British Columbia Federation of Labour

The B.C. Federation of Labour works on behalf of union women to advocate and lobby for government policies and programs that benefit women. Half of the workers represented by the Federation are women.

But we don't stop there. We also work within our BC community to ensure that ALL women have access to the programs and services that will help them achieve economic, social and personal equality.

We host conferences, courses and institutes where women can come together to share experiences, learn new skills and make new connections to further our work together.

There is no doubt in our mind that British Columbia women have lost ground since 2001 under the Campbell Liberals' "New Era". The long history of general inequality that Canada continues to struggle with has been long-documented by social scientists and activists, and leaves no doubt that much more needs to be done to achieve gender equity. In fact, this work is widely available and in substantial agreement; legislators and policy makers cannot claim ignorance of gender inequality. To ignore these realities is tantamount to being indifferent to the welfare of half of our population.

Just when women think we may have achieved a gain, such as the Bell Canada pay equity agreement, governments in BC and Canada come with the other fist and take away another hard-won benefit, right or decision.

While we lament the backward steps for BC women, we also want to applaud those issues and accomplishments achieved by dedication, single-mindedness and solidarity.

Working together, we look forward to building on those successes in the future.

Our Work with Community Women

We participate in numerous coalitions on different issues affecting women here in BC, in Canada and internationally. These issues include childcare, health care, pay equity, anti-violence and living wage coalitions, to name just a few.

This work is important to any successes on issues affecting women, increasing the strength of our voices in lobbying, organizing or participating in campaigns, and affecting change for women in BC.

Strength in sisterhood-women in the labour movement

The B.C. Federation of Labour not only believes in gender equity, we have incorporated equity into our internal structures. The Federation, through our Constitution, ensures that all structures guarantee equity not only in principle but also in reality. Learn more .

Women's Issues

Pay equity, childcare, women's representation in politics, and preventing violence against women are just a few of the areas the B.C. Federation of Labour Women's Rights Committee deals with. To learn more about these issues click here.

Herstory

Want to know more about herstory, the history of women's rights in Canada, click here .

Key dates for women

March 8th -- International Women's Day
October -- Women's History Month
October 18th -- Persons' Day
November 25th - International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
December 6th - (Canadian) National Day for Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women
December 10th - United Nations Day for Human Rights

To learn more about upcoming events visit the B.C. Fed's events calendar .