I put this design together quickly this morning in response to the current Harper government’s systematic and continued assault on free speech, advocacy and womens groups/rights in general.

The Conservative government has continued to cut funding to womens advocacy groups here in Canada and abroad – In the past two weeks alone it has ended funding to 14 groups – carrying on with it’s heavy handed approach to silence those who criticize the government. Since 2006, funding has been cut by 43% for womens advocacy groups; it has shut 14 out of 16 Status of Women offices in Canada and eliminated funding of legal voices for women and minority groups, including the National Association of Women and the Law and the Courts Challenges Program.

So what’s the problem with shunning advocacy groups if the government still provides some funding, to women’s shelters for example? I think Green Party Leader Elizabeth May sums it up quite succinctly:

“They will fund Band-Aids after the fact but they will not fund root causes, identification or elimination of root causes. That’s not their agenda.”

Claire Tremblay, coordinator of the Ad Hoc Coalition for Women’s Equality and Human Rights: “By defunding those women’s groups you are effectively silencing discussion…on women and women’s advocacy.”

Thank you for connecting,