LETTER

Women get our promises

 

My father would get one orange in his Christmas stocking.  Nowadays, we eat oranges -- one improvement in our diet. Studies show the direct link between good nutrition and good health.

Good nutrition is critical during a child’s earliest years when the brain is developing.  Missing this can have a profound effect on a child’s entire life -- their ability to learn, complete school and likely to earn 20% less than well-nourished peers.

Mothers must be well-nourished during pregnancy.  Often, this is not the case due to economic and cultural gender biases. Canada aims to address these biases with its new Feminist International Assistance Policy.

According to our Foreign Affairs Minister, empowering women and girls is “a matter of basic justice and basic economics.” No new money was announced to implement this policy change. The size of our deficit is only surpassed by our growing pile of unfulfilled promises.

Stephen St. Denis
Ottawa