Government of New Brunswick


September 21, 2015 

Halifax, Nova Scotia – The National Coalition of Provincial and Territorial Advisory Councils on the Status of Women held its annual meeting in Halifax on September 17th and 18th, 2015. It was hosted by the Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women and was again an opportunity to reinforce the work being done, while also sharing resources and best practices. 

During the meeting, the Coalition launched a Voter Card with pertinent questions regarding the status of women that can be used to kick-start conversations when talking to candidates before the 2015 Federal Election. The questions cover issues such as inaccessible housing, uneven availability of affordable child care and the growing economic inequality and income gap between genders. 

“As a supporter of the Up For Debate Campaign, the Coalition is extremely disappointed with the cancellation of the federal debate on women’s rights and gender equality issues. This voter card is our way of stating that the issues are still out there and they need to be discussed,” said Jennifer Richard, Co-Chair of the Voices for New Brunswick Women Consensus-Building Forum. 

“The Coalition is a national voice for women,” said Linda Ross, President/CEO of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Advisory Council and current Chairperson for the Coalition. “Together, we can work to increase equality between women and men, and increase governments’ awareness about women’s issues. While all the Coalition members are effective in their jurisdictions, collectively we can address the national dimensions of the work we do towards advancing gender equality”. 

The Coalition of Provincial and Territorial Advisory Councils on the Status of Women consists of provincial and territorial advisory bodies from across the country dedicated to advancing women’s issues within their individual regions but who come together in the interest of women on a national level. It was formed after the federal government eliminated the Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women in 1995. 

To view or download the Voter Card follow @CPTACW on Twitter. 

Media contact: Beth Lyons, Executive Director, Voices of NB Women Consensus-Building Forum [email protected] Tel. 506-462-5142