Letter from Business and Professional Women (a Federate Member of National Council of Women of Canada)

April 18, 2011

Prime Minister Stephen Harper

Email : pm@pm.gc.ca

Dear Mr. Harper:

The Canadian Federation of Business and Professional Women (BPW Canada) was founded in 1930.  Our mission is to develop the professional and leadership potential of women in Canada through education, awareness, advocacy and mentoring within a supportive network.

We are part of the International Federation of Business and Professional Women, which has clubs in more than 100 countries around the world.  Our International Federation has Category I Consultative Status at the United Nations.

We have approximately 40 clubs across Canada, and we are actively encouraging our members to examine the issues in this election, to compare what each party is offering that will improve the lives of women in Canada.  We are urging all women to get out to vote.  To that end, we have identified some of our key issues, and would appreciate hearing back from you in terms of your party’s position.  We realize that time is short, so we respectively request that you return this completed questionnaire by Friday, April 29^th, so that we have time to relay the information to our members.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.

Thank you for your cooperation, and good luck in the coming election.

Sincerely,

Doris E. Hall, President

Canadian Federation of Business & Professional Women (BPW Canada)

Tel: 519-858-5125

Doris.hall@curocom.ca

www.bpwcanada.com/about.html

Questionnaire to the Political Leaders for the Government of Canada

In Election 2010

1)    In 2006, major changes were made to Status of Women Canada, which now no longer funds groups that do research or advocacy. Do you agree that Status of Women Canada should fund equality-seeking groups that do advocacy and lobbying, and if so, would you change this policy if elected?

2)    BPW Canada believes that the country needs a national early learning and childcare program that meets the QUAD principles (quality, universality, accessibility, developmental). It is very difficult for women to join and stay in the workforce without one. What is your party’s position on this, and what would you do, if elected?

3)    Women are still woefully under-represented in politics, with only 69 women (22.4% of MPs) elected in the last federal election. What will you do to ensure that women are better represented, if election? What will you do to change the culture of politics to ensure more decorum in the House of Commons and Senate?

4)    There is a lot of research that documents inequities in the Employment Insurance program between women and men. Women, for example, are much less likely to be able to qualify for EI benefits because they tend to move in and out of the labour market because of child-care/elder-care responsibilities. Will you commit to reform of the EI legislation to address these inequities? What would your party do, if elected?

5)    Poverty is very much a women’s issue in Canada:

• 51.6% of lone parent families headed by women are poor;

• Almost half (41.5%) of single, widowed or divorced (“unattached”) women over 65 are poor;

• 35% of women on their own under 65 live in poverty;

• Many women with disabilities, Aboriginal women, visible minority and immigrant women also live in poverty. www.fafia-afai.org/en/story/women-and-poverty-criaw-fact-sheet

If elected, will your party develop a national poverty reduction strategy? If so, what would be the key elements that you think would be important to include?