Calder, Gillian

A Local Look at the Platform for Action: Beyond Beijing

Recent Changes to the Maternity and Parental Leave Benefits Regime as a Case Study: The Impact of Globalization on the Delivery of Social Programs in Canada

In December 2000, the Canadian government amended the Employment Insurance Act to extend parental leave benefits to 35 weeks. Combined with the maternity leave provision of 15 weeks (which remained unchanged), this amendment allowed birth mothers to take up to 50 weeks combined leave. This article assesses the amendment within the context of globalization and neo-liberal policy reform that emphasize a reduction in state delivery of social programs.

Our Rights are Not Optional: A Resource Guide

This resource guide seeks to inform readers on the context, intended role and actual text of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), with a specific focus on the Optional Protocol to the Convention (OP-CEDAW). The purpose of the guide is to provide information to enable a more holistic and effective approach to research, training and advocacy around the CEDAW Convention and OP-CEDAW. It includes an overview of CEDAW and OP-CEDAW and then offers practical advice on how the international review mechanism presented by OP-CEDAW functions.