Carman,
February 18, 2006

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Thanks to the Carman Family Resource Centre for hosting our workshop.

The following ideas were generated by workshop participants as part of our gender budget consultations. Please note that this list does not represent the official position of the UN Platform for Action Committee Manitoba (UNPAC). Neither UNPAC nor all of the participants have endorsed these suggestions.

1. What are key concerns for women in your community?

• Lack of affordable housing
  • Only one Manitoba Housing low-income unit, few municipal
• Lack of childcare spaces
  • Only 2 licensed childcare units in Carman
  • low wages for childcare workers
• Mental Health issues
  • Eating disorders
  • Costs of counselling
  • Drug costs
  • Stress from “having to do it all”
• Hard to get back into workforce after being at home with kids
• Municipalities pushing out low-income people
• Education – cultural factors encouraging women NOT to get education but rather stay home and have kids
• Economic reality – have to work outside of home
• Lack of options for women to stay at home and care for kids (it’s a luxury – single parents can’t partake in)
• Balancing paid and unpaid responsibilities
• Women’s low earnings
• Lack of integration of services
• Lack of respect
• Stigma
• Lack of career opportunities
• Lack of motivating factors to get off social assistance
• Minimum wage
• Transportation
• Many small towns suffering due to big box stores

2. a) What Government programs and services have really worked to meet women’s needs and concerns? How could they be expanded upon or made better?

• Genesis House
  • Crisis shelter
  • Second-stage housing
• Families First
• New Start – Red River College
  • More opportunities for Low income women/Social Assistance
  • Job training/job shadow
• Pregnancy crisis Centre
• Gateway Resource
  • Employment program for people with disabilities
• Manitoba Well Connected (Resources for people with disorders)
  • But, lack of affordable counselling
• Adult Education
  • No literacy, seniors
  • ESL
• Services for new immigrants
• ESL
• Settlement language (Winkler)
• Cancer Care
• Rainbow Residence (Support for people living with disabilities)
  • Employment program
• Mountain Industries
• Many churches play prominent role in community

2. b) What ideas do you have for programs and services that could meet women’s needs?

• Central/women’s centre (building)
  • Information awareness
• Collective approach to change (women’s voice)
• Services should not be pushed on backs of volunteers
• Holistic approach to programs
  • adult education – socio/economic status
  • health, justice – prevention, raise awareness
  • all aspects are affected
• More adult education programs
• Programs in schools
  • nutrition – after school
• Family Resource Centre
  • Unlimited, stable, long-term funding
  • Wages built in project funding
  • Adequate centre
  • Need more in rural communities
• Multi-use/intergenerational centres
  • Senior centre
  • FRC
  • Adult Education
  • Day care
  • Public health
  • More flexible funding for women’s shelters – not just according to bed nights
  • More flexible funding schemes – encourage saving and efficiency rather than penalize it

3. Women often do not have enough money to do the things they need to do and they often do not have enough time to do the things they need to do either. Where are you crunched for time? What could the government do to give you more time to do the things you need to do?

Solutions:

• Provide difference between cost of childcare and income
• Subsidy to people deciding to stay with kids
• Home business – incentives/benefits
• More options to work at home
• Not enough time to volunteer
• People with “in between” income still need help
• Social/mental support
• Respite options
• Women’s Centre – support/childcare

4. What ideas do you have on how the Government could earn more money? Use the creativity you have learned from your experience as a woman living with a tight budget.

• Raise personal income taxes
• Raise cigarette taxes
• Increase efficiency
• Governments should spend less on promoting themselves and their friends and instead think of good of all
• More bursaries for students (not just loans)
• Universities should provide subsidized books
• Consider long-term investments
• Better coordination of services
• Hire a “coordinator” who visits all departments and services and make connections, avoid duplication
• Provide incentives for people to go back to paid work
• Federal gun legislation
• Gambling gives money but costs a lot
• Use the research available – criminal justice system is costly and doesn’t work