OcroseR-8, 2003 UNBC Profs Honoured with Teaching Excellence Awards Photos contributed Four UNBC professors were honoured by being awarded the prestigious Excellence in Teaching Awards this year. The professors are clockwise from top left, Lee Keener (Computer Science), Algele Smith (Anthropology), Heather Smith (International Studies) and Jennifer Hyndman (Math). The Excellence in Teaching Awards are designed to recognize teach- ers of outstanding quality among our faculty. News 6 B.C. Liberal policy creates gender inequality By. Nick Maggisano, Ubyssey VANCOUVER (CUP) — Women are facing more discrimi- nation based on gender because of recent provincial cutbacks, say UBC professors. With 54.per cent of Canadian single mothers below the poverty line, B.C. government cuts to social welfare programs consti- tute discrimination against women because they are more likely to need social support, said Margot Young, a UBC Law pro- fessor. “The problem is socioeconom- ic,” said Young. “For example, recent government cutbacks to daycare and social assistance have made it much harder for sin- gle mothers to attend UBC.” Cuts to social programs in B.C. include legal aid, welfare assis- tance and childcare funding. Another UBC professor said Gordon Campbell's Liberal gov- ernment is by nature disinclined to offer social support and this results in the discrimination described by Young. “The current Liberal govern- ment is run on a basically conser- vative philosophy which is defined by the belief that every- one has an equal opportunity to compete within the capitalist market for jobs and capital,” said Dorothy Seaton, a professor of Women’s Studies at UBC. “It is contrary to their most basic, informing philosophy to offer extra, public help to people who struggle.” Seaton added that women are overrepresented among the poor because of a gendered wage gap and because of their continued role as the primary child-rearer. She said this means women are harder hit by current Liberal poli- cies. Government cuts to social programs have implications here at UBC, especially for single mothers. “Women are unable to access any kind of welfare support if they’re attending university,” said Ann Vanderbijl, former co- head of a single mother’s support group on campus who has experi- enced being a single mother while attending university. “They’re basically being penal- ized for trying to get the educa- tion they need to take care of their family.” Vanderbijl added that the cuts to social services such as daycare will make it even harder for sin- gle mothers to receive an educa- tion. “The desperate shortsighted- ness of this policy must be noted,” Seaton said. “The chil- dren of highly stressed and impoverished parents, especially single parents, of either gender don’t do as well in school, have lower self-esteem, and are far more likely to end up in the legal system.” Last year a Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action report, co-created by Young, described concerns about the marginalization of women as a result of government policy. The report, entitled “British Columbia Moves Backwards on Women’s Equality,” was present- ed to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women this January. CEDAW responded to the report by singling out B.C. for criticism. Section 35 of CEDAW’s report states: “The Committee is con- cerned about a number of recent changes in British Columbia which have a disproportionately negative impact on women.” The B.C. government respond- ed to the report, saying it is work- ing to improve services for women in the province despite recent cutbacks. Criminal Court can’t be used for political revenge Despite U.S. opposition the court structure is impartial, says Kirsch By Kevin Groves, Canadian University Press VANCOUVER (CUP) — It is impossible for the International Criminal Court, which could see its first case next year, to be used as a tool for political revenge by one country on another, the court’s Canadian president says. “It is absolutely crystal clear to me and you can go back to your families and tell them that it is impossible for the court to act politically,” said Philippe Kirsch, the court’s first president, who flew to Vancouver from The Hague to deliver a speech outlining the progress the court has made. The lecture was field partly to respond to U.S. criticism of the international court and the steps taken by the Bush Administration to ensure that no American citizen would face a trial under the court’s jurisdiction. “It’s not a problem of the court, it’s a matter of perception,” said Kirsch to the hundreds of people who turned out to listen to his speech in the B.C. Supreme Court building in downtown Vancouver. So far, 139 countries have signed and 91 of those have ratified the Rome Statute, which established the framework for the court, said Kirsch. The court, created to bring indi- viduals to justice for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, came into existence when 60 countries ratified the treaty. While not naming the United States in particular, Kirsch said those who believe the court can be used as a political tool should read the statute more carefully. If the naysayers did that, they would find that the court’s make- up has plenty of checks and bal- ances preventing a single judge from making a decision on an international matter, said Kirsch, Canada’s former ambassador in Sweden. “The system is extremely tight and it is not something that is amenable to political abuse,” he said. The U.S. position has been that Americans, including military per- sonnel serving as peacekeepers, could become pawns in the set- tling of political scores by the country’s enemies. The U.S. Congress has passed the American Serviceman’s Protection Act, which says the U.S. president can take “all necessary means” to secure the release of any American detained by the court. Canada, which was instrumen- tal in setting up the court, was the 14th country to ratify the treaty, in July 2000. Hundreds turned out for. the hour-long lecture on Sept. 5, filling more than 200 chairs and standing on the sidelines, while RCMP offi- cers wearing bullet proof vests and handguns stared down on the crowd from the next level of the provincial courthouse. While it’s up to the prosecutor, Kirsch also said he expects one of the court's first cases next year could be in’ connection with alleged atrocities currently being committed in Congo, in central Africa. Just now, the court is looking at a situation in the province of Ituri where a number of crimes are alleged to have been committed, including murder and sexual vio- lence, said Kirsch. The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has said it is not in control of the whole territory and therefore is unable to deliver justice, he added. Rival tribal factions in Congo have been at war since 1998 when neighbouring Rwanda and Uganda sent troops into Congo to support rebels seeking to oust then-Congolese president Laurent Kabila. - They accused him of supporting insurgents from their countries who they said were threatening regional security. Kirsch added that despite Canada’s instrumental record jin creating the international court there is still much to be done to further human rights around the world.