CFUW part of Women’s Coalition for Gun Control

Women Unite in Support of the Gun Registry

Tomorrow, Tuesday, September 21 at 11:00 am, Canada’s Federal Opposition Women’s Critics and the Canadian Labour Congress, with the support of women’s groups across Canada will come together to remind MPs that the Gun Registry is a gender issue.

A media conference will be held on Parliament Hill and will feature the Women’s Critics from each of the Opposition political parties, the Canadian Labour Congress, and the Ad-Hoc Coalition for Women’s Equality. Their message will be clear; the gun registry saves women’s lives.  A domestic violence victim is 12 times more likely to be murdered if a long gun is on site. The long-gun registry lets police know if gun(s) are in a house and to remove them.

The media conference is being held one day before a crucial vote on the long-gun registry. On Wednesday, September 22, Members of Parliament will vote on a report by the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security (SECU) recommending Canada keep its long gun registry. If most MP’s vote against SECU’s recommendations, Bill C-391 will go to third reading. If it passes, the long-gun registry, and the existing records of over 7 million registered firearms, will be abolished.

The media conference is supported by women’s organizations across the country who want to ensure that women’s safety concerns are heard and addressed. CFUW will be on Parliament Hill tomorrow in support of the Press Conference and the long-gun registry.

Why gun control is really a gender issue

CFUW Past President, Mavis Moore, is featured in The Toronto Star for her support of the Long Gun Registry as a rural gun owner. The article points out that gun control is a gender issue.  To read more click here.

A big thanks to Mavis for her decades of tireless work for gun control! You rock!

CFUW Kitchener-Waterloo wins local support for the Gun Registry!

The Kitchener-Waterloo Regional council voted 14-1 this week to support the Long Gun Registry.

CFUW Kitchener-Waterloo presented the case for the registry, as it is an important tool that helps fight domestic violence and homicide. Since its creation, the registration of long guns has helped enforce  safety regulations and remove firearms in situations of domestic violence. The result is a three fold decrease in the number of spousal homicides.

The House of Commons resumes next week after the summer recess to decide the fate of the registry.  Jack Layton and the NDP have announced they have the support of enough of their rural MPs to save the valuable safety tool. Yet, in urban areas like Kitchener-Waterloo, Conservative MPs are expected to vote to eliminate it. The work of CFUW Kitchener-Waterloo and the recent vote of the Regional Council reminds these MPs that the registry saves lives, and they ought to put public safety before politics.  To learn more about the Gun Registry and contact your own MP on the issue, click here.

Congratulations to Margaret Binek, the Advocacy Chair at CFUW Kitchener-Waterloo, and all of the members involved for their hard work!

As reported in The Waterloo Area Record – http://news.therecord.com/news/article/776392

Call to (Register) Arms!

The effort to save the gun registry continues.

The CFUW is launching a new campaign, “Call to (Register) Arms”. Members are encouraged to call their MP and continue to highlight how important the gun registry is to public safety!

To find how your MP voted on Bill C-391 click here.

Is your MP one of the opposition members to vote for this bill? Click here to find phone numbers, scripts and talking points to make your call easier!