Columnists

A simple question for movie-lovers

Jun 202013

Bechdel's test identifies movies with independent women.

by Beth Lyons

The summer blockbuster movie season is upon us — and with it comes a barrage of films featuring women and girls in limited, sexualized and trivial roles. Just how abysmal is the representation of women and girls in film and television? Let me introduction you to a little something we feminists call the Bechdel test.

Bechdel is a concept that originates from a 1985 comic strip by Alison Bechdel, a queer American cartoonist. In this strip, a character mentions that she doesn’t watch films that don’t meet a basic criterion: they must have at least two female characters who talk to each other about something other than a man (bonus points if these characters actually have names). The joke of the strip is, of course, that the character doesn’t get to watch many movies.

Ignoring science

Jun 202013

Science matters

Climate change deniers jeopardize us all.

by David Suzuki

It’s happening again. Research confirms agreement among most climate scientists that we are altering the Earth’s climate, mainly by burning fossil fuels. And industrial interests, backed by climate change deniers, pull out every trick to sow doubt and confusion. What will it take for us to start seriously tackling the problem?

Apologies that came too late

Jun 172013

Insight

In politics, as in romance, “Little Things Mean a Lot.”

by Geoffrey Stevens

“Little Things Mean a Lot,” as Kitty Kallen sang in the sappy love song that topped the Billboard chart for nine weeks back in 1954. (Blow me a kiss from across the room/ Say I look nice when I'm not. … Arghh!) Treacly though the song is, the sentiment ought to be a mantra for Canadian political leaders in 2013.

Harperites’ approach counterproductive

Jun 122013

Science matters

National Research Council’s new focus ignores how science works.

by David Suzuki

The federal government recently announced a reorganization of the National Research Council to make it more “business-led” and industry-focused. It appears we’re coming full circle to the early 1970s, when Sen. Maurice Lamontagne released A Science Policy for Canada, a report proposing Canadian science be directed to “mission-oriented” work rather than “curiosity driven” research.

Blowing the whistle on human trafficking

Jun 122013

Equality time

In Canada, Aboriginal women are most vulnerable to being exploited.

by Jody Dallaire

The Whistleblower is a 2010 made-for-TV movie dramatizing one real-life investigator’s efforts to stop human trafficking in a war zone. Rachel Weisz stars as Kathryn Bolkovac, a Nebraska police officer who served as a peacekeeper in post-war Bosnia and who exposed how the United Nations was involved in covering up human trafficking and the exploitation of women.

The film (partly funded by Ontario) is very moving and well done, although it is tough to watch at times. After watching it, I decided to find out more about the prevalence of human trafficking in Canada – and yes, it does happen here. Although not all victims of human trafficking are female, the vast majority are.

Canada haunted by 40 year old ghost

Jun 092013

Insight

Watergate's legacy of public distrust taints once-smug Canadian governments.

by Geoffrey Stevens

It may seem like yesterday, but it was 40 years ago this summer that the notorious Watergate scandal burst on our consciousness.

Sustainable rail links

Jun 062013

Science matters

Great public transit makes for a great city.

by David Suzuki

What makes a city great? Among other things, great cities are tolerant communities that welcome and celebrate ethnic diversity. They support and foster local arts, have access to venture capital to spur entrepreneurship and innovation, and benefit from healthy local environments with clean air, clean water and access to nutritious, locally grown food.

New Brunswick offers women new ‘forum’

Jun 062013

Equality time

Women lobbied for two years to restore axed Status of Women Council.

by Beth Lyons

Last week, the province’s Women’s Issues Branch renamed itself the Women’s Equality Branch, then followed up with plans for a new independent forum to advance the equality of women and girls in New Brunswick. The Voices of New Brunswick Women Consensus-Building Forum is slated to be active by the fall.

Senate scandal penny-ante drama

Jun 032013

Insight

Duffygate and Wallingate linger because real issue is government integrity.

by Geoffrey Stevens

The Senate expenses scandal — starring Duff, Pam, Nigel, Stephen and all the lesser lights — may be fine political theatre. But it doesn’t amount to a hill of beans — or loonies.

This is penny-ante stuff, a drop in the old Ottawa bucket. So Mike Duffy collected $90,000-odd in housing allowances, and Nigel Wright tried to save Old Duff’s butt by paying the piper, with or without (we’re not sure yet) telling his boss, the prime minister. It looks as though Duffy also did some double-dipping on his expenses. But if that’s fraud, it’s petty fraud.

Scrutinizing women in politics

May 302013

Equality time

Colleagues, media, criticize women colleagues on personal matters, not issues.

by Jody Dallaire

Lately, New Brunswick Members of Parliament made headlines for their sexist comments.

Take Fisheries Minister Keith Ashfield’s comment at a photo op staged after Harperites presented the new federal budget. At the home of a local family, Minister Ashfield sampled the fresh bread baked by Grace Moreno, a high school student. He praised her cooking by saying that she would, “make a wonderful wife for somebody.”

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