conference and the parallel NGO Conference. They returned to Manitoba with a commitment to see the recommendations in the Platform for Action implemented.

UNPAC’S Beijing +5 Project

The objective of UNPAC’s Beijing+5 Project was to determine the degree to which the Manitoba government had met the commitments laid out in the Platform for Action, adopted at the Fourth World Conference for Women in 1995. Researchers examined three critical areas of public policy in Manitoba: Women and Health, Women and Poverty, and Violence against Women.

Methodology & Research Process

In each area, researchers undertook a detailed review of provincial policy, programmes and practices. These policy reviews have been separately published by UNPAC. Summaries are provided in the body of this report. More detailed and technical information is available in the full papers.

Following the policy papers, workshops were held in Brandon (a small urban city in Southwestern Manitoba), Thompson (a small city in Northern Manitoba), Carman ( a town in Southern Manitoba) and Winnipeg (the province’s largest urban center). Workshop participants were recruited by local workshop organizers, who were usually affiliated with local women’s organizations. The local organizers especially attempted to recruit women with professional and personal experience in the policy areas under investigation. These included, for example, health care workers, women working in women’s shelters, and women working in the social assistance system. Local organizers also attempted to recruit Aboriginal women, immigrant women, women with disabilities, and young women. In total, 97 women participated in the workshop process.

The goals of the workshops were to provide information about the international Beijing+5 process, as well as to gather information about the local reality and experiences of women in different geographic areas of Manitoba. The workshop findings represent the results of this qualitative research. They are indicative of the experiences and perspectives of the women who participated. The results cannot be generalized to a whole population, however we did find a great deal of commonality in the themes generated by these discussions.

Each public policy area was discussed at each workshop. In workshops with larger numbers of participants, the discussion was done in facilitated small groups. In smaller sessions, all participants discussed each policy area.

• the current situation of the women in their community with respect to the policy area under investigation;
• progress made on public policy and programmes since 1995 in Manitoba;
• examples of successful community initiatives in each policy area;
• barriers to the achievement of the Platform for Action commitments in each policy area;
• policy recommendations for the Provincial government.

Facilitators kept notes of all discussions, which are summarized in this report.

All participants were informed that their participation was voluntary and that they could withdraw their participation from the project at any time. They were assured that their identities would remain confidential and that their remarks would appear in a summarized form, but would not be attributed to named sources. Participants completed a consent form which detailed this confidentiality policy. The research design was submitted to the University of Manitoba Ethics Review Committee and was approved.

Summary of Recommended Provincial Government Actions

Policy Recommendations — Women and Health

Recommended Provincial Government Actions

1. The equal provision of health services to all geographic regions in Manitoba. The government should continue its efforts to recruit and retain physicians, nurses and other health care workers, especially in northern and rural areas. Financial support to reimburse the cost of travel and accommodation should be given to people living outside urban centres who must travel to cities for medical treatment.
2. Provincial and RHA support for midwifery services in all regions of Manitoba.
3. The increased involvement of women on health governance and decision- making bodies, such as Regional Health Authorities (RHA’s). This can be done by designating seats on RHA Boards for women, through election or appointment. Advisory committees on women’s health could be added to the RHA structure.

4. Continued support for the breast-screening program and other preventative health programs, that are mobile and actively recruit women to participate.
5. The creation of policies and programs which address prevention of disease on a population-health model. These programs should address health determinants such as income and education and take a multi-sectoral approach, using increased co-operation between government departments and jurisdictions to address the whole needs of populations. Some programs that were highlighted by workshop participants include pre and post-natal health programs, adult education initiatives and family resource centres.
6. Increased funding for health promotion and prevention programs, such as programs dealing with body image and self-esteem for girls and young women.

7. The introduction of comprehensive, age-appropriate sexuality education at all levels. The curriculum should be mandatory, taught by teachers who are trained to deliver it, and offered in all school divisions in Manitoba. As well, youth should have access to cost-free contraception in the schools, especially in rural and northern areas.
8. Increased access and funding to reproductive health services, including abortion, in all areas of Manitoba.

Recommended Provincial Government Actions

9. Undertake mandatory gender-based analysis of health policies and programs, as well as policies and programs related to the social determinants that impact on women’s health.
10. Provide resources to enable RHA’s to participate in training on gender-based analyses.

Recommended Provincial Government Actions

11. More provision of health services in community health clinics, especially centres providing woman-centred care. Similar clinics should be provided to youth.
12. Increase resources to the Women’s Unit of Manitoba Health to enable them make implement actions, and to work in a collaborative way with Manitoba women.

Policy Recommendations - Women and Poverty

Recommended Provincial Government Actions

13. The provincial government should introduce legislation to increase the Minimum Wage in a consistent and timely manner, so that it rises automatically every year according to other economic indicators, such as the rate of economic growth or the increase in the cost-of-living.
14. Changes to the Child Care system should include better wages for child care workers and more available subsidized spaces throughout the Province. Child care must be flexible and affordable for all women. The government should champion a national child care policy to support Manitoba women and children.

Recommended Provincial Government Actions

15. The provincial government should reverse the decision to clawback the National Child Benefit (NCB) from parents on social assistance.
16. Social assistance levels should be increased to meet or exceed the Statistics Canada Low-Income Cut-Off (LICO).
17. Changes to Social Assistance policies and programs should include expanding access to training and education programs for women that lead to stable, secure and well-paid employment. Initiatives could include opening up access to post-secondary education for women on social assistance. A review of recent welfare reforms should be undertaken, especially in terms of access to training. Current job preparation and training programs for women on social assistance should be evaluated as to their success in terms of participants achieving long- term, sustainable, well-paid employment. Workers in the social assistance system should be encouraged to provide information to clients about their rights, benefits and all programs to which they are entitled.
18. The provincial government should expand employment equity programs to the private sector, especially for women, Aboriginal people, people of colour and people with disabilities. There should be an evaluation of the success of employment equity in the public sector, especially in senior staff and management positions.
19. To address the high rate of poverty among senior women, the provincial government should advocate to the federal government for the extension of Canadian Pension Plan benefits to women who have participated in unpaid work, such as farm work and work in the home. The provincial government should expand the Pharmacare program and lower Pharmacare deductibles.

Recommended Provincial Government Actions

20. Stable, core funding should be provided to women’s organizations, as well as organizations that advocate for people living in poverty, to ensure that these populations have a voice in economic decision-making.

Recommended Provincial Government Actions

21. The provincial government should investigate partnerships with the federal government and Statistics Canada to apply the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI), a social and economic measure, to Manitoba.
22. Recognizing income/social status and gender as determinants of health, the provincial government should undertake gender analysis of public policy and programs.

Policy Recommendations — Violence Against Women

Recommended Provincial Government Actions

23. The mechanism for funding women’s shelters in Manitoba should be changed from a per- diem basis for each woman in the shelter to a system which will guarantee shelters more stability in funding and allow for increased wages for shelter workers.
24. The provincial government should take immediate action on outstanding recommendations of the Lavoie Inquiry.
25. The provincial government should formulate a comprehensive Action Plan for the prevention of violence against women and children.
26. There should be increased funding for programs for offenders. This funding must not detract from established funding for services for victims and survivors.
27. A comprehensive anti-violence curriculum should be introduced at all grade levels. This curriculum can include elements such as anti- racism/sexism/homophobia education, as well as conflict resolution and mediation skills. Anti-harassment policies in schools should be consistently enforced.
28. There should be specific programming for women from immigrant communities, as well as senior women and young women who experience violence. Some elements of this programming could include: translation and culturally appropriate supports for refugee women coming from war- torn countries; information and public awareness activities regarding elder abuse; and information on dating violence for youth.
29. Safe homes and small-scale shelters should be established in smaller communities so women living outside urban areas have access to shelters and programs closer to home.
30. Mandatory, comprehensive and consistent training regarding violence against women should be implemented for police, prosecutors, judges and other justice system workers. This training must take into account the gender roots of violence against women.
31. There should be increased efforts to create media literacy among young people and other consumers of media. Portrayals of violence by media outlets, including the Internet, should be restricted by regulatory bodies.

Recommended Provincial Government Actions

32. All policies and programs dealing with violence against women should proceed from a gender analysis and recognize the roots of this violence in restrictive gender roles and stereotypes. Women’s centres should be funded to monitor implementation and evaluate success of programs and policies regarding violence against women.

Women and Health

Summary of Policy Review

In 1992, Manitoba Health set out to reform health policy, planning and delivery, focusing on "wellness" rather than illness and on the social, economic and physical determinants of health as well as the provision of health service. Gender has occasionally been recognized as a determinant, but changes to the health care system did not include a gendered approach, and their impacts on women have not been evaluated.

In 1994, federal block funding for social programs abolished national standards and cut funding to the provinces for social programs. Controlling public expenditures for health became a priority. In 1996, Manitoba integrated health services under the jurisdiction of Regional Health Authorities (RHAs), governed by government-appointed boards. Critics claimed the province was shifting accountability for health care delivery but not decision-making and funding responsibility. With no commitment to gender balance on RHA Boards or advisory committees on women’s health, women in particular raised concerns about the ability of RHAs to adequately address women’s health concerns, especially choice in reproductive health.

RHAs have spent millions of dollars on needs assessments and public consultations to be used in revising the Manitoba health care system. However, there was no gender segregation or gender-based analysis. Manitoba requires that the sex of health survey respondents be recorded, but not that health data be disaggregated by sex, making gender analysis impossible.

Cuts to social services have adversely affected the health of women in Manitoba. Living in poverty impacts on the health of women. Changing health care priorities from hospital-based to community-based care has reduced the length of stays in hospital and placed pressure on women to care for chronically ill or recovering family members. There has also been a cut in funding to community based health services such as Women’s Health Clinic.

Very little provincial legislation and few policies or programs assist women with HIV/AIDS, most initiatives being federally funded. Manitoba funds a needle exchange program, an informal drop-in, and a Community Health Centre with a focus on HIV/AIDS. Women seeking HIV/AIDS services express concerns that they will be labeled as intravenous drug users or prostitutes. HIV/ AIDS Services which specifically address the needs of women are not funded by the Government of Manitoba.

There is a lack of good reproductive health programs in the province. Abortions outside of hospitals remain uninsured, despite a successful court challenge to their exclusion. Practising, licensed midwives may be in place this year, delivering an insured service. However, the availability of midwifery will rely on the RHA’s beliefs regarding the need for midwifery. Since RHA’s have not included gender analysis in their planning processes, midwifery may not be a visible need to gender imbalanced RHA boards.

The experiences and realities of women are often missing in current health policy research. Although Manitoba Health promotes a population health philosophy designed to address the broad determinants of health, and considers women to be a priority, most of the "women’s health" initiatives tend to be defined as a fairly narrow range of medical conditions and health services. The Manitoba Government established a Women’s Health Unit in 1999, however, a women’s health strategy has yet to be announced. Other issues that affect women’s health, such as poverty and violence, do not receive much attention in terms of spending on health promotion.

The Province of Manitoba and the federal government are currently in the process of transferring authority for Aboriginal health to First Nations governments. The provincial government has not addressed or initiated any research projects on Aboriginal women’s health.

Summary of Workshop Findings

Women in all areas of the province reported a lack of communication between the community and the Regional Health Authority (RHA). Regionalising health care governance was intended to bring decision- making closer to people, but women in rural, northern and urban areas are experiencing a “dis-connect” between the RHA and the community.

Most women believed that there was insufficient female representation on RHA Boards. Workshop participants were unsure as to the role of the RHA and felt that administration required too many resources, leaving less funding for front-line staff and services. While some participants expressed appreciation of the opportunity to engage in Community Health Needs Assessments carried out by each RHA, women perceived that the RHA has had little contact with citizens after this process was completed.

Although many of the participants, especially those working within the health care system, could identify Manitoba Health’s priorities as seniors, women and Aboriginal people, they saw little connection between these policy themes and the practical RHA priorities.

Jurisdiction over health care delivery is an additional issue in terms of governance, especially in the North and particularly for First Nations. Workshop participants described jurisdictional confusion over which level of government, federal or provincial, pays for services delivered to First Nations people. This can sometimes lead to the termination of programs which are otherwise effective. Jurisdictional conflict can also act as a barrier to the creation of new programs and policies responding to community-identified need. Participants provided some examples of programs, such as diabetes education and extended care for elders, affected by jurisdictional conflict between Manitoba Health, Health Canada and the Medical Services Branch.

When asked about the situation of women’s health in Manitoba, most workshop participants raised issues regarding access to health services. Access to health services is uneven, especially outside urban areas. Participants cited the common problem of experiencing shortages of physicians, specialists and nurses in all geographic regions, but especially in rural and northern communities. Participants reported a significant lack of female physicians. The high turn- over rate of physicians and health care workers in the North and rural areas compromises the continuity of care and the ability of patients to form relationships with health care providers. Shortages of specialists result in costly trips to urban centres, such as Brandon and Winnipeg, for care, adding to the costs of transportation and accommodation for patients and their families. Participants in the Thompson workshop reported a shortage of all social service workers, including mental health workers and social workers.

Lack of access to woman-centred care was also raised. Currently, only Winnipeg operates a woman-centred care model at the Women’s Health Clinic. Other prevention and health care models that serve specific populations were suggested, especially health clinics for youth. Youth participants presented their model of a Teen Clinic at the Winnipeg workshop. The key features of a youth-centred model of care include a pro-choice philosophy and a multi-disciplinary approach that addresses the various determinants of health in one physical setting.

Participants expressed an appreciation of the provincial government’s efforts to legalize and regulate midwifery care. Many women were hopeful that access to midwives would be evenly provided to all areas of the province. In terms of other reproductive health services, participants in rural and northern areas reported a lack of access to contraception, especially for young women. In small communities, youth workshop participants talked about the lack of anonymity and confidentiality from doctors and pharmacists as barriers to gaining access to contraception.

Access to abortion services was also raised at the workshops. Currently, abortions are not provided outside Brandon and Winnipeg. Participants called on the provincial government to increase access to abortions by removing the fee for abortion services at the Morgentaler Clinic in Winnipeg. Another important component of reproductive health care for women that was found lacking in all areas was quality sexuality education in schools. Youth participants raised this issue at each workshop. The lack of sexuality education appeared to be especially acute outside urban areas.

One other area of preventative health services that was raised at the workshop in Brandon was the provision of diagnostic testing for pre- school children, such as speech and hearing assessments. Non-profit organizations are organizing to provide this testing free of charge, but recognize that it should be a government responsibility.

Participants in the Women and Health sections of all workshops stated that they believed more attention should be afforded to prevention and health promotion efforts. There was also a great deal of consensus on the effectiveness of a population health approach, which addresses factors, such as education, that impact on health. Some particular prevention and health promotion initiatives were highlighted, such as pre and post- natal programs like "Baby First" and "Baby’s Best Start". Women in all workshops expressed their appreciation for the province’s Breast Screening Program. In particular, they liked the Mobile Breast Screening Units, as well as the automatic notification of women about the program. The one criticism of the program was that access was limited by age and inaccessible to women over 70 years old. Participants also highlighted bone density testing clinics as an example of quality proactive health care.

Community initiatives that take a multi-sectoral approach based on a population health philosophy were also mentioned as prospective models for health promotion. Examples of these initiatives included the Adult Education Centre and Family Resource Centre in Carman, Community Nurse Resource Centres in the North, family violence prevention programs, and programs for young women. These programs, such as Resource Centres, can make a difference to a community’s health and well-being, especially in smaller communities.

At each workshop, participants in discussions about women’s health spoke about the importance of strengthening prevention efforts in the health care system. They also expressed a need for an evaluation of prevention and health promotion tools to determine what is working. As with all other areas of public policy, evaluation of health programs must be done according to a gender-based analysis that considers differential impacts based on race, class, and sexual orientation.

Home care policy was one area of the health care system that would benefit from a potential gender analysis, especially as women make up most of the paid and unpaid persons providing care in the home. Participants in the workshops described a shift of care from hospitals into the home, often supplemented by private care. Women caregivers who are unpaid require greater supports, financially and in terms of leave provisions from paid employment. Home care and respite care need to be more flexible to meet the needs of unpaid caregivers.

Policy Recommendations — Women and Health

Recommended Provincial Government Actions

1. The equal provision of health services to all geographic regions in Manitoba. The government should continue its efforts to recruit and retain physicians, nurses and other health care workers, especially in northern and rural areas. Financial support to reimburse the cost of travel and accommodation should be given to people living outside urban centres who must travel to cities for medical treatment.
2. Provincial and RHA support for midwifery services in all regions of Manitoba.
3. The increased involvement of women on health governance and decision-making bodies, such as Regional Health Authorities (RHA’s). This can be done by designating seats on RHA Boards for women, through election or appointment. Advisory committees on women’s health could be added to the RHA structure.

Recommended Provincial Government Actions

4. Continued support for the breast- screening program and other preventative health programs, that are mobile and actively recruit women to participate.
5. The creation of policies and programs which address prevention of disease on a population-health model. These programs should address health determinants such as income and education and take a multi- sectoral approach, using increased co-operation between government departments and jurisdictions to address the whole needs of populations. Some programs that were highlighted by workshop participants include pre and post-natal health programs, adult education initiatives and family resource centres.
6. Increased funding for health promotion and prevention programs, such as programs dealing with body image and self- esteem for girls and young women.

Recommended Provincial Government Actions

7. The introduction of comprehensive, age-appropriate sexuality education at all Kindergarten to Senior 4 (Grade 12) levels. The curriculum should be mandatory, taught by teachers who are trained to deliver it, and offered in all school divisions in Manitoba. As well, youth should have access to cost-free contraception in the schools, especially in rural and northern areas.
8. Increased access and funding to reproductive health services, including abortion, in all areas of Manitoba.

Recommended Provincial Government Actions

9. Undertake mandatory gender- based analysis of health policies and programs, as well as policies and programs related to the social determinants that impact on women’s health.
10. Provide resources to enable RHA’s to participate in training on gender-based analysis.

Recommended Provincial Government Actions

11. More provision of health services in community health clinics, especially centres providing woman-centred care. Similar clinics should be provided to youth.
12. Increase resources to the Women’s Unit of Manitoba Health to enable them to implement actions, and to work in a collaborative way with Manitoba women.

Women and Poverty

Summary of Policy Review

Since the Platform for Action was signed in 1995, Manitoba has not adopted any major economic policies or development strategies that address the needs of poor women. Policy and legislation in Manitoba is not routinely analysed for differential impacts on women and men, and many of Manitoba’s major economic initiatives have had negative impacts on women. More women than men live in poverty in Manitoba, as in Canada generally, and both poor women and men in Manitoba are poorer than the Canadian average.

A Women’s Directorate and a Minister responsible for the Status of Women are mandated to advance women’s equality in Manitoba. Legislation has offered little to decrease women’s poverty and advance their equality; it has done the opposite. A government appointed body - the Manitoba Women’s Advisory Council is charged with providing advice on the needs of women and a link with community organizations, but most research on the feminization of poverty in Manitoba has been conducted by community organizations, women’s advocacy groups and labour unions.

Self-employment accounts for more than half the new jobs created in Canada since 1990, 87% of which are single-person enterprises with no additional staff. Federal and provincial governments fund programs to increase business women’s success with information and mentoring, but do not provide funding. Many women business owners still report barriers to accessing capital through banks and other lending institutions.

Provincial and federal government cutbacks in health care and education spending have attacked women’s best-paid employment sectors. The Government of Manitoba has pursued a low-wage employment strategy, creating part-time, short-term jobs, mostly in the retail sector, while weakening the rights of workers to organize and bargain. Employment growth in Manitoba has been principally in the low-paid service sector.

The minimum wage in Manitoba was increased in 1999, by a little over 10%; but it is still not enough to enable a minimum wage earner to live above the Statistics Canada Low- Income Cut-Off (LICO) poverty line. Two thirds of minimum wage earners in Manitoba are women. Since 1995, the numbers of working poor assisted by the Winnipeg Harvest food bank increased by ten percentage points, and in rural Manitoba the number of food banks has nearly doubled.

In all categories of family configuration, social assistance rates in Winnipeg and Manitoba are less than half the income at which Canadians are considered by Statistics Canada to be in poverty, and access to those rates of welfare has been reduced in the period 1993-1999.

The rights of access to economic resources provided by welfare to women living in poverty in Manitoba are equal to those of Manitoba men living in poverty, but access to economic resources through welfare to both was reduced by a punitive legislative agenda in the 1990s.

The loss of 10% of the federal money for subsidizing children in day care has de-stabilized that service in Manitoba. Staff losses resulted in fewer subsidized day care spaces. While child care costs to families remain lower in Manitoba than in Canada generally, the amount that subsidized families must pay for child care increased by 2.4 times, and Manitoba’s means-tested child care subsidies begin to be reduced at points well below the poverty line.

Throughout the 1990s, all levels of government virtually pulled out of providing funding for low-cost housing. Renters spending more than 30% of their income for housing increased between 1991-1996. Federal housing funding, which provided funding to just under 75% of the social assistance housing in Manitoba, has not increased since 1993, and is gradually being phased out.

Summary of Workshop Findings

Many participants reported that the situation for women living in poverty in Manitoba has worsened since the Beijing Conference in 1995. Some of the reasons cited for this situation included:

• provincial changes to welfare legislation that restricted women’s access to education and training
• a concentration of women in low-paid occupations
• the deterioration of the provincial Child Care system

When asked about women and poverty, many participants discussed the type of work that women perform. Women experience job ghettoes in low-paid, part-time employment. Some training programs to which have access to reinforce ghettoization by training women for low-paid, low-skill jobs. Often, job training programs merely provide the means to provide subsidies to employers rather than providing the means for women to receive the training necessary for them to work in permanent jobs.

Women’s access to employment is affected by many factors, including geographic location. In the Thompson workshop, participants reported higher levels of unemployment as reflected in the Regional Health Authority’s Community Health Needs Assessment. Unemployment is especially acute in First Nations communities, as well as for women with disabilities, who lack supports, such as transportation, in order to participate in the paid labour force.

Poverty was also discussed as it affects older women. The participation of these women in the unpaid labour force in the home and on the farm was highlighted as a reason for the poverty they experience as they become older. As well, cutbacks to health care especially affect these women. The policy decision to increase Pharmacare deductibles was identified as contributing to the poverty of senior women, especially as the cost of prescription drugs continue to rise.

Women participating in the Beijing+5 workshops throughout the province raised the issue of the amount of unpaid work that women perform in Manitoba. Women’s unpaid labour is seen as legitimate and valuable work and includes raising children, caring for elders and family members with physical or mental disabilities, and participating in community volunteer activities. Women are often penalized for their unpaid contributions, as they are not eligible for employment benefits such as pensions, or protections such as Worker’s Compensation.

Another common theme in the women and poverty discussion groups were the changes to Manitoba’s welfare system over the last decade. In general these changes were viewed as having negative impacts on women. Women who work in the social assistance system, as well as women who are clients in the system, participated in these discussions.

Participants believed that one of the most damaging changes to welfare legislation has been the work requirements and expectations placed on people on social assistance, especially mothers of young children. Participants felt that at the same time as the provincial government was expecting women to move off social assistance by placing them in paid employment, they were removing access to training and education that might facilitate this process. Some participants expressed the view that many government-sponsored training programs for women focussed on training women for low-pay, unstable service positions that have traditionally been the domain of women workers. There were reports of women being denied training opportunities such as literacy classes and academic upgrading. Instead, they were directed to job preparation programs that did not lead to paid employment.

Many women in the workshop discussions talked about the climate of "poor-bashing" that exists in Manitoba. They often felt that people living in poverty were blamed for their poverty. There was also a widely held experience of women on social assistance not receiving full information from workers in the system in terms of their rights, benefits and program options. Women living on assistance find out what they are entitled to by word of mouth, usually from other women on assistance.

Appreciation was expressed to the new provincial government and Family Services Minister for the change in attitude and tone that has been expressed toward social assistance recipients and people living in poverty. Support was especially expressed for the recently elected government’s refusal to implement "workfare" legislation that had been put forward by the former government. There was a great deal of hope that this move is a sign of better welfare policy to come.

The atmosphere of poor-bashing and the lack of input into decision-making for people in poverty, as well as the increasing feminization of poverty, led to calls for the provincial government to fund organizations that advocate for women, as well as organizations that advocate for people living in poverty.

A comprehensive Child Care program was described as essential by workshop participants to decrease the incidence of poverty among women. Priorities in terms of child care included more funding to increase the wages of child care workers and the creation of more subsidized spaces, however it should be noted that the participants also identified that it was important that child care be affordable. As with many other social programs, access to child care varies depending on geographic location. Flexible child care programs that respond to local culture and to the diverse conditions of women’s employment and needs were important, for example, child care that responds to the needs of farm families in rural areas.

Workshop participants at all four sites were asked to describe programs and initiatives that they believed were making a positive difference for women living in poverty. One of the positive elements described was the change in provincial government and the change in attitude to people living in poverty. Women also highlighted local initiatives, such as adult education programs, community economic development initiatives like SEED Winnipeg, the work of advocacy organizations such as the Brandon Social Planning Council and Food Not Bombs, and housing organizations and initiatives in Winnipeg’s inner-city. Although participants generally described the situation of women living in poverty as having become worse over the last five years, there was also a belief that there was more public awareness of poverty.

Policy Recommendations — Women and Poverty

Recommended Provincial Government Actions

13. The provincial government should introduce legislation to increase the Minimum Wage in a consistent and timely manner, so that it rises automatically every year according to other economic indicators, such as the rate of economic growth or the increase in the cost-of-living.
14. Changes to the Child Care system should include better wages for child care workers and more available subsidized spaces throughout the Province. Child care must be flexible and affordable for all women. The government should champion a national child care policy to support Manitoba women and children.

Recommended Provincial Government Actions

15. The provincial government should reverse the decision to clawback the National Child Benefit (NCB) from parents on social assistance.
16. Social assistance levels should be increased to meet or exceed the Statistics Canada Low-Income Cut- Off (LICO).
17. Changes to Social Assistance policies and programs should include expanding access to training and education programs for women that lead to stable, secure and well-paid employment. Initiatives could include opening up access to post-secondary education for women on social assistance. A review of recent welfare reforms should be undertaken, especially in terms of access to training. Current job preparation and training programs for women on social assistance should be evaluated as to their success in terms of participants achieving long- term, sustainable, well-paid employment. Workers in the social assistance system should be encouraged to provide information to clients about their rights, benefits and all programs to which they are entitled.
18. The provincial government should expand employment equity programs to the private sector, especially for women, Aboriginal people, people of colour and people with disabilities. There should be an evaluation of the success of employment equity in the public sector, especially in senior staff and management positions.
19. To address the high rate of poverty among senior women, the provincial government should advocate to the federal government for extension of the Canada Pension Plan to women who have participated in unpaid work, such as farm work and work in the home. The provincial government should expand the Pharmacare program and lower Pharmacare deductibles.

Recommended Provincial Government Actions

20. Stable, core funding should be provided to women’s organizations, as well as organizations that advocate for people living in poverty, to ensure that these populations have a voice in economic decision-making.

Recommended Provincial Government Actions

21. The provincial government should receive training about Genuine Progress Indicators (GPI), and how to apply them. The GPI is an approach, and a tool to measure social and economic progress, which takes into account volunteer work and unpaid work, and consequently, values the work performed by women.
22. Recognizing income/social status and gender as determinants of health, the provincial government should undertake gender analysis of public policy and programs.

Violence Against Women —

Summary of Policy Review

If the recommendations from the Platform for Action adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women at Beijing could be placed on a continuum from those that look at the social roots of abuse (e.g. attitudes, gender construction and structure) at one end, to those that are less conceptual and more behavioural and direct (e.g. written legislation denouncing abuse) at the other end, Manitoba could be concluded to have an unbalanced position. This position is unbalanced in two major ways.

First, the government has done well to create a supportive and specialized justice response to violence. The intervention component of dealing with abuse is rich from the point of police contact through to probation services. However, the preventative side, (in terms of mandatory educational programming for example) although growing, is inadequate. In addition, gaps exist in addressing the linkages between prevention and intervention in terms of an overall provincial strategy addressing family violence.

Second, while there are some concrete and well established clear guidelines and provincial statements that condemn violence against women, and programs have been established to support victims, there are less clear guidelines and provincial statements that are rooted in the gendered nature of abuse and the attitudinal social base that perpetuates abusive behaviours. The beginnings of the interconnectedness of the problem are beginning to be addressed, but a gendered perspective has not yet been employed to assist and guide this understanding. Nor has there been a recognition of the gendered structure of women’s lives as placing them in positions that make them more vulnerable to abuse, or a recognition of how men’s socialization places them in an offending position, or the gender differences in manifestations of abuse. Private violence is still conceptualized in terms of relationship issues and is less connected with the social position of the sexes.

In conclusion, it can be stated that Manitoba has taken some major steps forward in the area of violence against women which reflect the concerns outlined in the recommendations of the Platform for Action tabled in Beijing in 1995. While some recommendations have been fulfilled, others remain to be addressed in the quest for equality, development, and peace.

Summary of Workshop Findings

Discussion about violence against women in the workshops centred on two main themes: prevention education and provision of services to victims, survivors and offenders. In general, prevention initiatives were found to be lacking in all areas of the province. Workshop participants stressed the need for creative prevention education initiatives, that treat violence against women as a gender issue. Prevention education in schools should include components such as lessons about gender roles and stereotypes for both boys and girls, and specific programs for girls on self-esteem and skills to avoid relationship violence.

In terms of services for women and girls who experience violence, a great disparity in accessibility of services exists between urban and rural/ northern areas. Some rural women have to travel long distances to find a shelter. Transportation to shelters outside of home communities can act as a barrier to women leaving abusive situations.

In smaller centres, women who are experiencing violence are also more concerned about confidentiality and possible repercussions from people who hold positions of power in the community, such as police or government. These concerns can prevent them from leaving abusive situations.

Women who work in shelters reported that low wages make it difficult to recruit and retain staff. Participants in Thompson reported four vacant positions in shelter services largely due to a salary scale in northern communities of $8.50 - $13/ hour.

Participants in all sessions cited a lack of consistent training about domestic violence for police officers, lawyers, judges and other criminal justice system workers. While it was felt that there were some good programs for offenders, these were not consistent or well funded. In Thompson, participants reported that there was not enough funding for probation services to do comprehensive follow-up with offenders. When asked about positive changes with regards to violence against women since the Beijing Conference, participants cited Manitoba’s “Zero Tolerance Policy”, but it was also recognized that this policy has created some backlash, such as counter- charging women who are victims of violence, resulting in a situation where abused women go through the court system as offenders. The provincial legislation regarding the granting of Protection Orders was also cited as a positive step. Participants recognize that the provincial government has provided some additional funding for shelters, but there is still a great need for more resources.

Participants wanted to congratulate the government on their recent public education campaign “Not only promises get broken”. Other public education initiatives that were highlighted include those undertaken by organizations like the Sexuality Education Resource Centre, Seniors for Seniors Co-op in Brandon, women�s shelters and women�s centres. Collaborative public education efforts such as the YWCA “Week/ Season without Violence” were also praised.

Policy Recommendations — Violence Against Women

Recommended Provincial Government Actions

23. The mechanism for funding women’s shelters in Manitoba should be changed from a per-diem basis for each woman in the shelter to a system which will guarantee shelters more stability in funding and allow for increased wages for shelter workers.
24. The provincial government should take immediate action on outstanding recommendations of the Lavoie Inquiry.
25. The provincial government should formulate a comprehensive Action Plan for the prevention of violence against women and children.
26. There should be increased funding for programs for offenders. This funding must not detract from established funding for services for victims and survivors.
27. A comprehensive anti-violence curriculum should be introduced at all grade levels. This curriculum can include elements such as anti- racism/sexism/homophobia education, as well as conflict resolution and mediation skills. Anti- harassment policies in schools should be consistently enforced.
28. There should be specific programming for women from immigrant communities, as well as senior women and young women who experience violence. Some elements of this programming could include: translation and culturally appropriate supports for refugee women coming from war-torn countries; information and public awareness activities regarding elder abuse; and information on dating violence for youth.
29. Safe homes and small-scale shelters should be established in smaller communities so women living outside urban areas have access to shelters and programs closer to home.
30. Mandatory, comprehensive and consistent training regarding violence against women should be implemented for police, prosecutors, judges and other justice system workers. This training must take into account the gender roots of violence against women.
31. There should be increased efforts to create media literacy among young people and other consumers of media. Portrayals of violence by media outlets, including the Internet, should be restricted by regulatory bodies.

Recommended Provincial Government Actions

32. All policies and programs dealing with violence against women should proceed from a gender analysis and recognize the roots of this violence in restrictive gender roles and stereotypes. Women’s centres should be funded to monitor implementation and evaluate success of programs and policies regarding violence against women.

Conclusions

The UNPAC Beijing+5 Project set out to determine how much progress Manitoba has made towards achieving the goals set out in the Platform for Action. This was done by reviewing relevant government policy over the last five years, as well as holding workshop discussions with women in different geographic areas of the province on three main policy areas: Women and Health, Women and Poverty, and Violence Against Women. While there have been some policy changes that bring Manitoba closer to completing its Platform for Action commitments, the provincial government has not been generally successful in improving the status of women.

In some cases, it was believed that the situation of women has actually become worse since Beijing. This is especially true with regards to women and poverty. Changes to welfare legislation have resulted in a punitive public attitude towards poor women. Programs to address the needs of poor women have not been evaluated, but are widely believed to have been ineffective in helping women achieve sustainable, secure employment outside of traditional, low-paid, female job ghettoes. There is a great deal of disparity in women’s access to services depending on where they live in Manitoba. Women in rural and northern areas reported less services in all three policy areas. This was especially true in terms of health care services and services for women who have experienced violence.

The importance and cost-effectiveness of "prevention" was stressed in all public policy areas. Population health initiatives, violence prevention education and education and training programs for women that lead to stable employment, are all examples of how poverty, violence and illness can be alleviated and prevented. Prevention also requires an understanding of the ways in which gender roles affect the outcome of public policy decisions on actual people.

One thread running through all discussions of public policy and women is the necessity for gender-based analysis, which would include an analysis of differential impacts resulting from race, class, level of ability, and sexual orientation. In the area of women and health, regional governance was supposed to bring health care decision- making closer to communities. However women participating in workshop discussions about women and health felt "disconnected" from these governance structures. Although women are one of the priority groups for Manitoba Health, health promotion programs for women were lacking in most areas of the province. One of the reasons that Manitoba has failed to achieve the commitments laid out in the Platform for Action is the lack of comprehensive gender analysis of public policy.As was made clear in 1995 in Beijing, women from all over the world want to be part of public decision-making. Women need to be included in making policy before the resulting programs and initiatives can address their needs and realities. In Manitoba, in the year 2000, women are still too frequently left out of decision-making. Public policy decisions rarely reflect the realities of a gender- based society. This report offers some concrete recommendations for policy change, but it is also clear that the way in which programs and policies are developed must be changed to ensure that they benefit all citizens.

Appendix A

Workshop Agenda, Participant Consent Form and Instructions to Facilitators

Beijing+5 Workshop Agenda —
Brandon, Thompson and Carman Workshops

Time	Activity
50 minutes	Welcome, Introductions, What is Beijing +5, Video
15 minutes	Panel Presentation: Women and Poverty in MB., Women and Health in MB., Violence against Women in Manitoba. Q & A
60 minutes	Small group discussions: Women and Poverty, Women and Health, Violence against Women, What are MB women’s experiences in these 3 areas? What programs are improving women’s status in MB? What are the barriers to achieving PFA commitments? What policy recommendations can be put forward.
15 minutes	— Break —
45 minutes	Report back to Large Group, Closing: where do we go from here? Thanks.

UNPAC Manitoba Beijing +5 Workshop —
April 8, 2000 Winnipeg

Timeline	Women Responsible	Activity
9:30 am	Volunteers	— Registration —
10:00 am Rm 2M72	Roberta Simpson, Rozelle Srinchandra, Deborah Stienstra	Welcome, Introductions: Game, Youth Project, What is Beijing +5?
10:30 am	Nancy Buchanan, Moderator Janet Smith, Gillian Hill-Carrol, Kelly Gorkoff, Kathy Mallet	Panel Presentation: Women and Poverty in MB, Women and Health in MB., Violence Against Women in MB, Q & A
11:30 am	Noon: Roberta will introduce	— Lunch — Speaker: Hon. Diane McGifford, Minister responsible for the Status of Women MB Q & A
1:00 pm	Janet Smith — facilitate Roberta - Recorder, Jennifer Howard - facilitate, Nancy Buchanan - facilitate, Betty Hopkins - Recorder	Small group discussions: Women and Poverty in MB [Rm 2M73] Women and Health in MB [Rm 274] Violence Against Women in MB [Rm. 2M77]
2:30 pm	n/a	— Break —
3:00 pm – 3:30 pm	—	Report back to large group
3:30 pm – 4:00 pm	Nancy Buchanan, Gisele Roch, Roberta Simpson	— Closing — Where do we go from here? Women’s World March. Thanks — Evaluation forms

Beijing +5 — Participant Consent and Confidentiality

Researchers: Janet Smith & Jennifer Howard (204) 772-1474

Purpose of Research:

This year marks the fifth anniversary of the conferences in Beijing and the Platform for Action. Governments and non-government organizations are spending this time reviewing the progress made on commitments in the Platform for Action. Many non-government organizations in Canada are carrying out research that shows that Canada has not fulfilled many of the commitments made in the Platform for Action.

In Manitoba, the U.N Platform for Action Committee (UNPAC) is taking on activities to mark “Beijing +5”. These activities include:

• Production and distribution of this toolkit to women’s advocacy organizations and activists.
• Production of research papers on Manitoba’s progress on Platform for Action commitments in three critical areas: Women and Poverty, Women and Health, and Violence Against Women.
• Workshops in Winnipeg, Carman, Thompson and Brandon with women’s organizations on Manitoba’s progress on Platform for Action commitments.
• Workshops with girls and young women.
• Production of a final report to the government of Manitoba Canada detailing Manitoba’s progress on Platform for Action commitments.
• Information gathered in these workshops will be presented in a general way in the final report. Discussions in the workshops and comments made by participants will not be identified by the participant’s name in any way, however we cannot assure confidentiality of group discussions. Participation in these workshops is completely voluntary. You have the right to withdraw at any time, and/or refrain form answering questions without prejudice or consequences.

I understand that my participation in this research is voluntary; that I may withdraw at any time, and refuse to answer any questions. I understand that my identity and participation in this research will be kept confidential, and that my comments may appear in a general way in the final research report.

Instructions for Facilitators

Appoint someone to be the report-back person for five - 10 minutes to the Large Group

There will be youth representatives in your group. Ensure that they have time to speak about the policy area from their perspective. They will have been doing this work with the UNPAC Girl Talk Project.

The goal of the small groups is to gather qualitative data that will complement the policy reviews already completed by UNPAC, and to generate policy recommendations.

The groups will have approximately one hour and a half to get through the following four questions:

1. What is the current situation for Manitoba women in this policy area (Women and Health, Violence Against Women or Women and Poverty)? Women can speak about their own experiences or the experiences of women that they work with. Particularly encourage them to think about the last five years. Has the situation improved? Worsened? Stayed the same? What examples do they have?
2. What are some examples of positive changes and initiatives in this policy area? These may include legislation, programs, policies, community organizing, etc. Encourage them to be as specific as possible.
3. What are the barriers to achieving the Platform for Action commitments in this policy area in Manitoba? Is it money, political will, awareness, jurisdictional issues, public attitudes, etc. Again, try to get specific examples of where individuals or groups may have tried to change something and been unsuccessful.
4. If the participant had a minute with the Minister(s) responsible for this issue, what would they tell them? These will form the basis of policy recommendations.

Provide the participants with recipe cards at this time and allow them to write down their response individually, then ask whomever would like to share their response. Please collect these cards at the end of the session and forward them to Janet.

Appendix B

Beijing +5 Youth Project Report

Beijing +5 Youth Project — Summary Recommendations

Women and Health

more education around body image and self esteem

free, confidential, accessible and pro-choice clinics for teens

free birth control

comprehensive sexuality education

youth health centres

peer education around health and Sexuality Education Resource Centre

more education on mental health (i.e. depression)

teach teens how to deal with stress

more services for gay, lesbian and bisexual youth

promote sports programs for girls

education around nutrition: skinny doesn’t mean healthy

Women and Poverty

more education offered on local poverty

improvements of welfare and workfare system

more support for groups and charities to provide help for basic needs

more job opportunities for youth

increase minimum wage

more social workers to work with families

more anti-racism education for youth and employers

better access to free birth control

free daycare

more assistance for teen mothers and emancipated minors

more subsidies for public housing

challenge stereotypes about poverty (end poor bashing)

be an educated consumer

more support for organizations like food not bombs

improved access to food banks and community kitchens

Women and Violence

challenge the media to stop portraying violence

make complaints to the CRTC and advertisers

promote media awareness

organize TV turn off week

increase supervision at schools

educate youth and parents about violence

enforce harassment policies

safe walk programs

Introduction:

The purpose of the Beijing +5 Youth Project was to involve Manitoba youth in the Beijing + 5 process.

to familiarize Manitoba students with The Beijing Platform for Action, the Beijing 5 project and UNPAC(MB).

to present some facts and information regarding women and health, poverty, and violence against women.

to help students identify some key issues regarding health, poverty and violence and how they impact on young people.

to help participants become comfortable discussing these issues in a group.

to begin identifying strategies for change and recommendations for achieving the goals of the Beijing Platform for Action.

Methodology:

The Youth Project was coordinated by Forum Consulting and Facilitating who specialize in coordinating conferences and workshops for youth. Forum decided to approach the project through a diverse, yet focused recruitment strategy directed at three Winnipeg schools resulting in the recruitment of 10 students to participate in the preparatory workshop and final Beijing +5 symposium, held in Winnipeg on April 8, 2000.

In order to ensure that all 10 students were well prepared to attend the April 8 Symposium 4 preparatory workshops were held. The first 3 workshops used popular education methods to introduce participants to the issues of violence, health and poverty and subsequent recommendations from the Platform for Action. Students were encouraged to develop their own strategies for change focusing specifically on how they can affect change in their personal lives, in their communities and in the political arena. Facilitators also provided participants with basic skills and knowledge about lobbying.

The fourth workshop gave students an opportunity to prepare themselves for the April 8 symposium. Students developed youth focused presentations to put forward to symposium delegates. As well, participants worked on skills and techniques to help boost self confidence and assertiveness. This was important to ensure that participants felt able to fully participate and not become intimidated by the proceedings.

April 8, 2000; Beijing +5 Symposium:

Nine students attended the April 8 forum at the University of Winnipeg. All participants expressed satisfaction with the symposium and felt that they gained new information and were able to openly share their personal views and opinions with the women in attendance. As an indicator of this, the facilitators were able to observe that participants were able to ask questions, offer comments and insights and add their own perspectives to focus group discussion. As well, during breaks, participants were often approached by delegates of the conference and shared in many discussions and networking opportunities.

Read the response to the Beijing+5 Final Report from The Honourable Diane McGifford, Minister Responsible for the Status of Women.