“TOGETHER FOR PAY EQUITY”
Over 25 New Brunswick leaders gathered to attend the launch of the first fundraising campaign of the New Brunswick Coalition for Pay Equity, today, October 26, at the Moncton Press Club.
Under the theme “Together for Pay Equity”, this first campaign is co-presided by Ginette Petitpas Taylor and Marie-Linda Lord, who reminded that the campaign is essential to the Coalition’s survival.
“I am convinced that the population will participate generously to the Coalition’s fundraising Campaign. Pay equity is closely linked to women’s financial autonomy and to the valuing of women’s work,” states Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Coordinator of the Codiac Regional RCMP Victim Services. In 2002-2005, Ms Petitpas Taylor was appointed to the New Brunswick Advisory Council on the Status of Women and became its Chairperson in 2005-2009.
“It is time to show our support for the Coalition in a concrete way, at a time when it is in danger of closing its doors. For the past decade, the Coalition has been changing lives by working with the provincial government to improve the wages of thousands of people working in jobs predominantly held by women in New Brunswick,” says Marie-Linda Lord, who is director of the Institut d’études acadiennes, holds the Chair in Acadian Studies and is a full professor of information-communication at the Université de Moncton.
The campaign became necessary following cuts by the federal government, in February 2010. These cuts left the Coalition without other sources of income even though it had an excellent record and one of its projects was selected as one of the best ten of the country by Status of Women Canada.
The Co-Presidents announced that 40% of the $100,000 goal was already achieved. They publicly thanked the three largest donors so far: the Canadian Union of Public Employees, the New Brunswick Union of Public and Private Employees, and the Sisters of Notre-Dame-du-Sacré-Coeur.
The fundraising campaign will be done by direct canvassing, but anyone interested can easily contribute. Donations will be accepted by cheque or on the Coalition’s website, through Paypal: www.equite-equity.com.
The campaign will end on December 10, International Human Rights Day, as a reminder that pay equity is a human right.
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Information:
Johanne Perron, Executive Director, (506) 855-0002 (b); (506) 850-6963 (c)
