Conference Report — UNPAC (Mb) UN Platform for Action Committee (Manitoba)

“Striving for Gender Equality and Economic Independence”

Crossways, Winnipeg
March 21 and 22, 1997
Conference funded by the Status of Women Canada

 

With the current globalization of the economy, transnational corporations have become so big that they are no longer accountable to governments or people. National borders are no longer relevant to these corporations. This situation has deepened the economic crisis both globally and locally, and has increased poverty among women. The restructuring of the economy is driving women into insecure employment, unemployment, unprotected home-based production, and dangerous working conditions.

The process has also devastated national economies, leading to increased unemployment, dismantling of social programs, erosion of democratic structures, violation of human rights, and the destruction of the environment in both industrialized and developing countries. As a result, the inequalities based on gender, race and class become more severe.

In the context of the global economy, women are working, often against impossible obstacles, to ensure day to day survival and to challenge the power structures that benefit only a small minority. Women’s organizations and networks around the world are working towards a shared vision of a different world that is based on greater social and economic justice, equality, and an end to women’s poverty.

(Take Action for Equality, Development, and Peace, Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women, 1996)

UNPAC (MB) Coordinating Committee for 1996-97

Sheila Betker, Chair
Robbie Simpson, Secretary
Bunny Gurvey, Treasurer
Muriel Smith, Chair, Global Outreach
Liz Sarin, Chair, Manitoba Outreach
Mary Scott, Chair, Community Action
Susan Hancharyk, Chair, Conference
Rosemary Friesen
Esme Stewart
Roberta Bishop
Joan Butcher
Babs Friesen

1997 UNPAC (MB) Conference Coordinator:

Nancy Buchanan

Greetings from Chair of UNPAC (MB) Coordinating Committee

Sheila Betker
March 21, 1997

I have the honor of welcoming you here this evening to the conference entitled “Striving for Gender Equality and Economic Independence.” The conference has been organized by the UN Platform for Action Committee (Manitoba) (UNPAC).

This is the first conference organized under the UNPAC name, however it carries on a tradition which was started 12 years ago by the UN Decades for Women Committee of Winnipeg. In 1985, a group of Winnipeg women attended the United Nations Third World Conference on Women in Nairobi. From these women’s initiative and from overwhelming popular support, a local conference highlighting the issues discussed at the world gathering has been held each year since then. When UNPAC was formed after the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women which was held in Beijing in 1995, it inherited this tradition. We are proud to continue it.

This weekend’s conference focuses on issues relating to women, the economy, and equality. The importance of economic independence cannot be overstated for without, no equality is possible. Even this is merely a starting point. We need a deeper understanding that the very economic system used by the world’s nations is biased and casts women’s unpaid work as invisible and without value. As Marilyn Waring states in her book Three Masquerades,“When equal does not mean half, when workers are informed they are at leisure, when the lives of the ’leisured half’ of people on the planet are clearly not the intended subjects of international human rights guarantees, lies masquerade as truths.” It is my hope that this conference will be one step on our path to this deeper understanding.

The Conference Committee of UNPAC (MB) has worked very hard to plan an informative and engaging conference. Throughout the two days we have several guest speakers, all of whom are very knowledgeable in their given field. There are workshops planned which focus on the workforce, education and training, and public policy among other topics.

So I welcome all of you. I encourage you to learn from each other, to challenge each other, to respect each other, and to share your words for everyone here has a valuable insight from which we all can benefit. Thank you and Welcome.

Greetings from Chair of UNPAC (MB) Conference Committee

Susan Hancharyk
March 22, 1997

Welcome everyone to this conference. On behalf of UNPAC (MB) I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Status of Women for their support in funding the 1997 conference. I would also like to thank the Conference Committee for their help in organizing the conference. I especially want to mention Nancy Buchanan, the Conference Coordinator, whose excellent organizational abilities have kept us on track.

UNPAC (MB) was formed from two committees: the UN Decades for Women and the Manitoba Beijing Network, who had worked compatibly together on various projects. UNPAC (MB) focuses on four areas of interest: Community Dialogue for Action; Outreach Manitoba; Outreach Global, and the annual conference and events.

UNPAC (MB) has also developed a home page on the world wide web, and is currently forming a communications committee. We are also in the process of organizing two workshops -- one in Winnipeg and another in Brandon -- for women on using the Internet.

UNPAC (MB) has had a busy and productive year. We have developed a large amount of current information from governments and from grassroots organizations. This information can be obtained from our resource centers in Dauphin and in Winnipeg. We have used this information when talking to government Ministers who now see UNPAC as a resource. UNPAC brings information and issues of concern to the government and feeds information to women’s organizations. Please contact us if you need information at the global, national, provincial or local level. I encourage everyone here to fill in a membership form and become an UNPAC (MB) member.

The workshops held during this conference are an opportunity to discuss women’s issues and to develop strategies to act on those issues. Please participate and voice your concerns and interests. Enjoy the interactions and networking that the conference will promote.

I’d like to extend a very warm thank you to MATCH for catering this event.

Agenda

Friday, March 21, 1997

6:00 p.m. Registration and Coffee
7:00 p.m. Opening: Muriel Smith
7:15 p.m. Welcome: Sheila Betker, Chair,
UNPAC (MB) Coordinating Committee

Official Greetings:

David Walker, M.P.
representing Hon. Hedy Fry
Status of Women and Multiculturalism
Rosemary Vodrey
Minister Responsible for the Status of Women (Manitoba)
Sandra Hasenack
Women’s Advisory Council

7:45 p.m. Keynote Address
“Polarization and Poverty”

Lynne Toupin, Director, National Anti-Poverty Association

8:15 p.m. Questions from the Floor
8:40 p.m. Reception and Networking
Denishka Esterhazy: harp

Saturday, March 22, 1997

Morning
8:30 a.m. Registration and Coffee (Foyer)
8:30 a.m. - Internet Workshop (Lounge)
1:00 p.m.
8:30 a.m. - Displays (Second Floor)
3:00 p.m.
9:00 a.m. Welcome (Sanctuary)
Susan Hancharyk
Chair, UNPAC (MB) Conference Committee

9:15 a.m. Panel
“Women and Economic Independence”

Moderator: Lynne Toupin
Panelists:
Brenda Blom, Credit Circles
Muriel Smith, Financial Planning
Rosa Walker, Education and Economic Independence

10:30 a.m. Questions from the Floor
11:30 a.m. Lunch Break (Multi-Purpose Room)

Afternoon
1:00 Workshops

1. The Changing Face of the Workforce
2. How the Wealth is Shared
3. Education and Training: Training for What?
4. What is Work?
5. The Future of Pensions
   
6. Is Public Policy Meeting the Economic Needs of Women?

2:50 p.m. Wrap-up in each workshop
3:00 p.m. Highlights from workshops will be posted in Multi-Purpose Room
3:15 - Membership Meeting
4:30 p.m. Everyone Welcome!

Evaluation

Opening

Muriel Smith, President
United Nations Association of Canada

Muriel Smith opened the 1997 U.N. Platform For Action by sharing the words of Marilyn Waring whom many conference attendees had the pleasure of hearing on her recent appearance in Winnipeg. Muriel highlighted some excerpts from Marilyn’s book, ‘The Three Masquerades’, and replayed some segments of the videotape which recorded her visit to Winnipeg in February 1997.

In ‘The Three Masquerades’, Marilyn discusses the issues of equality and human rights. Muriel summarized Marilyn’s words as follows:

Equality — this chapter was written from Marilyn’s experience of harassment, silencing and emotional battery as a member of the New Zealand Parliament responsible for the country’s National Accounts. Also influencing the chapter was Marilyn’s attempt to push for 50% representation of women in the New Zealand legislature. This push for equality having gone unheeded, Marilyn, accompanied by other New Zealand women, is taking the case to the U.N. Commission for Human Rights in Geneva.

Human Rights — this chapter presents an examination of the relevance to women of the U.N. Covenant on Civil & Political Rights and Economic, Social & Cultural Rights. Unraveling the hierarchy of international law, domestic law, and customary law, Marilyn points out the gradual strengthening of the power of international standards at the domestic level as a result of conferences such as the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing.

Following her summary of Marilyn’s book, Muriel played excerpts from the video in which Marilyn describes the ’invisible’ work done by women in third world countries; her futile attempts as an economic consultant in Indonesia, Bangladesh and Nepal to involve women in the planning and decision making of the local economy; and the inseparable nature of the household (uncounted) economy and the market (counted) economy here in North America.

Marilyn Waring’s recorded speech ended with her challenge to Canadian women to raise the question of ’what is work?’ with the Canadian parliament and to join with New Zealand women and others as this issue is brought before the U.N. Commission for Human Rights in Geneva.

Keynote Address

Lynne Toupin, Executive Director
National Anti-Poverty Organization
March 21, 1997

• The globalization focus on deficit reduction has created a gap between the rich and the poor
• Why is the gap getting bigger?

1. There is an increase in highly technical jobs as well as low skill jobs
2. There are high levels of unemployment - an average of 10% (or 15% if one factors is those who have taken part time jobs or have simply given up)
3. There is a focus on restructuring of the economy
4. Much of the contracting out and the part time work is going to women
5. Minimum wage has not kept pace with changes in the economy since 1976
6. Cuts to social programs have impacted women disproportionately

• In every province welfare programs have been affected by program cuts or changes in eligibility requirements leaving more people to fall through the cracks as decisions are increasingly based on judgement calls rather than policy.
• Poverty and women:
• 50% of women over the age of 65 live under the poverty line
• according to the Canadian Labour Congress only 20% of women earn $30,000 a year plus
• there is public resentment towards single mothers on welfare even though there are not enough jobs to begin with; nor are there the necessary supports
• there is a tendency to push single mothers into the work place without the supports they need (i.e. lack of quality daycare)
• access to post secondary education is more difficult because of increasing long term debt in an uncertain economy
• cuts in welfare will put more stress on health care
• rather than looking at the system and making needed changes, there is a hardening of attitudes and a tendency to blame the poor
• poor bashing must be challenged in the same way that racism and sexism are
• we are heading towards increasing social polarization

Panel Discussion

March 22, 1997

Panel: Lynne Toupin (Moderator)

Brenda Blom, Director, Credit Circles
Muriel Smith, social activist, financial planning
Rosa Walker, Executive Director, Taking Charge

Brenda Blom discussed her experiences with The Credit Circle Program in Winnipeg. The Program was a joint initiative developed by Women’s World Finance, Winnipeg, and SEED Winnipeg in 1995. The concept is based on the peer-lending model developed by the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh. This concept brings women from a community together to form a circle through which self-employment skills can be developed, and access to some loan capital can be obtained. The women in the group approve the loan requests, and then become the co-signers for one another’s loans -- assisting the individuals to overcome traditional borrowing barriers such as gender inequity and lack of established credit histories.

All of the loan payments within the group must be current and have good repayment histories in order for any of the group members to access additional business loans.

The Winnipeg program is based on a project called Calmeadow which has been operating for the past five years from Toronto. While the basic concept is similar to the peer-lending model developed in Bangladesh, the local program operates as a training based model and targets mostly low income individuals. Loans start at $1,000, and 10% is put into a group fund for emergency use. After the loan is repaid, the individual may go on to larger loans as program policy permits. The first Winnipeg circles were formed in December of 1995. Currently 8 circles are operating and 38 businesses. All of the businesses, except one, are owned by women. The response to the Credit Circle program has been very positive, both from the general public, as well as from social agencies. Seven individuals have become financially independent, and four of these were former recipients of social assistance.

The peer lending concept improves community economic development, however, resources for training needs that go beyond basic business skills are necessary for the continued operation of a business. In addition to the assistance with financing, the Credit Circle also provides a framework in which the group members can share emotional support and business advice.

Rosa Walker spoke about Taking Charge, a joint Federal-Provincial project developed to assist single parents on social assistance to become self-sufficient. The programs and services are both client and employment driven, and strive to be responsive to local opportunities and employment trends. Taking Charge programs include:

• literacy and academic training
• a post-secondary initiative
• a training ready program where participants are assisted to reflect on their personal goals and qualifications
• a job preparation program to develop formalized job search techniques
• skills training
• job-ready placement
• entrepreneurial initiatives.

A Child and Parent Development Center provides cost effective, and safe child care.

Rosa informed the participants at the Conference that Taking Charge that there are 8000 single parents receiving social assistance in Winnipeg. Ninety-six percent of these are women, and 50% are Aboriginal. Sixty-five percent did not complete high school.

The Program provides emotional and financial assistance to women to assist them in becoming economically independent. However, Rosa noted, on-going community and government support is necessary to achieve this objective.

Muriel Smith spoke about financial planning. For most women, public pension and old age security schemes provide the basis of their financial security, so it is in women’s interest to keep these plans in a health condition. She reminded the Conference participants that all professional and amateur financial planners bring their own personal biases to the task. She suggested that the first task in financial planning is to ask the planner to state his/her unstated assumptions.

Muriel suggested the following ’rules of thumb’ (from a retired, married, middle-class perspective) for financial planning:

• keep out of debt
• for single women, insurance needs are less. Married women should consider purchasing insurance for both husband and wife in the early vulnerable years of raising a family and purchasing/renting a home. As retirement approaches, reduce your insurance
• start your financial planning as early as possible so it can compound in value
• start with low risk investment, and, if you can tolerate the risk, move gradually into a mixed/balanced portfolio that can provide a steady income stream on retirement, with possible access for emergencies, and the outside chance of a windfall gain. Reduce the amount of risk as you age.
• avoid ’flavor of the month’ investing; most good investments yield their best results over time despite monthly/annual fluctuations
• be aware of the personal interests of the person(s) giving you advice -- they may make a commission each time you change an investment. Some advisors serve the interests of their company fund only and some handle a variety of investment vehicles. They may make a different commission for each type of investment and so may give biased advice. Finally, some financial planners may have commission arrangements with the sellers of which you may be unaware.
• Strive for a balanced portfolio -- probably leaning heavily to the low risk end of the spectrum.
• RRSPs and RRIFs allow you to package your investments for the special purpose of retirement income. They enable you to make decisions to invest over a long term which will defer taxes on earned income to future years.

WORKSHOP 1:
THE CHANGING FACE OF THE WORKFORCE

Resource - Marilyn Day

• Women today make up 45% of the workforce and 71% of part time workers, with 40% of women working part time as self employed workers because of family/personal responsibilities
• Part time workers today make up 23% of the workforce with 46% of new additional jobs being part time. Part time employment can be divided into two categories:
• Voluntary - 71% of part time employees are women
• Involuntary - those workers who are under-employed include 35% of part time workers
• Full time employment fell by 1.2% in 1993 and has continued to fall in the years since
• Self employment makes up 20% of part time work and is a growing trend as the government sees it as a way to get people back to work. 56% of those self employed are between the ages of 25 and 54.
• Change in working conditions:
• hours have changed from 60 hour weeks in the 1900’s, to 37-40 hour weeks in the 1960’s, to 50-52 hour weeks in the 1990’s.
• shift work has become a more common problem for women with children who find that subsidized day care is not designed to accommodate shift work
• employers are now seeking employees who have experience rather than credentials; are willing to learn new skills on their own time; are flexible and able to move easily between jobs; and are knowledgeable workers with basic literacy, math and writing skills.
• The way to search for a job has changed - jobs are hard to find with networking becoming the best way to find one. It has become important to know your strengths and skills and to learn where and how to sell them.
• Life long learning and continuous improvement have become essential to keeping a job.

Recommendations:

• Political Action - get angry and get active
• keep on requesting day care
• pressure companies to hire women and visible minorities
• unionize
• lobby

Encourage women’s economic independence:

• provide support/be a mentor
• use consumer power
• speak out against injustice
• network as members of a group

WORKSHOP 2:
HOW THE WEALTH IS SHARED

Resource - Judy Wasylycia-Leis

Situations facing women in Canada today:

• Resistance to pay equity continues - over one billion dollars is owed by the Federal Government to 80,000 employees in six female-dominant class groups despite a February 1996 decision by the Human Rights Tribunal to enforce a previous ruling for pay equity in the Canadian Public Service.
• Detrimental to women are the Canadian Health and Social Transfer cuts by 40% to health, education and social assistance.
• In the past year, the number of full time jobs for women declined by 14,000. More than 70% of Canadian women are in the lowest paying jobs while only 20% of Canadian women have full time jobs paying $30,000 or more per year.
• In less than 20 years, the number of women part-time workers has increase by 200%. Over the past 15 years, the number of women working at more than one job has increased by 372%.
• Unemployment remains high for women with a 16% rate among young women, 13% among visible minority women, and 18% for women with disabilities.
• 76% of female single-parent families with children under the age of 7 are living in poverty. 81% of never married female single parents with children under the age of 7 are poor. Between 1981 and 1997, female single-parent families living in poverty increased from 31% to 42%.
• Women who have retired have pensions that average less than $10,000, when men average $17,000 a year.

Strategies for action:

• Develop new measures of economic growth that would include the unrecognized and undervalued work done primarily by women.
• Redefine work to give value to both the undervalued work of women in the wage-labour sector and the unvalued work of women in the home and voluntary sector.
• Recognize the value of reproduction by ensuring freedom of choice, providing access to health and social services which support child-rearing, extending maternity and paternity benefits, and developing a broad definition of the family.
• Develop policies to help people live humanely at the intersection of work, family and leisure. Such policies would include employment rights and benefits for part time workers, paid family responsibility leave, and adequate support services to address the strains and stresses of juggling job and parenting responsibilities.

Recommendations for action include:

• Redefine work (i.e. to include the care and nurturing of children)
• Look at necessary public policies of work, work week, pro-rated benefits, etc.
• Fight back against the agenda of globalization and the treatment of women as cheap labour

WORKSHOP 3:
EDUCATION AND TRAINING: TRAINING FOR WHAT?

Resource - Kathy Mallett

• The goal is to develop a passion (find your niche), and create resources that will lead to earning a living following that passion.
• Training is more than attending university or college - also includes mentorships, apprenticeships, and creating your own employment.
• What you can do:
• encourage industry to offer apprenticeships or opportunities which will improve the self-esteem and self-confidence of the individuals entering the workforce
• implement “take your daughter to work” day
• encourage more ’job specific’ training
• teach high school educators how to direct pupils toward various areas of employment
• The training of educators must incorporate the imparting of values and the development of a sense of direction and industry.
• The corporate culture must be encouraged to offer apprenticeship and or mentorship as well as more flexible workplace arrangements that value “the family”.

 

WORKSHOP 4:
WHAT IS WORK?

Resource - Donna Campbell

• From a rural farm perspective, work has drastically changed over the years and will continue to change in today’s fast paced environment. For example, the small mixed farm of 50 years ago has nearly disappeared with the total number of farms dropping from 750,00 to 300,00 in a span of 55 years.
• Agricultural production has become increasingly large scale, mechanized and specialized, and very capital intensive. For example, the average farm size has increased steadily since 1931 from approximately 200 acres to 550 acres in 1986 and it continues to climb steadily.
• Along with the change to large scale production, the contribution to the family farm in terms of labour by farm women has changed from just domestic activity to all areas that has been traditionally considered men’s work.
• In a survey by the National Farmers Union in 1980-81, it was discovered that farm women:
• do 16% of the farm work
• do 85% of the household work
• do less farm work if holding a full time off-farm job
• do four times as much labour together with their children as hired help does
• only 21% receive wages for their farm work
• Due to the capital intensive nature of farming today, more farm spouses are in the off-farm labour force. Over 50% of the women working off the farm do so to provide household necessities, provide money for the farm operations or maintain their standard of living. (National Farmers Union survey, 1980-81)
• The combination of large scale production and intensive capital investment has contributed to a high level of stress in farm women as they are required to maintain the traditional role as family mediator and care giver in spite of the extra long work day.

WORKSHOP 5:
THE FUTURE OF PENSIONS

Resource - Murray Smith

Quick Facts about the Proposed Seniors Benefit for 2001

The Seniors Benefits would start in 2001 but the legislation will probably be passed this year.

The Seniors Benefit would affect nearly everyone, whether or not you are already past your 60^thbirthday.

It is not a new form of Old Age Security (OAS); it is a new version of Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS).

As well as eliminating OAS, the new plan would eliminate the two tax breaks for seniors: the age amount and the pension income amount. Together these generate tax credits of up to $1200. For a couple, that’s up to $200 a month.

In 2001, Canadians who have passed their 65^th birthdays can choose to ’keep the existing benefits’ if they seem better than the new one, but which ever you choose you will lose the two tax breaks. It is therefore highly misleading to say current seniors and near seniors won’t be affected by these changes.

The seniors Benefit is not an entitlement as OAS used to be. It is a welfare program for which one qualifies by having low enough income.

The maximum Seniors Benefit of $11,420 (single) or ($18,440) couple is slightly higher than the maximum projected for 2001 under the current OAS/GIS system. The only way to get this maximum benefit is to have NO other income: no employment income, no CPP, no employment pension, no RRSP, RRIF or other savings income.

Although the Seniors Benefit is not taxable in the usual sense, it is reduced or ’clawed back’ by whatever other income you have. The first other income you receive causes your Seniors Benefit to be clawed back at 50 percent. That is, if you have $6000 other income you receive $3000 less Seniors Benefit.

As your other income increases, it will be taxed in the usual way. Now your Seniors Benefit is being clawed back at 50% AND the other income which causes this is being taxed at 26 percent. Each extra dollar you receive costs you 76 cents. Some critics think such high rates will deter people from saving for retirement through pension plans or RRSPs. For retirees who have only CPP and the Seniors Benefit, the effect is to cut in half the CPP retirement benefit they have paid for, and still subject all income except the Seniors Benefit to regular income tax.

For a couple, all income figures are joint family income. Currently a senior starts losing (taxable) OAS when individual total income exceeds $53,215. Under the new plan each spouse starts losing (tax free) Seniors Benefit when joint other income exceeds $25,921. Many low income seniors who would receive full OAS under the current plan would receive little or not Seniors Benefit because their spouses have a good retirement income.

The Seniors Benefit Plan would be fully indexed for inflation. This means that the amount of benefit would rise with CPI; it also means that more ’other income’ would cause the benefit to be clawed back at 50 percent.

Once the universal OAS is completely destroyed, changes could be made with no debate on principle. The clawback rates of 50%, 0%, and 20% could be altered at any time by a ’minor adjustment’ or another ’tax reform’. So could the levels of income at which each rate applies.

Seniors Benefit Clawback Rates

Other Income Singles Couples

0 - $12,520 50% 50%

12,521 - 16,240 0% 0%

16,241 - 25,921 0% 0%

25.922 and up 20% 20%

Quick Facts about The Canada Pension Plan

• CPP and the similar Quebec Pension Plan started January 1, 1966, and have worked well for 30 years.
• CPP and QPP are ’pay as you go’ plans, not pre-funded, and employers and employees contribute equally.
• CPP is a multi-benefit pension and social insurance plan; only 62% of payouts are retirement benefits.

Good features:

• covers everyone in the paid workforce
• covers part time and interrupted employment
• makes allowance for periods of low income and periods of child rearing
• completely portable
• immediate vesting
• disability benefits, survivor benefits and death benefits
• protected against inflation before and after retirement
• low administration costs

• employer contributions are tax free and employee contributions earn tax credits

Limitations:

• covers only some earnings: in 1997 earnings up to $35,800 count towards benefits
• replaces only 25% of pensionable earnings
• doesn’t cover those not in paid workforce, particularly unpaid homemakers

Changes require agreement between Ottawa and 2/3 of the provinces (including Quebec) with 2/3 of the population.

CPP funds are quite separate and have nothing to do with government deficits or debt.

Surplus money in the CPP Fund was lent to the provinces at the rate paid on 20-year federal bonds.

For many years CPP revenues exceeded payouts. Recently it has starting using up its two year safety fund.

Reasons why current revenues don’t meet payouts: unemployment and underemployment, lower wages than expected, baby ’bust’ after the ’boom’, Canadian living longer, more disability claims.

Chief actuary said rates should be raised: for example, for the year 2016 they would have increased from 5.05% to 5.9%. In 1997 terms that would have been from $1631 to $1906 or less than $23 per month.

Rather than increase rates, those who don’t like CPP wanted to reduce benefits: cut indexing, cut disability benefits, cut survivor or death benefits, cut drop-out years, postpone retirement.

The federal-provincial agreement of February 1997 keeps some things and changes others. Most important:

• retirement, survivor and disability pensions already being paid will not be affected
• ages of retirement are unchanged
• CPP benefits will remain fully indexed to inflation
• contribution rates will rise more rapidly than previously planned, to 4.95% in 2003, they stay steady
• the CPP Fun will grow to about five years’ benefits, and some of it will be differently invested
• it will be harder to qualify for disability benefits
• the $3500 in earnings which are currently exempt from contributions will be frozen at that level
• the maximum death benefit will be cut from $3580 to $2500

Those who specially like CPP:

• retirees and disabled and their survivors
• those who have low career earnings and retirement incomes

Those who specially don’t like CPP:

• those who believe all retirement income should be arranged by the individual rather than cooperatively
• those who want all contributions to flow through private pension plan and RRSPs.

Recommendations and Concerns

• Regarding “Public Pension Plans” we need to:
• inform pensioners and those who will be retiring
• ask Members of Parliament for information
• send communications to the federal Minister of Finance, to provincial government, and to your own MP and MLA
• draft a letter raising questions about pending legislation for the Seniors Benefit
• Remind people that to receive OAS or CPP, the individual must apply
• Talk to younger people regarding the Canada Pension Plan and the proposed Services Benefit so that they will become knowledgeable
• Contact senior residents - use speakers and bulletin boards
• The Federal Government does not keep abreast of the Provincial Government regarding the treatment of welfare recipients of pensionable age - the disability tax credit given by the Federal Government is taken away by the Provincial Government.
• For women ages 60-64 there is discrimination on the basis of marital status
• CPP retirement benefits should be available to housewives and care givers.

WORKSHOP 6:
IS PUBLIC POLICY MEETING THE ECONOMIC NEEDS OF WOMEN?

Resource - Susan Prentice

What is Public Policy?

Public policies are set by provincial and federal governments and generally cover welfare and other social policies such as education and child care. Public or social policies are often separated from economic and fiscal policies which affect labour and employment, taxation and personal income tax, income support programs, etc.

What is happening with Public Policy?

Since the current Liberal federal government was elected, it has concentrated on cutting spending on social policies, arguing that social spending is too high and that it has caused the deficit. By cutting social spending, they argue that Canada will ’get its deficit in order’ and will eventually become more prosperous.

Based on their belief that spending on social services is too high, the federal government has dramatically changed the way the federal and provincial governments have paid for social services. For example, from 1966 until last year, the federal government paid 50% of the cost of social services (like daycare, welfare, social assistance, etc) through a program called Canadian Assistance Plan (CAP). Because of the nature of CAP, the federal government could set and enforce certain minimum standards and could use its financial clout to ’encourage’ provinces to comply. In 1996, the federal government eliminated CAP and brought in a new program call the Canada Health and Social Transfer (CHST). Not only did the amount of transfer money decrease under CHST, the nature of the program resulted in the federal government losing its power to enforce standards, ensure fairness across the country, and guarantee that there is equity or portability between provinces.

What is the relationship of Economic and Social Policy?

Economic and social policies work hand-in-hand. For example, if governments want to reduce the unemployment rate, they must create jobs (economic policy) and they must ensure that there are support, like daycare, in place for new workers (social policy).

Many people believe that the federal and provincial focus on economic policy and on reducing the deficit is having devastating effects on people, especially women. For example, as provincial governments slash their social services, cut back on welfare, implement workfare, reduce daycare subsidies, cut education and move to privatization, people get hurt.

How are Economic and Social Policies Women’s Issues?

When children are kept out of nurseries and childcare, when sick people don’t have healthcare and homecare, when single parents are forced off social assistance through welfare, then women are disproportionately affected.

Women are hurt in two ways:

• Women lose their jobs: many daycare workers, health and homecare workers, social workers, etc. are women. Social spending cuts eliminate their jobs.
• Without social supports, women are forced to take over the responsibility for care of family members. For example, without homecare, it is usually daughters, wives or daughters-in-law who must look after the sick.

BRIEF PROFILES OF THE SPEAKERS AND WORKSHOP RESOURCE PEOPLE

Brenda Blom

Brenda’s background includes self-employment, nursing, health care senior management, crisis intervention and counselling. She has worked with special interest groups throughout her career and is an experienced social program developer and group facilitator. She has been self-employed on a full-time basis for the past two years as a business development consultant and current works with Seed Winnipeg as the director of the Credit Circle Program. Brenda has assisted over 50 individuals, mostly women in low income situations, start and operate their own businesses.

Donna Campbell

Donna is a graduate of the Rural Development Diploma program at Assiniboine Community College in Brandon, Manitoba. She grew up on a mixed farm outside of Brandon and then pursued a career as a dental assistant in Winnipeg. After ten years she decided to make a career change and entered The Rural Development Diploma program. She now works with the program as a marketing coordinator on a contract basis. She is also involved with a non-profit organization, Park Plus People, that is committed to protecting and conserving Riding Mountain National Park through educational programs for children and adults.

Marilyn Day

Marilyn is the owner of Lifelore Ltd., a private training company in Winnipeg, and a Ph.D. candidate in the Faculty of Education at the University of Nottingham, England. Her current interests are training for women’s empowerment, re-employment strategies for women and displaced workers (male and female), and developing programmes for workers in transition. She has written several original works, including “Seniors and Independent Living”, “Getting to Know Your Community Resources”, and “Reminiscence: Reaching Back, Moving Forward”. She served for four years as a director of the Fort Garry Women’s Resource Centre, and worked as the Coordinator of a research project at the Independent Living Resource Centre.

Kathy Mallett

Kathy is presently coordinating a training program for Aboriginal women through the Original Women’s Network. She has participated in the areas of education, housing, economic and community development, justice, child welfare and international solidarity. Her priority focus has been the advocacy of women and children. Kathy has also served as a School Trustee for the Winnipeg School Division No. 1.

Susan Prentice

Susan is a professor of sociology and women’s studies at the University of Manitoba. She was the incumbent of the Margaret Laurence Chair in Women’s Studies from 1993 to 1996. Her research areas have focussed on women and social policy, especially in the area of child care. She is also active in several community-based women’s groups.

Murray Smith

Murray has been actively involved in the Manitoba Society of Seniors, and has a comprehensive knowledge of the Canada Pension Plan. He worked on pension issues in the mid 1980s as President of The Manitoba Teacher’s Society, as well as with Winnipeg Health Care Workers. He is a retired teacher, father of four daughters, and grandfather to eight grandchildren.

Muriel Smith

Muriel is a social activist involved in many issues from the global level to local level. She was an elected member of the Manitoba government for seven years. She has been the Vice-President of the United Nations Association in Canada, and the delegate to five UN Conferences, including the Beijing Conference on Women in 1995.

Lynne Toupin

Originally from Winnipeg, Lynne has been the Executive Director of the National Anti-Poverty Organization since 1992. Her graduate studies were in educational administration, and she has been a school principal in Ste. Anne, Manitoba, and a Special Assistant to the Minister of Education and Post-Secondary Training, Manitoba from 1986 to 1988.

Rosa Walker

Rosa is a member of Peguis First Nation of Manitoba. She is currently employed as the Executive Director of Taking Charge! - a federal and provincial initiative that assists single-parents on social assistance to enter the workshops. She was formerly employed at the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs in the capacity of Employment Equity Coordinator. She is currently a board member of Aboriginal Training and Employment Services, National Aboriginal Youth Association, Inc., and committee member of Interprovincial Association on Native Employment, Manitoba Chapter.

Judy Wasylycia-Leis

Judy served as the MLA for St. Johns in the Manitoba legislature for seven years. For part of that time she was a Cabinet Minister in the Howard Pawley Government and was responsible for Culture, Heritage and Recreation, Status of Women, Multiculturalism, and Lotteries. Judy resigned her seat in 1993 to run unsuccessfully in the federal election. Since that time she has been involved in numerous volunteer activities including Co-Chair of Choices, Manitoba’s social justice coalition and an active participant in the Alternative Federal Budget process. Judy is currently the nominated NDP candidate for the upcoming federal election in the riding of Winnipeg North Centre.

— The Conference Committee wishes to extend their appreciation to the Workshop Facilitators and Recorders. —

Allison Reise
Mary Ann Flett
Shirley Bradshow
Cassandra Jones
Mary Scott
Ruthie Rubin
Judy Charach
Monika Feist
Bunny Gurvey
Nancy Jensen
Paula Keirstead
Janet Paxton

EVALUATION SUMMARY

Generally, the evaluations of the Conference were positive. Participants were very pleased with the facilities (although some mentioned that parking was difficult) and with the food services. The evaluations indicated that participants felt that the strongest component of the Conference were the Workshops. Several people expressed that they would like to have the opportunity to attend more of the Workshops. Although the participants were pleased with the content of the keynote address on Friday night, some felt that the address should have been longer. Some participants felt that the conference should emphasize local issues and local speakers more, and others felt that the Conference should reflect a broader perspective and involve more speakers from outside of Winnipeg. A blank copy of the evaluation form is attached.

Thanks to those of you who completed an evaluation. Your comments will help us to improve our Conference for next year!

UNPAC (MB) sincerely appreciates the funding from the Status of Women to support the UNPAC (MB) Conference.