Last August, the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour, Provincial Action Network on the Status of Women, and the Workers’ Action Network released a report calling for action on the development and implementation of proactive pay equity legislation. The report included clear recommendations for the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to move ahead with pay equity legislation as well as evidence of the effectiveness of this legislation in other provinces. One year later, the St. John’s Status of Women Council is reflecting on the series of events surrounding pay equity in the province since the release of the report.

Find the full timeline of what has happened in the last year, available for download below.

Alongside First Light, Migrant Action Centre, Quadrangle NL, Stella’s Circle and Thrive, the St. John’s Status of Women Council is sharing an open letter to the City of St. John’s and Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.

We’re expressing concerns about the joint funding announcement from the City and province to the Downtown Safety Coalition. This group formed to tackle the complex issue of safety in downtown St. John’s and is made up of police, tourism and hospitality, the George St. Association, Music NL and municipal and provincial governments. The joint funding is an investment in developing a public education campaign to increase reporting of crimes.

We are concerned about this impacts of this initiative, particularly without representation or meaningful engagement from groups and people who are most likely to experience violence themselves. This approach to building safety is in conflict with the findings shared by many community members and organizations in an event hosted by the City of St. John’s in February of this year. This decision leaves the community questioning if the intended use of funds will have a real impact on our safety and if this group has the expertise required to make effective use of these funds.

Read the letter in full below.

The Safe Harbour Outreach Project (SHOP) of The St. John’s Status of Women Council (SJSWC)has developed guidance for media on ethical reporting on sex work. The Media Guide, Sex Work: A Journalistic Guide to the Fundamentals of Your Sources, is being release to celebrate International Sex Workers’ Day (June 2nd).

This guide is the first of it’s kind locally and has been directly informed by current and former sex workers in and around St. John’s through community-based research and consultation.

View the Press Release here.

Download the full Media Guide here.

Over the last month, members of the Provincial Action Network on the Status of Women (PANSOW) have participated in both in-person and virtual consultation sessions on the regulations for Bill 3: An Act Respecting Pay Equity for the Public Sector and Pay Transparency for the Public and Private Sectors. Now, the Provincial Action Network of the Status of Women shares a submission to the Interdepartmental Working Committee on Pay Equity with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.

In solidarity with the recent report from the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour, Newfoundland and Labrador Needs an Equality Reset, PANSOW recommends a re-write of Bill 3 to better serve women and other marginalized workers.

Read the full submission below.

The St. John’s Status of Women Council launches new report sharing key learnings from five years of providing free feminist counselling services in the community.

ST. JOHN’S, May 3rd, 2023 – On Canadian Mental Health Week, the St. John’s Status of Women Council (SJSWC) is releasing a report on their feminist approach to mental health care in the community and sharing their concerns about inadequate mental health support for those who need it most.  

For five years, the SJSWC has been offering free counselling services to community members and the monitoring data from their work has shown that wait times, lack of financially accessible mental health services, and a lack of understanding of the impacts that gender based violence (GBV) has on mental health are causing harm in our community. 

The SJSWC’s approach to mental health care is one which reduces barriers, emphasizes connections, provides essential services, challenges assumptions and stereotypes, and, most importantly, puts people first. The report shows that our mental health needs cannot be adequately addressed by any one institution, body or community organization. Most importantly, not without sustainable resources that allow stable and wide-reaching services, ongoing evaluation, and adaptation to meet the changing needs of our communities. 

Lisa Faye, Executive Director of the SJSWC, notes the importance of a feminist approach to mental health services: “What we’ve learned from Right Here, Right Now is that a feminist, trauma-informed, low-barrier approach to mental health care works for people. We also know that people need continuous care, connection, and better access to services. If we are committed to improving health outcomes in our community more broadly, we have to invest in mental health services now.” 

The SJSWC calls for sustainable funding for mental health services, improved understanding of GBV in all mental health care settings, and increased access to services in order to cut waitlists, prioritizing choice and connection. 

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CONTACT INFORMATION

For more information or to arrange for interviews, please contact:
Lisa Faye
Executive Director
St. John’s Status of Women Council / Women’s Centre
709-765-4434
lisa@sjwomenscentre.ca 

The SJSWC has been awarded funds by the Investment Readiness Program to help with preparing a marketing and business plan for our new social enterprise.

Our mission for this project is to help build a safer and stronger community and foster positive social change by enhancing the skills, knowledge, and confidence of individuals and groups of all genders through a variety of training sessions, facilitated by our in-house staff members.

These funds will be used for the following activities.

• Activity 1: To assess the market for existing community training and identify opportunities and strategies for us to create a sustainable social enterprise.
• Activity 2: To develop a marketing and business plan that provides a roadmap for training as a social enterprise.
• Activity 3: To prepare for the social enterprise by developing and implementing improved internal administration systems.
• Activity 4: To prepare for the social enterprise by recruiting and training more facilitators. 

This RFP is exclusively for activities 1 and 2. Activities 3 and 4 will be informed by activities 1 and 2 in the future.

Timeline
RFP Released: April 10, 2023
Responses Due: May 1, 2023
Finalist consultants selected and contacted for interview: May 5, 2023
Chosen consultant selected and contacted: May 18, 2023
Project Kick-off: Latest, June 1, 2023

Proposal Submission
Proposals will be accepted until 5:00pm (NDT) on May 1, 2023. Please use the subject line:
“RFP Business Plan – NAME OF YOUR COMPANY”.
Any questions on this RFP and all proposals must be submitted by email to: hiring@sjwomenscentre.ca.

Full Request for Proposals document: