President's Message

The time is right

One hundred years ago, as Margaret Gillett points out in her description of the entry of women into McGill University, the time was right.

In 1984, the time is also right. Not since the fights for suffrage have the concerns of women been such important factors in an election. As I write this, in July, the election is still six weeks away, but just today, the Prime Minister agreed to the National Action Committee's request for a debate on women's issues with the two other leaders. The women of Canada have shown as we did during the Constitution debate, that we will not permit government to ignore or belittle us.

As you read this, the CCLOW conference, EDUCATING FOR CHANGE: WOMEN IN THE NEXT DECADE, is being held. The conference is intended to celebrate the intellect, resourcefulness, creativity, energy, eloquence, foresight, strength, and joy of women. It will be up to us to use those capabilities to ensure that the gains we have made will continue.

As WOMEN'S EDUCATION DES FEMMES starts its third year of publication; we join' the women of McGill University and the University of Toronto in celebrating an important milestone so that we may remember the struggle of those few women who, 100 years ago, were permitted access to an elite educational system.

We have come a long way in 100 years, but not far enough, as Paula De Coito's article on adult basic education demonstrates. Projects such as Claudie Solar describes are part of the process of helping all women to gain access to the learning they need to improve their economic situations and to join us in helping the decision makers in the public and private sectors understand that women will accept no less than equality. The time is right!

Sincerely,