Six years later, most of these recommendations remain unimplemented, and policies concerning violence against women continue to be undermined by economic and other policies. Another inescapable link is between militarism and violence against women. While stating its support of peace on the international stage, Canada continues to support the culture of war by increasing its exportation of military equipment to human rights- abusing countries since 1993. From 1990-97, Canada exported arms and equipment to at least ten countries engaged in civil conflicts, including Indonesia involved in the suppression of East Timor and Turkey involved in the suppression of its Kurdish minority. Canadian nuclear technology and uranium mining is used to proliferate the arms race, involves serious environmental and health consequences, particularly for women, children and indigenous peoples.
Women are potentially the most important contributors to peace.
There was little or no involvement of women's or peace organizations in the formal decision-making process around Canada's involvement in the war in the Balkans. Another example that Government fails to understand the links between equality issues is in its section on women in power and decision-making. It is not just a matter of changing attitudes, it is a matter of changing underlying structures which keep women poor. Another area of significant concern is the link between women, the environment and health. Canada has the second highest breast cancer rate in the world.