You are invited to…

Understanding the Race-Gender Nexus…A talk by Ninotchka Rosca

Date: March 21, 2010 from 1 pm – 3:30 pm
Venue: Collingwood Neighbourhood House, 5288 Joyce Street, Vancouver, BC

As part of our series of events celebrating the Philippine Women Centre of B.C.’s 20th anniversary under the theme “Celebrating a Legacy of Empowerment: Strengthening the Filipino Women’s Movement in Canada”, we invite you to join us for a discussion with Ninothcka Rosca.

Rosca is known as “The First Lady of Philippine Literature.” She has published two short story volumes (Bitter Country and The Monsoon Collection), two novels (State of War and Twice Blessed), and two non-fiction books (Endgame: The Fall of Marcos and Jose Maria Sison: At Home In The World). She is the winner of the 1993 American Book Award for excellence in literature.

Rosca was a political prisoner under the dictatorial government of Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines. She was forced into exile in the US when threatened with a second arrest for her human rights activism.

Rosca is particularly concerned with the origins of women’s oppression and the interface between class, race and gender exploitation, so that women can move toward greater theory building and practice of a comprehensive genuine women’s liberation.

IWD National Statement

The National Alliance of Philippine Women in Canada (NAPWC) greets International Women’s Day (IWD) with heightened militancy and salutes the legacy of resistance of thousands of women before us in putting women’s liberation at the forefront of women’s struggles.  The NAPWC also calls on all progressive women in Canada and around the world to intensify our struggle against the escalating attacks on women launched to quell the growing movement for genuine women’s equality and liberation.

For over two decades, we, Filipino-Canadian women of NAPWC, have been steadfast and firm in our call to struggle for the struggle of women from the South, whose lives and future continue to be battered by the violent impacts of neo-liberal agenda of globalization.  We, Filipino-Canadian women of NAPWC, remain strong and clear in stating that the liberation of all women from the South, such as the Philippines, is integral and central to the overall liberation of women.

As progressive women, we will not accept that the future reserved for us is that of continuous exploitation and oppression as women of colour and as workers.  We strongly refuse to be denied our right and full entitlement to call on all women to seriously look at women’s concerns from the perspective of class struggle, racial discrimination, gender oppression and the struggle of women from the South for national and social liberation. read more …

After spontaneous outbursts of patriotism filling the streets, slopes, and arenas of Vancouver’s Olympic Games for the world to see, a ground-breaking multimedia art exhibition is set to challenge the very core of what it means to be Canadian from the perspective of a largely misunderstood and underrepresented population.  Carrying the theme “Shattering our (in)visibility” the show will explore the perceived silence and social exclusion of Filipinos in Canada.

The multimedia display and public dialogue will be presented by the Philippine Women Centre of B.C. (PWC) in collaboration with the Museum of Vancouver.

Saturday, March 27, 2010
Public dialogue 4:30pm (free), Exhibit opening 6:00pm ($30 or $50 with guided tour)
1100 Chestnut Street (near Vanier Park)

“We are valuing and defining for ourselves our place in Canada by tapping into the talent and creativity of local Filipino artists, after many years of being objectified and pushed into the margins of Canadian society,” explained Denise Valdecantos, PWC Chairperson.  “With multiculturalism as a touchstone of national identity and a point of pride for Canadians, we are testing the boundaries of this cultural mosaic to assert and overcome our community’s lack of participation and access to social opportunity,” stated Valdecantos. read more …

A documentary about the stories and struggles of Filipino women who were used as ‘sex slaves’ in the World War II Japanese occupation of the Philippines.  Learn more about the survivng women’s struggle for justice.

Thursday, March 11, 2010
Media Resource Centre
SFU, Bennett library RM 3101
12:30 pm

Organized by the B.C. Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines & Philippine Women Centre of B.C. with support from TSSU-SFU.  Contact bcchrp@kalayaancentre.net for more information.

(Montreal, Quebec) Due to circumstances beyond the organization’s control, the “End the Exploitation! March for Liberation!” political fashion hosted by the Philippine Women Centre of Quebec (PWCQ) will be postponed to April 3rd, 2010 at 5 PM.  The event will also change venues; where it will be hosted at Studio LEVIER on 4525 rue St-Jacques.

“I’d like to apologize for this postponement”, says Joanne Vasquez, Chairperson of the PWCQ, “I know several people were looking forward to having the event this week.  However, we’ve booked a wonderful space that is more intimate.  Those participating in the show are still enthusiastic and motivated to get our message out.  With the dresses and program already prepared, I think it will be worth the wait”.

Individuals who have already paid to attend the event will be issued a new ticket for the revised date.  For more information please contact Krystle or Joy at (514) 678-3901.

Event details
Date:         Saturday, April 3rd, 2010
Time:         5 pm (Doors open)
Cost:         $10 donation
Venue:      Studio LEVIER – 4525 rue St-Jacques (Metro: Saint Henri)
Contact:     Krystle or Joy (514) 678-3901
Website:    www.kapitbisigcentre.org

(Montreal, Quebec)  Militant feminism will be re-ignited in Pinoyville, Cote-des-Neiges, as Filipino women will raise issues of their community’s marginalization, oppression, and dehumanization through the fashion show, “End the Exploitation, March for Liberation!” to be presented on March 6th, 2010 to celebrate International Women’s Day.

Statistics indicate that 70% of the Filipino community in Canada are women, the majority of whom come under the Live-In Caregiver Program (LCP), a temporary foreign worker program that recruits third world women as domestic workers. Since the implementation of the LCP in 1992 and its predecessor program the Foreign Domestic Movement (FDM), Canada has maintained and continues to uphold the stringent requirements of mandatory live-in requirement for 24 months within 3 years, temporary status and employer-specific contracts – the very fundamental pillars that set the context for the exploitative and oppressive conditions that these women are in. Although many see this program as a way for Filipinos to enter Canada, the realities of the impacts of this program far outweigh the benefits of citizenship. Offering the prize of citizenship has been a classic tactic for Citizenship and Immigration Canada, as they dangle a “carrot on a stick” in order to attract and retain temporary workers to fulfill the dirtiest, most difficult and dangerous jobs that no other Canadians would take.

Under the LCP, although Filipino women get paid minimum wage, they provide 24 hour home support, thereby reducing their wage to less than $2/hour as they are at their employer’s beck and call any time of day.   LCP workers are the number one source of temporary workers in Canada offering cheap labour to upper-middle class homes. By being relegated to house work and their credentials not being recognized in Canada, these women are being de-skilled. Despite being some of the most educated immigrants in Canada, they are still among the lowest paid. read more …

On Saturday, March 27, 2010, the Philippine Women Centre of BC (PWC-BC) will open a historic and unique multi-media exhibition at the Museum of Vancouver.  Entitled, “Shattering our (in)visibility,” the exhibit explores the perceived silence and social exclusion of Filipinos in Canada — one of Vancouver’s largest visible minority communities.

Works included in the exhibition will explore various themes of migration, labour, family separation and reunification, childcare, empowerment and community-building.

Shattering our (in)visibility: An exhibit of multi-media work and a public dialogue by and about the Filipino-Canadian community in Vancouver

Presented by the Philippine Women Centre of BC in collaboration with the Museum of Vancouver

Saturday, March 27, 2010
Public dialogue at 4:30 pm.
Exhibit opening at 6:00 p.m.
Museum of Vancouver
1100 Chestnut Street, Vancouver read more …

The Philippine Women Centre is proud to share this invite as Christina Panis, our Vice-Chairperson is one of the guest speakers:

The VDLC Women’s Committee invites you to…

Celebrate Women
IWD 2010

Thursday, March 4, 6 pm
Fraserview Hall, 8240 Fraser Street

Tickets $35 / $20 low-waged
Everyone is Welcome!

* Contact Keziah at the VDLC office. Please see poster for more details.

2010_IWD_Poster

Toronto, ON — Despite a recent proposal by the Liberal Party to create a national childcare program, progressive
Filipino Canadian organizations under the Magkaisa Centre express that the the ongoing exploitation and violence perpetuated by the Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP) renders the Liberal’s proposal an empty promise that falls short of genuinely fulfilling the childcare needs of all Canadians.

The Philippine Women Centre of Ontario, SIKLAB–ON (Advance and Uphold the Struggle of Filipino Workers) and the Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa Canda/Filipino Canadian Youth Alliance–ON are wary of celebrating the announcement made by Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff, and are instead calling for a critical examination of the proposal. Any initiative to create a national childcare program is not complete until the LCP, which the groups describe as Canada’s de facto national childcare program, is scrapped. read more …