MARSTON CALLS ON HARPER’S CONSERVATIVE’S TO STOP IGNORING WOMEN’S EQUALITY

NDP Human Rights Critic reflects on International Women’s Day

The NDP’s Human Rights Critic, Wayne Marston, MP (Hamilton East-Stoney Creek) called on Harper’s Conservatives to close the economic, social, political and cultural gaps between men and women as people around the world mark International Women’s Day.

“Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Josée Verner, the Minister for the Status of Women, would like us to believe that women are now living in a situation of equality with men,” said Wayne Marston, MP for Hamilton East –Stoney Creek and the NDP Critic for Human Rights. “Unfortunately the facts just don’t back them up. The Conservatives are trying to silence Canadian women. We are moving backwards rather than forwards. Instead of promoting women’s equality in Canada, the Conservative government is abandoning its obligation to 52% of the population.”

Today women earn only 71 per cent of what their male counterparts earn; a majority of minimum wage workers and part-time workers in Canada are women. Women remain the primary caregivers of children and increasingly also of elderly and dependent relatives who have nowhere else to turn because of cutbacks to homecare programs. Women are still six times more likely to be victims of domestic violence; and despite making up over 50 per cent of the population, women occupy only 21 per cent of the seats in the House of Commons.

“It should come as no surprise that the Conservatives are uninterested in women’s equality. They certainly haven’t done any work within their party to fight for equality. In the last election only 10 per cent of their candidates across the country were women. As a result, only 14 members of the government’s caucus are women, out of a total of 124. This year the focus for International Women’s Day, Strong Women, Strong World, makes clear that when women are empowered we secure a brighter future for everyone. Sadly, the Canadian government is doing nothing to accomplish this.” said Marston.

Previous Liberal governments’ record on women’s equality is just as lackluster. Despite successive majority governments and over 63 billion dollars in surpluses, Liberals failed to deliver on their promises and among other moves, drastically reduced eligibility for women’s eligibility for Employment Insurance.

“The NDP caucus has the highest percentage of women at 41%. Our caucus as a whole is dedicated to improving this record and working together to get results for Canadian women.”