Advocacy Highlights for February 2026:
- “Finding Hope Despite the Despair: Moving forward to end gender-based violence”, CFUW Perth & District’s January General Meeting speaker, Pamela Cross;
- Upcoming Ontario Council Speaker Series event “AI: Artificial Intelligence and Education”, Feb. 21 via Zoom;
- 2026 Ontario Council and National CFUW Resolutions.
Canadian feminist lawyer and author Pamela Cross spoke to CFUW Perth & District on January 19 about “Finding Hope Despite the Despair: Moving forward to end gender-based violence (GBV)”. Susan Vecchiarelli and Lisa Warmerdam attended via Zoom and learned about recent developments, some long fought for, that do give Pamela hope. Federal Bill C-16, The Protecting Victims Act, is expected to go to second reading this month. It would make femicide a first-degree crime and criminalize coercive control. Also going into second reading is private member’s bill C-223 which would expand the excellent 2021 updates to the Divorce Act by making screening for family violence mandatory for all lawyers involved in family law as well as including a list of myths and stereotypes around family violence right in the Divorce Act. Consider reading Pamela’s 2024 book “And Sometimes They Kill You: Confronting the Epidemic of Intimate Partner Violence”.
Upcoming Ontario Council Speaker Series:
“AI: Artificial Intelligence and Education”, the topic of Ontario Council’s speaker series on Saturday, February 21st from 10:00 am to noon is open for registration: https://cfuwontcouncil.org/standing-committees/
Reviewers for the 2026 Resolutions are needed. Individuals and teams will look at the resolutions and their intents, background materials, and bibliographies. Recommendations to support the resolutions or not will be presented to club members. The decisions of our members will direct our club’s voting delegate at the upcoming Ontario Council and National AGMs in May and July respectively. Ontario Council’s resolutions will be published February 15; April 1 is the deadline to receive amendments. CFUW National’s Resolutions will be published in the March 6 Club Action Newsletter; the deadline for receiving amendments is April 30th. Please contact our Vice-President, Anne Strickland, at rtrez0402@gmail if you are interested in reviewing a resolution.
