This toolkit provides a practical tool that allows organizations to apply an integrated anti-oppression framework to their practice. It will be useful for Executive Directors, Program Managers, Boards or Directors, and others who review and create policy in service organizations. This toolkit is designed to help community service organizations become better able to reflect the values, belief, and experiences of everyone in their community, and to ensure there are no barriers or inqualities within the organization's working practices and in how services are provided and to whom.
On April 19, 2006, OAITH made a submission to the Federal Government in its Pre-Budget Consultation process. The submission highlights OAITH's position and recommendations for ensuring the government budget considered its role in supporting services for women who have experienced violence and for taking steps to end violence against women. The areas of concern covered are:
- Social Assistance Program
- Employment and Economic Security for Women
- Affordable Housing
- Childcare
- Legal Aid
- Aboriginal Women's Services and Supports
- Newcomer Services and Supports
- Non-governmental Women's Services and Advocacy Networks
On April 2, 2012, OAITH responded to the Ontario budget which was tabled on March 27, 2012. OAITH raised its concerns with the fiscal plans of the Government of Ontario as outlined in the budget. The letter covered the following topics:
- Social Assistance and the Ontario Child Benefit (OCB)
- Structural changes to social assistance and employment supports
- Affordable and low-income housing supports and child care
- Women's services
- Efficiencies and consolidation harming services for women who have experienced violence where often underfunded and overburdened services, women's shelters, second-stage housing, rape crisis centres and women's centres often face disproportionate administrative reporting per public dollar than many much larger public services.
On April 21, 2009, OAITH submitted a brief to the Standing Committee on Social Policy regarding Bill 152, the Poverty Reduction Act 2009. The issues raised related to the challenge that women were often faced with unfair choices of poverty or violence, food or rent, and their health and well-being of their children. Women who use shelter services often report experiences of poverty as a major challenge in re-building their lives. OAITH applauded the principles of the poverty reduction initiative, and offered the following recommendations for strengthening its positive impact for women who experience violence. Recommentations included:
- Including recognition of the gendered nature of poverty in the preamble and specific clauses of the Act.
- Setting targets to include a minimum poverty reduction target and timeline.
- Identifying effective strategies that include affordable, publicly funded child care, pay and employment equity, match social assistance to the cost of basic needs, education and training, housing supports, among others.
- Incorporating a transparent, independent review into the strategy.
- That a minimum percentage of the provincial budget be allocated to poverty reduction on an ongoing basis.
- That 'poverty reduction' be re-worded to say 'poverty elimination'.
This research project aims to analyze and document the experiences of poor and racialized women in the urban centre of Toronto. The research was conducted by engaging community workers, advocates, and policy analysts by exploring their stories through the context of public and governent policies at all levels. The research analyzes a wide variety of experiences with poverty and employment barriers & discrimination, lack of access to education, criminalization of women on social assistance/welfare, the housing crisis, abuse, violence, and harassment, mental and physical health, and public recreation. It also provides ideas and initiatives for community-based women's groups and services, and recommendations for housing, social assistance, and childcare.
This paper looks at the application of alternative feminist theories and practices to CRIAW's work on social and economic justice work towards equality for women. Intersectional Feminist Frameworks (IFFs) is the emerging vision being put forward as the way to understand and address gender inqualities. This is critical reflection piece that examines the approaches and principles of intersectional feminist approaches, explores the historical context nationally and internationally, and considers applications at the current juncture in specific areas of social justice for women work, including Immigrant and Refugee Women and Anti-Poverty Campaigns.
This paper examines Ontario family law and the family court system, including recent and anticipated changes to both, through a gendered intersectional lens. In particular, it provides a gender-based intersectional analysis of the implications of family law and the family court system for women who have experienced violence and their children.
The paper has three principle goals. The first is to provide support to frontline workers who assist women involved with family court. The second is to increase the ability of women to negotiate their way through this system so they emerge at the other end with their legal rights respected and with outcomes that keep them and their children safe.
The third is to provide violence against women workers, advocates, and activists with the tools they need to work for change at the community, provincial, and national level.
In January, 2006, OAITH made a submission to the Standing Committee on Justice Policy regarding Bill 27: An Act to amend the Arbitration Act, 1991, the Child and Family Services Act, the Family Law Act, and the Children's Law Reform Act. Focusing on the Arbitration Act and the Children's Law Reform Act, OAITH raises concerns about the unequal power between men and women in mediation and arbitration, the private vs. public nature of family law mediation, and do not recognize the full impact of abuse in relationships.