Considering ideas during the discussion group
University of Manitoba Women's Centre
January 30, 2006
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?
- Violence against women and girls
- Lack of respect for women
- Poverty
- Equal pay (lack of it)
- Programs not delivered well
- Abuse — emotional, mental
- Housing
- Child care
- Lack of political representation and mobilization
- Costs of tuition and debt
- Feminization of student debt (if you’re a single mom — hard to get high marks which you need to get bursaries)
- Discrimination
- Classism
- Racism
- Homophobia
- Body image and health
- Corporate ownership of women’s bodies
- Transportation (especially if parenting)
- Unpaid work
- Sexual harassment
- Health - Reproductive Health
- Safety
- Time constraints
2. a) What Government programs and services have really helped to meet women’s needs and concerns? How could they be expanded upon or made better?
- Funding to women’s organizations
- Medicare, Pharmacare
- Women’s clinics
- Manitoba Film and Sound
- Funding for arts, music
- MARIA (Manitoba Audio Recording Industry Association)
- Taxes — education credit
- Family services
- Social assistance
- Housing
- Childcare
- Manitoba Housing — but lack of upkeep, safety, location
- Women’s shelters — but crappy, safe?, discrimination
- Respite for families with special needs — but not enough
“Close-up of poster and women in animated discussion at University of Manitoba Women Discussion Group”
2. b) What other ideas do you have for programs and services that could meet women’s needs?
- Supports for poor women
- Women’s Centres:
- Education
- Empowerment
- Support
- Childcare
- Training for good jobs
- Re-education
- Not enough knowledge of existing government programs - better dissemination of information
- Effective communication skills for landlords
- Lack of respect, discrimination
- Skills and empowerment for young women
- Independent living skills
- Basic life/survival skills
- Renters’ rights
- Family studies should be mandatory in junior high
- Aboriginal sensitivity training for social program deliverers
- Midwifery
- Social workers should be retrained — too constrained by their roles
- 7-year job protection after you have baby
- Look at programs in other countries to see what’s working
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:
- Longer hours for daycare, 6 pm doesn’t always work
- Legislate women’s higher wages
- Shorter work weeks (with no cut in pay) for parents (available to everyone, not just if you’re good friends with the boss)
- Shorter work week
- Higher wages for people with dependents (society pays if kids don’t have good parenting)
- Better public transportation
- Handi Transit for children (not sure on details) ie Kiddy vans for 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.
- Internet tax
- Porn taxes and other “stupid” websites
- Raise corporate taxes
- Wealth taxes for higher earners
- Redistribute wealth