See text below.
EXCERPTS
Women's rights advocates accused the Harper government of ignoring their struggle for equality after a leading women's group closed its doors because of a lack of federal funding.
Supported by opposition MPs, the National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) vowed yesterday to use volunteers to keep up its efforts to combat violence against women, improve living conditions for those on low incomes, achieve pay equity, obtain funding for universal child care and other causes.
NAWL lost its funding of $300,000 a year after government spending cuts announced last fall. Despite a $13 billion budget surplus, the government slashed outlays for women's advocacy projects and eliminated the Court Challenges Program, which funded legal actions by rights advocates. The Tories said Status of Women Canada would no longer fund organizations pressing policymakers to improve conditions for women.
...
Opposition MPs denounced the moves by the Harper government.
"Women are being silenced in Canada," Liberal MP Maria Minna (Beaches-East York) told the NAWL press conference. "How can we ... say we are promoting rights for women in Afghanistan when our government is forcing women's organizations to close?"
New Democrat MP Irene Mathyssen said "the closure of NAWL will turn back the clock on women's equality in Canada."
...
Heritage Minister Josee Verner told a news conference that NAWL might have some projects eligible for funding but that research and advocacy work would not qualify.
- reprinted from the Toronto Star