And Still We Rise: Feminist Political Mobilization in Contemporary Canada

Lin Good, formerly an associate librarian at Queen’s University, is
currently a consultant.

This anthology celebrates 20 years of feminist publishing by the
Women’s Press of Toronto. Its variety is rich and rewarding, with
topics ranging from lesbians redefining “family” in positive social
terms, to fair pay and working conditions for homeworkers. There are
heart-warming stories from Native women and from African Baptist women
in Atlantic Canada. Even readers who think they have kept abreast of the
vital changes in our communities will learn something new from this
collection.

Two points are underscored in these essays. First is the failure of our
democratic process as an instrument of real change. Lois Harder’s
“The Trouble with Democracy,” which deals with child-care reform in
Ontario and the politics of participation, should be studied by all
Queen’s Park politicians; its central message is that participation is
often still confined to the more affluent and literate public. Second is
the appalling burden of poverty, which falls most heavily on women, and
most heavily on those from racial minorities. Charities and foodbanks
are mere stopgap measures. As the gap between rich and poor continues to
widen, there is an urgent need for solutions.

This book deserves a wider audience than it is likely to get as a
result of its academic, jargon-filled language.