We are calling ourselves the Saskatoon Women's Movement, as the intent is to grow in membership, to promote change, and to carry out both consciousness raising and advocacy work on women's and gender issues. We see women's and gender issues and the organizations that work on gender-based violence, pay equity, reproductive rights for eg., as being under particular and serious threat in the current political climate, while recognizing that there are simultaneously serious threats to the exercise of Canadian democracy as represented by the cutbacks to international development and social justice organizations. We have come together as a movement of individuals rather than a coalition of organizations, in order to protect such organizations from any potential reprisal given that climate. We see cutbacks as only one of a series of both overt and covert political strategies that the two governments are employing to further their ideological position and to further erode both women's rights and Canadian democracy. Anyone is welcome to join.
If you wish to become involved in advocacy with the Saskatoon Women's Movement please contact: lisaf@oxfam.ca
