Press Release
October 17, 2001

Provincial Women’s Centres Take Action!!!!!

BC Women’s Centres - Women’s Centres in B.C. are looking like dupes.  We believed the promises of Gordon Campbell and the Liberal Party. 

In fall of 2000, we were assured that the Ministry of Women’s Equality in general and women’s centers in particular would continue to function as they were prior to the Provincial election.
 
We should have been suspicious when most Liberal candidates and Mr. Campbell in particular avoided meeting with women’s groups during the election campaign and despite, repeated promises to do so, failed to respond to standard written requests for Liberal positions on issues affecting women. A request, it should be noted that all other parties were happy to respond to.  The one notable exception to this wall of silence was the women’s forum sponsored by the 52% Coalition, to which all party leaders were invited. Other party leaders attended including NDP Ujjal Dosanjh, but Mr. Campbell sent Christy Clark, perhaps to bring a women’s point of view? We don’t know because she never once responded directly to the questions or shed any light on the Liberal Party position concerning women’s issues.
 
Nevertheless, in July newly appointed Minister Lynn Stephens met with the 52% Coalition to describe the new structure of “women’s Programs”.  During that meeting she assured the women present that, even though the Ministry of Women’s Equality was now relegated to the status of “program” within the super Ministry of Aboriginal, Community and Women’s Services (otherwise known as the Ministry of the Oppressed) funding for women’s services would remain intact.
 
Now women’s centers are hearing that there is a good likelihood that their funding will be cut in its entirety.   And that the hundreds of thousands of women who depend on these centers in small communities and cities all over this province will be left out in the cold.  Women looking for safety, for housing, for daycare, for food, for advocacy and support will be abandoned.
 
On Sept. 7th Women’s centers requested a meeting with Minister Stephens.  Women’s Centres many at their own expense are meeting in Vancouver Oct. 22 and 23 to discuss the situation in the province and develop a strategy , we requested that she come to our meeting.  Last week after initially being told she would not meet with us,  she requested that we come to Victoria to meet with her.  The BC Federation of Labour has generously made it possible for the majority of the 27 women to now further travel to Victoria for the meeting.
 
Provincial Women Centres will be meeting with Minister Lynn Stephens on Oct. 23 in Victoria.  Women Centres are committed to ensuring that every B.C. woman who needs service has access to it. We are meeting with Lynn Stephens to hold her accountable for the promises made to women in this province.
 

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