TORONTO (CP).— in ‘what ould, e-n ‘on election year in’,

Canada, Chaviva Hosek; prealdent-clect of the National *
Actiogi Committee on the Status of. Women, has a MeSBage..
for politicians: Jgnore women's issues at your peril. -

At '$7,'the University of Toronto professor of American
and. Canadian literature Is ready to take on government,

womer ‘g- ‘iesues. known.

To ‘assist the politicians the “NAC: will: ‘hightight: ihe

issues, talk ‘with candidates, party - leaders’ ‘and. women,’

Hosek said in an interview. ‘'We will show women what .we .
think iCabout: parties and candidates) 80 ‘they. (women) can

make’ an'informed choied.”

Canadian women now earn. about’ oo per cent, ‘of van
average: ‘man's salary, are often shunted ‘Into: low-paying
jobs ‘and many are poor in old age. ° ’

Politicians must treat these women’s isaues as seriously

“aa th they ‘téeat tnanee, unemployn
_ system, she said.

backed by:thé taree infllion, women of the committee's 275

Hoaek wants to make eure Liberal leadership candidates:
and candidates for Parliament make - ‘their’ positions “O,

ate tax

WANT COMMITIMENTS |

“We want genuine, specific. consimitmects,” eald Hosek, .
“uti was educated at McGill and Harvard univeralties,- and

willtake over as president next weekend at the committed’

Bhnual general meéting in Ottawa, She'will be taking over’,
° from Doris Anderson, a Toronto Star columnist and former’.
Chatelaine magazine editor who will be joining. the list of
highly respected past presidents including: feminist Laura -
Sabla,. prominent labour unionist Grace Hartman, Senator,
Lorna Marsden, Kay MacPherson, MP. Lynn, McDonald and .

Jean. ‘Wood.:;

preaidents:.

. Bat’ she’s not joking ‘when she: saya ‘sha. “sina. ‘the.
presidency: to complete her. ‘long-term commitment to the :

‘ aetlon, ‘gominittee ~— ~ and bacamea it is an n election 3 year.

tag!

* women,”: she said.”

Despite
position, Manitoba fran-
cophones are more deter-
mined than ever to press for
recogeition of their rights, .
the outgoing president of la
Societe, franco-manitobaine
’ said Sunday. Tos

Lea. ‘Robert, a bearded
school “teacher from the. prest
Village of Ste Anne said he.
was. “ding ppointed at” the |
anti-French reaction.

But ‘he: told about. 400

who had ‘urged a madeit
. Manitoba solution: to the

. French -- language - issue,
‘it's a Canadian question,”

Gilberte Proteau of St.
Boniface was elected by

acclamation to aucceed: .
Robert, who was barred °

from continuing under a

society bylaw that mays a.
president cannot. serve.

more ‘than two consecutive :

one-year terms. : 7 ye

Proteau, a . “guidance
counsellor who % was society

* president frocn 1980 o 1982,

gald the hostility against the .
NDP. government's: French’.
project waa due to political

opponents who spread falae. .

information.

‘control everyone.
“All that we: want is the

- candidate.

. "language without bothering
other people,” sald Proteau, :
drafted: as a ‘last-minute ° -
after: vier *
Remi | | Smit
. decided not to run. _ - at
She said there were wild
riimora that people would |
Tose their : jobs if . they,
cweren't. bilingual. and. ‘that:
franco-Manitobans. want to

president.’

Several people: at - the
meeting mentioned the case.
‘of Reger Bilodeau, A.
Manitobay « who.” got: can
":Jeompany. He died .of. cancer when Hosek \ BS 20,8”

T believe ‘in the im

" tleket in’ 1980. His challenge
, portance of acting politically,” she sald, “It’s one af the

ig to go’ ‘before the Supreme"
Court of ‘Canada April 24.

“right, to" live: ‘in our’ own -

“There's an’ enormotis amount of ‘olitial ea encriny among

ACHTEVED SUCCESS: :
‘The suecessful fight to get a sexual equally clatsse in the

Constitution proved to women that they: have the power to
. Change things. .
: veThere Bre B jot of ‘uo and we are detertalned to: go for-
‘ward and do more,” she said ;

“Vague promises ‘will. not be enough. Women, she. anid,
want /Bpecitic commitments on important issues, including:

+ Affirmative action programs to help: vomen move out
of underpaid “women’s jobhghettos”; -

mo ‘Equal pay for work of equal value, with sirong en-
* Hosek started working with NAC four. ‘years ago. as a -foreement of - ‘legislation already: working in the federal
secretary on the executive and. jokes when: she says. she.

* wantd'the top job to prove, that. ‘secretaries can become;

government; “. .. : -

— Affordable, accessible day care;.
* — Retraining for women in Jobs | that: will be’ made
redundant by technology; ; a,

Native Indian’ women’s rights;

— Improved ‘pension and Pensions ! for housewives. nore
. ‘KNOWS FIRST; HAND -

Hosek hag had first-hand experience with pensions. Her

2 mother, who. had worked a8 a. factory worker; milliner,
- bookkeeper and ‘office manager,’ °°
retired without a pension after v3) years with one company:

‘Hose’ 8 family experiences have- profoundly influenced
her: political. commitment. :. vert

-Her parents were - : Crechoslovakian Jews and: they
brought her to Canada in 1952 when she was 6. At age 17, her
mother had been interned in Auschwitz where her mother’s

v;.. 12-year-old sister and three of Hosek’s grandparents died.

Her father, along with other Jewish members: of. the
Czech armed forces, had been put under Hungarian com-
mand during the Second World War and forcibly marched
through Russia with Axis forces... .

In Canada, he became an office. manager for a plumbing

“I'm sure it Is: one ofthe

reasons Tam m passionately interested in democracy. It’s a.

‘yeaaon I believe you have to help.

emselves:;
r Anderson believe the action committee

PNainer Hosek

presidency shouldbea paid position, even though Anderson -
spends three, and sometimes five days a week on com: .

mittee work.

: Part of the eredibllty of the organizaton isthat ive rus
“by volunteers,” said Hoeek;

And while the committee has had its-internal problems,

Anderson sald. she'l be handing Hosek a unified
‘ organization this weekend. -:

- In 1981, the 1,000-member ‘Montreal-based Federation de

femmes du Quebec left: .the- alliance over. procedural dif-'.

ferences concerning the. actions ‘of the then-women's
minister, Lioyd ‘Axworthy. ©

Axworthy was charged with political interference when

he said a conference on women and the constitution, to be
organized by the Canadian Advisory Council on the Status
of Women, might. e embarrass the government, ‘The council
cancelled the. conference. and Anderson, wlio was then
council president, resigned in protest.

The advisory council, composed of federal | appointees to

advise the government on women's issues, has no.farmal.
ties-to' tie independent and voluntary action commitee.
The Quebec federation’ walked out of the action. com-

mittee's annual general meeting after most other members -
- voted to demand Axworthy's resignation. ;

,RETURNED TO FOLD 7
" It returned to the fold 18 months later. not
Anderson said, action committee was badly divided when
she: became ‘president in 1962, |

' Hosek said she believes major differences haye been
resolved, although there will always be: differences in an
organization made up of such varied groups.

Action committee members include university. women’s

clubs, service-oriented women's groups: (including those. .
‘Tunning rape crises, centres and. transition::houses. for: -
. battered women), women fin tniosis; women's groupe in: ft
major political parties, business women’ scluba, the YWCA,"

the IODE and feminist groups trying to influence vincial
legilaton, ™

“. French-spea-
ting nity can be proud
af how they ‘stood up for.
thelr” Fights in the face of . ;
threats; indults and other” 52D
expressions © of = open
hostility. ;
“All Manitobans, if not all
Canadjans, have been made -
aware of the. ‘Tights of
franco-Manitobans,” sald
Robert, adding that while
the NDP ‘government could _
not get its French proposals -
through the legislature, all
is not‘lost.

Robert noted that franco- "
Manitobans are counting on:
advancing their “cause
through: court tests, based:
on the’ ‘histori, fact . that.

Tis an’ “official : an
lengua Bet tanith .
“ihe Boclety hopes to get
the same sort of court

Georges Forest won in 1979,
when the Supreme Court of
Canada struck down an 1890 -
law that:made English the.
province's. only official L
language.
TEST RULING ; : oS
The. Forest case, based on +.
an English-only $5 parking en
Ucket; restored French to 92: 8
the ie | equality with on
English hat it had when the 7
province ,. was formed | in
1870.. The new court actions. 6
sre. meant to: test the ~
ruling’s application. =
Robert. aaid - there are |
many Manitobans who don’t .
‘speak : French, but support
the society. .
One’. example: is the -
Manitoba’ -Assoclation. for -
the Promotion of Ancestral

en ee
fahea,, Nagar dpe
mh

Languages, whose , "
president Myron. Spolaky Soe ss
spoke "to. the meeting in. See,
English, ‘He joked: that the
province's “* \affielal
languages are French and
Ukrainiiin, ‘a reference to -

Manitoba’s . large
Ukrainian-speaking pop-
Wation. ¢

Robert ‘said the cause of
franco-Manitobans © is”
connected to - the tate of.
French * minorities Pa
elsewhere im Canada;-a © 20 ©".
theme that was also’ taken a
up by . Leo Letourneau,
president of ta Federation .. .
des Francophones hors . areane

Letournéau, a Manitoba : ° Se.
native who now leads an...
Ottawa-based organization =
that speaks: for’ French-
speaking Canadians outalde |. * |
Quebec, aaidthedreamofa
truly bilingual country has ae
hot been extinguished. =.

Letourneau predicted that.°
those who have a national. ~,...
vision will-win out;over ft.
peopie like. Premiers Rene

we of Quebec and: °F.
William Davis of Onterlo, 0.
' who he aaid. don't believe ees

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that can work, —
Gilles. Leblanc; president’ *..”
of im..'Federation des ~-
acadiens de: Ia’ nouvelle: ;
Nova Séotla ate concerned pr
about French in Manitoba, : ‘
“H's. not a Manitoba |
| question '/ paid -Leblanc,
Seta provincial Teries

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