Monday, May 9, 2011

Women's Action Coalition - Nova Scotia (WAC-NS) General Assembly

Do you want women’s concerns on the public agenda?

Do you want your voices amplified and echoed by women across the province?

Do you want every woman and girl in Nova Scotia to know that her well-being is critical to the well-being of our province and country?

If you answered yes to these questions, then you should attend

The first Annual General Assembly of the Women’s Action Coalition – Nova Scotia (WAC-NS).

The WAC-NS is a broad- based non-partisan alliance of women’s groups and committees, social justice organizations and individuals concerned with women’s equality. Active in the 1980s and 1990s, WAC-NS is being re-constituted in response to decisions that are being made at the national, provincial and municipal levels about issues that have disproportionate impacts on women. We want our governments to know that we are concerned that:

• many women and families in our province are living in poverty


• childcare is a luxury rather than a right


• affordable housing is limited and inadequate


• violence against women is widespread


• the cost of education is prohibitive for many women


• too many women are working in low-paying, insecure jobs


• women’s services are under-funded


JOIN US!


What: WAC-NS First Annual General Assembly

When: Saturday, May 14, 2011 9.00a.m. to 4.30.p.m.

Where: McNally Auditorium, McNally Main Building, Saint Mary’s University, Robie Street, Halifax

Join the Women’s Action Coalition and register for the Assembly! For more information contact:

Stella Lord: lords@eastlink.ca

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Fund a Feminist - RebELLEs Gathering 2011

(From the FemRev collective:)

Attention Feminists and allies!


As the Organizing Committee, FemRev is busy getting ready for the RebELLEs: Notre Révolution Féministe, Our Revolution is Now, we are still short a large amount of funds to be able to pull off the gathering as best we can! We are calling on feminists and allies across the country to help support us in making this possible!

FemRev is launching the Fund a Feminist Campaign in order to help bring to fruition a project aimed at giving a voice to young women of Canada and encouraging them to participate actively in community life. FemRev is working hard to organize the 2nd ReELLEs Pan-Canadian Young Feminist Gathering Notre Révolution Féministe, Our Revolution is Now, to take place in Winnipeg from May 20-23, 2011. The first was held in Montreal in 2008 and was attended by more than 500 dedicated young women from every Canadian province and territory, as well as international delegates from the World March of Women. The 2011 Gathering will work to empower young women and girls, to mobilize, energize, and provide opportunities for these women and girls to develop leadership skills, collectively work to improve the lives of young women, and to work within diversity in order to make meaningful contributions to the communities we are a part of. It is an opportunity to collectivize our struggles and create concrete plans for change.

We must raise funds to cover all aspects of the gathering with the most crucial costs being transportation subsidies (especially for women from rural and Northern communities), French/English/American Sign Language translation and interpretation services, healthy meals, accommodation subsidies, rental space, and printing and promotion costs.

FemRev is launching the Fund a Feminist Campaign and we need your help!

We would like to ask you to show your support by making a monetary donation or by covering the cost of specific expenses such as transportation, lodging, food, etc. Your contribution would demonstrate your commitment to improving women’s lives in Canada and across the globe, and would support young women’s efforts to improve women’s political, economic, and social conditions.

What could your contribution help support?!

$1 - $5 - The cost of a meal for one young feminist

$10 - $20 - One night’s accommodation for one young feminist

$30 - $40 - The cost of printing 50 posters for distribution nationally

$50 - $60 - The costs related to renting one of the workshop venues

$ 75 - An honorarium for a workshop facilitator

$ 100 - The cost of an honorarium for a performer at the Feminist Cabaret

$ 200 - Covers 1 hour of translation services so that the gathering is accessible in French, English and ASL.

$ 250+ - Help a young women with her travel costs to the gathering

How to Donate

Paypal – donation button online at www.rebelles.org

Cheque – Made payable to FemRev Collective

Mail: FemRev
2F, 91 Albert Street
Winnipeg, Mb
R3B 1G5
Canada

For more information about RebELLEs and the gathering, visit us www.rebelles.org.

We hope you will consider supporting this important event!

In solidarity,

FemRev, the RebELLEs Organizing Committee 2011

rebelles@femrev.org or (204)942-7390

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

May is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. It's time... to get involved!

It's time to get involved in sexual assault awareness and prevention! May is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) and we will be proclaiming this tomorrow in Antigonish at the AWRC & SASA at 10am - all are welcome! Stay tuned for more information throughout the month. Here's a message from Avalon Sexual Assault Centre...


“It’s time…to talk to your family.” Sexual violence is a difficult subject to talk about in families.  Many victims/survivors are afraid to tell their families about sexual abuse/assault out of fear of how they may respond.  Families may be unsure how to support family members who have been sexually victimized.  Avalon Centre provides information, emotional support, and legal support/advocacy for non offending parents/family members children who have experienced sexual violence.  For more information contact 422-4240.  Check out this family scenario activity: http://www.nsvrc.org/sites/default/file/saam/saam_2011-ScenarioFamily.pdf.