A nail in the coffin of women's equality?

Funding to women's organizations and other equality-seeking groups was begun in the Trudeau era with the philosophy that government should support those who would otherwise have little voice at the federal level.

by Judy Rebick
October 16, 2006

In early October, the federal government announced dramatic changes to Status of Women Canada that will, in effect, eliminate federal funding to feminist organizations in Canada. Combined with the removal of the Court Challenges Program, these changes will end the era of Canadian democracy that recognized the need for state funding to marginalized groups. The Harper government has taken us one more step toward U.S.-style “democracy” where only the powerful have access to government.

The administrative cuts to Status of Women have received the most attention in the media but the changes to the government agency's mandate are much more significant. The word “equality” has been eliminated from the agency's mandate replaced by the word “participation.” In addition, funding for lobbying and research, exactly what the agency always funded, is no longer permitted.