[van-announce] March for Universal Daycare this Mother's Day!

[Grassroots Women]

For immediate release: April 30, 2004
Press Release: Grassroots Women

March for Universal Daycare this Mother's Day!

(Vancouver, Canada)-- This Mother’s Day, join mothers, children, and
supporters as they rally and march for the implementation of a universal
childcare program across Canada. Meeting at Victory Square (Hastings and
Cambie) at 11am on May 9 , marchers will take their messages of resistance
to the streets of Vancouver. At the Vancouver Art Gallery, from 12-3pm,
marchers will participate in a ‘universal childcare program’ with speakers,
lunch, music, and children’s activities.

"Mother’s Day is the perfect day to take a stand for women’s rights,"
exclaims Martha Roberts of Grassroots Women. "The whole concept of Mother’s
Day is based on the premise that women do the bulk of household work and
childcare every other day of the year. In fact, in Canada, not only do the
majority of women work for wages, women also provide between 70 % and 90 %
of the unpaid work in the home. According to a Statistics Canada
calculation, this massive contribution of unpaid work has a worth of up to
$318 billion annually!"

Grassroots Women, the organization behind the Mother's Day March and Rally,
is a Vancouver-based group that educates, organizes and mobilizes about
issues impacting marginalized and working class women. Since 1999,
Grassroots Women has campaigned for "Childcare for all". The idea for a
Mother's Day march and rally came directly from women most impacted by the
lack of a universal childcare program.

"This MOther's Day protest is a popular idea. Women are very excited about
this rally as it speaks directly to the experiences of the most marginalized
women in our society. When women don’t have access to the necessary
childcare services, they are at risk of loosing their children" explains
Heather Kaytor, a single mother and member of Grassroots Women. "It is
essential that we carry forward the struggle for all mothers and children.
Now, with over 12.7 million dollars in cuts to childcare services in BC, our
families are doubly impacted. It is criminal that school lunch programs and
before and after-school care are cut."

"We need to start speaking up on the conditions we face as mothers,"
continues Roberts."The sweeping policies of privatization and deregulation
of our social programs are wrecking havoc on our children and our lives. We
need to raise our voices and call for systemic change. The implementation of
universal childcare is a step in the right direction."

To get involved in organization for Mother’s Day march or for more
information, call Grassroots Women at (604) 682-4451.

______________________________________________________________
Reclaim the struggle for a renewed and militant women's movement!

Grassroots Women
t: 604.682.4451
e: grassrootswomen at telus.net
w: http://www3.telus.net/grassrootswomen
#304-207 West Hastings, Vancouver, Canada

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