News roundup

[the_future_modernes]

LESOTHO


Has Lesotho bridged the gender gap?

( Read more... )

MOZAMBIQUE

MOZAMBIQUE Educator in the foothills of her political career

( Read more... )

BOTSWANA

BOTSWANA: Women in Politics – A House Divided… But Determined

( Read more... )

ECUADOR

ECUADOR Trees on Shaky Ground in Texaco’s Rainforest

( Read more... )

EL SALVADOR-HONDURAS

EL SALVADOR-HONDURAS Forgotten People of the Border Pact

( Read more... )

YEMEN

EWAMT:Yemeni Women in Protest

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Empowerment of Women Activists in Media Techniques -Yemen


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INDIA

Deaf seek level field on disability

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The Word on Women - Rehabilitation cuts no ice with India's sex workers\

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PANAMA

( Read more... )

A wild weekend of rebellion and repression
Three journalists among those arrested, with deportation proceedings against a La Prensa columnist:Martinelli sends in cops, lashes out at anti-mining protesters

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Preliminary report on human rights violations during the days of protest against mining reform in Panama, January to March 2011 PDF Format


Rival leaders assert claims in the Ngabe-Bugle Comarca

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US citizen remains a political prisoner in Panama:WikiLeaks highlights, worsens US-Panamanian relations



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WikiLeaks: Colombian company, subsidiary of Panamanian company, was doing Plan Colombia and US Defense Department subcontracting despite many reputed drug cartel ties

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FRANCE
 


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BRITAIN
 


No family in Britain will escape George Osbourne's cuts ( Read more... )

Diary of a disability benefit claimant ( Read more... )

'The medical was an absolute joke'

( Read more... )

Canada: The NB Advisory Council on the Status of Women is under attack

[trouble]

I have been following with dismay the decision of the government of New Brunswick (NB), a Canadian province, to dismantle the New Brunswick Advisory Council on the Status of Women (ACSW).

I have, however, not been surprised.

( Some Background )

About The Issue (from the blog for the ACSW):

During his election campaign, David Alward promised that, if elected, he would consult with the New Brunswick Advisory Council on the Status of Women. Then he released the 2011 provincial budget, which abolishes the New Brunswick Advisory Council on the Status of Women, effective April 1st.

The government is stating that the NB ACSW is going to be absorbed into the government’s existing internal Women’s Issues Branch to “eliminate overlap” and that this move is not an attempt to “water down the activities” of the organization. The government has stated that there will be no staffing reduction as a result of this move.

Of course, the Women’s Issues Branch and the ACSW do not overlap and the Women’s Issues Branch cannot simply absorb the work of the ACSW. The ACSW’s defining feature (and the reason it is so important) is that it is an arms-length agency that has the freedom to criticize the government, its policies and its decisions. By its very nature, as a government department the Women’s Issues Branch cannot act as an independent voice for the women of New Brunswick the way that the ACSW does. (There is also a staff reduction as a result of the abolition of the ACSW: two full-time staff have been offered positions with the Women’s Issues Branch while one full-time staff and a part-time contract worker have not.)

( But what does the NB ACSW actually do? (This is long, because they do a lot of things) )

( Why is this happening? )

( Okay, what can I do if I don't live in NB? )

( Where can I learn more? )

What happens next?

This Thursday, the NB Legislature (the provincial government) will debate the motion to reinstate the NB ACSW, as proposed by the opposition Liberals. Hopefully the outcry against this decision will lead to a change.

It is not too late to stand up in solidarity. I hope you will be able to do so, and add your words to those calling for the continued existence and support of the New Brunswick Advisory Council on the Status of Women.