Vancouver Women’s Caucus: The summer of 1968 to the end of 1971
1968
The precursor to Vancouver Women’s Caucus was born in or about May 1968 at SFU when a few women formed the Feminist Action League. They held discussion groups and organized actions to protest discrimination against women, the need for child care and, with Students for a Democratic University, the lack of student and faculty representation in university decision-making. By the end of the summer, a larger group of women decided to form a separate political organization called Vancouver Women’s Caucus. The group was not a caucus of anything else.
1969
May
A discussion paper by Melody Kilian was produced entitled Discussion Paper – Towards a Strategy; Jean Rands wrote a working paper The Problem of Priorities; and Sharon Yandle wrote a working paper Socialist Women.
June
Pat Hoffer (Davitt) and Marcy Cohen wrote a working paper Education as a Priority and another such paper was produced entitled The Women’s Liberation Movement: An Introduction.
July/August
Sharon Yandle and Maggie Benston wrote a Proposal for the Organization of SFU Women’s Caucus.
An office was opened in the Labour Temple at 307 W. Broadway, Vancouver where the first General meeting of Vancouver Women’s Caucus took place on the 17th. A new structure for the Organization was proposed and the following decisions were made:
- There would be regular monthly meetings known as General meetings. (The membership number was about 200, most of whom were not students.)
- These meetings would combine educational work and business – using a wide open discussion format – and would be held on the last Thursday evening of every month.
- Lessons from the organizing of Blacks in the US were readily accepted – meaning that the building of a mass, extra-parliamentary movement of women was seen as the priority.
- Demands were to be around specific issues but with collective control.
- It was understood that there was class bias in the abortion legislation and conscious intervention as socialists was taken as a given.
- It was also seen as a legitimate movement against Capitalism – accepting of Marxist analysis of the bourgeois family.
- It would also be a Coordinating organization for women who were organizing where they were at – workplace, day-care, etc.
The work in the summer of 1969 was mainly educational – at NDP clubs, high schools, the YWCA and with teachers at the UBC summer school. Discussions around the production of a newspaper began. The first issue of the newsletter was produced in order enable communication among the members.
Marcy Cohen and Jean Rands wrote a report back to the Simon Fraser Left about Women’s Caucus Summer Organizing.
The first Women’s Caucus demo took place: the picketing of the BC Civil Service Commission protesting unequal pay for men and women doing the same work.
Prime Minister Trudeau was picketed on August 8th when he visited Vancouver demanding that the abortion laws be repealed.
September
A public meeting on daycare was held.
The abortion pamphlet was prepared.
The first issue of The Pedestal went out on the 19th to members together with the newsletter.
At the General meeting there were reports from Bouk Elzinga on the Hospital Workers Union meeting; Dodie Weppler on the SFU Women’s Caucus; Sue Claus on VCC; and Orleen Martin and Marge Hollibaugh on the plans for a Western Regional Conference to be held on upcoming Thanksgiving weekend. The theme of the Conference was Women: Reform or Revolution?
October
11th-13th – Western Regional Conference: titled “Women: Reform or Revolution?”
14th – There was a call for demonstrations against professional groups, schools and other institutions for their sexist discrimination policies on UN Day (24 Oct). 25 women picketed The Engineers’ Club in downtown Vancouver and also a Manpower office.
At the General meeting there was discussion about changing the name of the organization to Women’s Liberation but it was decided not to do so as it was thought it would deter some women from joining.
A report was given on the beginning of a women’s group on the UBC campus, and the report from SFU included the decision to send Janiel Jolley to the Miss Canadian University contest at Waterloo Lutheran College in January 1970 as a protest candidate.
November
Presentations were made at two Grade 12 History classes at Eric Hamber High School; the Vancouver Teachers’ Convention; the NDP Convention in Winnipeg; two Burnaby schools and to the National Convention of Jewish Women’s Extension Course at UBC.
A public meeting called Women in Social Movements was held.
A newsletter was produced and sent out to members.
At the General meeting it was noted there were now 250 members, 75 being active. The main topic discussed was the abortion campaign and plans for implementing it.
December
Early in the month there was an Education Action Committee and Teachers’ meeting.
In mid-month, there was a workshop to get out the Newsletter and to plan for the next month.
13th – A demonstration was held at the main Post Office to protest discrimination in the hiring of and pay for male and female Christmas temporary workers and to seek union wages for such workers.
1970
January
The Abortion Information Centre was set up at the Labour Temple office and a Tuesday evening clinic was initiated. The centre was to provide pregnancy tests, birth control information and help obtain abortions (both through legal and illegal avenues).
There was the first meeting of a course on the Education and Socialization of Women; a Book Study Group; the second meeting of a course on Childrearing in different Societies; and a meeting to discuss the educational campaign and political strategy for the Abortion Rights campaign.
The newsletter was produced and circulated.
The Parents’ Coop Nursery at UBC was involved in a struggle with the University Administration for space to set up a Daycare Centre.
At the General meeting, Jean Rands presented a proposal for a Working Women’s workshop to be held in connection with the newly created Community Education and Research Centre (CERC) that had evolved out of PSA strike at SFU. Mordecai Briemberg spoke on how CERC might be used by the women’s movement.
February
Abortion Information clinic continued every Tuesday and the course on Education and Socialization of Women continued on Wednesdays.
There was a public meeting Women with Families (Speaker was Elena Rogers from UBC); the Women Artists’ Coop met and there was a Street Theatre action on Valentine’s Day.
The second issue of The Pedestal was published.
The Working Women’s workshop met at the CERC office and a strategy meeting for the Abortion campaign was held there also.
The General meeting discussed Re-Organization of Women’s Caucus given the project groups that had emerged and a proposal for coordination was passed. Plans for International Women’s Day were also discussed.
The plan for the Abortion campaign was presented – a caravan to Ottawa followed by the setting up of a camp on Parliament grounds, Ottawa on the 9th May.
March
8th – On International Women’s Day skits, films, and poetry were presented at the Labour Temple.
12th – There was a meeting in West Vancouver on The Evolution of Women’s Roles with a slide show; on the 19th , one on Economic Oppression in the Family; Daycare and Social Responsibility to Children and Free Birth Control and Abortion Rights.
Working Women’s group met twice at CERC and produced a pamphlet Equal Pay for Equal Work.
Third issue of The Pedestal was published and sent out with the latest Newsletter.
10th – Dr Makaroff was criminally charged with procuring a miscarriage.
25th – Women demonstrated at the BC Legislature on the Abortion Rights issue.
At the General meeting, the Abortion campaign planners informed the meeting the Caravan would be leaving Vancouver on April 29th.
A discussion was held on an invitation from The American Deserters’ Committee for Women’s Caucus to participate in a march along with Vancouver Black Action group, Native Alliance for Red Power and various student groups. It was decided that to study the implications of relationships with such other groups at a future conference.
April
Meetings of teachers and high school women continued.
11th – A demonstration was held at the Academy of Medicine to pressure that organization to take the case for legal abortions to the BC Council of Physicians and Surgeons. The building was entered and occupied.
Working Women’s workshops (twice a month) continued.
The fourth issue of The Pedestal was produced.
At the General meeting, it was decided that there would be two General meetings each month in future, that the organization needed to look for a larger office and The Pedestal would be the main means of communication within the organization. It was proposed that subscriptions be raised from $1.50 to $2.00 per annum. It was also decided that a conference would be held on June 20-21st to evaluate where we were at, critically examine what we had been doing, and determine strategy for going forward. It was also voted that the Caucus sponsor and support a March of the Unemployed scheduled for 29th April at the Hotel Vancouver.
May
10th – The day after the Caravan went to Parliament Hill, a march was held in Vancouver to demonstrate against the vicious Abortion laws. The General meeting focused on the report back from the Abortion caravan.
June
The Caucus moved into a new and larger office at 511 Carrall Street.
14th – Prime Minister Trudeau requested meeting and 20 women confronted him with demands to repeal existing abortion laws, provide free and safe birth control to all women and construct women’s health clinics controlled by community.
20/21st – A conference was held at our new office. There were workshops on:
- Issues and constituencies;
- Internal education and involvement; and
- The way the Caucus presents itself to the outside world.
The Pedestal gave a report after producing seven issues.
Several papers on strategy were presented and discussed:
- Proposal for Action – Cross-country Day of Protest Against the Abortion Laws and Free Abortion on Demand by Mary Trew;
- The Rising of the Women Means the Rising of the Race – the explanation of women who were intending to withdraw from the Caucus – primarily revolution vs. reformism;
- Individualism vs. Mass movement;
- Politics and Women’s Caucus: Are They Necessary? by Anne Roberts; and
- The Way Forward – How to Build a Mass Movement by the Young Socialists and League for Socialist Action.
The Conference decided that work in the educational system and with working women would be our priorities. From that, the Working Women’s Organizing Committee was formed.
30th – Lisa Hobbs, a journalist, wrote in The Vancouver Sun about two groups in Vancouver – Women’s Caucus and the Women’s Liberation movement, which publicly identified the growing ideological differences in the women’s movement.
July
The Pedestal reported on the Conference decisions and differences, the reasons given by those leaving to become the Women’s Liberation movement. The YS position was summarized.
August
8/9th – There was a High School Women’s Liberation Conference.
27th – The General meeting discussed a Report on the Majority View. The YS and LSA members opposed the formation of a Working Women’s Organizing committee and after more discussion the majority at the meeting voted to expel the YS/LSA members.
September
The Boycott Cunningham’s campaign began with picketing of the drug stores.
The Child care action group met regularly as did the Working Women’s Association and other groups.
October
7th – The Women’s caucus started a group of 6 lectures co-sponsored by the PSA Department-on-strike on ‘Women as an Oppressed Group’.
11-13th – Western regional Conference of Women’s liberation groups was held at UBC SUB.
War Measures Act in Quebec.
November
15th – Protest party held at the house of the owner of Cunningham’s Drugs on SW Marine Drive.
21/22nd – The first National Conference of the Women’s Liberation Movement held in Saskatoon.
Angela Davis jailed during the trial of the Soledad Brothers and Black Panthers in California.
At the General meeting, a US visitor told the Caucus that two conferences were being planned for US and Canadian women in the Women’s liberation movement to meet with women delegates from Indo-China to hear from them about the war. It was the first the Caucus had heard of these plans. It was even more alarming because the Conferences were to be held in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, and the Caucus would be expected to host the Vancouver one. In addition, these conferences were planned for April 1971, less than 5 months away.
1971
January
The report from the Royal Commission on the Status of Women was released three years after being ordered.
20th – Women’s Caucus sponsored a meeting at which Simone Chartrand spoke of what was happening in Quebec under the War Measures Act. She had previously organized women against the Drapeau anti-demonstration laws. Her husband, Michel Chartrand, a prominent Union leader had been in prison since the War Measures Act was passed in October 1970.
22nd – The Free Quebec/Free Canada Committee sponsored a meeting on the War measures Act.
29th – At the General meeting, the issue of the relationship between the Women’s liberation movement and the Trade Union movement and the struggle against unemployment was discussed. There was also discussion about the Indo-Chinese Conference to be held in Vancouver in April.
February
5/6th – Eleven women from Vancouver attended Portland conference to attempt to find out plans for conference and establish contacts with American women to ensure success of the conference in Vancouver.
March
8th – International Women’s Day series of film and theatre.
Andrea Lenbowitz, Anne Roberts and Maggie Benston wrote an article about concerns regarding strategy in the Women’s Caucus.
Benefit dance for Indo-Chinese Conference at the Pender Auditorium.
April
1-6th – Indo-Chinese Women’s Conference at UBC SUB. 200 delegates for the Women’s liberation part of the conference, 200 delegates for the so-called Third World part and then the Voice of Women delegates.
4th – Public meeting at the Queen Elizabeth Auditorium where the delegates from Indochina talked of their war experiences.
She Named It Canada, a history of Canada written and for edification of American women delegates, was distributed at the Indo-Chinese Women’s Conference. 20,000 copies printed over next 10 years.
September
Working Women’s Association seminars on Unions at Fishermen’s Hall.
October
21st – Draft of Constitution for the Working Women’s Organizing Committee.
30th – Founding convention of Working Women’s Association. Membership meetings to be the last Wednesday evening of every month.