BC Coalition of Women's Centres
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Feb. 27th 2002
Honourable Gordon Campbell, Premier
P.O. Box 9041, Stn. Prov. Gov’t
Victoria, British Columbia
V8W 9E1
Premier Campbell,
The BC Coalition of Women’s Centres urges you to ask Minister
Stephens to step down as Minister of State for Women’s Programs.
As a result of the statements she made in the Langley Advance article
dated Feb. 15th, 2002, Minister of State Stephens has critically undermined
the advancement of women’s equality in BC. Ms. Stephens
does not represent in a fair and accurate way the realities of women
in BC. The hundreds and thousands of women who count on Ms. Stephens
to speak for them in the Legislature have been betrayed. We know,
and we assume so does government, that women have not achieved equality
in BC, or anywhere else in Canada for that matter. Hundreds of governments
across the world, led by the United Nations, have understood that violence
against women is a direct result of power imbalances, oppression and inequality.
To have the Minister of State Responsible for Women’s Equality deny these
realities is not acceptable, and can even be said to be putting women’s
lives at risk.
The mission of the BC Coalition of Women’s Centres is to seek
an end to the violence, poverty and other human rights abuses experienced
by women in British Columbia, by supporting and promoting both independent
and coordinated social change action among women’s centres and other
equality-seeking organizations. Our membership is made up of 32
women’s centres across the province.
Our confidence in Ms. Stephens ability to represent the interests
of the women of this province has been seriously challenged from the
beginning: Ms. Stephens has misled the women in this province with respect
to a free standing Ministry of Women’s Equality, funding to women’s
centres, and her overall commitment to women’s issues.
That confidence has been further eroded by the restrictive
conditions placed by the Minister of State on accepting a meeting with
the Coalition, as she did last month, particularly when she publicly
reversed privately-made assertions of support for the work of women’s
centres. The Coalition respectfully requests that Minister Stephens
be asked to step down as Minister, that her replacement be a strong voice
for women in BC, and that a free standing Ministry of Women’s Equality
be reinstated.
The Coalition has many serious concerns about what the cuts
and lack of services are doing to women and children in BC. We
strongly believe that lives are being out at risk. We want to
discuss those concerns with government and share the realities that
we are witness to in our communities. We are renewing our request
to meet with Minister George Abbott. We have every expectation that
Minister Abbott will benefit from hearing from us on these issues and
that Minister Abbott will not refuse to meet with us again.
In the midst of increasing tough times and changes in British
Columbia, the BC Coalition of Women’s Centres is committed to meeting
with government and working towards solutions that will ensure BC
women have the programs and services that we need.
Once again, we ask that Minister Stephens be asked to step
down as Minister of State.
BC Coalition of Women’s Centres
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If you have questions/comments for BCCWC, please
e-mail us at bcwomen@telus.net
For other contact information,
please go to our
Information Page
BC Coalition of Women's Centres
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This page last updated: March 8,
2002
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