*Press Release*


  **For Immediate Release**

 

*“WHERE ARE THE WOMEN?” *

*KIRBY REPORT IS HIT AND MISS, ADVOCATES FOR WOMEN’S MENTAL HEALTH SAY*

Working Group Releases Background Overview of Women, Mental Health, 
Mental Illness and Addiction in Canada

/May 10, 2006 –/ Women’s mental health, mental illness and addictions 
experts and advocates from across Canada applauded the call for a Mental 
Health Transition Fund by the Standing Senate Committee on Social 
Affairs, Science and Technology, but expressed deep concern over the 
absence of any gender analysis in the Committee’s final report on mental 
health, mental illness and addiction in Canada, released yesterday.

Members of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Women, Mental Health, Substance 
Use and Addictions observed that the Committee’s final report, entitled 
/Out of the Shadows at Last/, is “gender blind” and overlooks the fact 
that women are the majority of patients as well as paid and unpaid care 
providers in Canada.  This oversight is glaring in light of Canada’s 
explicit commitments to gender equity and to using a system of Gender 
Based Analysis (GBA) in policy and program development.  Its absence is 
particularly striking in the discussion of issues that primarily affect 
women, such as care-giving, or of mental health problems that mostly 
affect women, such as depression, anxiety disorders, post traumatic 
stress disorders, eating disorders and dementia.

They were further troubled by the lack of a specific definition of 
mental illness in the Committee’s final report, and raised the concern 
that this ambiguity could result in overlooking conditions that 
predominantly affect women.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), by 2010 depression 
will be second only to ischemic heart disease in terms of the global 
burden of illness.  “We must be careful not to funnel all mental health 
resources to conditions like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, while 
neglecting conditions like depression and trauma-related disorders – 
which affect women disproportionately,” said Kathy Hegadoren of the 
University of Alberta. The Committee’s final report is equally silent on 
the issue of violence against girls and women, which has a significant 
and well-documented impact on long-term physical and mental health.

Another concern raised by group members and emphasized in their 
background document points to the inadequate consideration of harm 
reduction approaches to women’s substance use and addictions in the 
recommendations of the Committee’s final report. 

“Canadian programs for pregnant women and mothers with addictions built 
on women-centred models of care and harm reduction principles are 
recognized internationally for their contributions to policies, 
programs, and services for women and their children.  There is a growing 
evidence base showing that harm reduction approaches are integral to 
improving the health of women with substance use problems.  Given this, 
it is surprising that the Committee missed an opportunity to embrace the 
contribution of women-centred and harm reduction approaches as integral 
components of any national strategy for mental health and addictions,” 
said Amy Salmon of the British Columbia Centre of Excellence for Women's 
Health <http://www.bccewh.bc.ca/>.

Group members were more encouraged by the Committee's proposal for the 
creation of a Mental Health Transition Fund, but cautioned against 
recreating the “gender blind spot”.

“While we support the Mental Health Transition Fund, and especially the 
Mental Health Housing Initiative & Basket of Community Services, it is 
essential that some of these funds be specifically allocated to women's 
services, including anti-violence initiatives, services for women and 
substance use, and women-specific housing supports,” said Marina Morrow 
of Simon Fraser University.

Referring to the Canadian Mental Health Commission proposed by the 
Committee, Madeline Boscoe, Executive Director of the Canadian Women’s 
Health Network added, “It is critically important that the Commission 
establish a women’s mental health unit and that over half the 
commissioners are women.”

An extensive report, “*Women, Mental Health, Mental Illness and 
Addiction in Canada: An Overview*,” has been prepared by the Ad Hoc 
Working Group on Women, Mental Health, Substance Use and Addictions.  It 
includes a wide range of “briefing notes” on a range of key issues and 
offers recommendations to ensure that Canada’s new mental health 
strategy meets the needs of women and girls.  It can be found on the 
website of the Canadian Women’s Health Network at www.cwhn.ca 
<http://www.cwhn.ca/>.

"We must remember that in most cultures, baskets are traditionally both 
woven by women and carried by women."

– 30 –

*For more details or to arrange interviews with members of the Working 
Group, contact:*

* *

*Laila Malik: Tel: 204-942-5500 ext. 20; Cell: 514-515-1134; Email: 
[log in to unmask] *

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