Excerpts from article:
Since 1977 Canadians have celebrated International Women's Day (IWD) on March 8th.
The Canadian theme for International Women's Day 2008 is 'Strong Women, Strong World'. As stated on the Status of Women Canada site, when women are empowered, a brighter future is secured for everyone. The theme is very true; however, the sad reality is that in Canada the government has taken steps that do not empower women at all.
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Strong women need strong support from governments. Canadian women are not receiving this support as witnessed by Harper's refusal to implement a proactive pay equity law even though the reality is that Canadian women only earn 71 cents to every dollar a Canadian male earns. The government has also cancelled the federal / provincial child care agreements and has not produced the child care spaces they promised.
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"As the anniversary shows, women around the world have always fought for a better world for themselves and their children. And history has shown us that empowered women do make a stronger world. On this IWD, I encourage all Canadians to celebrate the achievements that women have made but more importantly I encourage Canadians to fight to ensure that the women in this country and around the world are able to achieve equality," states James Clancy, national president of the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE).