UPDATE

Steering Committee Elections opened August 26th and will close on September 8th, 2005.  The elections are taking place electronically, and information has been sent by e-mail to eligible member organizations.  Results will be announced shortly after the close of the elections and after nominees have been notified. Questions regarding the process may be directed to Carolyn Tateishi at ctateishi@fafia-afai.org or 613-232-9505 ext.229

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Between August 25th and September 21, FAFIA members will have the opportunity to elect (through in-person and mail-in ballot) three new FAFIA steering committee members to each serve a three year term.  Member organizations may nominate candidates by submitting a completed nomination form to the FAFIA office by 9 am Monday August 15th, 2005.

Each Steering Committee nominee should:

•      be actively involved in the equality-seeking women’s movement in Canada;
•      be nominated by an equality-seeking women’s organization that is a FAFIA member;
•      act in an individual capacity and on behalf of all FAFIA members;
•      have expertise in Canada’s international human rights agreements (particularly CEDAW), and/or women and fiscal mechanisms (such as the Canada Social Transfer) and/or women and macroeconomics (particularly women and trade and/or gender budgeting);
•      be interested and able to volunteer at least ten hours/month on FAFIA business.
 
At present, FAFIA’s Steering Committee is composed of nine members.  The returning members are:
 
Linda Christiansen-Ruffman (nominated by the Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women – Nova Scotia)
Shelagh Day (nominated by the Canadian Association of Sexual Assault Centres)
Leilani Farha (nominated by the Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation’s Women’s Program)
Beryle Jones (nominated by the Congress of Black Women of Canada)
Sharon McIvor (nominated by the National Association of Women and the Law)
Leslie Spillett (nominated by the Native Women’s Association of Canada)
 
The following individuals have left or will be leaving the Steering committee in September:
 
Doreen Demas (nominated by the DisAbled Women’s Network Canada)
Lise Martin (nominated by the Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women)
Charlotte Thibault (nominated by la Féderation des Femmes de Quebec)
 
To maintain and increase the representation of various groups of women and interests on the FAFIA Steering Committee, FAFIA encourages nominations of women with disAbilities, women of Colour, Quebecois women, young women and/or Aboriginal women. 

For more information, please contact Bethany Sutton, FAFIA’s Director of Operations, at bsutton@fafia-afai.org or at 613-232-9505 x223.