Since the fall of 1993, the Provincial Advisory Council on the Status of Women has become increasingly concerned that the experiences and voices of women have been left out of the analysis, the policy discussions, and the program development directed at and designed to address the needs of those affected by the cod moratorium. The Council also believes that the province is facing a period of greater economic change than previously expected, and that we need a gendered analysis of economic development if we are to deal adequately with this change. In January 1994, the Council brought together a diverse group of researchers, community agencies, and union representatives to share information, to identify concerns and possible areas of research, and to develop potential strategies for action. There is a need to summarize current and past research on the fishery as it relates women, to analyze policies which may affect women differently, to identify new areas for action and to facilitate discussion. There is also a belief that if women are the binding force of communities, we should have access to resources, both material and financial, to accomplish this goal.
Financial resources supporting community-based women's groups are largely federal, and are limited.
Yet it is clear that these groups are expected to do more with less. We believe it is time to move beyond seeing certain issues as pertaining only to women to a more comprehensive and inclusive strategy which comes from and responds to the needs of women and their communities. From the discussions we have had in our working group and the information we have collected from listening to other women, both inside and outside the fishery, we believe it is also possible to develop solutions which are both creative and compatible with women's needs and concerns for themselves and the communities in which they live.