Its International Womens Day!

Monday, March 8 - International Womens' Day.

There are things to celebrate and yet still so far to go.   For instance, instead of red herring style contemplations on changing the lyrics to O Canada to be more gender nuetral, perhaps the federal government might instead, actually move on the issue of national daycare.  The majority of child and senior care still falls on the shoulders of women. And the majority of workers who go into professions in the field of early childhood development are women.  In Canada, as any parent of young children will tell you, the situation is dire.  We desparately need more subsidized spaces and yet the Conservatives have shown nothing but disdain for child care and the transformative effect it can have on families and our economy. In the current drive to kick start our economy, one would think the politicians would jump at the opportunity to target stimulus funding to a program that would create jobs for thousands of workers; free up others to upgrade their education; and help set young children on the path to success. There are examples of that kind of funding available in agriculture and business - but if your business is taking care of our children forget it. Unfortunately, governments at every level are passing the buck. With no new money for a much-needed expansion of our child-care sector, we may actually see subsidized child-care spaces cut, workers laid off and costs go skyward for full-fee parents. That would force some to quit their jobs rather than pay more for child care than they earn. O Canada indeed. Shirley McQueen