Ment-HER! A revolutionary women’s mentorship program

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Ment-HER! A revolutionary women’s mentorship program

Application Deadline: September 15th, 2017

For an application contact: chandra@sjwomenscentre.ca

We are seeking strong women willing to dedicate themselves to a 2-month program that will help to create community connections with lifetime benefits.

Why should I do this?

For the mentee, having a mentor can increase your professional capabilities and personal relationships exponentially! The mentor is provided with the opportunity to develop valuable professional skills such as leadership, capacity-building, and community outreach.

Who are you looking for?

For Mentors:

You are a woman who has built herself a well-organized, successful life, a woman with a dynamic career, community connections, and healthy satisfying interpersonal relationships. More importantly, you have the time and capacity to devote 2-3 hours per week for October and November of 2017 to lay the foundation for a lifelong relationship.

For Mentees:

You are a woman dedicated to improving your life and open to accept whatever resources are offered that might help you succeed. You want to build your capacities in your career, your personal relationships and become a community leader!

What exactly am I signing up for?

For Mentors

You will participate in:

1 mentorship training session (early October)

3 group meetings (mid-October, early November, late November)

4 1:1 sessions (scheduled with your mentee, 1 per week for all of November)

For Mentees

You will participate in:

1 mentee training session (early October)

3 group meetings (mid-October, early November, late November)

4 1:1 sessions (scheduled with your mentor, 1 per week for all of November)

When and Where

Time: October and November of 2017 (8 weeks total)

Location: 170 Cashin Ave.

How do I get involved?

To receive an application package or find out more contact:

Organizer Chandra Kavanagh at chandra@sjwomenscentre.ca

IMPORTANT NOTE: This program is open to women of all ages in all career streams.

 

 

 

PANSOW: statement of concern for Beatrice Hunter

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The Provincial Action Network on the Status of Women (PANSOW) is issuing a statement of concern that the human and cultural rights of Beatrice Hunter are not being upheld and we call on Justice Minister Andrew Parsons to ensure the politicized nature of the charge does not prevent her receiving just, culturally appropriate and human rights based treatment while incarcerated.

  • We are concerned that an Inuk woman has been moved far away from her family, community and cultural supports and is now detained at Her Majesty’s Penitentiary – a prison for men.

  • We are concerned that she has been denied visits from her family, advocates and the media.

  • We are concerned that she receives timely, appropriate cultural supports, healthcare and access to canteen.

We ask Justice Minister Andrew Parsons to provide oversight and safeguard the human rights of Beatrice Hunter during her incarceration and subsequent trial.

Respectfully,

Co-Chair Jenny Wright

Executive Director, St. John’s Status of Women

jenny@sjwomenscentre.ca

 

Co-Chair Janice Kennedy

Executive Director BSG Status of Women

executivedirector.bsgswc@gmail.com

 

PANSOW consists of the eight Executive Directors of the Status of Women Councils of Newfoundland and Labrador. PANSOW applies a ‘provincial lens’ to issues of equality and ensures a public voice for women from a non-partisan, grassroots, and feminist perspective.  PANSOW’s mandate is to advocate and to lobby for gender equity.

PANSOW: Open Letter in Support of Bill C-16

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The Provincial Action Network on the Status of Women (PANSOW) is in support of Bill C-16, to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code to add gender identity and gender expression to the list of prohibited grounds of discrimination.

Bill C-16 also amends the Criminal Code to extend the protection against hate propaganda set out in that Act to any section of the public that is distinguished by gender identity or expression and to clearly set out that evidence that an offence was motivated by bias, prejudice or hate based on gender identity or expression constitutes an aggravating circumstance that a court must take into consideration when it imposes a sentence.

People who are transgender (trans) experience discrimination, harassment and violence because of their gender identity or gender expression.  People who are trans, two-spirit, and/or gender non-conforming are vital members of our communities, and yet continue to experience profound marginalization and alarming rates of violence. Beyond Bill C-16 we must continue:

to make schools safe for trans students and students questioning their gender identity;

to tear down barriers to employment for trans people and create safer workplaces;

to ensure access to affordable and appropriate healthcare services;

to work with law enforcement to improve training and responses to crimes committed against trans people.

As a network of Women’s Centres throughout the province of Newfoundland and Labrador we fiercely strive for gender equity and this includes gender equality for trans women and being allied in support of all transgender, two-spirit and gender non-conforming people in our communities. We are committed to being trans inclusive, and to value and grow through the voice and leadership of trans people.

We call on all Women’s Centres and women-serving organizations across Canada to ensure our work is always human rights based, including the dismantling of binary and heteronormative discourses, and the inclusion of trans women throughout our organizations.

To feminist organizations in Newfoundland and Labrador who wish to join us in support of Bill C-16 and co-sign this letter, please contact us.

In solidarity,

Co-Chair Janice Kennedy

Executive Director BSG Status of Women

executivedirector.bsgswc@gmail.com

Co-Chair Jenny Wright

Executive Director, St. John’s Status of Women

jenny@sjwomenscentre.ca

PANSOW is a network of all Status of Women Councils of Newfoundland and Labrador. PANSOW applies a ‘provincial lens’ to issues of equality and ensures a public voice for women from a non-partisan, grassroots, and feminist perspective. 

 

Maggie Burton on running for St. John’s city council and why she wants your help

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I remember being shocked. It was 2013, and we had just elected a council of eleven men and zero women. Zero.

* * *

Although we’re a majority of the population, women usually only expect an equal voice. 50%. We’ve never got there, not on St. John’s City Council.

Apparently the United Nations says that women’s issues start getting heard when a legislative body contains 30% women. I don’t know how they came up with that number. We’ve got there once, I think. In 1990 there were nine people on Council, and Suzanne Duff and Dorothy Wyatt and Wendy Williams made up one third.

But one woman on council—it was easy to take that for granted.

* * *

Dorothy Wyatt became the first woman on St. John’s City Council in 1969, and for the next forty-four years there was always at least one woman. It seemed like a sure thing. It wasn’t.

The long wait until 1969 wasn’t a sure thing either. Believe it or not, in 1925, in the very first election in Newfoundland or Labrador where women were allowed to vote, Julia Salter Earle came within eleven votes of winning. Eleven votes isn’t very many. You can get that putting up a lawn sign, or talking to your friends and family.

Hillary winning was supposed to be a sure thing.

I don’t believe much in sure things anymore.

* * *

I can’t pretend the only reason I’m running is that we need more women on council. I have lots of reasons; if you want to know what I believe in, look me up or get in touch! But: we need more women on council, and that’s definitely a big reason why I’m running.

I didn’t plan to run in 2017. I’m 26 years old. I have two young children and a few careers. I thought I’d help out, maybe work on a campaign. So I started asking people I respect who I should help, and how, and what they said was: Run yourself. We need women to take the plunge and run.

So I did.

* * *

They say incumbents always win in municipal politics. They say name recognition always triumphs. They say that’s a sure thing.

Let’s not be fooled by sure things anymore. St. John’s is a small town, and one person—you—can make a big difference here.

This is the part where I ask for your help.

I need a lot of help right now. Any kind of help; whatever you can spare, I need it. So please, think if there’s anything you can do!

Can you volunteer? Take a lawn sign? Donate? Join my email list? Talk to your friends and family? Can you like or share stuff on Facebook?

Get in touch. Vote for a new voice, a strong voice on council.

Facebook: @votemaggie2017

Twitter: @mmburton

Email: votemaggie2017@gmail.com

Phone: 709-685-1737

Maggie is running for councillor at large for St. John’s. As a teacher and musician, a non-profit administrator and leadership coach, a writer, and as the mom of two young children, Maggie has a lot of experience to offer—and a different perspective.

Thank you, from the creator of the Thank You Project

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To our community,

A young woman in our community has gone up against one of the most powerful systems in our province, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, and in doing so she stood up to a rape culture that permeates and tries to defeat us.  We do not know the identity of this woman, or if she is aware of the immense impact that her trial has had on survivors and the community, but it is safe to say she has inspired change.  Her actions changed the conversation; in coming forward she has forced the justice system and the public to question the validity of the process. 

For this we want to say THANK YOU!  We have been dubbed The Thank You Project; our purpose is to send cards and letters thanking this woman, supporting her and letting her know that we believe her.  The cards can come in days, weeks or months – she has a lifetime of healing ahead. The court of public opinion can be cruel and we want to counteract those negative voices with the voice of positivity and support and love. 

The Thank You Project is a community support piece and we are therefor welcoming the support and contribution of any and all individuals who would like to send in a card of their own, a small group, or  host card making events.  If there is an event happening in your community, where a table could be set up and stocked with craft making supplies for attendees to create cards, we would be thrilled to have you involved.  If groups are able to provide their own supplies and volunteers this would be greatly appreciated as we are not a registered charity and there have not been any funds allocated or official volunteers secured.  For groups in the St. John’s region we have collected limited crafting items and would be able to offer assistance in this manner.

I am happy to hear from anyone who would like to be involved, has an idea to put forward, or would if you like to send along a card of your own.  I can be reached at thankyounl@outlook.com for further discussion and information on card drop locations. 

I look forward to seeing the creations of support from our community.

With gratitude,                                       

Ashley MacDonald

PANSOW launches #LiftHerUpNL Campaign in Response to Online Harassment of Women

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For Immediate Release

December 15, 2016

PANSOW Launches #LiftHerUpNL in Response to Online Harassment of Women

St. John’s, NL – While online harassment of women has long been a reality, the recent proliferation of social media platforms has created seemingly unending forums for gender based cyberbullying, threats, and abuse. In response, the Provincial Action Network on the Status of Women (PANSOW) joins the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters (ACWS) in their online campaign #LiftHerUp by launching #LiftHerUpNL.

Women in politics, leadership positions, and the media are regularly subjected to harmful harassment, sexist rhetoric, and threats. Moreover, far too many women are similarly targeted for simply having an opinion online. This experience is not new, however the volume and intensity of such violence is increasing as we saw recently with Journalist, Tara Bradbury, and Minister Responsible for the Status of Women, Cathy Bennett.

Cyberbullying, stalking, revenge porn, and abuse are not things that just happen online. They spill over into the real world, affecting every aspect of the lives of women, resulting in poor mental health and leaving women fearful for the safety of their families and themselves. Many have their voices silenced when they leave social media as a last resort. The online harassment of women is indeed gender-based in that it is rooted in misogyny, using fear based silencing tactics, degrading comments about women appearance and threats of sexual violence.

PANSOW is concerned about the effects on young boys and girls and gender variant youth that continually witness this harassment of women. We are concerned about the mental health of those who are subjected to it. And, we are concerned that this level of harassment is a major deterrent to women wishing to enter leadership positions. We must act now to ensure the voices of women in our communities do not go silent.  

We believe that every member of our community has a personal responsibility to take action against online harassment. We invite everyone reading this statement to help change the conversation by using the hashtag #LiftHerUpNL to show that you believe, support, and respect the women of our province.

PANSOW provides a grassroots, feminist and non-partisan provincial voice on the status of women on broad issues related to gender equity and justice. PANSOW is a network of all eight Status of Women Councils throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. For more information, contact:

PANSOW Co-Chair Jenny Wright

709-753-0220

jenny@sjwomenscentre.ca

PANSOW Co-Chair Janice Kennedy

executivedirector.bsgswc@gmail.com

709-643-4444

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