National Women's Symposium brings participants from across Canada to examine women's rights Français
OTTAWA, Feb. 23, 2016 /CNW/ - About 100 participants from across the country representing teacher organizations, educators, Indigenous women, labour and women's groups will gather in Winnipeg to explore Social Justice Education at the Heart of Women's Rights, Feb. 28 to March 1, 2016.
The Women's Symposium, organized by the Canadian Teachers' Federation (CTF) in cooperation with The Manitoba Teachers' Society (MTS), will be an opportunity for participants to discover the journeys women and girls faced and are still facing to gain human rights in Canada thanks to a special presentation by the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR).
Guest speakers include the Honourable Patricia Hajdu, Minister of the Status of Women, federal NDP Member of Parliament Niki Ashton, Equal Voice Executive Director Nancy Peckford, Canadian Labour Congress Secretary Treasurer Barb Byers, just to name a few.
The symposium will address issues such as murdered and missing Indigenous women, oppression, domestic violence at work, human trafficking, the representation of women in leadership positions as well as feature education tools to promote social justice and human rights.
"As the national body representing teacher organizations, we are delighted to bring together participants from a wide cross-section of society to examine women's challenges and victories, to share their perspectives and to demonstrate how social justice education in our schools can help to shape the future," says CTF President Heather Smith. "We are extremely grateful to the MTS for hosting the symposium in the province located in the centre of Canada."
"Before we can be allies in addressing inequality and social injustice, everyone needs to understand the issues from the perspectives of women," says Norm Gould, MTS President. "To truly address society's most vexing problems, we need to hear from brilliant women who approach the issues from a series of ages, lenses, cultural experiences and marginalizing factors which have a huge effect on us all. We're proud to deliver this enlightening and empowering event along with our partner, the CTF."
Highlights, speakers and topics:
| February 28
7 p.m. Victoria Inn Hotel
Norm Gould, MTS President and Heather Smith, CTF President
Niki Ashton, federal NDP MP Political perspective on the status of women in Canada
|
February 29
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. CMHR
Dr. John Young, CMHR President and CEO Greetings
Heather Smith, CTF and Rosemary Sadlier, Ontario Black History Society New human rights teacher resource "Speak Truth to Power Canada"
Isabelle Masson, CMHR Researcher-Curator Women's Rights Today
7 p.m.
Celebration of the centennial of the first women to achieve the right to vote
The Honorable Patricia Hadju, Minister of Status of Women
Musical performance by Good Karma Co. (a.k.a. the Good Karma Collective) |
March 1
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Dr. Alex Wilson, University of Saskatchewan Anti-oppression education workshop
Bobbi Taillefer, MTS Nancy Peckford, Equal Voice Catherine Hart, Teacher Panel discussion on women in political leadership positions
Barb Byers, Canadian Labour Congress Domestic violence at work Diane Redsky, Redsky Vision Consulting Development MMIW and human trafficking
Gayla Meredith, President of the Northwest Territories Teachers' Association and Chair of the CTF Advisory Committee on the Status of Women Closing remarks |
Sessions are open to the media. For more information: http://www.ctf-fce.ca/en/Pages/Events/Womens-Symposium-2016.aspx
About the MTS
Founded in 1919, The Manitoba Teachers' Society is the collective bargaining and professional development organization for all of Manitoba's 15,000 public school teachers.
About the CTF
Founded in 1920, the Canadian Teachers' Federation is a national alliance of 16 teacher organizations representing nearly 200,000 teachers across Canada.
SOURCE Canadian Teachers' Federation
Raman Job, Public Relations Facilitator, The Manitoba Teachers' Society, [email protected], 204-888-7961; Francine Filion, Director of Communications, Canadian Teachers' Federation, [email protected], 613-899-4247
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