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Gender Block: missing and murdered aboriginal women calls for a national inquiry

Hillary Di Menna

This past Saturday was the funeral of murdered teen Tina Fontaine, held in her Winnipeg home community of Sagkeeng First Nation. The 15-year-old girl’s body was found wrapped in a plastic bag after being dumped in Red River. Let’s pause for a second here: Her body was dumped in a river. That’s horrifying. So too is […] More »

Gender Block: Men, boys, and the word feminism

Hillary Di Menna

If you believe in equality for all genders you’re a feminist, “Simple,” says sociologist and author (Angry White Men, Guyland) Dr. Michael Kimmel. So what is the big deal with people adamantly denying that title, especially since, as Kimmel points out, most people do want this kind of equality? “The conversation we’re having here,” says […] More »

Gender Block: SlutWalk Toronto 2014

Hillary Di Menna

Over 1,000 people walked from Nathan Phillips Square to Queen’s park this past Saturday. Some identified as feminists, some identified as sluts and others called themselves allies. SlutWalk Toronto 2014 was the third for the city since it began in 2011. Now, SlutWalk has become an annual event in 200 cities world over. The first […] More »

Gender Block: Yes All Women

Hillary Di Menna

Since the Elliot Rodger story broke two weekends ago, many took to Twitter and other social media platforms using #YesAllWomen. With this hash tag, women posted circumstances regarding all kinds of abuse and discrimination. For many, this kind of sharing can be a way for a victim to have their voice heard, a forum for […] More »

FTW Friday: RCMP admits to over 1000 missing and murdered Indigenous women

Kelsey Braithwaite

On Thursday, Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) leaked an RCMP project which stated there are about 1,000 missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. Later in the day, that number jumped to almost 1,200. In a 30 year span, 1,026 women and girls were murdered and 160 are missing. This is the highest count Canada […] More »

FTW Friday: Protest still strong against the “Unfair” Elections Act

Kelsey Braithwaite

In early February, Canadians were introduced to Bill C-23. It proposed to be “fair”  but many, many critics argue it is something completely different. Much, if not all, of the act grants the conservative government more power. If passed, it would allow government officials to turn away those who do not have “adequate” identification (even […] More »

WTF Wednesday: New law bans medical marijuana users from growing their own pot

Simon Treanor

On April 1, the federal government will enact a new law banning individuals from growing medical marijuana for their own use. Instead, those who wish to acquire the drug will be forced to buy it from provincially-approved growers, who then mail the dried product to the patients. Currently, only seven growers are approved; their prices […] More »

Throwback Thursday: Q&A with Sally Gaikezheyongai

Simon Treanor

With the recent murder of Loretta Saunders, and the growing outcry for a national public inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women (which was denied last week), it seems more relevant than ever for us to understand the battle aboriginal women face daily. Today’s Throwback Thursday revisits a Q&A with Sally Gaikezheyongai, an aboriginal mother of […] More »

WTF Wednesday: Tibet occupation continues; Canada watches

Simon Treanor

In recent weeks, much of the the world has been closely watching the developments in Crimea. With people debating Russia’s occupation and the outrage it has caused in some sectors, it seems common nowadays that such aggressive action from any country can, and will, be met with near unanimous protest and condemnation. This sort of […] More »

Gender Block: stop calling girls “bossy”

Hillary Di Menna

Just yesterday I was laughing at how all of my daughter’s friends seemed to be just as bossy as her. They are all about six years old; very sure of who they are and what they want. At first, I thought it was a compliment. But then I thought: Why the need to point these […] More »

FTW Friday: Support grows for national inquiry into murdered and missing aboriginal women

Simon Treanor

This Monday, Nova Scotia’s provincial party leaders  added their support to a national public inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women in Canada. Their support comes following the tragic death of Loretta Saunders, an Inuk woman originally from Labrador who was studying in Halifax. On February 17, Saunders was reported missing from her dorm at […] More »