Documentarian Karen Cho looks at activism and government policies surrounding childcare, abortion rights, and domestic violence in Canada, some four decades after the Royal Commission on the Status of Women submitted its report (which was soon tabled) to Parliament. Archival footage of Commission meetings and early activists provides historical context for an examination of the state of affairs for contemporary Canadian women. Many—particularly immigrants, Natives, and those of lower economic status—lack access to affordable childcare and birth control and still need better protection from violence. Representatives of these populations are interviewed about their experiences; many have become activists or now work for support services as a result of having survived abuse, or been severely limited in their options for childcare or family planning. Several illustrate the difficulties that low-income individuals in particular face trying to work while raising children, or leave abusive situations. The problems are familiar: domestic violence is much more common than anyone thought in the 1970s, and the goal of eliminating it seems insurmountable; hard-won reproductive rights always seem to be under threat from vocal anti-abortion campaigns, while many physicians are reluctant to provide contraception; and not only is childcare prohibitively expensive, but caregivers working in advantaged households often sacrifice their own families' well-being as they attempt to earn a living. Also featuring a separate disc offering each segment (“Childcare,” “Abortion Rights,” and “Violence Against Women”) as separate programs, Status Quo? is an informative, disturbing, and revelatory documentary about key feminist issues that women continue to face. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (M. Puffer-Rothenberg)
Status Quo? The Unfinished Business of Feminism in Canada
(2012) 2 discs. 87 min. DVD: $195. National Film Board of Canada. PPR. Volume 29, Issue 5
Status Quo? The Unfinished Business of Feminism in Canada
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