Women's History Month

The 18th of October 2009 marks the 80th anniversary of women being legal persons under Canadian law. It took the Law Lords of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in Great Britain to sort out the yokels in Ottawa. Now just a moment to point out a remarkable thing regarding the Alberta Government's idea of communicating information about Women's History Month and Persons Day: Government of Alberta: Women's History Month. Well, that's quite nice. The Ministry responsible? Children and Youth Services. Really? Women's issues are the issues of children and youth? So, women have issues only with respect to being able to become pregnant, being pregnant, and raising children to adulthood? It might be said that I am reading far too much into this. After all, the Government of Alberta hasn't been known for being self-aware let alone reflective. Perhaps that's just who raised their hand when duties were handed out: "Premier: Women's issues? ... Women's issues? ... No one wants this? ... Ok! Children and Youth services it is! Minster: <sotto voce> I was just stretching." I wondered if this was common practice in provincial governments, so I checked the other jurisdictions, including federally. This is what I found:

• BC: Ministry of Community Services
• AB: Ministry of Child and Family Services
• SK: Ministry of Advanced Education, Employment, and Labour
• MB: Ministry of Labour and Immigration
• ON: Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration
• QC: Ministry of Families, Seniors, and the Status of Women
• NB: Ministry of Health
• NS: Ministry of Community Services
• PE: Ministry of Social Services and Seniors
• NF: Deputy Premier (who also has portfolio for Natural Resources)
• YT: Women's Directorate (minister responsible is also the Justice Minister)
• NT: Ministry of Heath and Social Services
• NU: Premier's Office
• Canada: Minister of State for the Status of Women (subordinate Ministerial position to the Minsiter of Canadian Heritage)

If I had to say anything at all about this list, each and every one of these points says something very important about the way our society sees women and their issues. If pressed, I would have to say that the Yukon got it (mostly) right. Not just a few people have asked me, "Do you know what you are getting into?" I reply, "Yes. Sadly, I do."