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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