AWH concerns are constantly evolving – local, national and international!

  • Social protection intersecting health and social democracy
  • Poverty
  • Racism
  • Climate emergency
  • Child care
  • Long Term care
  • Violence perpetrated against women
  • Affordable housing
  • Pay equity
  • Diverse and marginalized women
  • Care of the vulnerable
  • Distribution of income
  • Reproductive rights

WHAT WE’RE DOING

From the Annual Review 2020-2021
Internally:
Ten General Meetings and ten Steering Committee Meetings over the year;
Three committees, Long Term Care, Income Security and Justice produced policy-oriented letters for elected officials;
Research being done on the Ontario Government’s plans for reorganization of its Income Support Programmes; and 
Welcomed two new groups: the Retired Teachers of Ontario, and Grandmothers Voice.

Externally:
Ten meetings with elected officials including 6 federal Ministers and 1 provincial Parliamentary Secretary, and with senior officials such as the Commissioner of Social Services for Halton;
Three committees, Long Term Care, Income Security and Justice
produced 22 policy-oriented letters to approximately 26 elected officials; and
Two events, including a public Demonstration on Long Term Care and a Meet the Candidates meeting prior to the federal election.

 

September 2019-Sept. 2020

Campaigns on:
The New Normal- the AWH vision for life after COVID-19
The Social Commons

Letters Sent/Phone calls:
Region of Halton:
July 2020: Mayor Burton and the Police Services Board about redirecting funds towards police training
Jan.2020: Inspections of private child care centres

Provincial:
Feb.2020: Education Minister Lecce on a number of issues – teachers’ strike, budget cuts, increased funding for programs and services, class sizes, gender wage parity with other public services, etc.
Feb.2020: Attorney General Doug Downey and local MPPs for stabilized support to sexual assault centres in this time of #MeToo.
March 2020: Local MPPs about what AWH would like to see after COVID
May 2020: To protest the cancelling of the state-of-art courthouse in Oakville that involved loss of jobs and services
July 2020: The need to regulate Long Term Care homes
July 2020: The capping of wages contained in Bill 124

Federal:
July 2020: Prime Minister, supporting universal child care program
August 2020: A precise definition of what we wanted to see in a national child care program
August 2020: supporting basic income as part of a network of social supports.

Briefs presented:
January 2020: Pre-Budget comments to the Ontario Government, including a presentation to the Committee
August 2020: Pre-Budget comments to the federal government

Guests:
Heather Thompson, Halton Age Friendly Network
Eleanor McMahon, former President of the Ontario Treasury Board
Lisa Koehler, Coordinator of Halton Environmental Network
Pam Damoff, MP Oakville North Burlington

Meetings:
December 2019: meeting concerning the new courthouse in Oakville
July 2020: with GASP to discuss liveable income
August 2020: Mayor of Oakville the Chair of the Police Services Board and deputy police chief discussing racial discrimination and the use of force by the police.
Rising Together: Women for a Just Economy – webinar series developing a plan

Events attended:
Protest with Black Lives Matter
Protest with CFUW Oakville concerning Long Term Care

Sign-ons:
Income security letter from Income Security Advocacy Centre
The Prosperity Project