Advocate says Canada still failing on women's equality- UN report on progress made in last five years will be released next week
Darah Hansen, Vancouver Sun
November 21, 2008

Shelagh Day … the Vancouver resident has already dedicated more than three decades of her life to the fight for women's equality.

…. The report will examine what programs and policies are working across the country to lift women and girls up out of poverty, reduce rates of domestic violence and close the wage gap, among other issues.

It will also determine where we're falling short.

Day -- who travelled to Geneva last month to add her contribution to the review process -- isn't very hopeful Canada will receive a passing grade.

"It's clear to me women haven't achieved equality yet," she said in a recent interview.

In its 2003 report, the UN concluded Canada was failing women in a number of categories, with committee members expressing shock at the number of missing and murdered women nationwide, as well as the disproportionately high rates of poverty among single mothers, aboriginal women and women of colour.

The committee singled out British Columbia for particular criticism after the government slashed funding to provincial social programs that benefited women, including legal aid, welfare assistance and victims-of-domestic-violence supports.

In all, the UN committee released 23 recommendations to better the lives of Canadian women.

Five years later, according to Day, none of the recommendations have been implemented.

…. "It's not an easy battle," she said. "Persistence is important."….

But much more work is needed to encourage every woman's full participation in society.

"I find it very difficult to contemplate the deprivations that aboriginal women are living with in Canada," she said, noting high rates of poverty and abuse among aboriginal women.

Day is also a strong advocate for a national childcare program.

"It's not acceptable to me that after 30 years of lobbying we don't have a good, safe childcare program for every woman who has kids. It's essential for her participation in society as an equal human being," she said….