Women's education

The letter in this article was sent to the editorial collective of CCLOW by a woman who has experienced extreme violence in her life. Morgan McClung clearly expresses the impact, power and control that violence exerts in women's lives. At the same time, because she is able to analyze her past, she helps us understand and gives us hope that we can counteract this violence.

This is the story of a single working mother's abusive childhood and how she ended up being a teenage runaway.

This is the story of a single mother, trying to upgrade her education and overcome the effects of a physically violent marriage.

What is the effect of violence on education? There are many children in our school systems who are labeled as "hyper", socially retarded, with behavioral problems, etc. We have readiness classes for the children who are unable to function properly in regular classrooms. These children are not "bad kids" as many people believe. They are trying the best that they can to survive. So often they are asking for help through their behaviour.

This article is about a model for women's bridging and skills-training programs in Toronto. The programs are small in size, locally controlled, informal, and attune to the special learning needs of women. The participants prefer this type of training to a more traditional institutional form.

In this article, the author discusses our aging population and the field of gerontology.

Mairi St. John Macdonald was the first national president of CCLOW, from 1979-1982. Joan Brown Hicks was CCLOW's president from 1985-1986.

This article features conversations among the author and these former presidents of CCLOW.

Women who have been victims of violence, whether verbal, emotional, psychological, or physical, often have been deprived of some part of their education. Coping with violence at home, in society, or at school can make it impossible to find the energy and concentration required in the classroom.

“We know now that an abusive childhood can lead to an abusive marriage and so the picture spins, reel to reel.”

In this article, the author tells of her history of abuse and how, through education and perseverance, she broke the cycle of abuse.

Child care which is affordable, accessible, and flexible is an issue for women's learning. It is also an equality issue. Child care for women who are students and trainees is one of these barriers at the "outer gate".

The Halifax Committee of CCLOW prepared this brief for presentation to the Parliamentary Committee on Child Care.