STATUS OF WOMEN

JOURNAL
Happy International Women's Day!
Perhaps, this year, our March 8 celebrations
will be joined by the spirits of the women we
honor: the women who marched to protest the
working conditions in the New York garment
industry, enraged by the deaths of 128 women
in a fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory.
Those who died and those who marched were
women trapped by economic, social, and
political circumstances.
Some items in the journal will
cause you to wonder if
there have been
victories in

the struggle for women’s equality. As you read
of our participation in that struggle, I hope
you see the courage of women and the power
that results from our unity and diversity.
Whether we choose to celebrate Inter­
national Women’s Day by inviting a prominent
woman to sneak, by viewing videos, by writing
articles for local teacher news­
letters, or by discussing the
significance of the day with
students, we are honoring
all women for whom the
struggle continues.

FEBRUARY
1992
Co-ordinator: Phyllis Westhora
B.C. Teachers' Federation, 2235 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6J 3H9
(604) 731-8121 or 1-800-663-9163

International
Women's
Day

International Women’s Day, March 8
“International Women’s Day is the one day in the year when

women around the world reflect on their struggles and their

successes to achieve equality... Since 1908, women have
used this day to meet, demonstrate, celebrate, and to

organize to bring about the goals of International Women’s
Year of 1975: equality between men and women, integration
of women into economic development, and to the promotion

of peace. ”

- Rosemary Brown

Classroom Activities
Jill Shannon

List what students may want
to be when they grow up.
Through discussion, have
students suggest the occupa­
tions and professions that
they feel only males or
females may pursue. Discuss
the reasons they feel (he way
they do. Are (hey influenced
by the media, by their par­
ents, or by their peers?

some of the students come
to the classroom to provide
further information.

Have students conduct an
interview/survey of students,
their mothers, and grand­
mothers. Have students note
how the lifestyles of women
have changed since 1908.
Have students use a variety
of media in presenting the
results: painting, drawing,
photography, sculpture. Have
mothers or grandmothers of

Have a colleague visit your
classroom informally to note
the number of times during
a lesson you respond, either
in questioning or answering,
to the males or females.

2

Have the students chart the
household Jobs carried out
in their homes. Have them
decide whether (he Jobs are
done on an equitable basis.
If not. discuss how the Jobs
could be shared.

Using magazines, have stu­
dents cut out pictures, im­
ages, and words that influence
the appearance of a woman.

These could be mounted on a
chart and questioned as to
the dollars spent on beauty
styles, and cosmetics.
Have students list famous
women or the Influential
women in their lives. Encour­
age them to discuss them char­
acteristics that make these
women important (determin­
ation, strength, patience,
intelligence, etc.) to them.
Have students write a brief
story about one woman. Per­
haps the composition could
be done as a letter.

Ask students to collect all
items about females in the
newspapers or magazines for
a particular week. Discuss the
headlines referring to women.

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

the issues for which women
make the news, the tone of
the articles (serious, humor­
ous, etc.). Then collect arti­
cles about men; categorize
them (sports, humor, social
comment, etc.). This could be
a school-wide project with
articles and pictures mounted
in hallways. Encourage other
teachers on staff to have stu­
dents compare and contrast
the treatment of the themes
common to men and women.
Have students read tradi­
tional fairy tales and com­
ment on the roles of the
males and the females. Re­
write a fairly tale to represent
a non-sexist theme. Present
the new version as a play for
a younger audience. The Paper
Bag Princess may be a good
opening for discussion.

Invite positive female role
models to a panel discussion
for your students. A panel
member may reveal why she
was interested in the profes­
sion, obstacles she had to
overcome to reach her posi­

tion, her family’s attitude to
her career, along with prob­
lems or special strengths she
may have had, what she en­
joys about her job, etc.
Hold a debate. Possible topics:
•Boys should have more
time on the computers in
the school.
•Math and science courses
are more important for girls
than for boys.
•Sexist jokes (for example: the
blond jokes) are humorous
and not harmful.

Teach the song, “Bread and
Roses.” Discuss the meaning
of the song (bread represents
the struggle for economic
security; roses represent a
better life). In 1912, James
Oppenheim was inspired to
write “Bread and Roses” to
commemorate the struggle of
women in the textile industry
in Lawrence, Massachusetts.
Invite a woman from another
country to your classroom.
Share and talk about the
similarities and differences

of a woman’s role in various
countries.

Have students design a Tshirt or a quilt with fabric
crayons. Display in the main
hall of the school.
Encourage your school li­
brarian to display a number
of books that portray females
in non-traditional roles. Per­
haps a bulletin board in
the library could focus on
the theme of International
Women’s Day.

Have your local status of
women contact book a work­
shop for your district. The
new workshop “Here Today!
Where Tomorrow?” has been
developed especially for young
female students. Through the
workshop, female students
will recognize and identify
influences in society and the
education system, and will
develop strategies to make
informed decisions to reach
their goal.

Celebrate and enjoy.

Drawings from primary students at Glenlake Elementary School in Sooke.

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

3

Reflections

Healing the Earth
tories from the four

S

Canada and the United States
comers of the earth
shared this view with women
supplied the working basis
from Mexico, South America,
of the three-day conference,
Africa, India, China, and
“Healing the Earth,” spon­
Indonesia: exploitation for
sored by the United Nations
economic gain by first world
and held at the University of
powers must stop. Together
British Columbia
May 17 to 20,
1991. Most par­
ticipants were
women. Together
they made rec­
ommendations
that will be taken
to the United
Nations “Con­
ference on the
Environment and
Development,” in
Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil, June 1 to
12, 1992. It will
be the first ever
Earth Summit.
Women want a
say in what is
happening to the
environment.
Our society no
longer respects
Mother Earth as
did the indig­
enous peoples;
we regard our
environment as
a supplier of
resources
for
economic gain.
Nature once was
respected and
“GREEN EARTH”- Sarah. Watson
nurtured. Life
was seen as a coil, represent­
we must begin the healing
ing a social order throughout
process.
time, each part respecting
The conference began with
the value of all other parts,
a circle of indigenous people
and all maintained by spiri­
and during the three days the
tual principles, so as to grow
circle format enhanced com­
in harmony.
munication and promoted
First Nations women of
discussion of the healing

4

strategies. The women elders
validated the belief that
women collectively can bring
about change.
The ability of all women to
feed their children depends
on the the health of the earth.
Chandra Kirana
spoke of the socalled green rev­
olution in her
country, Indo­
nesia: soldiers
dressed in green
come and pull out
the plants. The
people are then
forced to buy pat­
ented, hybridized
seeds which have
only short-term
genetic stability
and require firstworld pesticides
and fertilizers to
grow. Thus local
agricultural auto­
nomy is effective­
ly replaced by
dependency on
multi-national
companies.
Sharon Rempal,
of Keremeos, B.C.,
echoed concern
for preservation of
indigenous seeds.
She further under­
lined the need to
protect “heritage
seeds" those sus
tainable In low
fertility soil without added
chemicals and whose genetic
qualities will not degenerate.
We must heroine aware of the
danger of passing legislation
such as Bill C -15 which will
allow seed companies to hyhrldl/e and patent seeds and

Status of Women Journal February 1992

therefore make us all depend­
ent on repurchasing seeds
each year.
Theresa Aloo, of Kenya, said
that women are the agri­
cultural labour force. They
constantly face problems of
erosion and infertile soils, the
cause of which is destruction
of the land for industry. Cash
crops of coffee, tea, sugar,
and tobacco for first-world
consumption have priority
over local agriculture. Such
crops lead to economic de­
pendence on multi-nationals
and leave little land on which
the local people can grow their
own food.
Chief Violet Pachano, of
the Cree Nation, spoke of the
struggle of the indigenous
people to save their ancestral
lands from destruction. She
opposes the James Bay hydro
development. Not only has
“James Bay 1” destroyed the
environment and the lifestyle
of her people, but the actual
power being generated is
being sold below cost and
mostly to the United States.
The entire eco-system of
northern Quebec is being
destroyed in the name of
progress.
Biram Stage, of the
Marshall Islands, provided
the story of her people and
their environment. Many have
praised the effectiveness of
such weapons as patriot mis­
siles, but, she reminded us,
much of their development
was at the expense of her
country. U.S. nuclear and
military testing in the
Marshall Islands produced a
high incidence of birth de­
fects and thyroid cancer. And
since the Marshall Islands
depend on U.S. money for
education, they are a dump
for toxic waste.

Feminist theologian Eliz­
abeth Dodson Gray, author
of Green Paradise Lost and
Patriarchy as a Conceptual
Trap, cites the set-up of
society as a patriarchal sys­
tem for the problems we face
today. “Ultimately, the prob­
lem of patriarchy is concep­
tual. The problem which
patriarchy poses for the
human species is not simply
that it oppresses women.
Patriarchy has erroneously
conceptualized and mythed
‘Man’s place’ in the universe
and thus—by the illusion of
dominion that it legitimates—
it endangers the entire
planet.”
The world is divided into
those who have access to
technology and those who do
not. Technology works for the
benefit of the minority, which
justifies its decisions in the
name of progress. As a result
of this attitude, we have an

international environmental
crisis. Disasters are no longer
national. Chernobyl recog­
nized no political borders. The
ozone belongs to us all. Our
collective survival depends on
co-operation rather than on
consumerism and aggression.
Women are now demanding a
voice in the movement to heal
the earth.
We must all take responsi­
bility to combat militarism
and colonialism, and to pro­
mote gender equality, local
agricultural practices, and
equality of education. Mother
Earth provides and, in return,
she must be renewed and re­
vered. We cannot continue to
take from tomorrow what we
think we need for today.
Kathy Gole
North Vancouver
Teachers’ Association
Status of Women
Committee, June 1991

Voices of Hope
t the peace rally yes-

A

ence. This distinctive female
. terday in Vancouver,
viewpoint, derived from a dif­
ferent
set of values, is a criti­
I thought of Ingibjorg in Rey
­
cal force in helping to steer
kjavik. Perhaps she too was
the course of human society
on the streets calling for
in a safer direction.
world leaders to hear the
The aim of women in the
cries of the people.
Thoughts of her summoned
alliance is “to change society”
and to “put respect for life
hope. When I spoke with
Ingibjorg last August, she
and shared responsibility as
its first priority.” They take
explained that “politics is
a stand on all major issues
not something only experts
affecting everyday life. Their
can do.” A member of the
goals are stated, simply
Women’s Alliance political
and directly, in the “Policy
party in Iceland, Ingibjorg is
one of many Icelandic women
Statement 1987.” Policies are
decided through long and
who believe that women have
thorough discussions at meet­
a unique perspective that
ings, which any woman may
comes from their cultural
attend and participate in as
separateness, their different
she wishes. The alliance bebiological and social experi-

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

5

lieves that women everywhere
need to share their experience
and to help each other move
out of their often entrenched
inferior position in society.
Women in all parts of the world
have more in common than
what separates them.
Alliance women learn and
work together in a non-hierarchical structure. Decision
is by consensus. The alliance
rejects the notion of power
and authority over others.
There is no leader, no special
power settled in the hands of
a few. MPs are limited to
two four-year terms in the
Althing, the Icelandic parlia­
ment. Having no taste for
power or glory, these women
can focus their attention on
their work to make people’s
lives better.
They oppose militarism
and “the use of force.” They
stand in solidarity with
people everywhere who work
for peace with equality and
justice. Icelanders know
where these women stand.
They have heard their voices
in the streets.
Perhaps that’s why I
thought of Ingibjorg yester­
day as I stood by the foun­
tain. Last summer when I
asked if the alliance still felt
that the future lay in the
hands of women, Ingibjorg
replied, “It’s our only hope.”
If not the only hope,
this may be the best hope
for those oppressed people
who now face only a choice
of deaths—starvation under
their dictators or bombard­
ment by their liberators.
At the rally yesterday, our
voices cried out with voices
around the world.
Agnes Stewart, Past Status
of Women Committee
Member, Surrey

6

Everything You Wanted
To Know About The
West Coast Trail But
Were Afraid To Ask or
Recipe for Survival
he West Coast Trail

T

hard to take your contacts
(WCT) is a 75 km hike
out in the dark!)
on the west coast ofVancouver2-3 rolls of biodegradable
Island between Bamfield and
toilet paper
Port Renfrew. It can take from
50 water purifying tablets
four to 10 days to complete,
(if you forget these, double up
depending on your hiking
on the tp!)
speed and the weather.
1-50 ml bottle of Pepper­
Last May, at the Status of
mint Foot Lotion from the
Women Zone Meeting, a group
Body Shop (your feet and tent
mate will thank you!)
of hardy feminists banded
together after attending a
1 lightweight shovel (Oh!
workshop on setting goals;
for an outhouse!)
our goal became the West
Mirror (Oops! Never mind,
Coast Trail. Group prepara­
you don’t need it!)
tions began with 10 members
1 WCT map ($5-6 at the
and dwindled to five: Lorrie
info, hut at the trailhead)
Williams (New Westminster),
2 books (WCT Sierra Club
Cheryl Douglas (Surrey),
Blisters; Bliss)
Louise Paulsen (New West­
Tide tables (“What do you
minster), Natascha Proctor
mean I have to swim?!!” avail­
(Maple Ridge) and Jecka
able at the trailhead)
Meertens (a friend from Vic­
1 set of usual camping­
toria). Our numbers may have
hikinggear (i.e., sleeping bag,
shrunk, but our enthusiasm
stove, tent, etc.)
had not!
2 sets of clothing (lots
The following is our recipe
of raingear—and we mean
for surviving the WCT:
waterproof!?)
5 packs of Mole Skin (no
15 lbs of food (you can
exaggeration—you’ll need it
cany 35 lbs but you’ll never
all!)
feel the same!)
8 Magic Pantry vacuum
2 packages of Fire Starter
(wet wood & cold hands need
packed meals (heavy but well
help!)
worth it!)
1 bottle West Coast Com­
8 days’ worth of treats (we
recommend Snickers, Skor,
fort (aka Southern Comfort—
heavy, but worth it!)
Purdy’s Peanut Buller Bars,
1 pair of gaiters (love that
Kaluha, and hot chocolate)
mud!)
50 feet of rope (“How far up
Add all these Ingredients
did you say we had to climb?!”)
to one pack (Yes, we did say
one pack!) Weigh, II you have
1 set of extra batteries (It’s
Status of Women Journal, February 1992

more than 1/3 your body
weight, take out the food!
Mount pack on one brave
feminist. Add sturdy, water­
proofed boots. Blend in four
other enthusiastic but un­
suspecting women. Place on
trail. Pray for sun. Use the
concensus model for decision
making (will we or won’t we
try to cross the surge channel
before high tide?) Maintain
your sense of humor. Ensure
that some kind soul without
a sense of smell picks you up
at the other end.
For the five of us, hiking
the West Coast Trail was fem­
inism at its best. The quali­
ties that we value—independ­
ence, courage, collaboration,
and caring—thrived in such
an atmosphere.
Here’s to choosing your
battles and planning to win!
By Cheryl Douglas
and Natascha Proctor

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

7

Quilt
The hate imprisoned inside me
Gnaws at more than my flesh and brain.
It slaughters my senses,
Until I’m abandoned—
Blind and deaf to reason.
I’ve never seen the miserable face of Quilt,
I’ve glimpsed only Its intimidating silhouette
On every covert, shadowed street corner
And conjured memories of It
Pursuing me and stalking—
Always stalking me,
Its hunger is insatiable.
A collection of writing by Burnaby students |

Soulstorm
there are stormclouds in
your troubled eyes
in your calm face
I can see that waves are turning
into breakers
under the surface
under the deafening thunder
you don’t hear my questions
the quick flashes of lightning
are brushing the tops of ships at sea
when your back is turned
but I feel the sparks
in the calm before the storm
I seek the shore
and watch for drift wood
and shipwrecked sailors

I’ve burnt out each fateful candle,
Banished every selfish wish,
And I’ve held by breath in
For so long that I can’t breathe.
I don’t reach for fantasies any longer;
I only move to nightmares
And every nightmare showcases
A phantom in it called Quilt.

I’m exhausted.
I’m weary of seeking desperately
For unfamiliar hiding places.
I’ve crawled and crouched
In so many positions that
It forces me to realize something:
This is my own sacrifice, my own chase,
and my own murder.
This realization makes me feel
As indecent as
Quilt itself.
Shirley Wong
Burnaby North Secondary

Shannon A. M. Smith
Burnaby North Secondary

8

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

To Be, Or Not To Be
I’m in love. Oh, I’m in love!

It’s surely plain to see,
So why do people have to push

“To be, or not to be?”

They’re all expecting me to take

Sacred Words

Advice to hold me steady,

From some old morbid poet-dude
Who’s decomposed already!

Eternity, he vows
with a smile
flashing a diamond

Oh, I don’t want to die or sleep!

I don’t have any trouble!
...... ..... .. ...

So why are all these cautious jerks

just set to burst my bubble?
Ignoring problems. What a joke!

It’s really stupid, too,

To think that griefs will go away,
that's not what I would do.
What if mylover left me
clothes or home?

Final, she says
with a rubber stamp
as she wraps your purchase
Always she pledges
with a hand on the Bible
as she bows her head

Forever, he states
with a bang of his gavel
and a rustling gown

and rewrite take my pen out

and rewrite this stupid poem!
9
■

Kari Maaren
Moscrop-Secondary

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

Of course, I respond
with a faked smile
as I cross my fingers behind me,
Sara Pitman
Cariboo Hill Secondary

9

Past Strength
Future Action

The 1991 Status of Women
Contacts' Training Conference
Past Strength — Future
Action” was the theme
of this year’s training con­
ference held at the Pacific
Palisades Hotel in Vancouver.
About 70 delegates attended,
for the most part, the dele­
gates were chairpersons of
local union Status of Women
Committees.
Registration took place on
the evening of October 24.
Book store displays and videos
were available for viewing
in the registration area and
delegates had an opportunity
to try line dancing, as well.
Wendy Matsubuchi, provin­
cial committee member, held
an early-morning exercise
session each morning.
The conference opened
Friday morning, October 25,
with a breakfast and a plenary
session. Ray Worley, first vicepresident of the BCTF, wel­
comed the delegates. Celia
Haig-Brown gave the Keynote
Address, “Women in History”
(a synopsis of her remarks
follows this article).
Zone meetings took up the
rest of the morning. Delegates
were given the opportunity to
share ideas and to become
informed about the Status of
Women Program.
Delegates attended work­
shops during the afternoon:
Women and Aging, Choosing
Your Battles, Reproductive
Choice, Implementing a Fem­
inist Agenda, Women Archi­
tects, and Self-Defence for
Girls.
In the evening, many del­
egates dined at one of the
many ethnic restaurants in
10

the area. Jean Chan, one
of the provincial committee
members, organized a sign­
up and handled the reser­
vations.
Saturday’s breakfast was
followed by another series of
workshops: Financial Plan­
ning for Women, Detecting
Sexism, Bargaining Women’s
Issues, National Action Com­
mittee, Pensions and Women,
Vancouver Society on Im­
migrant Women, Aboriginal
Women, and Legal Education
Action Fund.
During lunch Saturday,
Lorrie Williams, provincial
committee member, unveiled
The Quilt. Every woman who
has served on the Provincial
Status of Women Committee
is completing a quilt square
bearing her name and years
of service. The squares will
form a quilt, and the quilt will
be displayed in the BCTF
office. Completion of the quilt
is scheduled for spring 1992.
After the luncheon, a panel,
Gale Tyler, Christine Mickelwright, and Kathy Parker,
discussed labour affiliation.
A question period followed.
A number of different is­
sues were discussed in small
groups. When the groups re­
convened, brief reports were
given.
During closure, delegates
shared impressions of the
conference; Kathleen Mac­
Kinnon, provincial committee
member, read the poem “I
Shall Wear Purple;” and,
finally, all present Joined in
singing “Bread and Roses.”
We thank Phyllis Westhora,

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

BCTF administrative staff,
and Debbie Omand, BCTF
support staff, for the organi­
zational work they did to
make the conference such a
great success.
Margaret Reiss,
Provincial Status of
Women Committee
Member, Cranbrook

From the speech to the
Status of Women Conference
by Ray Worley, BCTF first vicepresident, October 25, 1991
It was the best of times; it
was the worst of times.”

Less Pain For More People*
Celia Haig-Brown

“If
If we are really to cause
less pain for more people,
we can begin by acknowl­
edging the diversity of our
oppressions.” That was one
of the remarks Ceila HaigBrown made closing her key­
note address, “Past Strengths
—Future Challenges” at the
Provincial Status of Women
Contacts’ Training Confer­
ence in Vancouver, October
25-26, 1991. Dr. Haig-Brown,
a faculty member at SFU,
helped the gender-equity
course offered last summer
as a tri-university course
initiated by the Ministry of
Education’s Gender Equity
Committee. She recently com­
pleted her doctoral work on
First Nations issues.
Haig-Brown began her ad­
dress by acknowledging the
women behind the formation
of the Status of Women Com­
mittee of the BCTF, who at
the AGM in 1973 introduced
the resolution for its creation.
She said that despite the
limits placed throughout his­
tory on women, “there have
always been some who have
actively worked to improve
their lives, the lives of others
and to make change.”
Haig-Brown challenged par­
ticipants to consider that
“Gender equity is more than a

numbers game. It is work tied
inextricably to feminism...”
Gender equity could reduce
feminist projects to the num­
ber games (of percentages and
statistics) and “it can be a
retrogressive move that forces
us first to critique the limita­
tions of gender equity before
we can move on to the real
work of working for justice for
women.”
Haig-Brown suggested strat­
egies to the Status of Women
Committee: focus on anti­
essentialism—the intersection
of race, class, physical and
mental challenges and sexual
orientation with gender com­
plicate any action in which
we engage. She cautioned us
to recognize that “we are not
all women together. We are
different from one another”
and we must learn to “talk
across the differences, never
to deny their existence.”
“Develop coalitions to do seri­
ous work together and find
ways to cause as little pain to
as few people as possible,”
said Haig-Brown.
Linda Sands
Status of Women
Contact, Cowichan
* Much of the substance of this paper was
developed in discussion with my colleagues,
Dr. Mary Bryson at UBC and Dr. Suzanne
de Castell at SFU. I am grateful for this.

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

That came to mind as I consid­
ered the social climate today
and measured it against the
goals of the BCTF’s Status of
Women Program: the elimina­
tion of sexism, discrimination
and violence against women
and the achievement of gen­
der equity for all who partic­
ipate in the education system
of B.C.
My first thoughts dwelt on
recent events and incidents
that suggest this is the worst
of times:
• The massacre inTexas, with
its sinister echoes of the trag­
edy in Montreal two years
ago.
•The spectacle of the Clar­
ence Thomas hearings and
the reactions of many to the
testimony of Anita Hill. Some
claimed that the hearings
served a useful purpose in
raising consciousness about
sexual harassment in the
workplace. A cartoon in the
Vancouver Sun at the begin­
ning of the week suggested
how shallow that claim was.
A personnel officer is inter­
viewing an applicant for a
position. He says “That cov­
ers the questions we normally
ask prospective hires. And
now just one more: Will you
be my valentine?'
•The behavior and language
of MPs in parliament in Ottawa.
•The savage responses to a
rational observation that
the national anthem is ex­
clusionary when it suggests
that only sons are capable of
love of country.
11

•The denial in Vernon, my
adopted home town, by the
hospital board, of a women’s
right to choice.
You’re all familiar with the
ad claiming that women have
come a long way. It’s evident
that however far that is, it’s
not far enough, and that
society has a very long way to
go.
I won’t suggest that this is
the best of times, but there is
some evidence of change re­
flecting gradual progress to­
ward the aims of the Status of
Women Program.
Consider the lot of the
female teacher in 1915.

»

To keep the school room
neat and clean, you must
sweep the floor at least
once daily, scrub thefloor
at least once a week with
hot, soapy water, clean the
blackboards at least once
a day, and start thefire at
7:00 a.m. so the room will
be warm by 8:00 a.m.
You must be home be­
tween the hours of 8:00
p.m. and 6:00 a.m. unless
attending a school func­
tion. You will not marry
during the term of your
contract. You are not to
keep company with men.
You may not travel beyond
the city limits unless you
have the permission of the
chairman of the board. You
may not dress in bright
colors. You may not loiter
—
downtown in
ice cream
stores.
You may
not smoke
'cigarettes. "

12

Such absurdities are now
behind us, and so, too, will
today’s strictures and con­
ventions become absurdities
to our grand-daughters.
When the Status of Women
Program was established in
1973, it set out to improve the
status of women in the gov­
ernment of the BCTF.
Incremental progress to­
ward that goal is reflected in
the increasing numbers of
women who are bargaining
chairpersons, presidents of
local associations, and mem­
bers of local and federation
committees. Currently 6 of
the 11 members of the BCTF
executive are women.
The latest School Act in
B.C., in 1989, was written
in inclusionary language—
largely at the insistence of
the BCTF. The next step is to
win universal acceptance of
the terminology. Most re­
porters haven’t yet caught on
that the Act now refers to
school board chairpersons.
Some chairpersons haven’t
caught on yet either! In time,
acceptance will grow however,
and usage will come to reflect
the principles of inclusionary
language.
The recent change of gov­
ernment in B.C. has also
meant progress toward gen­
der equity. In 1986, the gov­
erning party came to power
with 48 MLAs, of whom four
were women—8%. Today’s
new government of 51 MLAs
includes 16 women—32%, a
four-fold increase. There is
even talk of gender equity in
cabinet posts. A far cry from
the day when Mrs. Johnston
observed on the appointment
of a second women to Cabinet,
that now there would be two
of them to serve coffee.
The platform of this new

government includes the
establishment of a Women’s
Equality Ministry, affirma­
tive action programs in the
public service, pay equity
programs, freedom of repro­
ductive choice and support
for victims of violence.
We can look forward with
some expectation to a new
climate for education in the
province; a climate more con­
ducive to the goals of the
Status of Women Program.
The recent Ministry of Edu­
cation program of grants for
gender equity projects is
an encouraging indication of
the possibilities in an im­
proved climate. Many of you
and your colleagues worked
hard to bring about that
change over these past four
weeks.
Another celebration is, of
course, our marking the
75 th anniversary of the
BCTF. Several of the presen­
tations at this conference
and the unveiling of the quilt
on Saturday demonstrate
the links between the original
three goals of the BCTF and
the work of the Status of
Women Program. Through
your efforts as status of
women contacts, you will be
improving public education
in B.C., raising the status of
the teaching profession and
promoting the welfare of
teachers—the original objec­
tives of the BCTF.
Some of the current activ­
ities of the Status of Women
Committee demonstrate that
the action is also here and
now. The Subcommittee on
Violence Against Women is
developing a brief for submis­
sion to the government and
curriculum materials. You will
be completing a questionnaire
to help with that work.

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

The slogan for this fall was
“Teachers Make a Difference.”
Through your participation
in this conference and your

work in your locals, you will
be helping to make a differ­
ence for your colleagues and
the students you teach.

No. On Affiliation
he upcoming referen­

ous. Just what would we
dum on whether or not
learn? Until we have built
a strong democratic union
to affiliate with labour has
with a high degree of union
given me cause to reflect on a
consciousness in the mem­
variety of feelings and polit­
bership, the likelihood of
ical perspectives some of
being subsumed is strong.
which have caused me inner
The potential for us to set
conflict. As a socialist femi­
our own agendas, describe
nist, I see a political dichot­
and carry out our own ac­
omy, which is not new to me,
tions, and establish our own
but it makes the referendum
policies, would be in jeopardy
difficult for me. After much
with formal affiliation.
soul searching and analysis
I don’t trust the B.C.
I, with some regrets, have
Federation of Labour’s com­
chosen to vote No. My deci­
sion has to do with existing
mitment to grassroots democ­
racy. The Solidarity experi­
power relations, identity, and
ence is still fresh in my
readiness, not with any phil­
osophical opposition to join­
memory when, as a BCTF
ing a labour central.
staffer, I was told to tell the
Our union is new. Many of
members in the North Coast
zone to come in off the picket
our members are reluctant
line. I was given no reason for
members, who have little or
ending the strike. We had no
no allegiance to the union at
control over the outcome.
this time. They did not de­
mand union status from the
Teachers were politically sold
government. Vander Zalm
down the river by the fed.
Activists will remember the
made a mistake by providing
1990 BCTF AGM—we were in
an option so unpalatable
the midst of our internal de­
that only the most conserva­
bate about our response to
tive members could support
Bill 82—when our guest, Ken
it. Despite the sign-up, we
still have a low level of union
Georgetti, admonished us that
we would be stupid to act out
consciousness. We are still in
transition from the old way of
against the bill. Remember
functioning under the School
the nurses’ strike? Nurses had
been presented with an offer
Act to the new way of func­
and before the nurses could
tioning as a bona-fide union.
present the offer to their
I believe that we do not yet
membership, Ken Georgetti
know who we are or what we
was on the news telling
want to be.
nurses they should accept it.
Some people argue that
To counter his influence, two
the best way for our members
activist nurses used their
to learn is to affiliate now. I
think that would be dangerholiday time to travel the

T

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

province building support for
a No vote.
I would have to be con­
vinced that the fed would not
be interfering in what should
be our own members’ deci­
sions and would be commit­
ted to democratic grassroots
decision making. Some of my
friends tell me that if we
joined, we could influence
the fed to make changes in
keeping with our goals. We
are still developing our own
identity and are much more
likely to be influenced by
the fed than the fed to be
influenced by us.
Strictly speaking, as a
feminist, I believe we must
work within our own union
for empowerment of women
teachers. We need to work to
end what is still an incredibly
patriarchal system. Changes
in our members’ conscious­
ness, in processes, in gender
equity are still required. When
people say we should Join
the fed so that we can have
our feminist influence on an
organization that is predomi­
nantly male, I say we should
first put our energy into
changing our own organiza­
tion, which is predominantly
female, to be representative
of its members and their
issues.
I’ve decided that joining
the fed is akin to marrying.
Feminists know the only way
for women to protect them­
selves within the institution
of marriage is to have a strong
self identity before entering
it. If a women marries before
she knows herself well and
understands what she wants
out of the relationship, her
needs will not be met, and she
will give way to the will of the
man.
Gale Tyler

13

Labour Affiliation
SOME ANSWERS
Questions asked of a labour
affiliation panel at the Status
of Women Conference in
October 1991.

What is a labour
central?

The Canadian Labour Con­
gress (CLC) is a group of
unions affiliated for various
reasons. A labour central is
not a union in itself. It’s a
formalized group of unions
that have come together and
established a constitution and
a decision-making procedure.
It lobbies the federal govern­
ment on a variety of issues of
concern to the affiliates. The
CLC has lobbied government
officials about free trade, the
environment, pay equity for
women, and reproductive
technology. The CLC will con­
tinue to push for social and
environmental improvements
in this country during this
decade.

What about the
solidarity strike of
November 1983?
Could it happen again?
Some teachers claim we were
“sold down the river” by the
labour movement in 1983,
that Jack Munro made a deal
that resulted in teachers’
being the only group that
felt the pain of being on the
picket line. Local by local, we
were being served with in­
junctions that would have
forced us back to work, but
that did not ameliorate that
negative feeling.
Operation Solidarity was an
14

ad hoc group that came to­
gether under great pressure.
The group had no constitu­
tion, no policy, no guidelines;
as a result it had no clearcut
method of decision making.
What we actually achieved
as a result of that strike is
often forgotten. We gained
seniority rights, which had
been lost the previous sum­
mer, when Section 153 was
removed from the School Act.
Many teachers had been fired
in the fall of 1983 because of
budget cuts. Some of those
fired had 30 years experience,
and some were local associa­
tion presidents.
The midnight negotiations
that ended the Operation
Solidarity strike gave us the
strong seniority provisions
we still have in our collective
agreements. In the end, all
those who were laid off got
their jobs back.

Why can’t we
continue to work
with labour as we
have in the past?
How can we, in good con­
science, continue to say to
labour, “While we want to
work with you and want your
support, particularly when
the going gets tough, we won’t
join you? We will miss the
opportunities of full partner­
ship. We will miss the oppor­
tunity to develop a structure
that would enhance our in­
fluence on policy making. We
have the same employer as
many other unions, and as a
result, we need to co-ordinate
activities.

Since we now bargain under
the same legislation as other
unions, we will have to work
with other unions to alter the
legal framework under which
we have to negotiate. A labour
central is in the best position
to offer advice to the govern­
ment; whereas we aren’t.
What is the relation­
ship between
teacher feminists and
feminists within the
labour movement?
Many of our teacher feminists
and activists fear that we will
be taking a step backwards if
we affiliate with the labour
movement. Some of the CLC
affiliates—CUPE for example,
have memberships that are
80% female. They have a
women’s-issue agenda. While
the agenda may have some
differences from that of
teachers, a lot of issues are
common. The steelworkers,
for example, have recently
begun a leadership course for
women. While only 20% of
their members are female, the
women are developing a new
awareness of what it means
to be a feminist within the
labour movement. Surely, we
have much to offer them
from our experience. Won’t
the women’s movement be
strengthened by increased
unity and solidarity among
all feminists?

What about cost?

Almost everyone asks about
cost. At a recent meeting, Ken
Novakowski assured the task
force that joining would not
mean a fee increase. He be­
lieves that the money can be
found within the current op­
erating budget. The issue will

be discussed by the Execu­
tive Committee, and a plan
will be formed. However, there
will be costs in sending del­
egates to committee meetings
and conventions. They could
range as high as $2000 per
delegate for those attending
an Ottawa convention. We
could have up to 75 delegates
to send to such a convention.
One convention could cost up
to $150,000.
What have we got
to offer?
Teachers have skills and
talents that could improve
the effect of the CLC. B.C.
teachers could play a leader­
ship role in influencing the
role of teachers across the
country. We could encourage
other teacher groups to join
and in so doing would change
the face of Canadian labour
forever.
One of the best ways of
selling our view of the educa­
tion system, is by working
closely with people from other
unions. Why not get other
people working on teacher
issues? The CLC has many
goals for society that are
similar to ours. Why not work
together to achieve those
goals?
by Kathy Parker

Kathy Parker, teacher at North
Island Secondary School, Port
McNeill, is a member of the
Task Force on Affiliation.

“The Quilt”
n celebration of the 75th anniversary of
the BCTF, the provincial Status of Women
Committee decided to invite each past
committee member to submit a quilt
square. Our plan is to create a quilt to
hang prominently at the BCTF building.
To reflect the 60 or so unique people who have
served on the provincial committee, no restric­
tion was placed on the method used or depic­
tion on the square—embroidery, cross-stritch,
sequins, felt pens, etc.
Great groans! Panic attacks! Anxiety over
having the right message on the square. The
quilt is going to be an historic document and
eventually will have a catalogue to identify each
contributor and explain the significance of the
square. For example, one early square received
was cut from a pillow cross-stitched by Jill’s
grandmother. Jill felt her grandmother had
had a great influence on her feminist viewpoint.
Jill added her name and the years on the com­
mittee—a wonderful immortalization of a cross­
generation connection.
It is difficult to track down sixty women spread
over twenty years, but even if we do not succeed
for all, each name will be included. We will hire
a professional quilter to assemble the squares.
On Monday, March 16 at the AGM, the quilt will
be formally presented to the BCTF. All former
Status of Women Committee members are in­
vited to attend the unveiling.
Lorrie Williams
Quilt co-ordinator

Gender
Equity

Thomas vs. Hill
ike millions of Cana­

L

Isn’t a man’s taste in
dians, I watched the
pornography the graphic
Thomas hearings during the
depiction of his inner
Thanksgiving weekend, grip­
fantasies? Since so much
ped by an intensity that I have
of pornography is de­
not felt since the Kennedy
grading to women and
assassination. Thomas is cer­
deals with power
tainly an impressive candi­
over rather than
date, and perhaps he does
respect for the
deserve to be on the U.S.
opposite sex.
Supreme Court. He is a power­
isn’t this meaningful and brilliant black.
ful evidence of a man’s
At the same time, I am ab­
capacity to judge both sexes
fairly?
solutely convinced that Anita
Hill’s testimony is accurate.
As for Anita Hill, countless
Moreover, I see no contradic­
senators stated that they
tion between the fact that
found her testimony credible.
Clarence Thomas is a bright,
The problem is that they did
ambitious, highly-motivated
not believe her. Nor did they
candidate and the testimony
seem to see any flaw in their
of Professor Hill.
thinking.
Thomas may hot have lied.
Despite her reluctance to
Denial is such a powerful
come forward, despite her in­
defense mechanism that he
dicating that it would be a
may not remember saying
matter of her word against
those things. It is instinctive
his, despite her open acknowl­
to want to deny wrong-doing.
edgement that all conversa­
Humans are quick to repress
tions had been in private and
events that threaten to de­
behind closed doors, Anita Hill
stroy their self-image. Thomas
was accused of having no
was obviously drawn to Miss
proof. Without proof, she
Hill by a sexual attraction he
must be lying and committ­
did not feel toward other
ing perjury.
women in his office. That he
Although that accusation
did not seek to date other
was eventually struck from
colleagues simply indicates
the record, it was done so
that he was a discerning man
only in the light of subse­
who did not “go after every­
quent speculation on mental
thing in skirts.”
instability, a penchant for
Thanks to the puritan her­
fantasy, or martyr complex.
itage which has been a part of
Ultimately, despite evidence
American strength as much
of a healthy heterosexual
as of its flaws, normal sexual­
social life, she was crucified
ity has become almost a con­
by the unfounded accusation
tradiction in terms. The dis­
that she was frustrated by
cussion of the pornographic
his lack of interest and there­
books seized from his garage
fore projecting, accusing him
was quickly aborted as an
of doing what she secretly
invasion on privacy. Why?
wanted him to do. Hence

16

Senator
Biden sent his
minions to find the
source of the quote “Hell
hath no fury like a woman
scorned,” which he had erro­
neously attributed to Shake­
speare. The full quote, care­
fully read into the transcript,
of course remained para­
mount in every man’s mind.
Repeatedly, Hill was at­
tacked for not having avoided
all future contact with him.
That she showed no fear, that
there was no discernable
tension in her body language
may simply demonstrate the
skill that every women uses
to diffuse unwanted sexual
attention. That social skill is
probably an essential part of
any professional woman’s
repertoire.
Nor is any of this evidence
inconsistent with her follow­
ing Thomas to his new posi­
tion. Other colleagues have
testified that Thomas was
clearly a man on the rise. It
should surprise no one that
Anita wished to be a part of
that climb to the top. That
she continued to communi­
cate with him occasionally is
part of the normal pattern
any woman who seeks pro­
fessional advancement fol­
lows. As her friend Ellen Wells
put it:
Women are told to net­
work. Because a woman
is not part of the old

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

boys’ club, she needs all
the help she can get to
succeed in the profes­
sionalworld. “Never bum
your bridges” is some­
thing every black woman
learns at her mother’s
knees. And she also
learns that no matter
what, you grit your teeth
and you do it.
The assembled men of the
U.S. Senate expressed sur­
prise that Anita Hill did not
make her accusation the
moment she had a teaching
job or at least when she was
working with the dean of Oral
Roberts University. As the
hearing so clearly demon­
strated, to accuse one’s pro­
fessional superior of sexual
harassment is to shoot one­
self in the foot.
When the senators heard
John Doggett and the male
“character witnesses” for
Clarence Thomas on Sunday
evening, racial and political
differences were forgotten. As
the gentlemen of the Senate
joked about their mutual
interests they once again rel­
egated women to the outfield.
The message was clear:
women are unpredictable
menaces with a clear sexual
function. Real men under­
stand these matters while
recognizing that it may be
politically unwise to state
that openly.
At last, the underlying fears
of the senators had been
skillfully laid to rest. How
clearly these fears had been
articulated! “If Clarence
Thomas can be accused, any
man can be accused. I, too,
can be accused.” That was
the theme that bonded Re­
publicans and Democrats,
black men and white.

Quote of the Day
Nelly McClung spoke at a rally in Winnipeg
in 1915. A heckler yelled at her, “The Prime
Minister would quit politics if a woman were
elected.” McClung replied, “This proves what a
purifying effect women would have on politics. ”
BCTF News, October 9, 1991

It was important for the
senators to discredit Anita
Hill. If her testimony could
be ignored, then not only
would Clarence Thomas be
safe, but also they would be
safe.
On Tuesday, when the votes
had been tallied, Clarence
Thomas thanked the Lord.
How convenient to be able to
see the hand of God in social
institutions! How convenient
to place on His shoulders
the responsibility for acts of
omission or commission that
originate in the human heart!
I saw neither divine inter­
vention nor satanic influence
at work, only a group of nor­
mal men, probably reason­
ably representative of the
population at large, who had
voted in self-interest. These
men had heard hours of
sworn statements by Anita
Hill and by highly respected
individuals with no axe to
grind and no personal or
political incentive to lie. None­
theless, to my knowledge, not
a single U.S. senator indi­
cated that the testimony had
influenced his thinking or his
vote.
An historic opportunity to
work toward positive change
was lost! How sad that sena­
tors rejected the truth! Sexual

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

harassment makes women
and many men feel uncom­
fortable in the workplace.
Countless men genuinely do
not know what women find
offensive. They do not know
how to show approval or to
demonstrate positive feelings
toward women in neither a
sexual nor a demeaning way.
On the day of the vote, in a
superb PBS commentary,
Roger Rosenblatt expressed
similar thoughts. He re­
minded viewers that a man in
a professional capacity who
calls a woman “Honey” is not
seeking to seduce her; he is
asserting his sense of superi­
ority. In this context, “Honey”
is not a term of endearment;
it is an expression of derision,
reminding her of his relative
power.
This is the sore spot that
Ellen Wells earlier attempted
to describe. She pointed out
that a woman does not need
to write down where she was
touched, nor to document
words that have wounded;
both are burned forever upon
her soul. As Rosenblatt said
so aptly, “The heart knows
when it is being assaulted.”
Helen Wilkes
Status of Woman Contact
Vancouver Secondary

17

Gender Equity
BCTF policy 42.09 provides the following
description of gender equity:
42.09-Gender equity is concerned with the promotion of
personal, cultural, and economic equality for all who participate
in the education system of B.C. The term “gender equity” arose
out of a growing recognition in society of a systematic and
pervasive gender inequity. A continuing tradition of stereo­
typical conceptions and discriminatory practices resulted in the
systematic devaluation of attitudes, activities, and abilities
traditionally attributed to and associated with girls and women.
Gender equity, as distinctfrom “sex equity, ” is not attainable
solely by a quantitative balance offemales and males in all
aspects of the existing system. It must also entail a qualitative
reworking of gender assumptions within all aspects of the
present system. Concretely, this means promoting gender
equity in respect of:
1. curriculum,
2. social relations,
3. institutional structures and conditions, and
4. the social-cultural context of public education.
(1991 AGM, p. 22)

Strategies and Activities for a
More Equitable Classroom
A HANDBOOK FOR
INTERMEDIATE TEACHERS
1. Keep a list of the novels
and stories you read
aloud to your class, and
include as many stories
with girls as the main
character as boys. Also,
ensure that the novels you
read reflect our society:
choose novels with work­
ing-class people, people
with various racial and
cultural backgrounds,
First Nations people, etc.

2. Also, read novels with
strong, active heroines.
My class loved Island of
the Blue Dolphins, by Scott
18

O’Dell, and Underground
to Canada, by Barbara
Smucker. Both books
show girls in exciting,
adventurous situations.
3. Do a unit on career edu­
cation, or have a career
fair. Include equal num­
bers of male and female
guest speakers, and es­
pecially have women with
non-traditional occupa­
tions make presentations.
4. Pose open-ended journal
or discussion topics that
relate to gender. Some

examples:
•How do you feel about
talking in class?
•Do you think that a
woman can become Prime
Minister?
•Should men and women
share equally household
chores and child rearing?
•Should girls and boys
play on the same basket­
ball teams? floor-hockey
teams? tennis teams?
swim teams?
•Do you prefer a female
doctor or a male doctor?
•When out on a date, who
should pay the bill?
5. If you study the novel
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats
of Nimh, do the activity
at the end of the unit in
Terry Johnson’s book
Bringing It All Together, it
helps students evaluate
the author’s attitudes to­
ward males and females
(p.231-234). My Grade 6/
7 class found the activity
very interesting, although
the coding system is com­
plicated. The questions
Terry Johnson poses
could be adapted to eval­
uate any novel for gender,
race, or class bias.
6. When choosing computer
monitors or helpers for
younger students, ensure
that girls and boys are
equally represented.

7. Include lots of hands-on
activities in science, and
ensure that girls and
boys participate equally.
Give extra encouragement
and/or instruction to
students who are unfa­
miliar or uncomfortable
with standard equipment
(microscopes, batteries,

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

and bulbs, etc.). See the
Canadian Teachers’ Fed­
eration booklet, The Idea
Book: A Resource for Im­
proving the Participation
and Success of Female
Students in Math, Science
and Technology for prac­
tical ideas.

8. Read Princess Smarty­
pants and Prince Cinders,
by Babette Cole, and The
Practical Princess, by Jay
Williams. These books
could launch a student
investigation into the
racial and gender stere­
otyping of traditional
fairytales.
9. Ensure that the girls’
sports teams receive equal
support and money (com­
mitted coaching, uniforms,
practice times, awards,
travelling, and extra games
with the teachers).
10. Have both boys and girls
answer phones at lunch
hour.

11. Assign classroom jobs
randomly and equally.
Ensure that the boys
clean the brushes and
the girls get theP.E. equip­
ment.

14. When asking students to
move equipment, choose
boys and girls equally.
15. Hatch ducks and/or chicks
in your classroom. You’ll
provide an amazing exper­
ience with ample opportu­
nities for students to learn
about caring. Both boys
and girls treat the fragile
creatures with the utmost

respect and care. Having a
class pet serves a similar
purpose.
by Cheryl Douglas
Status of Women
Contact, Surrey

The complete list of sugges­
tions is available through
the Status of Women office
at the BCTF 737-9553/9560
or 1-800-663-9163.

Regarding Sexist Jokes
exist jokes function as racist jokes do. Those jokes help

S

fortify the idea of an “in” group, a group better than the
other. The Jokes reinforce the stereotypes about a group and
fortify the superiority of the “in” group. The sexist jokes show
women as inferior, a group the “better” group can laugh at,
jeer, beat...
Saying that it is just a Joke is not an acceptable argument.
One can see that people remember jokes. Jokes make a
strong impression and do play a role in maintaining the status
quo. In Canada, one wife out of eight is likely to be battered;
one women out of four is likely to be raped. The status quo is
unacceptable.
It is heartening to see that some people have both enough
sense to see what is wrong with sexist jokes and enough
courage to be outraged. They should be congratulated and
taken as models.
Yvette Schenkel
Creston Valley #86

12. Be a positive role model:
learn how to use the TV,
video camera, and the film
projecter yourself.
13. Teach the St. John’s
Ambulance babysitting
course during class time.
It may be one of the few
opportunities that boys
have to learn how to care
for small children.

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

19

Royal Commission on
Education
chools have a particular

34. That the Ministry of Ed­
responsibility to ensure
ucation monitor all cur­
that they do not contribute in riculum materials to be
any way to stereotyping and
used in the schools of the
the inequalities that it can
province, with a view to
promote. Changes in family
( 1) eliminating inappropri­
structure and in patterns of
ate gender stereotypes,
economic life dictate that
and (2) including content
females should not have art­
about the contributions of
ificial or “image” limitations
women to our cultural and
placed inappropriately on
intellectual heritage.
their hopes and expectations.
Young women need to see
35. That Ministry of Educa­
more role models in leader­
tion and school district
ship and management posi­
hiring practices give ex­
tions both within and outside
plicit attention and em­
the schools. They need to have
phasis to the potential
textbooks free from gender
appointment of females in
stereotyping and they need
management and admin­
more positive counselling
istrative positions.
about core studies and career
opportunities. Women need,
36. That school districts and
as never before, flexible work­
teachers’ unions, in estab­
ing guidelines so that their
lishing employee con­
roles in the work force and at
tracts, establish flexible
home can be more easily ac­
working conditions for
women which allow for
commodated.
an appropriate combina­
tion of professional em­
The commission
ployment and family child
recommends:
rearing.
33. That school districts pro­
 Legacy for Learners:
vide appropriate counsel­
Summary of Findings, 1988
ling to female learners to
influence them in select­
RESOURCES AVAILABLE
ing a wide range of appro­
priate courses in their
Self-Defense
school programs includ­
for Girls
ing, particularly, math­
Langley, Squamish, and Sur­
ematics and the sciences.
rey propose a joint two-day
Further, that school dis­
conference for high school
tricts give explicit atten­
PE teachers and counsellors.
tion to the hiring of addi­
Funding under the Gender
Equity Program will allow
tional female counsellors
as role models.
the districts to have local

S

20

resource personnel train
other teachers to provide
secondary school girls with
the knowledge and skills to
avoid being victims of assault.
Note: The grant was approved

January 21, 1992.
Women in
Administration

Prince George School District
has released a report from
its gender-equity committee.
Women in Administration.
Originating from a trustee
motion to investigate ways of
encouraging women to apply
for administration, the report
defines gender equity, affirm­
ative action (the BCTF and
CTF definitions), employment,
encouragement and opportu­
nity equity, and leadership.
The recommendations have
been favorably received by
the board.
Local
president
Rene
Schweizer comments, “Al­
though this committee con­
sists mostly of administrators
we did have representation,
and I think the report has
some things worth looking at.”
This might provide a work­
ing model for districts estab­
lishing joint gender-equity
committees, planning confer­
ences on women into leader­
ship (those in and outside
your union), or looking at
non-sexist environments.
You might contact Rene
Schweizer, president, at 5625743 or Sandy Trolian, Status
ofWomen contact, at 561-1068.

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

Resource List Promoting
Gender Equity in the
Classroom

The materials and agencies
listed provide information on
how teachers can promote
gender equity for both girls
and boys. Non-sexist mater­
ials should be used for all
school curriculum whenever
possible, but most available
books still promote gender
stereotypes, and we have to
be able to work with such
books, many of which are
classics. Sexist/stereotypical
materials can be supple­
mented with materials that
include women, and opportu­
nities can be found to point
out and discuss female/male/
race stereotypes so students
themselves can look beyond
what they read or see.
Petra Kintzinger’s paper
lists teacher resources for
self-education, speakers, bio­
graphical and resource books,
organizational resources, and
lesson aids.
Call the BCTF Status of
Women office at 737-9553/
9560.
Snakes and Snails

Snakes and Snails is a book
of activities that encourages
students to think about male
sex-role stereotyping. Young
boys need permission and en­
couragement to learn about
nurturing. Girls need to see
models of male nurturers.
Some activities in this book
give students practice in
caring or in considering the
value and skill of care-giving.
Other activities help students
analyze messages given to
them about appropriate or
inappropriate roles.
Appropriate for Grades 4-8.
Available from Women’s
Studies, Toronto Board of
Education, 155 College Street,
Toronto, ON M5T 1P6.

RATIONAL
WOMEN IN TRADES, TECHNOLOGY, OPERATIONS & BLUE COLLAR WORK

Non-Traditional Education
and Careers
WITT, a non-profit organiz­

ation established in 1988,
works for the encouragement,
training, and promotion of
women into trades, technol­
ogies, and operations. It pro­
vides a communication and
support network for women
working in these fields.
Presentations are made
to educators, union activists,
women’s groups, managers,
and employers. All people who
have a role to play in increas­
ing the numbers and enhanc­
ing the experience of women
working in trades, technol­
ogies, and blue-collar work.
One project adopts a Junior
or senior secondary high
school class and sets up a
role-modelling program.
Why WITT?

The reality for women who
choose such careers is ad­
dressed by Marcia Braundy,
national co-ordinator ofWITT:
... these are the phone calls
me receive from women who
are trained and qualified, who,
regardless of the quality of
their abilities, cannot access
Jobs in their chosen field. Ex­
cuses are given, “our equity
program is not quite in place
yet,” our unions will not let
us, ” “me don’t have washroom
facilities.” It is notJust in con­
struction, or in resource-based
industries..., but in municipal
governments and educational
institutions as well.

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

WHAT KINDS OF
PROJECTS?

Role-model programs are
possible in junior and senior
secondary schools.

If you are a union employer,
you can identify women in
trades, technology, and oper­
ations jobs in your organiza­
tion who are willing to serve
as role models.

If you are a teacher or a
counsellor, you can encour­
age your colleagues and
students to participate in
role-modelling programs.
If you are a parent, you can
learn more about role-model­
ling programs.

“Girls Exploring Technology”
is a day camp—three oneweek sessions for girls in
Grades 7 and 8. Sponsored
by the school and several
community organizations, the
program introduces girls to
trades and technical career
choices and develops an
awareness of the importance
of career choices at the sec­
ondary school level. In one of
the projects, the girls built
go-carts and raced them on
the last day.

21

The Role Modelling
Project
NELSON, B.C.
The purpose of the project is to expand awareness of the
career options being considered by girls and young women
in our West Kootenay community by offering working
women as role models in the classroom or on-the-job.
Occupations in which women are under represented such
as trades, technical, operational and managerial will be
emphasized. As you know, 80% of working women are
employed in only five occupations, and they work pri­
marily for financial need.
To date, two co-ordinators have been hired and have
begun to work to develop and implement the goals of the
project by the following means:

1. Update and expand the existing data base of appro­
priate role models and produce a directory for the
school district’s use.
2. Prepare an annotated bibliography of current avail
able curriculum materials reviewed for gender­
equity issues.
j

3. Prepare role-model kit materials (audio tape,
information manual, etc.) for use by the role
models in preparation for interaction with
students.
4. Organize a career options conference to link
with planned local career-development week.

Our intention with this program is to inspire
young women to take the necessary steps
toward economic independence through
interesting and meaningful careers and
work. This program offers information
and first-hand exposure and experience.
Role Modelling Project
co-ordinator Fran Wallis
can be reached at
City Hall
4 - 502 Vernon Street
Nelson, BC VIL 4E8
Phone: 352-5322
Monday to Thursday
08:30 to 16.30

22

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

B.C. Technology Education Curriculum:
Appropriate for All Students?
Overview

The working draft of Tech­
nology Education, Primary—
Graduation, Curriculum/As­
sessment Learning Guide’
(Ministry of Education, 1991)
has been described as the
beginning of a historic revitalzation of industrial education
in British Columbia. The ma­
jor changes include a name
change from “industrial edu­
cation” to “technology edu­
cation,” a broadening of the
scope of industrial education
to include the newer “high
technologies” in industrial
education, and a shift in
methodology from a transmis­
sion-orientation to problem­
solving. The writers assert
that the proposed curriculum
is appropriate for all grade
levels and that the curriculum
is relevant for every student.
Although the curricular
modifications are an improve­
ment of the existing curricu­
lum, the proposal essentially
perpetuates the status quo
in industrial education. The
technologies described in (lie
draft document are those of
the existing curriculum, with
the addition of more contem­
porary “high technologies” in
the industrial domain. The
curriculum is intended to
provide a basis for technology
education at the primary level,
as well as the lower/upper
intermediate and graduation
levels, yet the only mention of
primary is on the cover of
the document. Although the
curriculum purports to be a
curriculum for every student,
it ignores the historical,
societal, cultural, and socio­

economic diversity of female,
aboriginal, and culturally
diverse students. The empha­
sis is still on making things,
and technological literacy, the
understanding of the relation­
ship between society and tech­
nology that may empower
students to control and direct
technological development, is
given only nominal consid­
eration.
Whose Technology?

The name change to technol­
ogy education from industrial
education implies that the
curriculum has been broad­
ened beyond the narrow scope
of traditional industrial tech­
nologies to include technol­
ogies of significance to every
student, and that there is
greater flexibility in concep­
tualizing what technology is
and might be. The tools and
machines identified as exam­
ples of the broadened scope
of technology in the intro­
duction of the document,
“...from coping saws to
computers, from lathes to
lasers...” (Ministry of Edu­
cation, 1991, p.l) are those
used in the present traditional
and contemporary industrial
education curriculum. The
organizers referred to infor­
mation technology, power and
energy technology, materials
and products technology, and
systems integration technol­
ogy, are remarkably similar
to the four-cluster model
adopted by most industrial
education programs in the
U.S.A.: communications, trans­
portation, construction, and
manufacturing (West Virginia

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

Department of Education,
1981). These four organizers
essentially duplicate the
white, male-dominated, Euro­
pean technologies that gained
prominence with the Indus­
trial Revolution. These or­
ganizers not only restrict
technology education to the
industrial domain, but also
perpetuate the prevalent
mindset that the real world
of technology is limited to
“things” and “systems.”
The technologies discussed
in the proposed curriculum
are still primarily “boy toys”
with the addition of newer,
more high-tech “boy toys” of
industrial education. The cur­
riculum proposal fails to
broaden the scope of tech­
nology to include domestic,
environmental, agricultural,
medical, occupational health
and safety, or other technol­
ogies which may be more rel­
evant to the “everyday” needs
of every student in today’s
technological society.
Kramarae ( 1988) points out
that the history of western
technology is basically men’s
history and that “technology
consists of devices, machin­
ery, and processes which men
are interested in” (p.4). Even
with a broader range of tech­
nologies, the curriculum pro­
posal would still have serious
deficiencies. Pannabecker
(1991) points out that includ­
ing more than industrial
technologies in technology
education merely “expands
the breadth with little effect
on the ideology unless it serves
to reopen the issue of human
interaction in technology and

23

society” (p. 46). The curricu­
lum proposal does not include
the critical analysis of the role
of technology in society, nec­
essary as a basis for the
development of progressive
approaches to technology
education.
Adding the “Head"
to the “Hands”

The development of skills as­
sociated with the application
of tools and machines to the
making of “things” continues
to be a major focus of the
proposed curriculum. Prob­
lem-solving of technological
problems and making things
are the two highlighted objec­
tives of the curriculum. The
proposal refers to technology
education as a “heads-on,
hands-on” program.
Notwithstanding the poten­
tial improvement to technol­
ogy education resulting from
the inclusion of problem­
solving as a methodology,
major oversights prevent
the curriculum from being
relevant to the needs of every
student. There is little or no
acknowledgement that the
problem-solving skills needed
in today’s technological world
are much more complex
than simply solving technical
problems by making better
“things” and “systems.” What
about addressing problems
that stem from “everyday”
societal and environmental
issues which are a result of
technological development?
The curriculum proposal
provides little direction for
dialogue regarding the need
for many of the “things” and
“systems” in the first place.
Discussions about alternative
ways of doing things, or of
changes in behavior and
values that may result in de24

creased production of “things”
need consideration in the
technology-education curric­
ulum.

Appropriate for Whom?

A serious shortcoming of the
proposed curriculum is its
failure to make the curricu­
lum relevant to all students.
The proposal states that “the
new clientele will include all
students, girls as well as boys
university bound as well as
vocational, special needs as
well as mainstream students
—every student [emphasis
original]” (Ministry of Education, 1991, p. 1). Although,
industrial education has
traditionally excluded all but
low-ability boys, the curric­
ulum writers assert that the
traditional industrial tech­
nologies are appropriate for
all students at all grade levels.
There are many reasons
why females have not partici­
pated fully in industrial edu­
cation programs. Extensive
research has been done to
determine some of the factors
that have excluded females
from technology education
(e.g.APU, 1990; Bruce, 1985;
Catton, 1986; Farris, 1980;
Grant, 1986; Kramarae, (Ed.),
1988; Rothschild, 1983,1988,
1989; Whyte, 1986). They
include a lack of female
teachers (role models), social
and cultural conditioning
inside and outside schools,
teaching methodology, con­
text of the learning, teacher
expectations, counselling, sex­
ist language in textbooks and
in the classroom, dangerous
and unattractive facilities,
and the focus on white maleoriented, European, industrial
technologies with the exclus­
ion of technologies of imme­
diate and historical impor­
tance to women. The factors
that have excluded female
participation may explain
the lack of participation by a
broader range of male students.

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

Technology of Oppression

The proposed curricular re­
visions do not acknowledge
the masculinization of tech­
nology since the Industrial
Revolution. Griffiths (1985)
advises that prior to the In­
dustrial Revolution much of
the production of goods was
located in the home, and
women had opportunities to
acquire technical skills. With
the Industrial Revolution,
female-dominated
trades
such as spinning, bleaching,
and brewing were absorbed
by factory production, with
women assuming only de­
skilled jobs in production. The
male-dominated skills, par­
ticularly those associated
with iron and woodworking
trades, remained male-domi­
nated and less deskilled, as
these trades were transformed
into trades such as wheel­
wright or foundry worker.
Women have become asso­
ciated with using different
technologies than have men.
The pervasive gendering of the
everyday lives of women and
men in Western society into
the concepts of “femininity”
and “masculinity” is reflected
in the “gender-typed ” tech­
nologies that men and women
use. According to Benston
(1988), society has deemed
which machines and tools
are “suitable for men—saws,
trucks, wrenches, guns and
forklifts, for example—and
those suitable for women—
vacuum cleaners, typewriters
and food processors” (p. 16).
The gender associated with a
technology is often related to
the power and control arising
from that technology. Patri­
archy, in Western societies,
creates the myth that most
“male-oriented” technological
skills are more valuable than

“female-oriented” skills. The
effect of such beliefs results
in the transfer of wealth,
power, and influence to males.
The traditional male technol­
ogies of control may also be
viewed as technologies of op­
pression as they are applied
in support of a market econ­
omy that exploits people and
resources for the benefit of
the wealthy.
Cockbum (1985) identifies
a fundamental contradiction
between “women’s need for
technical competence and the
destructive, exploitative, and
inhuman nature of current
technologies” (p.253). She
contends that “it is not tech­
nology that is out of control,
but capitalism and men”
(p.255). Other prominent
writers have also questioned
the appropriateness of the
technological domination over
nature and society by priv­
ileged men (Ellul, 1964;
Franklin, 1990; Merchant,
1989). Cockbum (1985) sug­
gests that females must par­
ticipate in technology if
there is any hope that it can
be changed from the exploit­
ive and dangerous force that
it is. She states that such
changes become possible not
only if women participate in
technology, but if they also
challenge its masculinization.
She contends:
It would not change things
greatly for the better were
women simply to step into
the male world of technol­
ogy, leaving our own con­
cerns and values behind. It
would change thingsfor the
worse to have masculine
ideas and behavior take
over child care and home
life. The revolutionary step
will be to bring men down to
earth, to domesticate tech-

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

nology and reforge the link
between making and nur­
turing. (p. 257)
Such views of women’s po­
tential to influence and re­
direct technological develop­
ment imply that technology
education needs females
more than females need
technology education.

The Promise of
Technology

Technology’s promise of free­
dom and the prosperity, which
is to rescue us from starva­
tion, sickness, and illiteracy,
has become so much a part
of our lives that it is rarely
part of our consciousness.
Borgmann ( 1984) advises that
women and men have become
astounded by and proud of
the sophistication and omni­
potence of the technologies
that encompass our everyday
world, but warns that we have
lost sight of both the means
and the ends implicit in those
technologies. The immediate
gratification and the attrac­
tion of the technology camou­
flages the consequences and
methods of production as well
as the effects on the end users
and has created an uncritical
worship of technology.
Borgmann (1984) insists
that “an important part of
genuine world citizenship to­
day is scientific and techno­
logical literacy... metatechnological practices” (p. 248).
These practices include crit­
ical thinking about the
societal, environmental and
political implications of tech­
nological development. The
component of a technology
education curriculum which
holds the key to challenging
the myth of the promise of
technology is technological
literacy/critique. Including
25

technological literacy/crit­
ique as a serious educational
goal necessitates that alter­
native values, assumptions,
and pedagogies be examined.
Technological literacy/critique is all but ignored in the
proposed curriculum.
Griffiths (1985) maintains
that the redirection of tech­
nology is a long term project,
which requires a restructur­
ing of the social order. She
contends that technology is
patriarchal and capitalistic,
and that “to win back for
women a role in the genera­
tion and construction of tech­
nology thus involves a chal­
lenge to them both” (p. 71).
By ignoring the perspective
and experience of women in
relationship to technological
development, men as well as
women are losers.
New Paradigm Needed

The draft of the curriculum
proposal was designed by
white, male industrial edu­
cators and one white, female
industrial educator—all sec­
ondary educators. There has
been little or no input solic­
ited from those who may be
able to represent the needs
and interests of those stu­
dents who have been histori­
cally excluded from the cur­
rent Eurocentric industrial­
education curriculum. The
curriculum revision process
itself has diminished the vital
process of democracy to a set
of inherited principles and
institutional arrangements.
Eisner (1985), referring to
curriculum revision, explains
that “when one view of mind,
knowledge, and intelligence
dominates, a self-fulfilling
prophecy emerges... we legit­
imate our own view of what
counts without serious con26

sideration of alternative or
complementary views” (p.
358). Traditional industrial
education has not attracted a
broad range of students and
enrolment has dropped con­
siderably over the past dec­
ade. Kuhn (1970) contends
that in order to make a para­
digm shift from one in crisis it
is imperative that there is a
“reconstruction of the field
from new fundamentals, a
reconstruction that changes
some of the fields most ele­
mentary theoretical generali­
zations as well as many of its
paradigm methods and appli­
cations” (p.84-85).
If the curriculum is not
modified to provide for the
development of technological
literacy/critique in a curricu­
lum appropriate for all stu­
dents at all levels, the cur­
riculum should continue to
be called industrial education
and should not be made man­
datory for all students. With­
out these significant modifi­
cations to the draft document,
the curriculum proposal
might better be described as
a historic opportunity lost,
rather than a historic revit­
alization. Saying that the
curriculum is relevant to
all students at all levels
does not make it so.
Patricia O'Riley
UBC Industrial/Technology
Education Graduate Student

References
APU, 1990. The assessment of per­
formance in design and technology.
London: Assessment of Performance
Unit.
Benston, M.L. (1988). Women’s voices/
Men's voices: Technology as language.
In Kramarae, C. (Ed). Technology and
Women’s Voices (pp. 51-71). NewYork:
Routledge & Kegan Paul.
Borgmann, A. (1984). Technology and
the character of contemporary life.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Bruce, M. (1986). A missing link: Women

and industrial design. In Anita Cross
and Bob McCormick (Eds.). Technol­
ogy in Schools (pp. 167-178). Milton
Keynes: Open University Press.
Catton, J. (1986). Girls and the CDT
Curriculum. In Anita Cross and Bob
McCormick (Eds.), Technology in
Schools (pp. 179-189). Milton Keynes:
Open University Press.
Cockbum, C. (1985). Machinery of
dominance. London: Pluto Press.
Eisner, E.W. (1985). The educational
Imagination. New York: Macmillan
Publishing Company.
Ellul, J. (1964) The technological
society. (JohnWilkinson, Trans.) New
York: Vintage Books.
Farris, C.J. (1980, April). Teachers: The
key to unlocking sex equity. VocEd,
18-20.
Franklin, U. (1990). The real world of
technology. Montreal: CBC Enter­
prises.
Grant, M. (1986). Starting Points. In
Anita Cross and Bob McCormick
(Eds.), Technology in Schools (pp. 343348). Milton Keynes: Open University
Press.
Griffiths, D. (1985). The exclusion of
women from technology. In W.
Faulkner, E. Arnold (Eds.) Smothered
by invention: Technology in women’s
lives. London: Pluto Press.
Kramarae, C. (1988). Gotta go Myrtle,
technology's at the door. In Cheris
Kramarae (Ed.), Technology and
women’s voices (pp. 1-14). New York:
Routledge & Kegan Paul.
Kramarae, C. (Ed.) (1988). Technology
and women’s voices. New York:
Routledge & Kegan Paul.
Kuhn, T.S. (1970). The structure of
scientific revolutions. Chicago: Univer­
sity of Chicago Press.
Merchant. C. (1989). Mining the earth's
womb. In J. Rothschild (ed). Machina
ex dca. New York. Pergamon Press.
Ministry of Education (1991). Technol­
ogy education, primary - graduation,
curriculum/asscssment learning guide.
Victoria: Province of British Columbia.
Pannabecher, J.R. (1991). Technological
impacts and determinism tn technol­
ogy education: Alternative metaphors
from social reconstruction. Journal of
Technology Education, 3( 1 ). 43-54.
Rothschild, J. (1983). Machina exdea.
New York: Pergamon Press.
Rothschild, J. (1988). Teaching tech­
nology from a feminist perspective: A
practical guide. New York: Pergamon
Press.
Rothschild, J. (1989). Technology and
education: a feminist perspective.
American Behavioral Scientist. 32(6).
708-718.
West Virginia Department of Education
(1981). Jackson’s Mill Industrial Arts
Curriculum Theory. Jackson’s Mill.
Whyte, J. ( 1986). Girls into science and
technology: The story of a project.
London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

Herstory

Transitions '91:
Here Today, Where Tomorrow?
n September 19, a hun­
A taped lecture by ex-NDP
MLA Rosemary Brown, “No
dred female Grade 12
students from Point Grey SecWay—Not Me” received much
ondary School gathered at
praise, as did a keynote
speech from current NDP MLA
UBC’s Grad Centre for a day
of exploring issues relevant
Darlene Marzari, who spoke
to young women. The con­
of the personal power women
should have over their own
ference, named “Transitions
lives, and the need for women
‘91... Here Today, Where
Tomorrow?” was organized
to become involved in politics
to claim their right to equality
by a team of female Point
at all levels. Following her
Grey staff members, and was
speech was a performance by
led by facilitators from the
BCTF’s Status of Women
the “Euphonious Feminists,”
a quintet of professional
Committee.
women. With songs such as
The goals of the conference
“Fight Back,” “Everything’s
were simple: to discuss with
Possible,” and “Sea Never
the girls realities they would
face upon graduation, and to
Dry,” they brought the con­
enable them to establish con­
ference to a musical close.
tacts with their peers and the
The participants enjoyed
the day, and many learned
staff to help them achieve
their goals. Said chairperson
a lot. Students’ comments
ranged from, “I always thought
Frances Moorcroft: “For some
young women it was their
of sexism in terms of profes­
sionals not getting raises,” to
first experience of con“Try to get as much education
ciousness-raising—the reality
of how society views women—
as you can. Be independent.”
and how they generally view
The conference was open
themselves.”
and warm, and without too
much sweetness or criticism.
Status of Women commit­
Many girls remark that
tee member Lorrie Williams,
said clearly “This is not a boy­
they enjoyed the op­
bashing day... it is a womenportunity to talk to ।
uplifting day.” The work­
people they wouldn't
normally talk to. Most
shops, led by Williams, along
with Sue Mackay Smith,
of the girls and staff
Sheena Yule, and Teri Young,
members would have
touched on several topics,
liked the time to talk
more, or to talk about
including women’s portrayal
in the media, their treatment
what could be done
right now, rather
in the music industry, and
than what has
the economic realities they
happened to bring
face in different social strata.
These were followed by group
about the current
situation. Still,
presentations so that all par­
the vast majority
ticipants could share what
left with the feelthey had discussed.

O

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

ing that they were capable of
more than they had thought
they were. One student
seemed to summarize the day:
“Society is changing, thank
heavens, and I’m glad to be
part of it!”
There are hopes for a con­
ference next year, along the
same lines, perhaps with help
and input from the girls who
attended this year. With this
precedent, it might become
an annual event. Since the
world is changing so fast,
likely each crop of graduating
students would have plenty
to discuss.
by
Melissa
Chowdhury

27

THE BCTF
STATUS OF
WOMEN
PROGRAM

A Short Reflection
on Its History
t has been almost 20 years
the 1973
since the BCTF voted at an
task force?
Annual General Meeting to In some dis­
establish a Status of Women tricts a wom­
Program. I believe that we
an had diffi­
culty obtaining
would do well to take the time
a position if her
now to examine how and why
the program was established
spouse already
and how far we have come in
had a teaching
achieving the goals that were
position there
laid out at that time.
Some districts re­
In the late 1960s, rising
quired a married woman to
awareness of systemic dis­
produce her marriage certif­
crimination against women in
icate to be hired. In some
our society led to the federal
districts, Vancouver being
government’s establishing the
one among others, there were
Royal Commission on the
questions on the application
Status of Women. At the same
form which related to a
time, a group of Lower Main­
woman’s menstrual cycle.
land teachers formed Women
Women were restricted as
in Teaching. They helped per­
to what they could wear.
suade the BCTF to strike a
Simply gaining the right to
task force to examine the
wear pants to work was a
status of women teachers in
struggle. There were differ­
the B.C. school system. It is
entials in pensions; women
from the second task force
were automatically consid­
which brought forward its
ered dependents regardless
recommendations to the 1973
of their economic independ­
BCTF Annual General Meet­
ence. There were even sep­
ing, that the BCTF Status of
arate staffrooms for men and
Women Program and Com­
women.
mittee were formed. The 46
Although 53% of the BCTF
recommendations included
membership in 1973 was
the formation of a standing
female, few were in positions
advisory committee, estab­
of leadership in either the
lishment of a full-time staff
local or the provincial asso­
position, and establishment
ciation. Since that time, in­
of a status of women commit­
creasing numbers of women
tee in each local association.
have taken on leadership
How far have we come
roles, many more women
toward realizing the goals of
are local presidents, more

I

28

women are bargaining, and
more women are on local and
provincial committees.
One of the initial concern
of women teachers was the
social and sex role stereo­
typing in textbooks and class­
room practises. Consequent­
ly, several recommendations
in the 1973 Task Force Report
regarded training and edu­
cation for teachers and coun­
sellors on social and sex role
stereotyping, curriculum re­
view, development of educa­
tional programs for working
with parents, and the sexual
desegregation of all courses,
programs, activities, and
clubs. In order to do this
work, a provincial task force
was struck. Within a few
years, the task force was
changed to a committee by
the AGM and included mem­
bers from around the province.
From the beginning, the
differing needs of women in
various parts of the province
were understood. Local assoc-

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

iations established status of
women contacts to the provin­
cial committee. The concerns
identified by the task force
and the subsequent commit­
tee were translated into action
by the contacts and their
committees in the locals.
Skills-development work­
shops designed by and for
women included bargaining,
rules of order, non-sexist
teaching, and developing lead­
ership skills. Women have de­
veloped leadership skills in
local and provincial arenas,
have learned public speaking
skills, and have gained self­
confidence and the knowledge
that they have worked as a
group with other women to
eliminate sexism from the
school system and their pro­
fessional organization.
The provincial committee
has focussed on communica­
tion among the contacts, the
committee, and the members
through zone meetings, phone
calls, correspondence, and
the Status of Women Journal.
Initially distributed four or
five times a year to local com­
mittees and members, it has
been recognized within the
BCTF and by outside groups
and individuals as an excel­
lent resource. Unfortunately,
due to cutbacks in program
funding, this newsletter is
now limited to one issue
per year, at International
Women’s Day. As a result, an
essential area of communi­
cation, networking and infor­
mation sharing has been
restricted.
Increasing democracy with­
in the BCTF is another area
of feminist work taken on by
the committee. The commit­
tee stresses the need for in­
put and it models democratic
decision making within its

work. I believe that there has
been a congruent strength­
ening of democratic methods
within the federation itself.
The women on the committee
believed it Important that the
BCTF continue to adequately
inform its members on issues
so that democratic decisions
could be made from the grass­
roots. The committee wanted
the BCTF to provide leader­
ship for its members in social
issues and other concerns and
this process should be prac­
tised by this committee and
the program.

Most students—
male and
female—still
believe in the
“knight on the
white horse.99
Through the Status of
Women Program, more and
more women have taken part
in various aspects of the
BCTF. For example, only a
handful of the over 500 AGM
delegates were women when
the task force presented its
recommendations in 1973.
Almost half the current
elected delegates are women,
many of whom became in­
volved through the Status
of Women Program. These
women are informed about
how their organization works
and are involved in its de­
cision making. Participation
by more teachers adequately
informed generally results in
a greater level of democracy.
Recommendations on free­
dom of choice on abortion,
protection from sexual har­
assment, and affirmative
action illustrate the process.

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

As with other issues the com­
mittee brought to the atten­
tion of the federation, these
Issues came to the committee
from teachers. The opinion
was that these were issues
of importance to teachers,
but also to their students.
Provincial committee mem­
bers researched, developed
the motions, and went back
to the representatives in
their zones to ask them to go
back to their local committee
members for discussion and
input. Only after assessing
and obtaining grassroots sup­
port did the committee make
recommendations to the AGM.
This process demonstrates
for two reasons the impor­
tance of listening to, inform­
ing and educating the mem­
bers at the grassroots and
ensuring that motions, which
are often controversial ones,
are not undertaken without
their support. The fallout of
such controversy would sure­
ly land on the local committee
members, so that it was im­
portant that there would be
support for them in their
local. Secondly, when sup­
port for issues has been
well developed in the locals
prior to their presentation
at the AGM, women have
run as delegates because of
their belief in the recom­
mendations being brought
forward.
The importance of modeling
cannot be overemphasized.
Many women I have spoken
to have stated that they
believe that by presenting
themselves in an assertive
way and showing that women
can play many different roles
the results will be shown not
only in their work in their
organization but also in their
classroom and in their per29

sonal lives. To these women,
“the personal is political” is
not just a cliché.
The connection of the per­
sonal and political is an es­
sential issue, as is the impor­
tance of the connection of
eliminating sexism in schools.
Women in Teaching was initi­
ally created to examine sex
discrimination issues in the
classroom, particularly as
they Impacted upon their
students. Unfortunately, I
believe that curriculum ma­
terials and classroom prac­
tices have not been signifi­
cantly changed. While there
are some individuals who
have changed their classroom
practice to reflect a more
equitable understanding of
gender issues, for the most
part teachers in this prov­
ince and throughout Canada
have not. There have been
some changes in curriculum
materials to work toward
eliminating sexism from them,
but these changes have been
minimal.
History texts of 20 years
ago largely ignored women
and women’s issues; currently
some mention the concerns,
but awareness of the systemic
discrimination of women in
our society is not reflected.
More books are available that
show boys and girls in situ­
ations where their roles are
more equal, but these are
in the minority, particularly
when it comes to textbooks
and their translation into
classroom practises. Most
students—male and female—
still believe in the “knight on
the white horse.” Young girls
still believe they need not
consider or pursue careers
because someone will look
after them, this despite con­
tinuing documentation that
30

most women will have to work
at paid employment for 30
years in their lifetime. Few
women pursue further educa­
tion in non-traditional areas,
and when they do, they still
encounter sexism, either in
the post-secondary institu­
tions or the workplace.
The struggle to eliminate
systemic discrimination is still
of great importance despite
and because of the work done
over the years by women in
the Status ofWomen Program.
While the Status of Women
Program has been successful
in creating some political
change within the BCTF, there
is still significant resistance
to their broader task.
Over the years, the work of
the status of women program
has provided leadership, not
only within their own organi­
zation, but for other similar
groups in the labour move­
ment. This assisted in putting
social issues on the agenda
as part of the discussion by
many mainstream organiza­
tions across the country.
Other women’s groups in
unions across the country
point to the leadership role of
the BCTF Status of Women
Program: not only the kinds
of issues they have taken
on, but also their methods of
work.
Those documenting and
working on women’s strug­
gles to effect change recog­
nize that adequate funding
must be provided. It is essen­
tial that there be a full-time
staff person to avoid the
problem Joy Langan, then
chairperson of the B.C. Fed­
eration of Labour’s Women’s
Rights Committee, pointed
out in 1976 of this work’s
being “fitted in when other
duties permitted.” For a status

of women program to move
forward, providing benefit to
the whole organization, finan­
cial support is needed for net­
working, information gather­
ing, and sharing through
meetings, training, and edu­
cation sessions and commu­
nication through a regularly
published newsletter.
If there are any conclu­
sions that I can draw, one
would be the need for women
to meet on their own, to set
their own agenda. The group
may work with others in find­
ing ways to meet that agenda,
but the right to meet sepa­
rately and to have control
over that agenda is essential.
Obviously, there is resist­
ance to change. Those who
have power are reluctant to
give it up because of the re­
sultant loss of privilege. In
order to hold the controlling
interest, they will seek many
different ways to either weak­
en or eliminate those who
wish to set up different power
arrangements. Since the es­
tablishment of the Status of
Women Program, there have
been regular attempts, many
of them successful, to erode
the changes that the women
in this work brought about.
But I believe that by women’s
naming and controlling their
own agenda, in the very long
run, will eliminate the causes
and effects of systemic dis­
crimination against women
in our society, which is the
underlying goal of the Status
of Women Program.
by Sharon R. Goldberg

Sharon R. Goldberg is a graduate
student with the Department of
Adult Education, Ontario Institute for
Studies in Education. She is aformer
Status of Women Committee member
and former chairperson of the Surrey
Teachers’ Association’s Status of
Women Committee.

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

This poem is a result of “memory recall” that I experienced last summer during my first Reiki
session. I had not realized or recalled my grandma’s presence until then. The poem reflects my
response to: “Think back to when you were a little girl. Find a place where you liked to be, where
you felt safe, where you felt like yourself. ”

With Oma When I Am Seven
I eat crunchy cornflakes
while she eats that porridge.
“Eat lots!” she says
in two languages.
She doesn’t make me eat
that porridge.
I don’t have to wear a dress.
There are no dumb dolls here.

I like the schmutz in the pig barn.
I like the pasture full of cow pies;
I like stepping in the hoof holes.
But I am not fond of chicken dirt...

Oma grabs a chicken.
I thought they were
impossible to catch
and besides
they have beaks
and can be in a bad mood.

Before the chicken knows it
It is thrown onto a stump
and its head flies off!
Oma is not bothered
by blood squirting
everywhere
and so neither am I.
The chicken
deserves to die.
Status of Women Journal, February 1992

Pretty soon
Oma will have that trap door open
and more jars of jellied chicken
will sit on shelves under the floor.
But I don’t really believe
that those squawking bloody chickens
are really in those jars.

We have a special treat now.
I turn the crank on the elevator
in her bedroom.
Inside, there are ropes winding
around the smooth wood
and this makes the shelves
rise out of the ground.
There are the jars of pickles and peas.
I turn the crank until I see
the great jar with the green lid—
the sugar cookies!
I lift it out.
31

But I still want to turn the crank.
I make the elevator go up,
then down.
I keep on cranking.
I forget about the cookies.

Things that we like:
getting rainwater out of the big barrel
shelling and eating peas at the same time
going stooking when the sun comes up
walking through stubble, her wheat fields

Oma never says,
“Mach schnell, du dummkopf!”
Although she may wonder if
she will be eating any cookies today.

watching how the baby chicks
lift their heads swallowing water
looking for cows in the pasture
going to the dugout to pump water

I leave the top shelf sitting
on the level of the floor,
just the way Oma always does.
Then we eat lots of cookies.

pulling out the couch
with the brown steel frame
which turns into my bed at night
she turns up the wick
on the coal oil lamp...

Some things we don’t care about:
what day it is, what time it is,
putting curlers in our hair,
what the neighbors will think
(who are actually my uncles )
we don’t listen to the news,
on Sundays, she listens to
“Wings of the Morning”
which is not the German program.

The next morning I eat cornflakes,
Oma eats porridge.
“Komm, wir gehen drausen!”
I can hardly wait.
I follow Oma outside...

written 38 years later
Summer 1990
Lois R. Dyck, Status of
Women Contact, Keremeos

Unsung Herstories
Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Philospher and Author
1860-1935

Julia Morgan

Charlotte was probably an influential thinker
of her pre-World War I generation* She is
perhaps most noted for combining socialism
and feminism to provide a coherent theory of
women’s oppression and for adding intellec­
tual backing to the fight for women's rights*
She had lectured on women’s issues, labour, •
and social policy, and written poetry and
stories. The Yellow Wallpaper. At the end
of 1896, she wrote Women and Economics
which received immediate acclaim, has been
translated into seven languages: and has
since become a feminist classic. The book
attacked women’s financial dependancy; it
was a call for economic independence for
women, and in It she dissected with keen
intellegence the conventions surrounding
womanhood and motherhood. She redefined
domestic and child-care chores as social
responsibilities to be centralized in the hands
of those particularly suited to or trained for
them.

Architect
1872 1957
The dazzling castle at San Simeon, Cal­
ifornia, belonging to William Randolph
Hearst, Is famous around the world; yet
few can name the architect who designed
it* One of thé first female civil engineering
graduates of the University of California,
Julia Morgan was the first woman to gain
a certificate in architecture from the
prestigious Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris.
She was a member of an informal old girls
network that linked the leaders of the
increasingly active women’s organizations.
She received commissions for schools,
clubs, conference centres, hospitals san­
itariums, and shopping centres—she
designed them all In a long career notable
for more than 700 structures.

Dorothea Dix
Mother Jones
Labour Agitator
1830-1930

Mary Harris was a schoolteacher, a
dressmaker, and an organizer. She
was active in the garment and street­
car workers’ strikes in the early
1900’s, helped found the Social
Democratic Party in 1898, and was
present a the founding of the Inter­
national Workers of the World in
1905. She never lost her sympathy
for the working man and woman,
though she opposed the women’s
movement as a diversion from the
class struggle.

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

mer
1802-1887

In the mid-1800’s, insane and emotionally dis­
turbed people were confined with criminals, irre­
spective of age or sex* They were left naked, in
darkness, without heat or sanitary facilities.
Some were chained to the walls; flogging was
routine. Dorothea Dix entered such a prision in
1841 to teach Sunday school. She was pro­
foundly shocked, and having observed the same
deplorable conditions in institutions throughout
the country* she submitted a detailed report of
her findings to the state legislature of Massachu­
setts. She met public apathy, disbelief, and op­
position* She crusaded throughout the United
States and Canada, to establish hospitals for the
mentally ill. In 1845, she published Remarks on
Prisons and Prison Discipline to advocate reforms
in the treatment of ordinary prisoners.

33

Harriet Tubman
Abolitionist
1820?-1913
Bom a slave, Harriet worked
as a maid, a nurse, a fieldhand, a cook, and a wood­
cutter. In 1844, she married
John Tubman, a free black.
In 1849, fearing that Harriet
was about to be sold, the
Tubmans fled to Philadel­
phia. Over the next decade,
she conducted 300 fugitive
slaves along the under­
ground railroad to Canada.
With ingenuity, persistence,
iron discipline and extra­
ordinary courage, she be­
came the railroad’s most
famous conductor, the
“Moses of her people.”
Rewards for her capture of­
fered by slave owners even­
tually topped $40,000.

Rita MacNeil
Singer
1943-

“So I found me a man in the good old tradition
Being conditioned as I was.
But when it came down to making big decisions
Ifound he overlooked my mind.
And there was unrest and a need for restoration
To fill the needs in me”
Rita MacNeil became an integral part of the Toronto women's
liberation movement as seen in the verse from Need for
Restoration. She writes songs for all of us—about her
mother and her brother and sisters, about going home,
about a women friend whose mind has died, about the loss
of girlhood dreams and simple love, about the household
trap, about her hatred of war. Her songs are angry, ironic,
sarcastic, sorrowful, poignant—songs that encompass the
entire experience of becoming a feminist.

Margaret Atwood
Author
1939Margaret Atwood, bom in Ottawa,
has travelled extensively. She is
the author of more than 20 vol­
umes of poetry, fiction, and non­
fiction. Her books are required
reading for women’s studies: The
Edible Woman, a comic novel about
Marian, a young college graduate
who suffers anorexia nervosa at
the prospect of being contained in
a marriage with a sterile young
lawyer; Surfacing, a novel in which
a young woman’s search for her
father serves as a metaphor for her
search for sanity; and the Journals
of Susanna Moodie, a collection of
reflections on the Canadian pio­
neer woman’s life, are but a few.

34

Evdokia Dembicki
Humanitarian
1897-1984

Evdokia Dembicki travelled to Canada from East
Galicia (Ukraine) in the early 1900s. As did many
other women during that time, she left her family
and friends in her homeland to venture into an
unknown country. With strength and perserverence, Evdokia provided everything that her
husband and children needed. Caring for her
family by being there for them was a great gift
that my grandmother gave throughout her life.
She created beautiful cross-stitched pieces, gar­
dened, and warmly welcomed her many friends.
Evdokia created a warm and supportive space for
her family in her new country.
Researched and compiled by
Jill Shannon, Status of Women Committee
Resource:

Women Who Dared. Firefly Books. Ltd., 250 Sparks
Avenue, Willowdale. ON M2H 2S4, 1991.
Her Own Woman. Kostash, McCracken, Miner, Paris, and
Robertson. Macmillan Company of Canada Limited,
1975.
Lady Oracle. Margaret Atwood. McClelland and Stewart,
1977.

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

Book
& Video
Reviews

The Unfinished Revolution
The Status of Women in Twelve Countries
by Doris Anderson (Doubleday Canada Ltd. 1991)
Reviewed by Kathleen L.
MacKinnon, Provincial Status
of Women Committee

and connections. For exam­
ple, we see that a country
like Denmark with a liberal
abortion law since 1973 also
has
“among the best child
oris Anderson did what
care in the world.” Denmark
most of us Just dream
also has had no anti-abortion
of doing. She went to movement
12
orbacklash against
countries in the world and
women. Yet in the United
talked to women about their
States, Canada and the United
lives, their work, and their
Kingdom, where women have
safety. She shares informa­
tenuous, momentary control
tion about legislation and
over their bodies, universal
representation in government
childcare is unavailable, and
and industry, and she in­
women have experienced a
cludes a vignette of a day in
backlash and seen the rise
the life of a typical working
of new and virulent anti­
woman in each country.
abortion groups.
Anderson puts the 12 coun­
It is gratifying to realize that
tries into four groups: Greece,
our quiet non-violent revolu­
Spain, and Italy; Germany,
tion is alive and that women
France, and Belgium; The
around the world are working
U.K., the U.S. and Canada,
tirelessly. It is discouraging,
and the Nordic Countries.
however, to realize that
Greece, Spain, and Italy, for
women in each of these
example, are considered to­
countries have seen hardgether because they are
gotten gains eroded with the
all southern, predominantly
stroke of a pen and to notice
Catholic, countries and all
in “A day in the life of...”
have been influenced by
many of the same old pat­
the napoleonic code, which
terns we keep hoping have
deemed men the indisputable
changed. Women still do the
heads of the family.
the bulk of the housework
The Information Doris
while working in greater
Anderson has gathered is both
numbers than ever before for
interesting and useful. She
wages outside the home.
provides an historical per­
Women are still responsible
spective as we follow the
for the care and protection of
women in each country
children while men in all
through the first and second
countries require court orders
and legislation to fulfill their
waves of feminism and see
the situation for women in
responsibilities.
each country in 1991.
Doris Anderson encourages
The organization of the
us to finish the revolution.
material in each chapter al­
Take a rest, dance a bit, and
then work for change: Change
lows us to make comparisons

D

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

the structure; change the pro­
cess; end violence; reform the
workplace; reform the work.
Peter Gzowski asked Ms
Anderson what she would do
to change the world. She re­
plied with what appears to be
the only obvious answer: “Let
women be the leaders for the
next 2000 years. ” I’m for that!

The Chalice
and the
Blade
by Riane Eisler
HarperSanFrancisco, 1987
Reviewed by Elizabeth
Lambert, BCTF support staff
he Chalice and the

T

Blade explores ancient
goddess-worshipping cultures
in Old Europe, particularly
the Minoan civilization on
Crete, believed to have been a
peaceful, harmonious, matrilinear society that functioned
under what author Riane
Eisler calls the “partnership”
model of society.
Eisler draws on extensive
archaeological research to
support her contention that
where the supreme goddess
and female deities were wor­
shipped in Old European
cultures, women were held in
higher regard than is cur­
rently the case, and females

35

and males operated on a more
equal basis in day-to-day
life, sharing responsibility,
authority, and power. Today
we operate under what Eisler
calls the “dominator” model
of society, male domination
of the natural environment
and all segments of human
society.
To learn that a very differ­
ent model of society may have
existed in the past gives us
hope for the future and pro­
vides an ancient blueprint
for our cultural development.
But what happened to the
ancient partnership societies?
Why did they disappear?
I first heard the term
“Kurgan” in the movie High­
lander, a violent fantasy epic
about a race of immortal war­
riors, destined to stalk and
slaughter each other through­
out eternity until only one
remained. The Kurgan in the
film was the ultimate bad
guy, a sadistic rapist and
murderer, physically awe­
some and terrifyingly evil. I
recall a reference to eating
babies. I was surprised to
learn from The Chalice and
the Blade that the Kurgans
actually existed 6300 years
ago on the steppes north and
east of the Black Sea. Eisler’s
description of Kurgans doesn’t
differ from that of the film.
They swept into Old Europe
on horseback, bearing weap­
ons of forged metal and bring­
ing with them their warlike
male gods. Over thousands
of years, they assimilated or
wiped out most vestiges of
the older, established goddess
religions.
Eisler refers to the partner­
ship model as “the original
direction... of our cultural
evolution” and speaks of
“Invaders from the peripheral
36

areas of our globe.” The
Kurgans are referred to as
alternately alien and bar­
barian. The problem with this
scenario is that it is fun­
damentally xenophobic and
racist. If ournature as human
beings is exemplified only by
the ancient Minoan civiliza­
tion, the Kurgans were some­
how less than, or other than,
human.
The Kurgans didn’t drop
to earth from another planet.
Their culture was evolving
alongside the Minoan culture.
Increasing human popula­
tion and the domestication of
horses effectively shrank the
ancient world to bring on the
inevitable clash of these cul­
tures. And the Kurgans pre­
vailed.
I came across a possible
explanation for the route the
Kurgan culture took, in the
novel Raising the Stones, by
Sheri S. Tepper. Tepper is a
feminist who writes specula­
tive fiction, science fiction on
the future of humanity rather
than the future of science.
She also wrote The Gate to
Women’s Country and Grass.
I've been reading
about [earth]. About the
retributive religions, the
surviving ones. They all
came from a pastoral
background. In primitive
times, everything out
there in the dark was a
predator. One had to
guard against every­
thing that threatened
the flock, had to kill it if
possible. At night, the
flock had to be seques­
tered, put in the fold
and guarded. The
shepherd had to stand
guard, sleepless, night
after night....The

shepherd had to be
afraid of everything
...wives and children
were thought of much
as he thought of
his...sheep: The sheep
were property, the
wives were property,
the children were
property and they had
to be guarded. Because
they were a pastoral
people, they didn’t have
secure caves or houses.
They had fragile tents.
They didn’t have secure
lands; they migrated
...They were probably
afraid all the time, of
everything. They would
have been very alert...
Very nervous...Over
time...only the people
survived who were very
alert and perpetually
frightened, and thus
very irritable and quick
to attack. Perhaps it
became a racial
characteristic... reinforced
by the religion [which]
explains why violence
and war went on under
the name of religion for
so long. Fear and
hatred were simply
racial characteristics of
the people who had
...those religions. It’s a
logical explanation,
though I have no idea
whether it’s true or
not.”
We know our own society is in
trouble. Rather than take a
blueprint from the past based
on condemnation of others,
we need a vision for the future
based on understanding and
acceptance of diversity.

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

A Thousand Years of Matriarchaeology
wo new publications

The Poster is $12.00 plus
formation is organized by
$2.00 handling charge plus
based on the history of
date from 1007 to 2020 in 43
GST.
women in Canada have been
classifications from Arts/
released by Green Dragon
Artists to Workplace Hazards
The Chronology is $25.00
Press. Canadian Women in
and each entry is a maximum
plus $2.00 handling charge
History: A Poster by Pat
of five lines in length. The
plus GST.
Staton and Canadian Women
material has been compiled
in History: A Chronology
principally from publications
Both are available from:
by Moira Armour. Although
written by Canadian women
Green Dragon Press
these projects were planned
historians. Archives, libraries,
902-135 George Street South
and researched independent­
reports from feminist organi­
Toronto, ON M5A 4E8
Telephone (416) 368-1747
ly, they are remarkably com­
zations and the media are
plementary. Almost a dozen
other sources of research.
years in total were devoted
Several hundred women are
to the reading, writing and
listed with their accomplish­
organizing of material which
ments or affiliations. Found­
names well over 700 women—
ing dates of organizations,
from colonizers to contemp­
“first” women, trade union
orary artists, scientists and
and political events along with
politicians—the women we
statistical data are included.
didn’t read about in our school
The sections with the most
texts.
entries are: Appointments
The poster, measuring 23”
(to Supreme Court), Income,
by 35” wide, printed on parch­
Labour, Legislation, Political,
ment paper in black with titles
Professions, Trade Unions,
and borders in burgundy ink,
Women’s Movement, Women’s
has as the first entry “Copper
Publications and Women’s
Woman—Nootka legend tells
Suffrage.
that she created the first man
these ongoing
by mixing tears, saliva, sand
projects were un­
CANADIAN WOMEN
and magic spells in a clam
dertaken to provide
shell.” This is followed by
useful
reference
IN HISTORY
“Gudridr, bom 980 Member
tools for teachers
A CHRONOLOGY
of the Viking settlement at
and students and to
L’Anse aux Meadows (New­
assist others to cor­
foundland) in 1007.” All the
rect the impression
persons named on the poster
that women have
are deceased. They include
been invisible for
native, Inuit and pioneer
the last 1000 years.
women, medical missionar­
Political organiza­
ies, photographers, authors,
tions, government
educators, actors, lawyers
offices, libraries, ed­
and feminists. Featured in
ucators, researchers
the central portion of the
and journalists will
poster, the five women respon­
have many applica­
sible for the Persons Case are
tions for these col­
named.
lections of women’s
The chronology is 173
“vital statistics” —
pages in length including
“women’s matriarch­
aeology.”
indexes and sources. The in-

T

37

Canadian Feminism and the Law
The Women's Legal Education and Action Fund
and the Pursuit of Equality
by Sherene Razack, Second Story Press, Toronto, 1991
Reviewed by
Milnor Alexander

about the book at the UVic
Faculty Club shortly after it
came out.)
aving read a review of
Since I was involved with
this book in the Globe
the struggle over Article 28
I was still teaching at
and Mail in June, written when
by
Allan C. Hutchinson who
the University of Regina, and
teaches at Osgoode Hall Law
then was instrumental in
starting the Charter of Rights
School, I got the book myself
Coalition (CORC) here in
to see if it was as good as
Hutchinson said. And it is! It
Victoria, and chaired the Co­
follows up the good work that
alition meetings and the
publication of our review of
Gwen Brodsky and Shelagh
Day had done in their book,
B.C. laws affecting women, it
Canadian Charter Equality
is obvious that I have had
great concern in this area for
Rights for Women: One Step
a long time. I have been a
Forward or Two Steps Back?
member of LEAF from the
which was published by the
beginning, and receive both
Canadian Advisory Council
on the Status of Women in
Leaf Lines from the national
September 1989.
office, and Leaflet from the
West Coast office in Van­
Sherene Razack has taught
couver, so I have tried to
women’s studies at Concordia
keep up on LEAF’S work. But
University, and is now based
this book was a revelation
at the Department of Adult
Education, Ontario Institute
concerning the difficulties
encountered when feminist
for Studies in Education. Ms.
lawyers attempt to advance
Razack presents a penetrat­
and protect women’s equal
ing analysis of women’s rights
rights claims in a male-domi­
before the law, as she consid­
nated court of law.
ers the history of the Legal
Ms. Razack, in her intro­
Education and Action Fund
duction “Wrong Rights: Chal­
(LEAF), from its founding
lenges of Applying Feminism
after the entrenchment of
to Law," discusses what’s
the Charter of Rights in 1982
wrong
with Rights thinking.
and its six years of legal and
Rights
thinking permeates
political struggles after the
our
everyday
lives and shares
three year wait for the art­
many
feminist
activities so
icle on women’s equality to
deeply that it is often difficult
become law. (Gwen Brodsky
to remain self-conscious of
and Shelagh Day’s book had
the limits it places on our
covered only the first three
seeing and knowing. As
years of LEAF’S work. Many
women, we often resist the
of you may have been there
construction of gender that
when Gwen Brodsky spoke

H

38

comes out of right language
while simultaneously work­
ing with it to improve our
daily lives.
She goes on to point out
how much of the basis for
thinking about rights in law
today comes to us from white
male liberal theorists, and
that we must move from the
idea of individual rights to
the group rights approach.
The feminist lawyers in LEAF
have found that taking the
concrete experience of women
into the courtroom meant
explaining what individual
men, or the system of male
dominance, or both, did to
women.
Chapter I, From Lobbying
to Legal Action: Changing
the Meaning of Equality,
1970-1985, recounts the pre­
Charter context, particularly
the Bliss and Lavell cases,
and the building of the CORC
groups across the country.
In August of 1984, nine
months before Section 15 of
the Charter of Rights and
Freedoms came into effect,
specific planning began for
the birth of LEAF.
Chapter II, LEAF Litigation
in Context, gives an overview
of the judicial climate in the
1980’s, and an overview of
LEAF cases. LEAF adopted
over 30 in some detail. Its
caseload far exceeded capac­
ity, and in 1989 LEAF had to
limit its acceptance of intake
calls to one day of the week.
The board had decided to

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

concentrate on proactive work
in the two major areas of
employment law and income
assistance for low-income
women, and to establish a
strategy to cope with the
epidemic of cases brought by
men.
But as the rest of the book
illustrates:
LEAF’S litigation on behalf
of women has been exposing
the soft underbelly of patri­
archy. The myths of equality
and individual freedom are
powerful ones In our society;
however, to talk about what
happens to women on a daily
basis—in sport, in welfare, in
institutions and bureaucra­
cies, in the home, on the
streets, and on the job—is to
introduce a complex reality
that negates such ideals. Il is
to clash head on with patri­
archy and the liberal dis­
course on which it feeds. The
challenge is softened when
the focus is on a single case,
and it is here that LEAF can
hope to have an impact.
Chapter III discussed the
LEAF cases thoroughly, point­
ing out how the LEAF' lawyers
developed the feminist method
in the courtroom. Chapter IV
is called: “Naming Oppres­
sion: Issues of Domination
and Submission,” and dis­
cusses the watershed case of
Andrews v. The Law Society
of British Columbia, and the
sexual harassment cases, sex
ual assault cases, and repro
ductive issues. I cannot out
line all these cases in this
short review, but suffice it io
say that LEAF has done an
absolutely outstanding Job In
these few short years. The
final chapter, entitled “What
Counts as Winning?,” gives
the litigator’s view, the historian's
view, and the feminist view.

LEAF is at that stage in its
history when the hard ques­
tions of political choice and
strategy can no longer be
avoided. The tightrope LEAF
has walked between the fem­
inist and the legal world is
largely illusory. Litigation on
behalf of women has to be

As Wise As
Serpents

explicitly feminist political
activity or else it risks pro­
ducing few real changes in
women’s lives.
Reprinted with the author's
permission from “Times
Feminist,” November 1991,
Volume 17, No. 8.

AS WISE AS
SERPENTS

Five women and a
cause—the story of
pioneer leaders of the
B.C. Woman's Christian
Temperance Union
or for the first time, the

F

story of the spirited
women — Cecilia Spofford,
Maria Grant, Helen Grant,
Margaret Jenkins, and Emma
Spencer—who developed the
1883 *1939
British Columbia Woman’s
FIVE WOMEN A AN ORGANIZATION
Christian Temperance Union
THAT CHANGED BRITISH COLUMBIA
into the most powerful and
by LYN GOUGH
influential organization of its
day. How they achieved this
—overcoming ridicule, resist­
A story of pioneer women of
ance, and rugged terrain—
takes up much of the book
strong character achieving
and provides a fascinating
together.
picture of a women’s organi­
zation in action in pioneer
times. As well, there are re­
ISBN: 0-9693405-0-8
vealing insights into the per­
sonalities behind the move­
Swan Lake Publishing
ment as they campaigned
893 Leslie
for prohibition, suffrage, and
Victoria, BC
V8X 2Y3
good causes—and glimpses
of international figures such
as Frances Willard, Lady
Paperback (6 x 9, 288 pp)
Aberdeen, and Emmeline
Price by mail:
Pankhurst. Women who have
$15.95 inclusive.
been members of women’s
organizations will particularly
Can be ordered through
enjoy this book.
bookstores.

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

39

Under the Viaduct
Homeless in Beautiful B.C.
by Sheila Baxter
Vancouver: New Star Books, 1991
Reviewed by Teresa Murphy
(Teresa Murphy is a local
housing researcher and
former BCTF librarian.)

n 1988, Sheila Baxter

I

published No Way to Live:
Poor Women Speak Out,
powerful study of women and
poverty, which she based on
interviews with 50 women.
Under the Viaduct, Home­
less in Beautiful B.C.,

Baxter’s second book, is an
analysis of homelessness in
Vancouver.
Like Baxter’s first book,
Under the Viaduct is based
on interviews, this time, with a
variety of people affected by
homelessness: social service
workers, welfare advocates,
Downtown Eastside hotel
managers, Women’s Centre
staff, and, most important, the
homeless themselves. Baxter
begins by asking simple ques­
tions: Who are the homeless?
What is homelessness? and
What causes homelessness?
and proceeds to answer the
questions based on the stories
and opinions offered by those
she interviews.
Under the Viaduct is an
unremitting challenge to how
society views homelessness
and the homeless. Few—and
Baxter is very careful to
show—very few people are
homeless by choice. Instead,
Baxter’s research indicates
that the homeless—the people
who either don’t have a home
or lack adequate, secure, af­
40

fordable housing—
are people just like
everyone else, who
through no fault
of their own, find
themselves with­
out a place to
live.
a Who are they?
Single women,
with and with­
out children,
single men,
married couples, families, the
working poor, the under­
employed and unemployed,
the elderly living on meagre
pensions, the mentally ill,
the disabled, and runaway
children.
Where do they go? Shel­
ters, social service agencies,
centres—like Catholic Char­
ities, Lookout, Triage, the
Carnegie Centre, Crabtree
Comers, The YWCA, Down­
town Eastside hotels, the
Downtown Eastside Women’s
Centre, the United Church.
And when these services are
full (and they are often full)
or don’t offer overnight ac­
commodation, the homeless
are forced to sleep in cars, in
shacks they build themselves,
in parkades, in condemned
or vacant buildings, or under
the Georgia Viaduct.
Why? Because they can’t
afford or find a clean, basic,
safe place to live. Current B.C.
welfare rates provide $275
per month for rent. As Alan
Alvare of the First United
Church so eloquently states,
“If you believe places are

available for that, have I got
a bridge for you!”
Most disturbing is the
number of homeless women
raising children, moving from
shelter to shelter, living in
Downtown Eastside hotels,
and periodically returning to
violent, abusive relationships
when they have no other choice.
Like No Way to Live, amid
Baxter’s impeccable research,
replete with numerous sta­
tistical tables on vacancy
rates, social service data, and
excerpts and quotations from
newsletters, books, and aca­
demic papers. Under the Via­
duct does offer solutions to
the problems of poverty and
homelessness. Most impor­
tant, many of the solutions
come from those who need
them most—the homeless.
Baxter’s first book has
been used as a sociology
text. No doubt, her sensitive
and understanding treatment
of this subject will warrant
similar use.
Bibliography, resource sec­
tion, and index.

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

ppressed: Only 6 years

O
U
T
R
A
G
E
D

The Sexual Politics
of Meat

ago did husbands lose A Feminist-Vegetarian
the “right” to “force sex Critical
on
Theory
their wives”
nheard: Every 17 min- by Carol J. Adams.
a women in Canada is The Continuum Publishing Company,
New York 1991
raped
errorized: One in 4
Reviewed by Kathleen L.
MacKinnon, Provincial Status
of Women Committee
ender politics linked

In Frankenstein’s Vegetar­
ian Monster, Adams explores
a tradition of vegetarian pro­
test in literature. Through
Joseph Ritson, a vegetarian
now to vegetarianism?
academic who wrote AnEssay
Canada is raped before
That could be the last straw
on Abstinence from Animal
the age of 18
for some folks. Connecting a
Food as a Moral Duty, Percy
eating culture with pol­
Shelley, the poet and author
ssaulted: One in ten meat
itics or economics is not a
of The Vindication of Natural
women in Canada is new notion nor is it difficult Diet, and Mary Shelley,
to think of some current ex­
daughter of Mary Wollstone­
assaulted by her husbandamples. Remember George craft who wrote Frankenstein,
hetto-ized: Women still Bush’s fending off attacks she establishes a link with
because he dislikes broccoli
vegetarian thinkers.
She reports what most of
earn only 60% of what and the backlash against k.d.
lang
in
her
home
province
us
already know: vegetarians
men earn
because she publicly encour­
were and still are relegated
ndangered: One in 5 ages vegetarianism?
to the category of “oddball”
In The Sexual Politics of and as such asked relentlessly
murder victims in Can­ Meat, Carol Adams has given to justify their rejection of
vegetarians a political, cul­
meat. George Bernard Shaw,
ada is a woman murdered
tural,
and
literary
history.
tired of explaining said, “Why
in the home
She exposes euphemisms
do you call me to account
ead: 14 women stu­ and questions the natural­ for eating decently?” Imagine
ness and centrality of meat
vegetarian banquets in the
dents murdered at the eating.
mid-1800’s, sometimes at­
She
summarizes
the
theor
­
tended by Susan B. Anthony,
Univesité de Montréal on
etical framework linking fem­
Elizabeth Cady Stanton,
December 6,1989
inism to vegetarianism:
and Sojourner Truth, where
“The patriarchal structure
guests raised a glass to
—Anonymous
of the absent referent
“Total Abstinence, Women’s
that renders women and
Rights, and Vegetarianism.”
Reproduced by permission from
animals absent as sub­
Imagine a BCTF meeting
Voices, the newsletter of the
jects, collapses referent
where meat eaters had to
custody and access support
points, and results in
special order! (Many vege­
group, Monroe House (YWCA),
overlapping oppression,
tarians I know, however,
734-5722. Inquire about drop-in
requires a combined
would take exception to the
support groups or telephone
challenge by feminism
“total abstinence” part of the
counselling.
and vegetarianism. ”
toast.)

women in Canada is
raped in her lifetime
aped: One in 8 girls in

G

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

41

Ironically, we see on film,
we read, or we are told that
non-human animals have
families and personalities. We
see the little ones playful and
naughty and the parents
loving and protective. Could
you ever think of frying one of
these cute little animals for a
snack? Imagine the protest in
your house if you disagreed
with Charlotte and wanted
Wilbur slaughtered for pork,
bacon, or ham. Just how do
we switch from animal lovers
to consumers of animals?
Adams claims that the
concept of eating non-human
animals is palatable only if
we forget that we are eating a
once living animal. We eat
steak not cow, pork not pig.
When we do call meat its name
(turkey, chicken, rabbit, etc.)
we eat turkey not a turkey.
Most of us are removed from
the experience of live animals.
Some of us have a pet, and
our pets live out their lives
comfortably and safely, they
are not destined to be eaten.
Imagine the slaughterhouse
worker’s dissonance, trying
to visualize the warm, live
animal as hamburger, steak
and sweetbreads, an image
the mind may find hard to
reconcile. It may be no co­
incidence then that the “turn­
over rate among slaughter­
house workers is the highest
of any occupation in the
country.”
Meat eating is tangible and
measurable power, specifi­
cally power over non-human
animals, from hunting to
trapping to domestication. It
can be argued that hunting
under exceptional circum­
stances and exceptional cli­
mates may be a necessity,
but the pre-meditated raising
and killing of animals for
42

food may be a more difficult
concept to sell. Yet it has
been sold quite successfully.
Seventy percent of protein
for Americans is derived from
animalized and feminized
(eggs and milk) protein. In the
Far East, the reverse is true;
80% of the protein is from
vegetable sources. Does be­
coming western, becoming
prosperous, mean eating more
meat?
Throughout her book, Carol
Adams asks us to stretch
the analogy of violence against
non-human animals to vio­
lence against women. It is not
a long stretch to make. Ani­
mal references to women are
not new. In my lifetime, I have
heard women referred to as

bunnies, chicks, dogs, cows,
pigs, snakes, a piece of meat.
None of the names conjures
up an image of women who
are empowered. None con­
jures up for me the woman I
am or ever have been.
“What’s your cut?” shows a
naked woman sitting with her
back to us divided as on a
butcher’s chart into rump,
chuck, rib, round. It’s only
one poster, of course, but it is
an unsettling illustration of
the message.
This book is not for the
faint-hearted. The chapters
on the butchering of women
and the descriptions of the
slaughterhouses are disturb­
ing. This book demands
thought and action.

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

A MOVIE TO WATCH FOR THIS SPRING..

Talking about “Talk 16”
here were 30

T

feature films
making up the Can­
adian Images series,
part of the 10th Van­
couver International
Film Festival, held in
October. Surprising­
ly, five of these 1991
releases were docu­
mentary features.
Documentaries don’t
usually do well the­
atrically but at least one
of them. Talk 16, has
been picked up by Can­
ada’s largest distributor.
Alliance Releasing, and
is set for a theatrical re­
lease in January.
Talk 16 follows the
lives of five 15- and 16vear-old girls over a period
of a year. It’s extremely
funny, stylish and honest.
I attended the film with
my 15-year-old friend Erin
Bowe, and we both enjoyed
watching and talking about
Talk 16 afterwards. It’s the
kind of a film that’s easy to
relate to: the lives of these five
Toronto girls touch so many strands of existence. Erin Bowe
particularly liked how the movie showed life’s imperfections,
and that the girls weren’t the usual media stereotypes, but
were very real and individual, with problems and solutions
all their own. It was encouraging that both Erin and I liked
these very different girls equally—despite their (and our)
social, economic, religious and ethnic differences, we came to
understand what each one was about. Talk 16 felt like a
celebration, not just of these young women’s lives, but of all
our lives.
Excerpt from an article by Kaija Pepper,
freelance writer/researcher for film, TV and dance

Permission to print from Kinesis, November, 1991

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

43

Mark Your
Calendar

November 26-28,
1992
The Radisson Hotel
St. John's
Newfoundland

THE CANADIAN
TEACHERS' FEDERATION
CONFERENCE ON
WOMEN AND EDUCATION
Remember the conference [Roles, Rules, Relation­

ships) BCTF status of women contacts attended
at the Bayshore in December of 1990? The next
national conference is being planned; registra­

tion materials will be available in September.
You may want to find out what professional

development funds are available so you may

attend.

44

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

Annual General Meeting
1) Sunday, March 15, from
15:00 to 17:00, the Status
of Women Committee will
hold a Pre-AGM Meeting
to assist women, particu­
larly those new to the
AGM, to participate more
fully in the proceedings of
the AGM. The Status of
Women Committee recom­
mendations made to the
Executive Committee for
consideration at the AGM
have not been approved as
we go to press.

2) The BCTF Task Force on
Social Responsibility is
bringing forward to the
1992 AGM recommenda­
tions resulting from exten­
sive dialogue and delibera­
tion.
Why is the B.C. Teachers’
Federation involved in
social responsibility?
Professionally responsible
teachers are committed to
fostering the growth and
development of all individ­
uals, to the end that they
will become and be selfreliant, self-disciplined,
participating members with
a sense of social and en­
vironmental responsibility
within a democratic society.
Professional responsibility
involves a commitment to
non-sexist, non-racist ed­
ucation and dedication to
the equal consideration of
all individuals. All of us,
whether we teach math­
ematics, sciences, social
studies, English, lang­
uages, arts, crafts, physi­
cal education, etc., are

engaged in introducing our
students into an inquiry
into human values, experi­
ences and understandings.
Respect for persons, for
democratic process, for
equality and a deep con­
cern for justice are integral
to educating students for
citizenship in a democratic
society.

Social issues strike to the
core of what teaching and
education are all about. For
example:
• Hungry children cannot
concentrate in a classroom.
• Racism undermines selfesteem.
• Sexism limits options.
• Fear of war and violence
steals children’s hope.
• Our children’s future de­
pends on protecting the
environment.
•Violence against women
and children damages class­
room success.
• Illiteracy denies full ben­
efits of citizenship.
• Sexual abuse affects chil­
dren at school.
Essentially we teachers are
involved in social respons­
ibility because issues, con­
ditions, and concerns in
society are inextricably
enmeshed with learning,
teaching, and schooling.
The Report to the 1992 AGM

3) Labour Affiliation, dis­
cussed elsewhere in the
Journal, will also be on the
agenda. Should the BCTF
hold a referendum to deter­
mine how the membership
stands on affiliation?

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

Widening
the Circle
A Gathering
for Young
Women
The CACSW (The
Canadian Advisory
Council on the
Status of Women)
is planning a
national sympo­
sium for adolescent
women in March
1992. Titled
Widening the Circle:
A Gathering for
Young Women,
this symposium
will focus on issues
young women in
Canada face and
give young women
a forum in which
to speak.
For information, call:
Sylvia Farrant,
Vice-President
Calgary (403) 292-6668
Fax (403) 292-6673

45

The Screening Mammography
Program or B.C.
he Screening Mammography Program of B.C. is a life­

T

saving program available to all women aged 40 and over
in British Columbia. One woman in 10 will develop breast
cancer. With early detection, a 95% cure rate can be confi­
dently predicted. Screening mammography is the x-ray exam­
ination of the breasts for women with no signs or symptoms of
breast disease. The technique is the most accurate and effec­
tive method of detecting breast cancers that may be too small
to be felt. A doctor’s referral is not required.

Make an appointment today
by calling:

Vancouver

775-0022

Burnaby

436-0691

Kamloops

828-4916

Kelowna

861-7560

Prince George

565-6816

Surrey

660-0288

Victoria

356-0051

or long distance

1-800663-9203

Brochures are available from
the above offices for distribu­
tion to your local teachers.

46

tus of Women Journal, February 1992

Resources &
Ideas for
Strategies

Violence Against Women
Resources and Ideas for Strategies
Thumbs Down!
Continues to be widely
used inside and outside
schools. WCOTP (World
Confederation of Organi­
zations of the Teaching
Profession-Switzerland)
is distributing it to some
members. Still available
from the BCTF.

BCTF Brief
TO THE

Provincial
Task Force
Submitted December
1991 to the Provincial
Task Force. Additional
copies are available
from the BCTF.

A Cappella...
The project, which was
partly funded by the Sec­
retary of State, involved
approximately 1,000 girls
between the ages of 11
and 19. More than 200
teachers in every province
and territory participated
by leading student groups.

A Cappella Phase II...
A multistaged follow-up to Phase I has been developed,
the goal of which will be the encouragement of local and
provincial projects to enhance the quality of adolescent
girls’ lives inside and outside schools.
Status of Women Journal, February 1992

47

Battered Women's
Support Services
Battered Women’s Support
Services is a registered, non­

profit society providing coun­
selling and education services
for women in the Lower Main­
land since 1979. In 1987,
Battered Women’s Support
Services initiated one of the
first “dating-violence” pro­
grams in Canada. It grew from
the number of calls received
from young women experienc­
ing violence in relationships.
The work has advanced to
collecting research and infor­
mation from across Canada
and the U.S.A., writing pub­
lications and articles, and
public speaking in schools
and youth groups.

Issues covered in
the program

• Sexual harassment
• Dating violence
• Acquaintance rape
• Stranger rape
• Incest
Realistic scenarios are constructed
and, using creative role-playing
techniques, the students learn to
apply the assertiveness skills they
have learned.

48

Services include:
• presentations on dating
violence by trained educa­
tion workers
• one-to-one peer counselling
• telephone referrals, support
and counselling
• a discussion guide on vio­
lence in young people’s re­
lationships
• two brochures on informa­
tion, referrals, etc.
• a bibliography listing vari­
ous books, articles, videos,
and organizations that deal
with dating violence
• a variety of articles and
handouts.

Although services are re­
stricted to Lower Mainland
communities, counsellors will
travel to communities where
local groups are able to pay
travel costs. A training was
held in January with volun­
teers from the Fort Nelson
Transition House.

"It's a great three-hour
program. We use it for
all our Grade 10 girls,
but more needs to be
done. The program
should be run for boys
as well with a follow­
up joint session to
encourage discussion. 99

Marion Dedijer, counsellor,
Windermere Secondary
School, Vancouver

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

PHOTO-NOVELLA
on Dating Violence

“PHOTO-NOVELLA ”—a story depicted through
a series of black-and-white photographs, and
a popular education tool used in most Latin
American and European communities. Enter­
taining, informative and easy to read, Photo­
Novellas are the ideal communication format
for hard-to-reach audiences.
The dramatized story, presented by local
youth actors, will show a Dating Violence
situation through the eyes of teenagers (16
years of age). Readers will be encouraged to
seek resolution of such situations through
legal services, community services, and coun­
selling services.
A teacher/instructor guide will be available
to present discussion ideas, resources, and
bibliography.

Note: The BCTF recommended this projectforfunding by a number ofcommunity agencies. Services “in kind”

were provided through the Status of Women Program after the proposal and draft script were reviewed by
the commitee. Battered Women’s Support Services is seeking furtherfunding to facilitate distribution of this
resource outside the Lower Mainland.

This year, December 6 was an official day of remembrance.
The new federal Bill C-20 declared:

“Throughout Canada in each and
every year, the 6 th of December
shall be known under the name of
National Day of Remembrance
and Action on Violence Against
Women.99
he designation of this

T

things women can do, and in
day is an important step,
Castlegar, at Kinnard Elemen­
but a much greater commit
­
tary
School, Jill Shannon’s
ment will be necessary to
students wrote stories on “A
end male violence against
Woman Who Impresses Me.”
women.
Both projects are shown in this
Status of Women contacts,
journal.
committee members, and sup­
At the BCTF Expanded Bar­
porters organized and attended
gaining Advisory Committee
marches, vigils, and protests
meeting, the men wore white
across the province, protest­
ribbons, a recognition that men’s
ing the escalating violence
silence on men’s violence against
against women.
women must end.
In classrooms like that of
The BCTF, in 1990, declared
Laurie Tighe, of Glenn Lake
December 6 an official day of
Elementary School, in Sooke,
remembrance to be noted in
students drew pictures of
the members’ pocket calendar.

Status of Women Journal. February 1992

49

Writings from eight- and-nine year-old
Elementary students in Castlegar

THE TOPIC:
"A Woman Who Impresses Me"

50

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

Self-defense for Girls
(and Women)
Available as a workshop or presentation
An introduction of a written unit that goes beyond dialogue to
physical techniques, this presentation and demonstration
provides an overview of a teaching unit for women and girls
on self-defense. It outlines the four As on which the unit is
based: awareness, avoidence, assertiveness, and action, as
well as the motivation to provide this training to our young
women through the educational medium.

The full-day workshop provides time for participants to be­
come proficient enough in self-defense techniques to teach
them to students.
Teaching Children To
Think Critically About
Sexism and Other Forms
of Bias gives elementary

school teachers an ap­
proach to examine whether
commonly held stereo­
types about gender differ­
ences are true or false.
The kit provides a meth­
odology for teacher and
student use which can be
used to think critically
about racism, ageism,
classism, bias against
people with disabilities,
as well as sexism.
Developed with students
in Grade 4, the kit pro­
vides a step-by-step pro­
cess that allows students
to examine whether a
statement is true, to
identify methodologies
for Investigating the
truth and to generate
alternative explanations
for observation or infor­
mation. Written by Paula
Caplan, Margaret SecordGilbert, and Pat Staton,
it’s available at the OISE
bookstore for $10.

The presentation was very well received at the October Status
of Women Contacts’ training. Most participants indicated they
could benefit a good deal from attending a longer session. The
unit was recommended to the ministry for a gender-equity grant.
B.J. Lewis, status of woman contact
Robb Road School, 1909 Robb Road
Comox, BC V9N 4S4
Phone: 339-2232

Personal Perspectives
and Media Bias
by DEBORAH DAVIES, ELLIE HALCROW, VALERIE
SHERRIFF, JEAN SISSONS, and DAVE THOMSON

This unit, designed for Grades 8-12, examines personal and
media bias. It could be used as an introduction to any con­
troversial unit, or it could be used as a lead in to a newspaperor video-making project. The unit addresses the key concepts
of a global curriculum, human values and cultures, global
systems, global problems and issues.
Five lessons in the unit focus point of view (a person’s percep­
tion can only be based on his/her own circumstances and
experiences), being in another’s shoes (an opportunity to
empathize), observing detail (the importance of being observ­
ant and how attention to details in information can change
our perception), detecting bias (understanding how bias
affects the messages we receive), and perspective awareness
(learning to receive information, particularly from mass
media and applying critical-thinking resources to determine
the quality of the information).

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

51

Rap-O-Matics
Rap-O-Matics is a 12-minute video

produced by Industry, Science and
Technology Canada to encourage
girls in secondary school to take
science and math options to increase
their educational and job opportuni­
ties. The video, to be distributed to
schools across Canada, delivers its
message in an entertaining “rap” style
aimed at 12-to-15-year olds. English
and French versions are available
to educators, free of charge from
Science Sector, Industry, Science
and Technology Canada, 8th Floor
West, 235 Queen Street, Ottawa ON,
KIA 0H5. (613) 990-9658.

Eve
Of course I feel brutal

would like to kick and scream

bash, cudgel, splinter
walk away free and clean
strong and delivered

from all that reeks of shame

back to the garden
before I had a name.
Marje A. Dyck
Published in Anthos ‘89

Conflict-Resolution Strategies
for Students
“Anger is a basic human
emotion, yet too often
anger is not seen as basic
or human. Anger is easily
the most maligned and
perverted offeelings and
responses. Although there
is an enormous range of
‘angry problems, ‘nearly
all people have some
difficulty handling anger.
The price paid for the
distortion of a basic
emotion is incalculable.
Poor mental health,
poor physical health,
damage to relationships
—especially to parent­
child relationships and
even that most malignant
of human diseases—
war—are the wages of
distorted anger.”

from The Angry Book
Theodore Isaac Rubin
52

As teachers, we recognize the
need to give children strate­
gies for dealing with conflict.
We must encourage our stu­
dents to shift from anger
to positive problem solving.
Through discussions, role­
playing, and actual lessons
in the classroom, students
should practise techniques to
handle conflict. Such lessons
tend to happen after an inci­
dent, when unfortunately,
damage to feelings and body
has already happened.
Classroom Strategies for
Encouraging Conflict
Resolution

Have a “Peace Table” in your
classroom or in another room
in your school. You could
direct children to use this
table when a problem arises
with another student. This

table could be covered with
paper, and children should
be encouraged to write their
problem and possible solu­
tions on the table.
Begin a collection of books,
articles, sheets, comics, etc.,
for the feelings of conflict
(frustration, anger, confusion,
stress, worry, jealousy, etc.).
You could display these ma­
terials in large envelope pock­
ets for use by students when
they have identified their feel­
ings. You could share simple
games to encourage students
to interact positively. A short
game of pick-up sticks in a
controlled setting may help
students realize that fair play
will help them on the play­
ground.
Role-playing various situa­
tions will give students the

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

language and actions for fair
fighting.
Develop with your students a
chart with information for fair
fighting:
• identify the problem
•focus on the problem
• attack the problem, not the
person
• listen with an open mind
• treat a person’s feelings with
respect
•take responsibility for your
actions
You may also develop a list of
fouls: name calling, blaming,
sneering, getting even, mak­
ing excuses, etc. Peace Works
has many wonderful ideas for
charts and discussion ideas
suitable for students of all ages.

Desk cards for students en­
courage them to focus on a
particular theme, and to take
responsibility for their own
actions. A few samples are
offered.
Often, children need to “selftalk” through a situation.
Printing their thoughts within
a sketched shape of a head
may help them sort out the
issues and solutions.

Children need to see them­
selves as capable of solving
problems. Children could
evaluate themselves, how they
use skills, and how they feel
about their problem-solving
skills by using a self-affirm­
ation booklet or a conflict
journal. If children wish, they
could share the entries in the
conflictJournals with buddies
who might be having the same
kind of conflict.
Discuss natural and logical
consequences. Brainstorm
Status of Women Journal, February 1992

53

logical consequences for:
• someone who writes on a
desk
•someone who is late for
school
•someone who takes things
that don’t belong to him/
her.
Giving children practice on
hypothetical situations re­
moves emotional involvement
and blame.

Have a weekly class meeting
to discuss problems and how
they were solved positively. If
some problems are outstand­
ing, discuss ways that they
could be handled. Role-play­
ing situations for appropriate
language may be helpful
during class meetings.

Children need to know that
anger is a valid emotion. It is
okay to feel angry. How they

choose to act when they feel
angry is their choice. Our
challenge is to help children
learn how to separate their
angry feelings from their
angry behavior. The peace
teacher provides opportuni­
ties for children to explore
their feelings and to realize
that they are not alone with
their feelings. Building a
friendly and caring classroom
takes time, effort, consist­
ency, patience, and love. The
peace teacher is a vital link
in preparing children to be
happy, caring, and respons­
ible individuals. Children
learn what they live.
by Jill Shannon,
Provincial Status of Women
Committee Member,
in collaboration with
Molly Beckstead, Child
Care Worker, School
District 9, Castlegar.

Resources:

Nelson, Jane. Positive Disci­
pline. Ballantine Books. New
York. 1981
Rubin, T.R. The Angry Book.
Collier Books. New York.
1969.
Schmidt, Fran and Friedman,
Alice. Creative Conflict Solv­
ingfor Kids. Grace Contrino
Abrams Peace Education,
Inc. Miami Beach. 1983.
Schmidt, Fran and Friedman,
Alice. Peace Making Skills
for Little Kids. Grace
Contrino Abrams Peace
Education, Inc. Miami
Beach. 1988.
Faber, Adele and Mazlish,
Elaine. How To Talk So Kids
Will Listen and Listen So
Kids Will Talk. Wade Pub­
lishers, New York. 1980.
Cherry, Clare. Please Don't
Sit on the Kids. Lake Pub­
lishers, California. 1983.

In 1987 UBC implemented new tcachcr-cducalion programs for both
elementary and secondary teachers. Previous programs of initial teacher
education arc being phased out and the university has established dead­
lines for completing programs according to the previous requirements.

Those admitted to - the four-year B.Ed (Elementary—including NITEP)
- the five-year B.Ed (Secondary)
- the five-year B.Ed (Special Education)
must complete all degree requirements by August 31,1993 to qualify
for the degree.

,

54

To enquire about your remaining degree requirements, write or telephone
a Program Advisor.
Teacher Education Office
Faculty of Education, UBC
THE
2125 Main Mall
UNIVERSITY OF
Vancouver, BC V6T1Z5
BRITISH
(604) 822-5221 or 822-5242
Fax: 822-8227
COLUMBIA

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

|

BREAD AND ROSES
music by Caroline Kohlsaat

words by James Oppenheim

As----- we come march - ing in the beau - ty of the day,

A

mil • lion dark ened kit - chens, a----- thou - sand mill lofts gray,

Are

touched with all the ra - diance

peo • ple

that a sud - den sun dis - clos - es,

For the

hear us sing - ing, “Bread and ros - es, bread and ros - es."

2.

As wo come marching, marching, we battle too for men,
For they ate women’s children and we mother them again,
Our Ilves shall not be sweated from birth until life closes;
Hoads starve as well as bodies; give us bread but give us roses!

3.

As we come marching, marching, unnumbered women dead
Go crying through our singing their ancient cry for bread.
Small ad and love and beauty their drudging spirits knew.
Yes it Is bread we fight for but we fight for roses too!

4.

As we come marching, marching, we bring the greater days.
The rising of the woman means the rising of the race.
No more the drudge and idler—ten that toil where one reposes,
But a sharing of life's glories: Bread and roses, bread and roses!

Inspired by the New England textile strikes of 1912, Bread and Roses has become
an anthem to women's rights, evidenced today in one of the most significant
social revolutions of all time.

Songs For Labour prepared by American Federation of Labor CIO, 815 16th Street N.W., Washington, DC 20006.
Dorothy Shields, Department of Education.

Status of Women Journal, February 1992

55

We are delighted that people want to reproduce articles from this journal. All
we ask is that you give the BCTF Status of Women Journal credit. It would
be an added bonus if you would send a note or a copy of your publication to
the BCTF Status of Women office to let us know how the word is spreading!
STAFF THIS ISSUE

Editor

Phyllis Westhora
Editorial Assistant

Debby Stagg
Design & Typesetting

Ruth Hansen
Proofreading

Debbie Omand
Betty Goto
Holly Watson
Printing and Mailing

BCTF print shop
Opinions expressed in articles are those of the writer and do not necessarily
reflect the opinion of the Provincial Status of Women Committee.
If you wish to be on the mailing list to receive the Status of Women Journal,
write to Debbie Omand, BCTF, 2235 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6J 3H9.

56

Status of Women Journal, February 1992