Compilation of Workshop Proceedings
Current to February 28, 2006

Executive Summary of UNPAC Workshops

Summary of Revenue Suggestions

Back to Workshops Page

Key Concerns & Suggestions

• Housing
• Childcare
• Transportation
• Employment and Training
• Health
• Food Security
• Education
• Time Poverty
• Safety / Justice
• Government Services

• Programs that Work
• Programs that Don’t Work

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. Housing

Concerns

• safety
• accessibility
• long waiting lists
• Social Assistance rental allowance is too low
• slum landlords
• health concerns (i.e. mold)
• crowding, difficult for large families
• invisible homelessness (3-4 families in one house, couch-surfing)
• inaccessibility issues for seniors and people with disabilities
• certain municipalities known to actively push out low-income people
• gentrification of neighbourhoods (low-income people get pushed out)
• urban sprawl
• women’s shelters
  • not enough spaces
  • waiting lists
  • poor quality; i.e., not enough money for pillows or toothbrushes
  • time too short especially when housing is not available
  • cannot enrol children in school while living in shelter
  • busy

Manitoba Housing

• up to four year waiting lists
• health concerns i.e. mold, bedbugs
• forms; i.e., too many to fill out, difficult to read/understand
• safety; i.e., doors get kicked in, units located in rough parts of town, bad lighting
• lengthy wait for repairs and maintenance
• discriminatory practices
• subsidies based on wages rather than income line
• safety concerns around mixed housing – people with emotional problems/addictions in same building with seniors
• subsidies end when you find a job – need a longer transition time needed from when residents gain employment and pay full rent

Rural and Northern Communities

• stigma against those in Manitoba Housing in small communities
• small towns have few units (some only one)
• new large, private developments go up that not all can afford
• “vicious cycle” of no new housing because no one on “the list” makes it look like there is no need, but no one is on the list because they think there is no housing available
• some communities lack complaints offices – takes time and energy to travel to Winnipeg or another town
• case of units burning down but not replaced

Suggestions

• increased funding for low-income housing
• safe, affordable housing for everyone! should be a government priority
• build more Manitoba Housing units
• homes must fit/suit family size
• public education to reduce stigma of living in Manitoba Housing
• increase opportunities for home ownership
• more housing for seniors
• housing co-ops as an option
• build duplexes rather than just apartment buildings
• better security; i.e., solid doors and locks, doors that open to the outside
• motel-style homeless shelter with kitchenettes
• raise EIA rates for housing allowance; i.e., single person gets $213/month for rent
• Habitat for Humanity should build more houses
• initiate registry for “clean air” buildings (for people with respiratory problems)
• improve women’s shelters:
  • better funding
  • more staff
  • better qualified counsellors
  • aftercare
  • more workshops
  • increase time a person can stay to more than 30 days

2. Childcare

Concerns

• cost (up to $36/day)
• not well-subsidized
• long waiting lists
• lack of spaces
• limited hours of operation; mainly 9-5
• lack of flexibility
• limited before and after school care
• no provisions for shift-work
• more infant care spaces
• unrealistic qualifications for acceptance
• childcare workers undervalued and underpaid
• need for more regulated (educated) childcare workers

Rural and Northern Communities

• many communities have only 1 or 2 licensed childcare centres
• long waiting lists
• funding models do not work for rural areas

Suggestions

• increased funding
• more subsidies
• childcare subsidies based on wages, not just income line
• 24/7 childcare
• more licensed spaces
• more infant/toddler spaces
• accommodate shift work, evening employment and schooling
• childcare at conferences, universities, high schools, workplaces, businesses
• daycares in high schools (i.e., RB Russell in Winnipeg)
• childcare for out-of-towners with no family in city
• cooperative centres
• barter-system, no money involved
• kiddy vans for transportation to childcare
• culturally-appropriate
• extend kindergarten to 12:00 pm (ends at 11:30 but university classes go til 12)
• provide nutritious lunches and food
• ‘Y’ Neighbours
• Mom and Tots groups
• babysitting co-ops (exist in Alberta, never seen one in Winnipeg)

3. Transportation

Concerns

• public transit too expensive
• prices discriminatory; i.e., in Winnipeg cheaper if can afford sheet of tickets
• especially difficult and necessary with children; i.e., sports
• need for children’s transit
• school buses unsafe
• “everything is harder without a vehicle”

Handi-Transit

• A good and necessary service but many complaints including: being charged extra for wheelchairs; drivers who are rude, impatient, don’t wait long enough or show up early, not helpful, drop women off in unsafe locations; what about rural transit in towns and transportation to Winnipeg; long waits, sometimes not picked up at all; vehicles poorly maintained; must book 24 hours in advance; growing need; lack of government controls and regulation

Northern and Rural Communities

• lack of or insufficient public transportation
• not enough bus stops (safety and temperature concerns walking to stops)
• limited route; i.e., one loop around town, doesn’t go to outskirts
• some communities only have buses til 6pm (but work ends at 9pm)
• some communities have no buses and cabs
• travelling for necessities; i.e., hospitals, work, is a major challenge

Suggestions

• safe public transportation
• more routes
• service later into evening; better schedules
• encourage public transportation as an environmental solution
• provide shuttle bus to facilities; i.e., YMCA
• shuttle bus from rural communities to Winnipeg (i.e. many people travel for medical reasons)
• use school buses during day
• use vans that sit idle at personal care homes
• better sidewalk/road clearing for women with strollers, women with disabilities, seniors
• Handi-Transit for children

4. Employment and Training

Concerns

• women doing much unrecognized and unpaid labour
• stay-at-home parenting not valued
• women’s wages too low
• sexism
• dependency on partner’s income
• difficult to re-enter workforce after staying home with children
• economic reality for most to have to work outside of the home
• single moms who want to stay at home with children do not have a choice
• shift work
• “Mc Jobs”
• Free Trade/NAFTA
• U.S. Superpower; i.e., softwood lumber
• homophobia
• racism
• EI
  • 55% is practically nothing when low-income
  • women with disabilities often don’t have enough qualifying weeks

Rural Women:

• many women work seasonal or part-time as it is only option
• often must leave community to find meaningful full-time work
• difficult to find work in one’s own career/field
• in some small towns it is cultural practice to encourage women to stay home rather than work full-time or get education
• local women streamlined into social service employment
• in towns close to Winnipeg, many jobs held by Winnipeggers – i.e., teaching, recreation

Women with Disabilities

• inaccessible workplaces
• forced into self-employment (fewer benefits)
• exploited for volunteer work
• few employment opportunities
• penalized for paid work, affects pension

Senior Women:

• no private pension; no pension of their own
• ineligibility for CPP because work has been unpaid
• dependence on CPP and GIS
• low income inhibits full participation in society

Immigrant Women:

• language barriers
• racism
• not knowing rights about what questions can be asked in job interviews – i.e., age, children
• employment/academic credentials from country of origin not recognized

Suggestions

• increased funding for employment and training programs
• legislate equal wages between men and women in public and private
• recognize traditional teaching
• provide basic life skills training
• shorter work week
• pay higher wages to people with dependents
• reintroduce New Careers Program (from 20 years ago)
• reintroduce mentorship program for government employees
• reintroduce HRD program from 1970/80s that offered self-esteem and pre-employment
• grants for small business people to train new employees
• education should be in grants, not loans
• flexible workplaces; i.e., to accommodate parents and people with disabilities
• more fulltime employment with benefits
• tax benefits for women to recognize unpaid labour
• universal time off allowance for employees with sick children
• support for small business owners so they can be run fairly
• employer accountability
• greater employer compliance with Labour Laws
• programs for immigrant women on workplace rights
• better employment opportunities for women with disabilities
• increase awareness of community programs that do exist
• training for employable seniors
• revisit OAS/GIS – how it supports, how it does not (it’s been 10-15 years since raise)
• increase access to technology

5. Health

Concerns

• overmedication
• high drug costs
• lack of dental coverage
• wrong diagnoses
• hearing aid is covered but not batteries
• mental health – stress from “having to do it all”, depression
• some seniors feel like “no use to anybody” and feel a lack of recognition
• seniors experience decrease in quality of life, lack of self-worth
• environmental health concerns; i.e., fogging for mosquitoes
• long waiting lists to see doctors
• many people don’t have family doctor
• many small towns don’t have enough doctors
• body image
• eating disorders
• corporate ownership of women’s bodies
• limited of physical activity in schools
• cost of extra curricular sports
• seniors’ health needs not well met
• reproductive health services inadequate; i.e., only one physician doing OBGYN for all of Flin Flon and surrounding communities
• elderly women are caring for elderly spouse

Suggestions

• focus more on preventative health care
• medication support program (through pharmacies) for heavily medicated people
• training for pharmacy staff on discussing medical issues (they often read from sheets)
• focus on physical, social and emotional needs of female teens
• affordable exercise facilities
• improve staff and facilities at YMCA
• mandatory physical education in school daily through to high school
• SPORTYUKON: a Yukon government program that funds bikes, activities
• subsidize sports and activities for children
• subsidized massage
• support groups, confidence-building for seniors, especially for widowed women
• health education for girls and women of all ages
• multidisciplinary clinics (doctors on salary, nurse practitioners)
• healthy eating programs for girls and women of all ages
• community-run mental health programs; i.e., sharing circles, support and encouragement
• Neighbourhoods Alive – mental health support worker program
• pregnancy prevention and awareness
• sex education: birth control, abstinence
• “Teen Pregnancy Working Group” (in initial stages in Thompson)
• caregivers service i.e., respite volunteers to sit with seniors

6. Food Security

Concerns

• poverty – not enough money for good food
• malnutrition
• high cost of healthy food
• high cost of food in Northern and isolated communities
• food more expensive when cannot buy in bulk
• low quality of food banks
• poor quality of food at community centres and sports clubs (i.e., hotdogs and chips)

Suggestions

• cooking circle
• community Kitchen/potlucks
• education about cooking, nutrition, how to eat healthy on low income
• subsidize costs of delivering food to Northern and isolated communities
• health food stores in hospitals
• grocery and meal delivery for people with disabilities, seniors, and shut-ins
• “low-income” menus at restaurants, not only for seniors

7. Education

Concerns

• high costs of post-secondary tuition
• Canada Study Grants determined by income
• debt
• feminization of student debt – hard for single mom to compete with students who live with parents for high marks for bursaries
• harder to access for women with disabilities

Suggestions

• make affordable and accessible
• flexible scheduling to accommodate people who need to work, parents, people with disabilities
• need training allowance
• programs should run longer than 2 years
• support and encouragement
• education programs for people on Social Assistance to upgrade
• better funding for Adult Education
• training Programs for interesting careers (women in North said: “There are only 6 jobs” and “I don’t want to be a Health Care Aid”)
• wage replacement for volunteer work; i.e., people on boards (currently only people with flexible jobs or retired people can be on boards)
• subsidize costs related to school; i.e., supplies
• more funding for post-secondary education through First Nations
• transportation to and from school
• mentorship programs; i.e., older/younger women (single moms), skills sharing
• Lower costs for tuition and books

8. Time Poverty

Concerns

• single parenting
• raising/spending time with children, hard to have enough time to do everything
• difficult to balance paid and unpaid work and responsibilities
• volunteerism; i.e., allowances for young people to volunteer on community boards. One community college board has no young people because they have no time, yet the community believes their input is crucial
• sense that government relies on volunteerism and donations for health of community
• provide professional development opportunities for those outside workplace
• transportation takes time: walking or bussing

Suggestions

• respite time for parents, especially single moms
• use technology for training and professional development – less travel time
• more family days/oriented programs
• assistance to pay for babysitters
• volunteer hours should translate into money off income tax or a tax deduction

9. Safety / Justice

Concerns

• gang violence
• sex trade
• crime
• undermining of human life
• not enough rehabilitation for offenders; i.e., pedophiles
• lack of enforcement of court orders
• substance abuse
• gambling
• bullying in schools and workplaces
• lack of respect for women
• sexual harassment
• domestic violence
• women’s shelters inadequate (See “Housing” section)
• abusive men put up in “Club Fed”
• rights of perpetrators versus rights of victim
• Legal Aid
  • many cutbacks
  • rude, disrespectful lawyers, some need a courtesy lesson
  • cannot receive aid unless destitute, denied lawyers
• physical, emotional and mental violence and abuse against women and girls
• child suicide
• social values; love and respect for others
• positive role modelling
• poverty
• classism
• racism
• sexism
• homophobia
• Case management in separation, divorce and child custody
  • women have to wait months for a decision
  • no monitoring of decisions made between times
  • $50,000 in legal fees
  • just gives lawyers more billable hours

Suggestions

• alternative/restorative justice
• healing circles in and outside of prison
• address root/social causes of gang violence; i.e., holistic healing
• “Community Card:” one-time fee, open criteria, no stigma, for activities like bowling, skating, swimming
• 24 hour place to meet/drop-in centre
• community-owned game facility
• basic life skills training – implement into school curriculum
• more women’s centres
• empowerment programs for girls, teens, women, young/single mothers
• more funding for women’s shelters
• resources and supports for abuse survivors
• programs for men; i.e., education and prevention of abuse and violence against women
• anti-discrimination public education/awareness
• marriage counselling should be available everywhere
• parenting courses
• more family supports
• Kids & Parents programs; i.e., swimming, movies
• resources for “newly single” women; i.e., lawyers/legal aid, transportation, women who choose to work outside of home
• programs for pre-teens
• spaces for community-run programs
• support community radio

10. Government Services

Concerns

• misinformation
• discrepancies in treatment of individuals
• discrimination
• discrepancies among employees in availability and work ethic
• what one level of government gives, another takes away (particular concern for women living with disabilities)
• limited access to government programs
• lack of awareness of existing programs and services
• lack of integration of government services; i.e., ILRC, REES
• compartmentalized budgets means it’s easy to slip through the cracks
• supports for women with disabilities hard to acquire when not in school or workforce
• new initiatives generally start in urban areas, rarely make it to rural
• Ministry of Water Stewardship - okayed sewage to dump into lake - not good for us
• lack of political representation and mobilization
• accountability/transparency
• how are decisions made? who to we thank for good decisions?
• financially unsustainable programming
  • build up expectation, then money is gone
  • volunteers have to support the program, may not be as committed
  • programs are often decent but crumble without funding
  • governments should responsibly deliver programs
  • watch for duplication of services
• Maintenance Enforcement – costly and doesn’t work
• tax system needs to be drastically changed as it does not redistribute wealth adequately

Suggestions

• sensitivity training for Social Assistance and Manitoba Housing employees
• simple, plain-language application forms
• front-line workers should be consulted in policy development
• better integration of government services
• suggestion for a government “Wal-Mart” where all services are under one roof
• suggestion for a person who works interdepartmentally and knows all programs available for people
• public education about low-income/poverty to reduce stigma
• public education and increased media awareness about the needs of women with disabilities
• child maintenance should not be deducted as income - should be a null amount
• income bracket amount in order to receive child subsidy should be raised
• eliminate Maintenance Enforcement Program as it doens't work - organize through tax system instead

Programs that Work

“Manitoba women identified the following existing government programs and services as having worked to serve women’s needs and concerns. In particular Friendship Centres, Women’s Shelters, Women’s Centres, and Healthy Baby and Head Start programs were mentioned in most communities. Women also shared their concerns about, and made suggestions on how certain programs and services could be improved. Concerns primarily focused on the lack of stable and adequate funding for programs.”

Women Depend on the Following Programs:

• Aboriginal Head Start
  • long waiting list
  • preschool
• Addictions Foundation of Manitoba (AFM)
• Adult Education
  • not enough literacy
  • what about seniors?
  • need more ESL
• Advanced Education and Training
  • provide more options for youth/students
  • expand criterion and eligibility requirements
  • provide re-training
  • provide adult literacy
• Baby and Me
  • Best Beginnings longer, i.e., until finished breastfeeding
  • nutrition training for pregnant mom
  • more publicity
• Big Brother/Big Sisters
• Cancer Care
• Child Tax Credit
• CRISP
  • does not recognize money from band for education
  • make more accessible
• Drugline
• Education Tax Benefit
• Education Grants
  • extend timeframe; i.e., child over 7 years old
• Employment Projects of Winnipeg (EPW)
• English as a Second Language (ESL)
• Families First/Baby First
• Family Resource Centres
• Friendship Centres
• Handitransit
• Healthy Child/Baby
  • nutrition; how to eat properly on a small budget
  • parenting
  • needs more funding (geographically)
• Health Links
• Healthy Living
• Human Rights Commission
• Immigrant Women’s Association of Manitoba (IWAM)
  • restore full funding
  • better drop-in hours
• International Centre
• Literacy Programs
  • offer more often/fulltime
  • provide training allowance for students
• Manitoba Film and Sound
• MARIA
• Manitoba Housing
  • need more subsidies
  • co-ops
• Medicare
• Milk Coupons
• Osborne House
  • more spaces
  • better funding
  • longer times available
• Pharmacare
  • based on family income
• Pregnancy Crisis
• Respite for families with special needs
  • More needed
• SAFFR
• SEED Winnipeg
• Social Assistance
  • eliminate “Spouse in House” rule
• Taxi Slips
• United Nations Platform for Action (UNPAC)
• Vocational Rehabilitation Services
• Women’s Health Clinics
• Women’s Resource Centres
  • continue funding
• Women’s Shelters
  • long waiting lists
  • extend 30 day limit
  • increase access to resources
  • some have money for transportation and childcare costs which is great
• YWCA

The following programs were mentioned in/by specific communities:

Carman

• Gateway Resource
  • employment program for people with disabilities
• Genesis House
  • crisis shelter
  • second-stage housing
• Manitoba Well Connected (resources for people with eating disorders)
  • lack of affordable counselling
• Mountain Industries (community services)
• New Start (Red River College)
  • job training/job shadow for women? low income/social assistance
• Rainbow Residents (employment program for mentally challenged)
• Settlement Services (Winkler)

Gimli

• 55+ Centre
• A Woman’s Place (similar to a legal clinic)
• Cadet Program
• Creative Communications
  • education; i.e., domestic violence
  • friendship and mentoring; i.e., retired women and those new to town
  • practical skills; i.e., rug-hooking
• Evergreen Basic Need
  • food hamper
  • used clothing store
• Family Violence Prevention
• Head Start
• Victim First cellular: for high-risk persons to reach 911

Flin Flon

• Aboriginal Liaison Person (in hospital?)
  • good program that should be expanded, more people and positions
• Adult Learning Centre
  • not accessible, only stairs
  • good program with children, access anytime
• Co-occurring Disorders Initiatives (CODI)
• Diabetes Liaison worker
• Employment Training Centre
• Many Faces
  • alternative high school, high exam results
• Parent and Child Centre
  • gym nights
  • weekend fun
  • transportation
• Primary Health Care
  • good location, near bus stop and accessible
  • needs to offer cervical screening and pap smear tests
• Safe Home
• Youth Centre
  • Lighthouses 11+ years
  • primary Health Care: sexual health
  • drug and alcohol awareness education

Selkirk

• Growing Years
  • prenatal classes
  • preschool
• Rhyme and Reading

Thompson

• Burntwood Regional Health Authority (BRHA)
• ETS (employment and training)
• Futures
• grassroots mentoring
• LEAP (education training for women through Y)
• Keewatin Community College
• Ma Ma We Tak Friendship Centre (hosts career opportunities, symposiums, workshops
• Northern Circle
• “Primary Health Care” (network of community developers, nurses, school counsellors, and teachers in Thompson)
• WHOP
• Winnipeg Home Improvement Project
• Women’s Clinic (gives out birth control pills every Tuesday night when no doctor)
• Youth Build (high school education and job training)

Women with Disabilities

• EIA disability component
  • rates too low, only $80/month
• Handi-Transit: necessary, but needs improvement (See “Transportation”)
• “PACE” Program (self managed/attended care)
• Visibility Program
• Vocational Rehabilitation Services
  • for people with disabilities who are supported by family members but need help paying for education
  • better programming/training toward career of choice
• Need more services for women with disabilities!

Senior Women

• Age and Opportunity
  • many programs such as “hording programs” that help seniors clean out house (health care will not come in if hording is an issue)
• Community Resource Council
• Creative Retirement
  • only partially funded
  • should have a course on using services
• Cultural organizations
  • volunteer visiting programs
• Handi-Transit: necessary, but needs improvement (See “Transportation”)
• Home Care
  • hard to access, easier to access if first hospitalized
  • best in Canada?
  • coordination needs improvement
  • too much bureaucratic nonsense
  • advocacy needed on how to access/qualify
• Mammograms
  • More efficient for women over 70, but not automatic or free after 69
• Meals on Wheels
• OAS/GIS
  • okay, but cannot give supplements
  • has not kept pace with economic inflation
  • personal care homes for seniors too expensive if on OAS
  • rates have not increased in 10-15 years
  • income supplement is inadequate
• Senior Centres
  • non-profit centres work better
• Senior’s Job Bureau
• Senior Manitoba Housing
  • not safe, afraid to open door
  • bed bugs
  • building not maintained
  • need more co-op housing
  • mixed housing – people with emotional, alcohol problems
• Peer Leaders
• “stepping up and stepping out” through Healthy Living

Programs that Don’t Work

While many programs mentioned by women need improvements (some major improvements) the following programs were mentioned as not working:

• “Baby Think Again” (dolls that are programmed to educate about parenthood)
  • not very realistic, does not work
• Voluntary Mental Health Program
  • “voluntary” aspect questionable
  • can put the family at risk
  • not a lot of programming available
  • need for quality staff