Aboriginal Women Join Forces for Second Provincial Conference

Justice, violence and poverty will be the focus of discussions during the second Aboriginal women�s conference, The Good Life for Aboriginal Women: Moving Forward, Building Strength. Innu, Inuit, Metis and Mi�kmaq women will meet in Stephenville from November 24 to November 26. They will be joined by representatives from the provincial government.

�This is a wonderful opportunity for Aboriginal women and government to work in partnership on issues such as poverty and violence,� said the Honourable Joan Burke, Minister Responsible for the Status of Women. �Hearing first hand from Aboriginal women about the challenges they face and the tools they need to address those challenges is vital to making real progress�.

The planning of the conference was done in partnership with the Women�s Policy Office, the Department of Justice, the Department of Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs, and a steering committee made up of representatives from Aboriginal groups and government officials. Representatives from all Aboriginal groups in Newfoundland and Labrador will be represented at the conference.

�The conference is important because it provides Aboriginal women with the financial and organizational supports they need to come together from all over Newfoundland and Labrador to discuss issues that are important to them� said Judy White, conference facilitator.

The first province wide Aboriginal Women�s Conference, The Path to the Good Life, was held this past March in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. The conference served as an opportunity for Aboriginal women to voice their concerns to government officials, and share ideas with other Aboriginal groups. Some of the main topics raised were education, youth, employment, violence, health care and justice.

"I had the pleasure of attending the very first Aboriginal Women�s Conference in Labrador back in March," said the Honourable Tom Rideout, Minister Responsible for Aboriginal Affairs. "It was a very productive session, as it gave government the opportunity to hear directly the issues facing Aboriginal women. We took the concerns raised and reflected many of them in Budget 2006, and they are certainly being considered as we move forward with the development of a Northern Strategic Plan for Labrador. Indeed, we are making tremendous progress, and I am certainly pleased to be attending this second conference to build upon past successes and maintain the cooperative relationship that we have enjoyed in the past."

The idea for the Aboriginal Women�s Conference stemmed from a tour of the north coast of Labrador by Premier Williams and Minister Burke in 2004. They saw first hand the complexity and diversity of the issues facing Aboriginal women.

�There has been a great effort by government to make sure we don�t lose sight of the unique challenges facing Aboriginal women and that we keep working to make changes that will improve the lives of Aboriginal women and their children,� said Minister Burke. �These conferences are an excellent opportunity for women from all over our province to share their experiences and identify solutions and it will contribute greatly to the National Aboriginal Summit which the province is hosting in June 2007 in Corner Brook.�

Following the conference Judy White will write a report outlining the concerns, suggestions and recommendations raised by Aboriginal women during their meetings.

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Media contact:
Michelle Hynes
Communications and Policy Research Analyst
Women�s Policy Office
709-729-6225, 693-2125
michellehynes@gov.nl.ca

2006 11 24                                      3:20 p.m.