University women explore issues
Prince George Citizen
May 6, 2008 
By: Bernice Trick

About 80 delegates gathered in Prince George over the weekend for a three-day conference of the B.C. Council of the Canadian Federation of University Women.

National leader Ardith Toogood of Toronto delivered a number of messages to delegates about the status of women in Canada and around the world.

"I'm here to tell them it's very important for women's groups to work together for gender equality. "It's the most pressing issue in the world, especially pay equity because on average, women are getting paid 71 cents on the dollar compared to men for doing the same work," she said.

Donna Brundige of Prince George added that studies show it takes women students five years longer to pay off their education debt than a man due to her being the child bearer and because "a lack of gender equality in economies will follow her through her entire life."

"Early learning and child care is an issue we've been addressing for 36 years, and still there's a need for it to be accessible and affordable with more spaces opening," said Toogood.

"Compared to the rest of the world, Canada is at rock bottom as far as early learning and child care is concerned. We rank 30th out of 30 countries.

….She said the status of women in Canada "appears to have moved backwards instead of ahead" under the Conservative government.

"They have made cuts to the Status of Women mandate, removing all mention of it being the Status of Women, which is why it was set up in the first place," Toogood said. "Funding for advocacy and research has been removed" even though many women's organizations like the National Association of Women In Law and Canadian Research Institute for Advancement of Women depended on that funding to stay alive….

"The CFUW depended on these groups to do grassroots research that affects the most vulnerable in our society. It's really most devastating to see the effects of these changes," Toogood said.

She said the way for committed women's groups to achieve goals is to be visible in the community and make their voices heard….