Oda believes women's office hinders equality ??

OTTAWA - Status of Women Minister Bev Oda says the Conservative government has removed "equality'' from the mandate of the status of women program because it wants to instil the belief in equality in every government department, agency and office.

"A lot of issues are not women's issues, they're Canadian issues,'' Oda said, explaining the government philosophy behind a series of moves that have provoked a week of Opposition criticism and protests by women's groups.

Women's rights representatives say the government is removing the raison d'etre of the status of women department set up in the 1970s after a royal commission documented widespread inequality between the sexes.

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Juliet O'NeillCanWest News Service; Ottawa CitizenWednesday, December 13, 2006