Feminist Meet to Discuss the State of Women's Equality in NL

For Immediate Release

Sixty feminists gathered this weekend in Port Blandford to develop a plan aimed at addressing women’s equality and creating a Newfoundland and Labrador Feminist Coalition. “Women came from throughout the province,” said the organizing committee’s co-chair Lana Payne. “These were young women, retired women, women who work in Women’s Centres, union women, women with disabilities, as well as women from the multi-cultural and aboriginal communities.”

As a result of the weekend, women attending have decided that a coalition of equality-seeking women’s organizations is needed as a vehicle for networking and mobilizing around the advocacy necessary to furthering a women’s equality agenda in Newfoundland and Labrador. 

“Women were resolute,” said co-chair Joyce Hancock. “We all believe that we have to find new ways to ensure that women’s voices are heard and that is not happening now. The structures put in place to advance women’s equality are not sufficient and women are feeling a need to organize and mobilize. This is just what this past weekend provided.”

The theme of the weekend conference was to develop strategies around organizing and mobilizing. The conference heard from Stephanie Hunter of FemJEPP in Nova Scotia, Huberte Gautreau of the Pay Equity Coalition in New Brunswick and Frances Ennis who has been involved in women’s equality work in Newfoundland and Labrador for more than three decades. Judy Rebick, a well known feminist activist, author and broadcaster,  gave a keynote address to the women on Saturday night.

“Women have been feeling as if they are disappearing from the public policy debate and those of us involved in equality-seeking work have been feeling isolated and disconnected,” said Lorraine Michael, member of the organizing committee. “A feminist coalition is a way for women involved in equality work to connect and remain connected. We believe we need to coordinate our efforts, share information and become a powerful advocacy voice for the equality of Newfoundland and Labrador women,” she said.

For more information contact:

            Joyce Hancock, Co-chair of the organizing committee, 753-6124/726-3574

            Lorraine Michael, member of the organizing committee, 738-3713/754-6300