Category: News

Here’s a confession. I have lived most of my adult life riddled with self-doubt. Sometimes, I felt barely adequate. My inner critic never shut up.

Follow this  link for the rest of the Globe and Mail article

One initiative that has captured the imagination of many Unitarians is the request to develop a woman-centred service in early March.  Last year CUUWA reported 6 such services scattered across the country. This year we met a goal of doubling the participating numbers of Congregations and Fellowships. We know of 12 services in March that had woman-centred content but we don’t know many of the details! Therefore, I’m summarizing what we do know with the hope that others might let us know of their special program.

MARCH 9 2014 Service Summary

“When women hold hands, all things are possible”

At the last AGM, the CUUWA questioned if there was a possibility of linking the Lunapad’s Afripad program with Child Haven.  It turns out Child Haven is producing low-cost sanitary napkins.  Read on!

CUUWA Child Haven’s  MVP Program for Women, located in a low-income area in Ghaziabad, is fully funded by Child Haven. It has trained some 8,000 women in tailoring over the last 10 years. These women then make and repair clothes for their families, or find employment doing tailoring for others. They come for 6 months and learn on the center’s 22 machines, some hand-cranked and some foot-treadle powered.

A year ago or so, Child Haven purchased equipment to make low-cost sanitary napkins, which the center is also now producing. Six women are trained to produce the pads, and 5 are doing the marketing. The pads are much less costly than those found in the market making them accessible to more women. The project has also offered family planning training to some 50,000 women including a focus on the value of girl children, asthe poster from their wall above shows.

Rajni, the founding coordinator of the project, found, when she first moved to the area, it had very poor services, schools water and other basic needs. So she started a women’s group to work on solving these problems.  She and Bonnie Cappucino went to government officials together, helped women get ID cards and the like and she discovered the joy of working with and helping others;

“I can make money anywhere but this work gives tremendous satisfaction, Ranji says.

(Excerpted from the Child Haven Newsletter)  www.childhaven.ca

The Government of Canada is committing resources to historical
commemorations. This started with the War of 1812 and it will peak for
Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017.

Women’s Groups are urging the Government to adequately and appropriately include
women and other historically under-represented groups, both in what
the Government and its agencies do, and what the Government funds
others to do.
Canada150.gc.ca  http://canada150.gc.ca/  is an on-line consultation
about what Canadians would like to celebrate in 2017. Please consider
circulating this list as widely as possible in your women’s networks
and community organization networks to support the participation of
women and girls.

The Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, Shelly
Glover, is also conducting roundtable community discussions.

Commemoration-related projects can be made by groups that qualify for
the following funding programmes:

·Canada Periodical Fund  http://www.pch.gc.ca/eng/1268240166828 ;

·Canada Book Fund  http://www.pch.gc.ca/eng/1268182505843  ;

·Museums Assistance Program  http://www.pch.gc.ca/eng/1268597502197 ;

·Virtual Museums of Canada Investment Programs
http://www.pch.gc.ca/eng/1267542358751 ; and,

·Exchanges Canada  http://www.exchanges.gc.ca/ .

There is also a new recognition programme, Government of Canada
History Awards  http://www.pch.gc.ca/eng/1370628938411 , which will be
administered by Canada’s History Magazine. It will honour students and
teachers who demonstrate excellence in exploring and teaching Canadian
history.

The CUUWA invites all CUC Congregations and Fellowships to dedicate all or part of their March 9 service (or one close to International Women’s Day).   Superb ideas available.

An unmistakable gender gap in political knowledge seems to be a global phenomenon.  Read this article.

Vancouver Island Women’s  Gathering – September 20-21 2013

Photos now posted.

“Dr. Morgentaler changed the legal landscape in Canada, and eventually led to the 1988 landmark Supreme Court of Canada decision that gave women the right to obtain abortion care,” said Vicki Saporta, president of the National Abortion Federation.

“Dr. Morgentaler was a legend, a hero, and a national treasure in both our countries, and we will miss him dearly.”

The  Pink Tea and CUUWA AGM were a great success.   See Photos and details.

On International Women’s Day, March 8, 2013 UN Women launched “One Woman: A song for UN Women“, a musical celebration of women worldwide, featuring more than 20 artists from across the globe.