BC Coalition of Women's Centres
Jan. 17th, 2002
For immediate release
CUTS TO WOMEN'S CENTRES SPELL DISASTER
FOR BC WOMEN
Thousands of women have learned today that their jobs, and
in too many cases the entire family income, has been lost. Neighborhood
programs, victim support systems, dozens and dozens of items from women's
safety net have been eliminated. Hard times are here, and that spells
danger and despair for women and their children.
Soon, those women won't even have their local Women's Centre
to turn to: they will have to face hunger, violence, child apprehension
and homelessness on their own.
Information has been leaked by a government source that Women's
Centres funding will be totally eliminated by March 2004.
The BC Women's Centres Coalition members are enraged.
We see this move not as an issue of money. We believe this move
is part of Gordon Campbells' sexist agenda to silence women in BC.
The total budget line for Women's Centres is under 2 million
dollars-junk drawer change to the provincial government. If
Campbell valued women's safety, women's contributions and voices, and
recognized the inequalities which exist for women, he would have found
2 million dollars somewhere else.
To date the Coalition has been lied to, called names and bullied
by this government. It is no surprise to us that instead of rising
to the challenge of women's opposition that he chose to cowardly just
eliminate us.
This province provides the only core funding Women's Centres
receive, all other funding is program or project funding that cannot
stand alone. This government has pulled the rug out from under
us. We will not allow Gordon Campbell to role the clock back on
women's rights in BC. We will not allow this government to carry
on with their anti-women, abusive agenda.
Closing women's centers will facilitate more violence against
women, more hunger, poverty and isolation for women. Hundreds
of thousands of women will be left with no place to turn. Gordon
Campbell has turned his back on women in BC and we will not accept that.
We support province-wide political action, and will participate
in all efforts to stop Campbell's insane cuts. Women's Centres have
been in existence for more than 30 years in BC, and we will not be eliminated
by the swipe of a pen. We know how to fight back and we will.