FAFIA and Oxfam Canada invite you to their International Women’s Day event this coming Friday, March 7th between 4 – 6 p .m. at the Sheraton Hotel (Albert Street) in Ottawa.

TAKING ON THE BIG BOYS: WOMEN IN THE GLOBAL WORKFORCE

Friday, March 7th, 2008
4 - 6 pm
Sheraton Hotel (O’Connor Room),
150 Albert Street (At O’Connor),
Ottawa ON

Featuring:

ELLEN BRAVO, Author:
Taking on the Big Boys—Or Why feminism is good for families, business and the nation

&

SALIMAH VALIANI, Researcher, Canadian Labour Congres

Ellen Bravo is a leading spokeswoman and activist regarding working women’s issues in the United States. She is former director of the American based grassroots women’s workers organization, 9to5. http://www.ellenbravo.com/ [1]

Salimah Valiani, a researcher in international political economy, covers issues of labour and migration, women and workers of colour in the CLC’s social and economic policy unit.

www.clc-ctc.ca [2]

RSVP: info@fafia-afai.org [3] by Friday, March 7 at noon
More info: 613-232-9505., x222

**FEEL FREE TO CIRCULATE**

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MORE ABOUT TAKING ON THE BIG BOYS

Ellen’s book details “the minimizing, patronizing and demonizing tactics employed by the Big Boys to maintain the status quo – a status quo that has done more than anything to drive women out of top jobs and devalue their care-giving work.” There is a significant focus on work realities, including pay equity, balancing work-family responsibilities, sexual harassment, etc.

Bravo had a long time affiliation with the organization, 9to5: the National Association of Working Women, and served until 2004 as its national director. 9 to 5 describes itself as a “national, grassroots membership organization that strengthens women’s ability to work for economic justice.” Founded in 1973, 9to5 has activists in more than 200 cities and members in every state. www.9to5.org [4]

A great review of her book can be found at:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/04/15/RVGA5P2IV... [5].

Here is a small excerpt:
“Would most Americans agree that feminism is good for families, business and the nation? I doubt it. I suspect that most people would say feminism is merely about individual advancement, rather than improving everyone’s lives through gender equality. But ask Ellen Bravo, author of ‘Taking On the Big Boys,’ who for 20 years ran the feminist organization 9to5, whose mission is to improve the lives of working women. She will tell you that ‘our goal is not equal numbers of females among the Big Boys. What we want isn’t just more women in power, but more power to women as a whole and others who have been disenfranchised. To achieve that, we have to do more than smash the glass ceiling — we have to redesign the building’ ”

To download the event poster, click here:
Poster [6]