On August 13 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved ella™ (ulipristal acetate) tablets for emergency contraception. The prescription-only product prevents pregnancy when taken orally within 120 hours (five days) after a contraceptive failure or unprotected intercourse.

ella is a progesterone agonist/antagonist whose likely main effect is to inhibit or delay ovulation. Since May 2009, the prescription product has been available in Europe under the brand name ellaOne.

Read the FDA press release.

Read about the opposition to ella before approval took place.

Read more details on ella on the The National Women's Health Network website.

A recent investigation by a Toronto Star reporter has revealed that some anti-abortion groups are counselling women using false and misleading statements about the effects of abortion.

Read the whole article here.

A new International Women's Alliance was formed this month at the Montreal International Women's Conference 2010 (MIWC), with the aim of building a global militant women's movement in the 21st century. The conference was hosted by the Committee of Women of Diverse Origins and also commemorated 100 years since the launch of International Women's Day, first observed on March 19, 1911 in Austria, Denmark,Germany and Switzerland.

Read the story and interviews with panellists here.

How will changes to the Canadian census affect our understanding of unpaid women’s work? Women fought for a long time to include questions in the census that would help us understand how women’s unpaid work at home contributes in an essential way to our economy. Several recent commentaries examine the impacts of the census changes on women.

Census change devalues women's unpaid work (Antonia Zerbisias) (The Star)

Why won't feds count at-home mothers? (Elsie Hambrook) (The Telegraph-Journal)

For more information and stories on changes to the census, visit datalibre.

FACT: There are toxic chemicals in the bodies of Canadian girls and women- chemicals that enter the bloodstream from pesticides and hormones in our food, from furniture and detergents, and from the personal care products we put on our bodies. Even small doses of these toxins can have serious effects. THE GOOD NEWS: Young women have a lot of consumer power- power to get these unnecessary toxins out of products like the cosmetics that we use to feel healthy and beautiful! FemmeToxic's goal is to educate young Canadian women about the potential dangers of cosmetics ingredients and provide people with the tools they need to create personal change and to influence national legislative reform. Refuse to be “toxified”! Demand safer cosmetics!

In the spring of 2009, a passionate and dedicated committee from the non-profit organization Breast Cancer Action Montreal (BCAM) decided to develop a youth-oriented campaign for safe cosmetics. Soon to join the organization were several young women, coming from different backgrounds, who were alarmed by the current state of cosmetic regulations in Canada. FemmeToxic was created because of the strengths of this unique group of women and their desire for stronger legislation to make safer cosmetics the norm.

FemmeToxic is a campaign focusing on the toxins in the environment, particularly those found in cosmetic and personal care products, which are detrimental to human health and can increase the risk of cancer and other health-related disorders.

Visit the website here.

Watch this documentary being re-aired on Sunday August 8, 2010 at 10 pm ET/PT on CBC News Network:

"Extraordinary behind-the-scenes access reveals a drug company's fevered race to develop the first FDA-approved Viagra for women - and offers a humorous but sobering look inside the cash-fueled pharmaceutical industry." - Hot Docs Film Festival

In the shocking and hilarious documentary Orgasm Inc., filmmaker Liz Canner takes a job editing erotic videos for a drug trial for a pharmaceutical company. Her employer is developing what they hope will be the first Viagra drug for women that wins FDA approval to treat a new disease: Female Sexual Dysfunction (FSD).

See the trailer and more information here.

Family Health International reports in its newsletter, Sino-Implant (II) Update, that the International Planned Parenthood Federation's International Medical Advisory Panel has approved the purchase and distribution of the contraceptive implant Sino-implant (II) by its global network of associated members.

Read the newsletter here.

July 2, 2010 letter from UNIFEM Executive Director Inés Alberdi on the establishment this month of UN Women, the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women:

Dear Say NO friends and partners,

Today is a historic day. This afternoon, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously decided to establish UN Women, the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of a strong UN organization that will be a champion to promote and advance the rights of women and girls worldwide has been a goal we have been advocating for many years, and I know that you will join me in celebrating and embracing this momentous achievement.

Read the complete letter here.

In this recent article from the New York Times, author Gretchen Reynolds reports on a study that shows that women’s and men’s bodies react differently to exercise. She notes that scientists “often rely on male subjects exclusively, particularly in the exercise-science realm, where, numerically, fewer female athletes exist to be studied. But when sports scientists recreate classic men-only experiments with distaff subjects, the women often react quite differently.”

Read the whole article here. 

Ottawa, Canada, June 22, 2010—Five Canadian advocacy groups have for months been calling on Prime Minister Stephen Harper to address family planning and abortion care in the G8 maternal and child health initiative.  They now have the support of:

- more than 100 International organizations from the G8 and other countries,
- five former directors of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID),
- a former Prime Minister of Japan,
- parliamentarians in 18 different countries, and
- civil society organizations such as Save the Children Germany, Amnesty International, World Vision Germany, and Oxfam France

The National Abortion Federation Canada, Action Canada for Population and Development (ACPD), the Ad Hoc Coalition for Women's Equality and Human Rights, the Fédération du Québec pour le planning des naissances (FQPN), and the Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action (FAFIA) today again challenged Prime Minister Stephen Harper and G8 leaders to address family planning and abortion care in the G8 maternal and child health initiative.

The groups reminded Prime Minister Harper of the overwhelming scientific evidence that access to safe, legal abortion care preserves women’s health and saves women’s lives. Unsafe abortion remains one of the leading causes of maternal mortality in developing nations. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 70,000 women worldwide die from unsafe abortions annually and millions more are injured, many permanently. 

At last year’s G8 Summit in Italy, the G8 heads of government agreed that maternal and child health was one of the world’s most pressing global health problems. They committed to “accelerat[ing] progress…on maternal health, including through sexual and reproductive health care and services and voluntary family planning.”

It is imperative that the work done in Canada build on—not backtrack from—previous commitments.

The groups delivered letters signed by their supporters to Prime Minister Harper today.

Contact:

Melissa Fowler; National Abortion Federation Canada; 202-595-4395 cell; mfowler@prochoice.org

By Rob Stein, Washington Post

Saturday, June 12, 2010

A French drug company is seeking to offer American women something their European counterparts already have: a pill that works long after "the morning after."

The drug, dubbed ella, would be sold as a contraceptive -- one that could prevent pregnancy for as many as five days after unprotected sex. But the new drug is a close chemical relative of the abortion pill RU-486, raising the possibility that it could also induce abortion by making the womb inhospitable for an embryo.

The controversy sparked by that ambiguity promises to overshadow the work of a federal panel that will convene next week to consider endorsing the drug. The last time the Food and Drug Administration vetted an emergency contraceptive -- Plan B, the so-called morning-after pill -- the decision was mired in debate over such fundamental questions as when life begins and the distinction between preventing and terminating a pregnancy. Ella is raising many of those same politically charged questions -- but more sharply, testing the Obama administration's pledge to keep ideology from influencing scientific decisions.

Read the complete article here.

More public and private dollars are being spent to purchase pharmaceuticals for Canadians each and every year.  At a time when flattening the health-care cost curve is at the top of many government agendas, the Health Council of Canada is pleased to see the recent attention paid to controlling drug costs and particularly the costs of generic drugs. On Friday, June 18, 2010, The Health Council of Canada released a commissioned discussion paper written by SECOR consulting, Generic Drug Pricing and Access in Canada: What are the Implications?

This independent paper is designed to move the discussion of possible reforms forward on an important part of the drug file – the pricing and distribution of generic drugs - and bring transparency to this important area of public health policy.

Upon returning from Tasmania, the Prairie Women's Health Centre of Excellence (PWHCE) is excited about sharing successes with our international sister centres at the 6th Australian Women's Health Conference, held May 18-21 2010 in Hobart Tasmania. There, our delegates enjoyed an exciting opportunity to share recent work in gender and health planning.  Does it makes sense now? Translating knowledge about SGBA (PowerPoint) (PDF) recounted the process, methods, and content developed by the Centre for the delivery of workshops on gender-based analysis to regional health authority staff throughout Manitoba and in parts of Saskatchewan. Successes and challenges in workshop design and delivery were highlighted, including benefits and pitfalls in utilizing health indicator data to illustrate the relevance of gender for health planning.

Read the New View Campaign’s comments on US FDA hearings for approval of Flibanserin:

“On June 18, 2010, the FDA Reproductive Health Advisory Committee convenes for the second time to consider a drug for "female sexual dysfunction" (the first drug, Intrinsa, failed in 2004). The New View Campaign opposes the approval of flibanserin, and is preparing factsheets and petitions, has spoken to endless media, and will be participating in the hearing as part of the section on public speakers. In combination with the materials we prepared in 2004 for the Intrinsa hearing, these resources offer a rich analysis of the medicalization of sexuality.”

For more information, visit the New View Campaign.

The Standing Committee on the Status of Women adopted the following motion from the Hon. Anita Neville on June 7, 2010:

“That the Committee examine: (a) the climate change impacts on women, and their adaptive and mitigative capacity; (b) the manner in which a gender perspective should be included in the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of national environmental policies, in particular strategies related to the impact of climate change on women and the allocation of resources with respect to sustainable development; (c) whether a gender-based analysis of Canada’s policies concerning climate change and sustainable development has been conducted, and if so, its conclusions; and (d) Canada’s role in ensuring that a gender perspective is included as part of the international community’s response to global climate change.”

Daniel Rubinstein
Legislative Assistant to the Hon. Anita Neville, P.C., M.P.
nevila0@parl.gc.ca

From The Georgia Straight, June 9, 2010

By Shadi Elien

A private member’s bill seeking human-rights protection for transgender and transsexual Canadians passed second reading in the House of Commons on June 8.

The third time might be the charm for Bill Siksay, the NDP MP for Burnaby-Douglas, who has tabled similar bills twice before, none of which have made it this far in the legislative process.

“This is a big, historic step,” Siksay told the Straight in a phone interview from Ottawa. “It’s an indication that there is interest and support for this.”

Read the full story here.

More and more Canadians are replacing regular incandescent light bulbs with more energy-efficient products, such as compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). While CFLs are being promoted because they are energy-efficient, their use has also raised health concerns.

The It's Your Health article on The Safety of Compact Fluorescent Lamps has been updated with new information and is now available on Health Canada's website.

This fact sheet describes the views of women’s groups across the country advocating for continuing the firearms law. They are saying:

- Women’s groups from across the country insist that the firearms law is an essential tool in combating violence against women.

- Access to firearms is also one of the top five risk factors associated with domestic homicide in Canada.

Read the two page publication. (PDF)

Population ageing is a global phenomenon due to improvements in basic health care and living standards as well as declines in fertility rates and rising longevity. Both men and women face discrimination due to old age, but women experience ageing differently. Gender relations structure the entire life cycle, from birth to old age, influencing access to resources and opportunities and shaping life choices at every stage. Good health, economic security and adequate housing are essential requirements of ageing with dignity, but older women in both developed and developing countries face difficulties in accessing these on a basis of equality with men.

Read the full 21-page document. (PDF)

The Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women (CRIAW) calls for an investigation and review of funding decisions made by Helena Guergis, former Minister for Status of Women Canada (SWC), as more women’s advocacy organizations learn their projects were refused funding this year. “SWC has turned down a growing list of women’s groups this year, that they previously funded”, CRIAW President Judy White points out. “In addition to CRIAW, this includes the Womanspace Resource Centre in Lethbridge Alberta, the New Brunswick Coalition for Pay Equity, CIAFT* - a Quebec provincial association dedicated to defending the rights of women at work and others. We know there are more but some are afraid they will lose more government funding if they speak out”.

Read the full press release here.

CRIAW calls on all women's groups who have been denied funding by Status of Women Canada to speak up. Please email the Ad Hoc Coalition for the Status of Women if you were denied funding this year. Please scan and send your rejection letter so they can be compiled. Send this information to: Janis Lockwood at: coalitionforwomensequality@gmail.com

Canadian Population Health Initiative (CPHI) of the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) presents the May edition of our newsletter.

In this edition:
New CPHI Analyses Show Inequalities in Socio-Economic Status and Health Across Urban Canada

To learn more, download your free copy of the e-newsletter here. (PDF)

From Health Canada, a recent It’s Your Health article:

During pregnancy, your immune system changes. As a result, your risk of developing a  foodborne illness increases, and even a mild case of food poisoning can lead to serious health effects for you and your unborn baby.

If you are pregnant, you should take extra care when handling, storing, preparing and shopping for food. In addition, consumption of certain high-risk foods should be avoided.

See It’s Your Health for more information.

Read the April 20, 2010 article by Tom Blackwell, National Post, on the unexpected resigantion by two respected board members of Assisted Human Reproduction Canada. These resignations, he writes, are "raising new questions" about the "controversial federal agency."

Many women's organizations around the world, including from Canada, recently signed a statement raising concerns about the process at the 54th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women held in New York, March 1-12, 2010. The session's purpose was to carry out a 15-year review of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995) and the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly (2000).

The March 4, 2010 statement, without the final list of signatories can be found on the website of the Association of Women in Development (AWID).
The statement with the full list of signatories is attached as a PDF.

Canada's civil society submission to the session, prepared by the Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action (FAFIA) and the Canadian Labour Congress with in-put from many groups and individuals across Canada, was entitled "Reality Check: Women in Canada and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action Fifteen Years On, a Canadian Civil Society Response." This document can be found on the FAFIA website.

Canada's February 2010 follow-up report to the UN's CEDAW (Committe on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women) on its progress on the Beijing Declaration can be found here.

Fafia's response, "No Action, No Progress," together with other responses, can be found here.

How have civil socieity organisations engaged in the Review of the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action at CSW 54? And what are their recommendations?

Find a listing of responses to the Review of the 1995 Beijing Declaration in SIYANDA, an on-line database of gender and development materials from around the world.