I thought I would share a short report on the links between education, employment, and income as they relate specifically to Aboriginal women. This report was completed by the The Strategic Research Directorate, in partnership with the Gender Issues Directorate and is based on 2006 Census data.
Here are a couple of highlights from the report itself:
It is clear that in general Aboriginal women face a number of challenges and the report highlights that Aboriginal women in Canada employment rates are lower (at 51%) than that of non-Aboriginal women (58%) and Aboriginal men (67%). In terms of employment Aboriginal women are under-represented in professional and management positions and over-represented in positions of sales, service and manual labour. Naturally income levels are affected by these factors and indicate that Aboriginal women earn less than their non-Aboriginal couterparts. Finally, another interesting point is that while education levels equal that of Aboriginal men they still lag behind that of non-Aboriginal women. The report notes that in 2006, 59% of Aboriginal women held a degree, certificate or diploma, as compared to 77% of non-Aboriginal women.
I found the information insightful and useful.
Miigwech,
Sheila
http://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/DAM/DAM-INTER-HQ/STAGING/texte-text/ai_res_aborig_econ_pdf_1331068532699_eng.pdf
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Monday, December 12, 2011
Monday, October 31, 2011
AKRN - Aboriginal Women's Research Day
Aboriginal Women's Research Day
Date: Nov 3, 2011
Time: 9am-12 noon
Place: N'Swakamok Native Friendship Centre
Invited: Anyone interested in hearing about Aboriginal Women's Research Projects
Cost: Free
Parking available at the Market Square
RSVP: crochette@laurentian.ca
Date: Nov 3, 2011
Time: 9am-12 noon
Place: N'Swakamok Native Friendship Centre
Invited: Anyone interested in hearing about Aboriginal Women's Research Projects
Cost: Free
Parking available at the Market Square
RSVP: crochette@laurentian.ca
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Upcoming meeting
Kwe Kwe everyone:
I thought I would write and let those that are able to attend meetings of the AKRN know that we are beginning the planning for our next meeting. Please stay posted for details.
In the interim if you have anything to share please let me know.
Sheika
I thought I would write and let those that are able to attend meetings of the AKRN know that we are beginning the planning for our next meeting. Please stay posted for details.
In the interim if you have anything to share please let me know.
Sheika
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Link to (CEDAW) Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women
Kwe kwe:
Please see the link below to the CEDAW. This convention is now part of the UN Human Rights and the committee responsible for CEDAW works from the High Commission Office in Geneva. I encourage you to explore the website but more importantly read through the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women. This is an extremely important convention that works towards women's equality globally.
I attended a one-week training on CEDAW last week. It was excellent--interesting and informative. It also made me realize how women have been denied equality in many sectors of society.
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/
Miigwech,
Sheila
Please see the link below to the CEDAW. This convention is now part of the UN Human Rights and the committee responsible for CEDAW works from the High Commission Office in Geneva. I encourage you to explore the website but more importantly read through the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women. This is an extremely important convention that works towards women's equality globally.
I attended a one-week training on CEDAW last week. It was excellent--interesting and informative. It also made me realize how women have been denied equality in many sectors of society.
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/
Miigwech,
Sheila
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Call into the Night: An overview of violence against Aboriginal women
The Standing Committee on the Status of Women just released this interim report. This study examines the issue of violence against Aboriginal women with a view to provide a better understanding of the causes, the extent and nature of violence, and to provide recommendations on how to address the issue. The committee gathered information from over 150 'witnesses' that included Aboriginal women, Aboriginal organizations, academics, and those working in service organizations that took place between April 2010 and February 2011 across Canada.
http://www2.parl.gc.ca/content/hoc/Committee/403/FEWO/Reports/RP5056509/feworp14/feworp14-e.pdf
My personal comments
As I read the report a number of things stood out:
1. The fact that the Committee was “seized by the urgency of the situation of violence within which Aboriginal women, men and children live daily” (p.3) tells me that there is something terribly wrong when most people do not know about the extent of violence that directed against Aboriginal peoples. As the Committee points out what is equally disturbing is that the committee itself was shocked at the silence surrounding violence against Aboriginal peoples especially women. “It is the silence of those us in the majority who chose to turn a blind eye to this violence—cases of missing Aboriginal daughters and mothers which never make the headlines; epidemics of suicide which don’t elicit an outpouring of concern and outrage from the non-Aboriginal community” (p.4).
2. The report also makes note that the level of violence in Aboriginal women’s lives is pervasive and compounded by systemic and institutionalized racism (p.4). I couldn’t agree more. Based on my own doctoral research with Aboriginal students and professors in the postsecondary educational system racism was by far the most profound barrier experienced by participants. Racism, in my view, is an extension of longstanding and ongoing colonial practices that must be addressed.
3. One point that is made in the report leaves me both perplexed and disturbed and that is the Committee surmises a link between the loss of culture and levels of violence: “The resulting loss of culture was seen as a significant manifestation of violence against Aboriginal women and men. The link between loss of culture and violence was a recurrent theme in all the site visits.” (p.5). I agree to the extent that loss of culture is directly related to ongoing colonial and imperial imposition directed at Indigenous peoples. However, there is a danger in focusing on loss of culture as the problem versus focusing on how the loss of culture has happened to Indigenous peoples. I believe this redirects the focus back on Indigenous peoples as ‘lacking’ and in this case ‘culture’. When the gaze is centered on loss of culture or lack of culture the issue of ongoing colonial imposition gets lost. The next step is to highlight the solution as being an infusion of ‘culture’ when in fact, the solution needs to address the high levels of ongoing colonialism ie: racism and violence.
4. Two solutions/recommendations were put forward and that was (1) to listen to Aboriginal peoples and (2) to focus on more coordinate and holistic approach that are tailored to the needs of various communities (p. 6). A more holistic and comprehensive approach to addressing the issue would include attention to issues such as poverty, housing, and racism. (p. 6). My own personal view is that these are both great statements but again would be cautious on how this might redirect our gaze away from the real issue of ongoing racism and colonialism. Why not just name the issue as one of racism.
5. Another area of the report that was disturbing was the section on the role that child welfare plays in the violence experienced by Aboriginal women. “The committee heard that women who were victims of violence often avoided seeking help from health or social service organizations for fear that their children would be apprehended by child welfare authorities” (p.11). After all that Aboriginal peoples have been through with the 1960’s scoop from Child welfare authorities and the longstanding effects of residential schooling I have to wonder why more isn’t not being done to ensure that Aboriginal women are not re-victimized by the child welfare system. Shouldn’t a child welfare system have as it’s goal to keep a family together and should the system not understand the role that high levels of violence that Aboriginal women are subjected and work towards reducing the violence, building families and keeping families together.
6. Another disturbing fact: “As of March 31, 2010, 8,682 or 5.4% of children living on reserves were in care outside their parental home. This proportion is almost eight times that of children living off-reserve. Also, that number under-estimates the total number of Aboriginal children in care because it does not include…[Aboriginal] children who are in care under the auspices of provincial and territorial child welfare services” (p.13). My question on this is whether we have entered another era of ‘scooping’ as the Committee noted: “The Committee was concerned to hear that ‘there are more first Nations children in child welfare today than at the height of residential schools, by a factor of three” (p.13).
7. Perhaps one area that presented some sense of hopefulness that that the Witnesses emphasized the need for educational awareness at very early levels. “Witnesses told the Committee that the whole mainstream education system needs to change the way history is taught, and talked about the need for ongoing training in Aboriginal awareness for all service-providers, to develop relations of understanding, respect and trust” (p.31). Certainly there needs to be much work done to transform educational systems at all levels to stop perpetuating the racialization of Aboriginal peoples.
Your comments are most welcome.
http://www2.parl.gc.ca/content/hoc/Committee/403/FEWO/Reports/RP5056509/feworp14/feworp14-e.pdf
My personal comments
As I read the report a number of things stood out:
1. The fact that the Committee was “seized by the urgency of the situation of violence within which Aboriginal women, men and children live daily” (p.3) tells me that there is something terribly wrong when most people do not know about the extent of violence that directed against Aboriginal peoples. As the Committee points out what is equally disturbing is that the committee itself was shocked at the silence surrounding violence against Aboriginal peoples especially women. “It is the silence of those us in the majority who chose to turn a blind eye to this violence—cases of missing Aboriginal daughters and mothers which never make the headlines; epidemics of suicide which don’t elicit an outpouring of concern and outrage from the non-Aboriginal community” (p.4).
2. The report also makes note that the level of violence in Aboriginal women’s lives is pervasive and compounded by systemic and institutionalized racism (p.4). I couldn’t agree more. Based on my own doctoral research with Aboriginal students and professors in the postsecondary educational system racism was by far the most profound barrier experienced by participants. Racism, in my view, is an extension of longstanding and ongoing colonial practices that must be addressed.
3. One point that is made in the report leaves me both perplexed and disturbed and that is the Committee surmises a link between the loss of culture and levels of violence: “The resulting loss of culture was seen as a significant manifestation of violence against Aboriginal women and men. The link between loss of culture and violence was a recurrent theme in all the site visits.” (p.5). I agree to the extent that loss of culture is directly related to ongoing colonial and imperial imposition directed at Indigenous peoples. However, there is a danger in focusing on loss of culture as the problem versus focusing on how the loss of culture has happened to Indigenous peoples. I believe this redirects the focus back on Indigenous peoples as ‘lacking’ and in this case ‘culture’. When the gaze is centered on loss of culture or lack of culture the issue of ongoing colonial imposition gets lost. The next step is to highlight the solution as being an infusion of ‘culture’ when in fact, the solution needs to address the high levels of ongoing colonialism ie: racism and violence.
4. Two solutions/recommendations were put forward and that was (1) to listen to Aboriginal peoples and (2) to focus on more coordinate and holistic approach that are tailored to the needs of various communities (p. 6). A more holistic and comprehensive approach to addressing the issue would include attention to issues such as poverty, housing, and racism. (p. 6). My own personal view is that these are both great statements but again would be cautious on how this might redirect our gaze away from the real issue of ongoing racism and colonialism. Why not just name the issue as one of racism.
5. Another area of the report that was disturbing was the section on the role that child welfare plays in the violence experienced by Aboriginal women. “The committee heard that women who were victims of violence often avoided seeking help from health or social service organizations for fear that their children would be apprehended by child welfare authorities” (p.11). After all that Aboriginal peoples have been through with the 1960’s scoop from Child welfare authorities and the longstanding effects of residential schooling I have to wonder why more isn’t not being done to ensure that Aboriginal women are not re-victimized by the child welfare system. Shouldn’t a child welfare system have as it’s goal to keep a family together and should the system not understand the role that high levels of violence that Aboriginal women are subjected and work towards reducing the violence, building families and keeping families together.
6. Another disturbing fact: “As of March 31, 2010, 8,682 or 5.4% of children living on reserves were in care outside their parental home. This proportion is almost eight times that of children living off-reserve. Also, that number under-estimates the total number of Aboriginal children in care because it does not include…[Aboriginal] children who are in care under the auspices of provincial and territorial child welfare services” (p.13). My question on this is whether we have entered another era of ‘scooping’ as the Committee noted: “The Committee was concerned to hear that ‘there are more first Nations children in child welfare today than at the height of residential schools, by a factor of three” (p.13).
7. Perhaps one area that presented some sense of hopefulness that that the Witnesses emphasized the need for educational awareness at very early levels. “Witnesses told the Committee that the whole mainstream education system needs to change the way history is taught, and talked about the need for ongoing training in Aboriginal awareness for all service-providers, to develop relations of understanding, respect and trust” (p.31). Certainly there needs to be much work done to transform educational systems at all levels to stop perpetuating the racialization of Aboriginal peoples.
Your comments are most welcome.
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