Legal and other measures adopted since the Third Report
807. In the spring of 1994, the Yukon government proclaimed the Yukon Advisory Council on Women's Issues Act. The Act establishes an advisory council to:
Article 2 - Links to Convention text and other sections
CONV | JUR | FED
| NF | NS
| NB | QC
| ON | MB
| SK | AB
| BC | NT
808. In 1992, a new Workers' Compensation Act was proclaimed. The Act was drafted to ensure that female and male workers received equal consideration under the legislation.
Actual progress made to promote and ensure the elimination of discrimination against women
Article 11 - Links to Convention text and other
sections
CONV |
JUR | FED | NF |
PE | NS
| NB | QC | ON |
MB | SK
| AB | BC
809. In 1992 and 1993, the Women's Directorate initiated projects in the areas of education equity, violence prevention, workers and family responsibilities and women on social assistance.
810. In February 1993, the Minister responsible for the Status of Women established an Education Equity Committee headed by the Women's Directorate and the Department of Eduction to develop a four-year plan.
811. A survey on the Yukon's young women and their quality of life was also undertaken in 1993.
Article 10 - Links to Convention text and other
sections
CONV |
FED | NF | NS |
NB | QC
| ON | MB | SK |
AB | BC
812. From January to March 1994, a three-month public awareness strategy was carried out, that focused on empowerment of youth and healthy relationships. The strategy involved school based workshops dealing with a variety of issues including: healthy relationships and dating violence; healing and talking circles for First Nations youth; self-defence for young women taught by women; goal setting for teens; personal empowerment and increased self-esteem for young children and youth guided imagery; mediation and internal dialoguing; participatory theatre which encourages youth to intervene through role-playing when they see oppression or violent behaviour.
813. The Women's Directorate and the Department of Education are continuing to develop curricula that emphasize the value of both genders in today's world and the contributions made by both in the past.
Article 5 - Links to Convention text and other sections
CONV | JUR | FED
| NS | NB
| QC | ON
| MB | SK
| AB | NT
814. The Employee Assistance Program provides workshops for government employees on balancing work and family responsibilities.
815. In August 1992, the Department of Justice struck a Committee to Assess the Responsiveness of Yukon Justice to Family Violence. The Committee was comprised of members of the Justice Department and the Women's Directorate, the federal Crown Attorney's Office, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the judiciary. Their report, completed in September 1993, made 45 recommendations and was presented to the Minister of Justice. An inter-agency committee has been struck to monitor the implementation of these recommendations.
816. As part of the Safe Places Program to provide capital and operational funding to community groups for safety and support to abused women and their children, three shelters for abused women were established in the Yukon.
817. The Teen Parent Access to Education Society continues to develop programming, child care education and support services to pregnant teens and teen parents. The program provides teen mothers with on-site day-care which allows the young mothers to complete their high school education as well as receive education, training and support in parenting, life skills, nutrition, and child development.
818. The implementation of 26 initiatives in the Child Care Strategy for the Yukon announced in 1989, has resulted in the Yukon currently having the highest per capita number of licensed child care spaces in the country.
819. The Yukon government continues to participate on the joint federal-provincial- territorial Child Support Guidelines Project, to identify an appropriate formulae for the assessment of child support. The Yukon currently has one of the highest collection rates for maintenance support orders in the country.
820. Pursuant to Article 8 of the Convention, several Yukon women have represented the Yukon government at the international level including the Northern Forum and on such international organizations as the World Health Organization and the Elections Canada Monitoring Agency.
Article 8 - Links to Convention text and other sections
CONV | FED | NB
Remaining obstacles
821. Financial cutbacks in legal service delivery have required that priority be given to criminal legal aid, to the detriment of family and civil and administrative poverty law service whose clients are primarily women. This situation is detrimental to women's interest and will be addressed in future federal-provincial-territorial cost-share negotiations for legal aid service delivery.