Tell Olympic sponsors to take a stand on discrimination against women
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Author:
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CEO's, Olympic Sponsors
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Sponsored By:
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To: CEO's, Olympic Sponsors
In a letter sent last week, Vancouver COPE city councilors David Cadman and Ellen Woodsworth, called on Olympic sponsors to pressure the IOC to allow women ski jumpers to compete in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games.
It is the COPE councillors hope that while the courts might not be able to enforce the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to protect the rights of the female ski jumpers corporate sponsors might be able to leverage their power to pressure the IOC.
Last week, the letter was sent to worldwide Olympic sponsors (which include Coca Cola and Visa) and national Olympic sponsors (which include The Hudsons Bay Company and Petro Canada ). The letter is also being sent to Olympic supporters and suppliers (which include media sponsors and Air Canada).
The entire letter is copied below. As of today, November 27, none of the CEO's have responded.
The signatories have signed on below to tell Olympic sponsors to act responsibly or they'll act -- with their voice and with their consumer dollars!
www.cope.bc.ca
Note: the letter below has some changes from the one originally sent to the CEOs however, the differences are minor and the intent remains the same.
-- 30 --
Information: Rachel Marcuse, rachel@cope.bc.ca
Dear Olympic sponsors,
As you are likely aware, 14 international female ski jumpers have gone to court in British Columbia requesting that female ski jumpers be allowed to compete in the 2010 Winter Olympics. Justice Fenlon, who made the British Columbia Supreme Court ruling, acknowledged that the failure to run a female ski jumpers event is substantively discriminatory, as discrimination is defined under s.15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The BC Court of Appeal concluded that the responsibility for determining which events would run at the 2010 Olympics lies with the IOC and therefore outside the realm of the Canadian Charter.
VANOC and the City of Vancouver have both endorsed female ski jumpers' call for equal participation in the 2010 Olympics. VANOC has also stated that if instructed to include the women's participation in the upcoming Olympics, it would do so.
We ask you to approach the IOC to request that women be allowed to participate as equals in all Olympic events. As a corporate sponsor committed to excellence, you may be interested to know that the current jump record for the small hill at the Whistler Olympic facility is held by a woman. We request that you act quickly to help redress this discrimination, which contravenes international human rights law, Canadian law and City of Vancouver policy by discriminating against women -- who make up over 50 per cent of your consumer base.
We urge you to communicate forthrightly with the IOC and make clear that you cannot support discrimination against women under your corporate sponsorship.
Sincerely,
David Cadman and Ellen Woodsworth
Vancouver city councillors
AND...
In a letter sent last week, Vancouver COPE city councilors David Cadman and Ellen Woodsworth, called on Olympic sponsors to pressure the IOC to allow women ski jumpers to compete in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games.
It is the COPE councillors hope that while the courts might not be able to enforce the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to protect the rights of the female ski jumpers corporate sponsors might be able to leverage their power to pressure the IOC.
Last week, the letter was sent to worldwide Olympic sponsors (which include Coca Cola and Visa) and national Olympic sponsors (which include The Hudsons Bay Company and Petro Canada ). The letter is also being sent to Olympic supporters and suppliers (which include media sponsors and Air Canada).
The entire letter is copied below. As of today, November 27, none of the CEO's have responded.
The signatories have signed on below to tell Olympic sponsors to act responsibly or they'll act -- with their voice and with their consumer dollars!
www.cope.bc.ca
Note: the letter below has some changes from the one originally sent to the CEOs however, the differences are minor and the intent remains the same.
-- 30 --
Information: Rachel Marcuse, rachel@cope.bc.ca
Dear Olympic sponsors,
As you are likely aware, 14 international female ski jumpers have gone to court in British Columbia requesting that female ski jumpers be allowed to compete in the 2010 Winter Olympics. Justice Fenlon, who made the British Columbia Supreme Court ruling, acknowledged that the failure to run a female ski jumpers event is substantively discriminatory, as discrimination is defined under s.15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The BC Court of Appeal concluded that the responsibility for determining which events would run at the 2010 Olympics lies with the IOC and therefore outside the realm of the Canadian Charter.
VANOC and the City of Vancouver have both endorsed female ski jumpers' call for equal participation in the 2010 Olympics. VANOC has also stated that if instructed to include the women's participation in the upcoming Olympics, it would do so.
We ask you to approach the IOC to request that women be allowed to participate as equals in all Olympic events. As a corporate sponsor committed to excellence, you may be interested to know that the current jump record for the small hill at the Whistler Olympic facility is held by a woman. We request that you act quickly to help redress this discrimination, which contravenes international human rights law, Canadian law and City of Vancouver policy by discriminating against women -- who make up over 50 per cent of your consumer base.
We urge you to communicate forthrightly with the IOC and make clear that you cannot support discrimination against women under your corporate sponsorship.
Sincerely,
David Cadman and Ellen Woodsworth
Vancouver city councillors
AND...
346 Signatures
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Rachel Marcuse
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Marcus Youssef
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Donna Clark
- Comments
- you got to be kidding?!
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Sarena Talbot
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Matt Hern
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Allen Blakey
- Mailing Address
- 316 2750 Cooperative Way, Van. BC
- Phone Number
- 604-433-6844
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rachel gold
- Mailing Address
- Vancouver, BC
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Jane Bouey
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Yael Tischler
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Laura Robinson
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Joachim Ostertag
- Mailing Address
- 271 4th Street East Owen Sound ON N4K 1A7
- Phone Number
- 519-376 7145
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Eric Gillespie
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Caroline Andrew
- Comments
- As a Professor at the University of Ottawa and a former Dean of Social Sciences I have taught and done research on gender equality issues for over 30 years - this petition is very important to making sure that Canada's overall commitment to gender equality is maintained
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Paula Rogers
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Sydney Millar
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Hernan Humana
- Mailing Address
- 57 Cynthia Rd, Toronto, Ontario
- Phone Number
- 416-760-7083
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Chelsey Rhodes
- Comments
- I will absolutely be paying attention to which sponsors respond to this with some direct action.
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Pat Pickard
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Ute Lischke
- Comments
- I am the Coordinator of the Women's Studies Program at Wilfrid Laurier University. It is imperative that we advocate the the equality of women in all aspects of our lives.
- Mailing Address
- Women's Studies Program, Wilfrid Laurier University, University Avenue, Waterloo, Ontario, Canaa
- Phone Number
- 519 994 0710 x 3607
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Max H
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Erin Durant
- Mailing Address
- 1826 Merwin Lane, Prescott Ontario
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John Cameron
- Mailing Address
- Southampton,ON
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Bibianne Bird, P.Eng.
- Comments
- Parent of competitive male nordic skier; female engineer who is appalled that the IOC is discriminating against female athletes. If it were a race issue, nobody would tolerate it. Why is it tolerated when it's against women?
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Ann Budge
- Comments
- As a masters athlete in several sports where the women's age categories have not always matched men's categories,m I can imagine how these women feel, and even worse ,they are being forbidden to compete at all; against Canada's human rights. Sponsors: you have a moral obligation to FORCE the IOC to include women's ski jumping.....YOU HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF POWER...MONEY IS POWER. You MUST respond to this petition.
- Mailing Address
- 13 Oneida Ave, RR#4 , Coldwater ,ON( L0K1E0
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Andrea Frisina
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Mitsumi Kawai
- Comments
- В
- Mailing Address
- В
- Phone Number
- В
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Justin Connidis
- Mailing Address
- Faculty of Law, Queen's University, Kingston, ON
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Pauline Witzke
- Comments
- make this right!
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Dr. Audrey Giles
- Comments
- Gender equity is in the Charter!
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Elizabeth Blackwood
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Ellie Gordon-Moershel
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Larry Bird, P. Eng
- Comments
- Once the events are decided upon, they should be available for both men and women to compete against their peers.
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Patricia Cowie
- Comments
- This is archaic thinking!!!
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Jessica Bishop
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Anne McNeilly
- Comments
- The decision by the B.C. courts makes a mockery of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Canadian taxpayers, 50 per cent of whom are women, have contributed more than $2.5 billion toward these Olympic Games. The discrimination against these female athletes is every bit as dangerous as that against women who are forced to wear burkhas because it is masquerading under the "rule of law." Where is Bertha Wilson when we need her! Repair this outrageous, discriminatory and morally indefensible decision without delay.
- Phone Number
- 416-487-1905
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Sandra Bruneau
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Bois Wilson
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Dyane Brown
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Bruce Myers
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Scott MacLeod
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Kathleen Loftus
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Maria Suuballe
- Comments
- Play the Game, Conference Manager
- Mailing Address
- Aarhus, Denmark
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Susan Swackhammer
- Comments
- As a teacher and now First Vice-President of the Elementary Teachers' Federation, I have always fought to ensure equity existed in our programs.
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Charlene Weaving
- Comments
- Assitant Professor, Teach Gender and Sport and Physical Activity
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Shannon Hengen
- Comments
- I am a professor, athlete, and rowing coach. How can you in good faith prevent women from competition?
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Margaret Grottenthaler
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Mary Morison
- Mailing Address
- Toronto, ON
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Sandra Gaskell
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Victoria Paraschak
- Mailing Address
- Dept. of Kinesiology, University of Windsor
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joeann argue
- Comments
- world class athletes of all genders deserve their moment in the spotlight. To prevent some from participating violates the spirit of the olympics and fuels the ongoing, and growing, belief that the olympic movement is simply about corporate gain.
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346
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