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March 20, 1997

SECRETARY OF STATE (STATUS OF WOMEN) NAMES SIX WOMEN TO LEAD POLICY RESEARCH FUND

OTTAWA  -- The Honourable Hedy Fry, Secretary of State (Status of Women) (Multiculturalism), today announced the appointment of six women to an external committee that will guide the Policy Research Fund at Status of Women Canada (SWC), the federal government agency promoting the advancement of women's equality.

"We have chosen a strong team of women with expertise in research and women's equality issues," said Dr.  Fry. "Through a nomination process and with the help of external advisors, we selected individuals from a variety of disciplines. Over time, the full range of women's diversity will be represented by staggering and rotating the committee's membership."

The external committee for the Policy Research Fund includes:

• Caroline Andrew, a political scientist from the University of Ottawa;
• Francine Descarries, a sociologist from the Université du Québec, Montreal;
• T. Brettel Dawson, a lawyer from Carleton University, Ottawa;
• Vanaja Dhruvarajan, a sociologist from the University of Winnipeg;
• Isabelle McKee-Allain, a sociologist from the Université de Moncton, New Brunswick; and
• Verna Kirkness, former Director of the First Nation House of Learning at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver.

The external committee will play a key role in the selection, assessment and quality control of the policy research projects. The first call for proposals will be solicited starting April, 1997.

"This Fund will bring policy research on women's equality issues into the public policy arena," said Dr.  Fry.

The Fund has an annual budget of $1.25 million and focuses on nationally relevant public policy research. It will fund research that identifies policy gaps, trends, emerging issues, and provide concrete recommendations and alternative solutions to policies and programs affecting women.

Editor's Note: Biographies of the external committee for the Policy Research Fund are attached.