Homebase Magazine Issue #52 Spring, 1998

Table of Contents

Dear Homebase - an expanded edition of letters from our readers

The remaining articles in list form: Awakenings,Radical Reading Report, The Art of Letter Writing, Musings, Magazines for Girls, Workshop Report, Some Unsolicited Advice, Her Paradise/Her Prison, Book Reviews, Suicide Boots, Tapestry, Greenspace, Off the Wall, Daughter Envy Part II, Politically Speaking, Mary Poppins Replies, Feedback: $5/day daycare

Editorial

Lisa Menard

Greetings, What a Spring this has been! After a long travel drought, this Spring has brought both a family trip to Florida AND a solo trip to visit my sister in Austria! Until now, most of the family car travel has been very short drives because my 10-year-old, Rae and I both get car sick. But when Ken suggested we drive to Florida to see a Space Shuttle launch (and agreed to round out the experience with a couple of days at Disney World), Rae and I gladly volunteered to take the Gravol. We piled into our trusty VW van on the freezing-rain-filled afternoon of March 26th and drove off to find Spring. We found it the next morning in upstate Pennsylvania, put on our shorts and experienced 10 days of the hottest Spring on record. It didn't cool off until the last day of our drive home. We survived (and enjoyed) the confines of the vehicle and the trip was made all the more pleasant because Ken's brother, Lorne, was lured from his mountain paradise of Banff to join us. One more adult to answer non-stop questions and to find us the best restaurant in Savannah, Georgia, serving southern-style food. We had a ball and plan to do it again when we can.

This Spring, my sister, Stephanie, called to say that she and Robert (her long-time beau) had decided to get married. There was never any question in my mind that I needed to be at the wedding. Stephanie and I are more than just sisters. We're best friends, confidantes, soul mates, co-parents. Until this past February, Stephanie's daughter, Rowan lived with us in Ottawa while attending high school. For six years, Stephanie and I shared the role of significant woman in Rowan's life. For me, Stephanie has always been in my life (she's 1 1/2 years older than I). We have shared so many experiences and life triumphs that attending this celebration became my April goal.

Luckily, I am blessed with Ken, a partner who has always supported my choices. We all worked together to figure out the ramifications of my being out of the country for 11 days. A good friend, Georgia, agreed to care for Rhys each afternoon following his morning in Senior Kindergarten. My good mother, Kaye, arranged to deliver the children to school on the day that Ken had an early appointment. Ken and the kids did the rest. While I was away, Rae took up tennis and Rhys started soccer. They also did the laundry without any of it turning pink or grey! They are a resilient and independent lot, my family. They worked together so that I could be with Stephanie without guilt or homesickness. It was the ultimate Mother's Day gift.

While away I had the opportunity to read four books, garden with Stephanie, walk into town and shop with Rowan, taking time to enjoy what a lovely, interesting person she is. Stephanie and I stayed up late every night talking, laughing and absorbing each others' love and energy. I realized that I have not lost my vibrancy, my lust for living... Sometimes all the chores and routines and the needs of others trick me into thinking that "Solo-me" doesn't exist. This vacation reminded me that, as Popeye would say, "I yam what I yam" and that my life is a whole experience, using and needing all parts of me. It was a magnificent time. Oh, the wedding was lots of fun, too! Maybe I'll write about it later.

Enough about my Spring. Now, a little about this excellent issue of Homebase which has lots of wonderful articles and illustrations to enjoy. Many thanks to all of you who participated. I hope that you will be interested in the Feedback topic for the Fall issue - "$5 a day daycare" - the new, universal daycare plan being implemented in Quebec. We look forward to reading your opinions, questions and comments.

The fabulous topic for the Fall Forum is the brainchild of Lisa Zanyk. Lisa suggested that articles, letters, poems and/or theses on, The Myths Of Motherhood, could examine "what we've learned, how our ideals get blown away by reality (eg. I always thought I could do this without soothers, bottles, McDonalds, dunkaroos (still a clean record there), and TV.....sigh..."

So, please, join the ranks of the many women who help to make Homebase the wonderful publication that it is and send us along a little something. As for me, Rhys and I have been watching the World Cup soccer matches and plan to see it through until July. Maybe we'll do a little gardening... a little camping ... and lots of loving. Take care and have a wonderful summer with your family. Cheers, Lisa Menard

MAW Report

Evelyn Drescher

Our most recent Steering Committee meeting was held outdoors on a sultry summer evening. To celebrate (who needs a reason?) there was wine. Surrounded by flowers, trees and only the occasional bug on the other side of the yard, the sun set gradually and our conversation mellowed. In the midst of debate, discussion, and deliberation about MAW's current projects and ongoing work, it was good to stop and realize that we are connected. Whether we are new faces or old, whether we are at the table, across town, or even thousands of kilometres away, this collective known as MAW, is unique. And then that annoying bug bites, the moment is past and the work resumes. For more information about MAW activities.

Outreach and Workshop Committee

An enthusiastic workshop committee, energized in great part by newer MAW member, Andrea Perrier, has been busy planning workshops for the coming year. The committee was especially encouraged by the very good turn out to the May workshop facilitated by Kaye-Lee Pantony. (see p. 16 for workshop report)

One of highlights of the fall schedule will undoubtedly be Sally Armstrong of Homemakers who has agreed to MAW's invitation to speak on Women Making A Difference. Sally Armstrong will be using an editorial from the Fall issue of Homemakers called Value as her point of departure. This editorial made an argument for valuing the things that women already do - like being mothers - and how, in the efforts to fight for equality in the marketplace for women, society has left those facets of women's lives somewhat to the side. The main message was that it was now time to reclaim some reality. Now that sounds like a MAW member could have written it! So mark September 24 on your calendars, Ottawa-area MAW members - check out the flyer.

MAW needs volunteers to help with the Sally Armstrong event, as well as, our other workshops. If you are interested in helping or have ideas for workshops that you would like to see done, let us know at info@mothersarewomen.com.

Virtual MAW: Connecting MAW members

Picture this: a quiet moment, sipping tea or coffee, comfy slippers on your feet while having a stimulating conversation with friends. You find yourself learning interesting things, reflecting on diverse viewpoints and formulating a response which is listened to and appreciated. Sound good? Add one more thing... a computer screen. Your friends are virtual friends - like-minded MAW members.

Although we envision a Virtual MAW to provide a forum for our members to connect with one another, we are still in the evaluation stage and the lists are not yet open to the general membership. A small group of us are experimenting with a couple of e-mail lists to keep us connected and discussing things (both issues and organizational matters) as an extension of real-life meetings. Currently our lists include: a political forum; an outreach/workshop; a radical reading group and Steering Committee. The latter has connected several members of MAW chapters across Canada. We have benefited from their input and found that sharing information and ideas compliments real-life meetings which those outside Ottawa cannot attend.

While exciting, e-mail lists can be problematic and our effort is still experimental. As with so many MAW initiatives the biggest hurdles are organizational woman power and funds. To work effectively, such lists need to be developed and maintained. Any expansion in this area would have to be weighed against other MAW expenditures so as not to jeopardize our other work. Interested in knowing more about these lists? Have experience you would like to share about e-mail lists? Thoughts on whether MAW should work more quickly on this vision of a virtual MAW? Let us know at info@mothersarewomen.com .

Meeting with Statistics Canada

In April, representatives from three groups - MAW, the Older Women's Network and the National Council of Women met with members of Status of Women Canada and Statistics Canada to discuss follow-up work on the Census questions on unpaid work. MAW reported on the When Women Count (WWC) Symposium and provided a summary of its Census submission. MAW was pointed in its concerns about the data release, especially the use of husbands and wives as the template with which to present the data. The objective of the meeting, however, was to focus future data cross tabulations on policy issues relevant to the work of the government and the concerns and interests of the grassroots. After several hours of discussion, the issue determined to be most rich in terms of data and potential policy usefulness was the economic security of women in their old age. The three groups emphasized the need to see this issue as a life cycle issue with connections between the paid and unpaid work that women do throughout their lives. Various cross tabulations variables were emphasized by the groups including: income/poverty level; education; ethnicity; language and/or immigration history; and urban/rural and regional differences. A second meeting is planned after Statistics Canada completes a data reliability study on the unpaid work census data. We anticipate meeting with Statistics Canada this summer. MAW hopes to draw in other locally-based WWC Working Group members who were unavailable on the day of the first meeting with Statistics Canada.

Sharing Information, Resources and Networking The Bottom Line Conference: (BLC)

In March, I attended a conference in Truro, Nova Scotia called the Bottom Line: Reclaiming Women's Unpaid Work in Nova Scotia. Conceptually built on the WWC Symposium, it brought together approximately forty women from across Nova Scotia primarily from grassroots organizations. It was a pleasure to meet and share information and ideas about unpaid work. It was interesting to note that while the WWC Symposium brought together national organizations rather than grassroots, the kinds of conclusions, strategies and actions arrived at by the BLC were similar. The call for valuing this work wherever it occurs, for recognition of the work, of holding the government accountable for both and for knowing that women themselves need to understand more about their own unpaid work were consistent in both gatherings. As with our Symposium, the BLC was one stage in a project which includes research with women at their kitchen tables across Nova Scotia throughout the summer, and an event planned for September in which the organizers hope to present a bill to the Nova Scotia government for all the unpaid work of women in the province. Good Luck! We'll be watching for the Nova Scotia Unpaid Labour Day.

National Council of Women (NCWC) Annual General Meeting

Becoming an affiliate member of the NCWC solidified a working relationship that has developed with NCWC over the last several years. To demonstrate our commitment to the NCWC, MAW helped develop and second a resolution dealing with gender equality indicators (which include paid and unpaid work) and gender analysis, with Helen Saravanamuttoo of the Ottawa-Carleton Council of Women and one of the WWC Working Group members. Although we could not attend the National Council of Women, AGM in St. Catherines this year, we hope to send a delegate next year.

The Postcards

What they are and why they are important Included in this issue of Homebase are two postcards. They are included to inform you about these particular campaigns and as part of the networking that MAW does. This kind of thing is part of working within the women's movement. The decision to include the postcards is decided at Steering Committee meetings. The decision to fill out and send the postcards (which can simply be dropped into the mailbox, no stamp required) is entirely up to you and how you feel about these campaigns.

The Fair Share Postcard Campaign

For the past four years, MAW has received funding from Women's Program, Status of Women Canada to work on the issue of unpaid work. Without question this issue would not be as visible without the grants given to grassroots women organizations to lobby, research and undertake public education to help women understand the politics of unpaid work and why it is essential to women's equality. We are a success story. This speaks to the incredible amount of hard work, paid but mostly unpaid, that our members did over these same years to make unpaid work count. But here is the problem. Women's Program (WP) was established as a result of the Royal Commission on the Status of Women in 1973 and was allocated money from the Federal Budget to promote the work of equality seeking women's organizations. Since 1989, WP funding has been cut by $5 million leaving the money available to all women's organizations vulnerable should further cuts be considered. This includes small advocacy organizations like ours, to major organizations like the Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women, the National Council of Women, the National Organization of Immigrant and Visible Minority Women. Women's Program works with a budget of $8,165,000 which equals about 53 cents for every woman in Canada - as the slogan goes, less than a cup of coffee. This should be compared with the$9 billion defence budget or perhaps less facetiously with the $11.8 million and$ 10.6 million given by the Federal Government to the Toronto Dominion and Royal Banks for liabilities under the Small Business Loans Act for 1996-1997.

Fair Share Campaign members are lobbying Finance Minister Paul Martin and Prime Minister Chretien to stop the funding cuts and increase the money provided in the Budget for Women's Program. The Campaign is asking for $2 per woman for a budget of $30 million. (We can dream, can't we?). The organizations mentioned above are some of the Campaign members. There are a numerous others. MAW is a member of this important Campaign and has participated in several meetings with Paul Martin and Hedy Fry. MAW agreed to be part of the Campaign because we are a success story and know how important funding is. In each of the projects MAW has undertaken, it was the unpaid work that drove the issue forward. The grant money was designated to hard costs like publications and mailing. Those who researched, wrote, lobbied, networked, administered were underpaid - although no less valued - for their work. We at MAW know that it is the unpaid work of women which sustains women's and social justice organizations. Our voices cannot be heard and our input into crucial policy decisions affecting women and children in Canada cannot be effective without WP funding. MAW felt that point had to be made to Paul Martin who seems to assume this work is free and designs his Budget accordingly.

There have been times in this campaign when I have been reminded of the old saying... What if the military had to hold bake sales, and the women got the money. We can only sell so many t-shirts, mugs, buttons and fridge magnets.

AFEAS Pension Postcard Campaign

One of the most rewarding facets of the WWC Project has been working with the women of Quebec. The Association feminine d'education et d'action sociale (AFEAS) is a 20,000 woman-strong organization with local groups across Quebec. They have been working on the issue of unpaid work for some time, most notably in 1992-93 their priority dossier was women's invisible work in the home. A petition campaign launched during that time resulted in 52,000 names calling for the recognition of unpaid work which was presented to Quebec's National Assembly in 1993. AFEAS was also a sponsor of the Work is Work is Work coalition and lobbied the federal government to get the questions on unpaid work in the Census. AFEAS (like MAW) has turned its attention to policy analysis and unpaid work issues. In consultation with Quebec experts, they have researched the issue of pension changes as proposed by Paul Martin. The result of this work is a postcard campaign which includes an informational flyer and which connects pensions to unpaid work. This is a policy area that has been ignored almost two decades. The French flyer was translated into English by MAW's Esther White, who is our wonderful bi-lingual liaison and who nurtures MAW's relationship with AFEAS. You will find enclosed the English translation of the information and the card and the card itself which remains in French. MAW is officially on record as supporting the AFEAS Campaign.

I wish I could recapture that summer evening for you all. Sometimes we fear that the intensity of the work that MAW does will overshadow the fact that we are not super-women, but in fact, just like you... rocking the cradle, changing the world... and occasionally remembering to savour the moment.

Evelyn

Homebase Magazine 1997 ©

We welcome your comments and suggestions.

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E-mail: homebase@mothersarewomen.com

Mail: MAW/Homebase, P.O. Box 4104, Station E, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B1 Canada
Phone the MAW-line: 613-722-7851

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