Blog - Page 64 of 92 - Maureen F. Fitzgerald

Would you want your local police officer sexually degrading a woman?

I am shocked that someone (likely a lawyer) told the RCMP regulators that it “was fine” for one of its police officers to participate in sado-masochistic activities – not during work hours of course. This officer actually posted online videos of him tying up and slashing naked women. Later he said it was no issue because there was no victim. No

Women need men who promote them not just stand by

This article reminded me of my law firm articling experience 25 years ago. Although we were never told exactly what happened, apparently a senior male lawyer had an affair with a law student and because of that all office doors had to be kept open when we women met with our mentors. We had only one

Bible, Biology and Bigotry great article

I love Ms Magazine. http://msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2012/06/08/the-bible-biology-and-bigotry/

I am glad I am not a woman in India

India ranked the lowest in terms on female equity in a recent G20 report by 370 gender experts. Almost 45 percent of girls are married before they turn 18, one bride is murdered every hour over dowry demands, violence against women is rampant and research shows that 51 percent of men and 54 percent of

Canada is best G20 country for females

I am not sure we should celebrate yet. Out of 19 countries, Canada scored best for females because we have “free” medical services, “paid” maternity leave and don’t suffer as much death on birthing, murder and rape as women in 18 other countries. I am also most proud that Canada (and not the USA) has signed the international law that protects women (the

Artists get studios in unused park houses

I was so pleased to see that some of the vacant houses in Vancouver parks were going to be used by artists. The deal is that the artists do 350 hours of community engagement in exchange for an inexpensive lease. What a great idea. I worked with Sharon Kallis, an environmental artist on her

Human rights lawyer jailed in Tehran

I can’t stand hearing news like this. The very people who fight for rights are the victims of rights violations. Abdolfattah Soltani, a Iranian human rights lawyer was just sentenced to 13 years in prison by a Tehran revolutionary court. He co-founded a human rights group with a Nobel laureate and was charged with spreading

Martha Payne a nine-year old girls rocks

I love stories like Martha Payne’s. She is a nine year old Scottish girl who’s websitewent viral. Its called NeverSeconds and she posted pictures of her school lunches and ranked them on a scale of 0-10. She used her site to raise money for a local food charity. It was not until the local school council pulled

Obituaries for women promote stereotypes

I was reading the obituaries lately and realized that longest and most detailed peices are about women. Not only that, but the words used to describe these women are quite telling. One in particular read: “In high school she was voted the student most likely to succeed … she was “the embodiment of everything that is good

Yeah for Brenda Morrison

Restorative justice expert and SFU professor Brenda Morrison wrote a great OpEd in the Vancouver Sun on June 19, 2012 comparing Vancouver to London and how they dealt with the rioters that damaged our city streets over the last few years. London courts combine punishment with restoration whereas Vancouver seems to be stuck in prosecutions and penalties – at a very