President's Message

CONSULTATIONS' 83, October 31-November 2, brought together representatives from over 60 national women's groups in Ottawa for information sessions with Status of Women Canada and the Advisory Council on the Status of Women. As part of these meetings, representatives of 18 groups funded by Secretary of State continued to press for immediate resolution of the problems concerning the level of funding and funding procedures which had already been the subject of discussions with the Honorable Serge Joyal and the Honorable Judy Erola last June. If women's groups are to play the active role we were asked to undertake during the sessions of Consultations, a more rational funding base must be established to better reflect the relevance and importance of women's contribution.

Women's collective power comes from applying the our acquired knowledge, logic, practicality, and endurance and realizing how effective we can be. We are moving swiftly towards 1985. What will Canadian women have achieved by the end of the Decade for Women? As preparations for the Conference in Nairobi get under way, now is the time to monitor and participate in government actions at provincial, federal, and territorial levels.

Section 15 of the Canadian Constitution - the one about the equality of women - comes into effect April 17, 1985. This delay was to give the province time to make their laws non-discriminatory. To date no province has reached a state of preparedness and the quality of provincial audits should be questioned.

The future of our Medicare program is a particular concern to women. There is a need to work to preserve and strengthen our health care system in the Canadian Health Act.

In our efforts to improve the status of women, CCLOW has continued to call attention to the need for education and training for women to achieve economic independence. We have submitted briefs to the Commission of Inquiry on Equality in Employment, and the Royal Commission on the Economic Union and Development Prospects for Canada - the Macdonald Commission. We have also been active participants in the National Workshop on Skill Development Leave, October 26-28. Education remains the central issue related to the realization of women's full participation in the social, political, and economic life of our society. What role will the broad education system play in furthering women's learning? We look forward to a full discussion of these issues at our up-coming Conference next August: The Learning Connection: Women's Learning in Theory and Practice.

Sincerely,