A roundup of some of the latest news in women, Toronto, and/or politics this week. What stories did you read this week? Tell us in the comments.
- Torontonians gathered at the French Consulate on Wednesday after 12 people were killed in the attack outside Parisian newspaper Charlie Hebdo. In the aftermath of the shooting, several French mosques have also been attacked. Reports have surfaced that the perpetrators may have ties to Al Qaeda. As writer Ishmael N. Daro explained in the National Post, attacks like demand our sympathy for the victims but should never be used as an excuse for the Islamophobia many French Muslim experience.
- Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair ordered his officers to put a halt to the practice of carding, which has been heavily criticized by many as a form of racial profiling, However, the surprising move came with no public explanation and no effort to address the the public’s concern about the practice. Police Association president Mike McCormack believes the announcement will not change how officers interact with the public, but simply how the information previously retrieved from carding will be recorded.
- Dalhousie suspended thirteen Dentistry students from all clinical activities in response to the hateful, misogynist Facebook group they created, though the move proved to be of little consolation to many critics. A group of fourth year female Dentistry students penned an open saying they felt pressured to participate in the restorative justice process suggested by the administration and that a full investigation should take place, while provincial licensing bodies have demanded Dalhousie release the names the 13 offenders.
- Two grade 8 Toronto students launched a petition urging Kathleen Wynne to address issues of consent in the updated Ontario Health curriculum. Wynne announced on Wednesday that she’s committed to including the topic.
- Thanks to Toronto activist Sophia Banks, a Transgender crisis line was recently launched in Canada.
- Toronto illustrator Evan Munday pledged to send Harper drawings of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women to raise awareness of the issue. Harper previously stated in an interview that the call for a nationally inquiry on the topic was “not on his radar”.
- Toronto Council has failed to meet their planned December deadline to open a 24 hour shelter for homeless women. The project was proposed to address the danger women are often vulnerable to late at night when shelters are closed, but a budget has yet to be allocated for the project.
- An RCMP officer was only docked a week’s pay after having a female Aboriginal prisoner released into his personal custody without her consent. Researched Meghan Rhoad has studied similar instances of misconduct among RCMP officers in B.C. and is perplexed why there was no independent investigation of the matter.
- As the city reviews its ward boundaries with its Draw The Lines project, NOW Magazine provides some useful background on the topic.
- Two CBC Executives have been placed on leave until further notice in response to the Jian Ghomeshi case. Ghomeshi was charged with three additional counts of sexual assault this pastThursday.
