International Women's Day Rally and Conference

Saturday, March 6, 2010
Rally from 12:00–1:00 pm at the Vancouver Art Gallery, North Plaza (West Georgia)
Conference from 1:30–5:00 pm at the Vancouver Public Library, Alice McKay Room, 350 W. Georgia

The half-day kicks off with a noon rally at the Vancouver Art Gallery where participants will be treated to live musical performances and messages of solidarity from both local and international women speakers.  The “Women’s Voices at the Table” conference follows at 1:30 pm in the Alice McKay Room of the Vancouver Public Library.  Conference attendees will discuss a wide variety of issues related to women’s rights and gender equality, culminating in proposals that local women want heeded when Canadian leaders meet with their world counterparts at the G/8 and G/20.  “We have made great strides towards gender equality here in Canada,” say conference organizers, “but there are needs yet to be met, so women want our voices heard at the table when important issues that impact us are discussed.”

Topics to be addressed at the “Women’s Voices at the Table” conference include: access to justice, labour rights, indigenous women, and climate change & food security, among others.  There will be refreshments and live music at the conference.

Click here for poster.

International Women's Day Events March 2010
Come and enjoy these series of training workshops, presented in a LGBTQ friendly space, with

A Feminist Perspective of the Indian Act - Saturday, March 6th, 2010, 10am-2pm
Womyn and Mental Health - Saturday, March 13th, 10am-2pm
Womyn and HIV - Saturday, March 20th, 10am-2pm
Anti-Racism - Saturday, March 27th, 10am-2pm

All workshops are held at Hastings Library (2674 East Hastings Street).
Click here for more information and registration form.

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Consider signing this petition supporting transgender people.

Bill C-389 - An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code (gender identity and gender expression)

If Parliament survives through the Fall then this bill may make it to debate.  Encourage members to support Bill Siksay efforts to pass this Bill into law.  Please sign and distribute copies of the petition (see link below) and return completed copies to Bill Siksay’s office.

The address is listed at the bottom of the petition.

Here is a link to the petition to Parliament supporting Bill C-389: http://action.web.ca/home/billsiksay/attach/Trans%20Petition%20Bill%20C-389.pdf

Here is a link to the text of Bill C-389:  http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Language=E&Parl=40&Ses=2&Mode=1&Pub=Bill&Doc=C-389_1

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A New Petition for 5WCW
There are new circumstances and possibilities for a UN 5th World Conference on Women. This week, a petition was launched for 5WCW. The preamble provides information and an impressive list of signatories. The petition itself says simply: We, the undersigned, call on the UN, 192 member-states & affiliated NGOs to support a 5th World Conference on Women.

To sign the petition, click on the link below and then urge your friends and organizations to also sign. Ripple effects are geometric. Makes going viral possible!