This is an archive of news stories and research from the National Union of Public and General Employees. Please see our new site - https://nupge.ca - for the most current information.
'This government ought to be ashamed of its failure to meet its international obligations and responsibilities.' - Judi Filion.
Vancouver (3 Feb. 2010) - The B.C. CEDAW Group, a coalition of women's and human rights organizations, has just released a report on the state of human rights among the province's most vulnerable women. The title says it all - Nothing to Report.
The report is an assessment of the B.C. government's response to two urgent recommendations made to Canada in 2008 by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (UN CEDAW).
Canada was given one year to report back on steps taken to address failure by the police and by government to deal effectively with violence against Aboriginal women and girls, and with women's poverty and inadequate social assistance rates.
The report finds the B.C. government has failed to take any steps to deal with these issues, nor has it urged the federal government to take action.
"When it comes to addressing the human rights of vulnerable women, the B.C. government's record is abysmal," says Judi Filion, secretary-treasurer of the B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU/NUPGE).
"This government ought to be ashamed of its failure to meet its international obligations and responsibilities."
The report urges both levels of government to act, citing more than 100 disappearances and murders of Aboriginal women and girls in B.C., and inadequate social assistance rates.
The BCGEU is a B.C. CEDAW partner. The B.C. CEDAW Group has been monitoring the status of women's equality in B.C. since 2002. Group members include the B.C. Federation of Labour (BCFL), the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of B.C. (CCCABC), the West Coast Women's Legal Education and Action Fund (WCLEAF) and the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs UBCIC).
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE
More information:
Full text of Nothing To Report