Women's Concerns Committee

Title: Ontario Women's Concerns Committee series

Dates of creation: 1991-2002

Physical description: 17 cm of textual records

Administrative history: In 1982, Mennonite Central Committee established a bi-national Committee on Women's Concerns. In 1984/85, Mennonite Central Committee Canada hired its first staff person for women's concerns, Peggy Regehr. In 1987/88, MCC Canada formed a Canadian Women's Concerns Committee to work specifically on Canadian agenda.This committee had representation from provincial MCC networks. In 1989, Kathy Shantz was appointed as staff person to the Canadian committee. In 1991, the bi-national Committee on Women's Concerns disbanded and separate MCC Canada and MCC US committees replaced it.

In 1988, an ad hoc committee in Ontario, supported by MCC Ontario's Peace and Social Concerns Committee, began organizing retreats for women. In 1991, Peace and Social Concerns creating an ad hoc committee to address the issue of domestic violence. By 1994, the Ontario Women's Concerns Committee was formed, bringing together the two ad hoc committees.

This Women's Concerns/Family Violence Committee was a formal program committee within the MCC Ontario structure. Acting in an advisory capacity to a Family Violence Concerns staff person (Esther Epp-Tiessen and later Carol Penner) became part of their mandate. The Women's Concerns/Family Violence Committee ceased to function in 1998 following a restructuring at Mennonite Central Committee Ontario.

Custodial history: Received as part of a transfer from Mennonite Central Committee Ontario in 2015

Scope and content:  Minutes, correspondence, and reports related to the activities of the Women's Concerns Committee and Family Violence Concerns and related staff persons. Includes records of the ad hoc committees and some records of the national committee (the Committee for Women's Concerns).

Notes:  Further materials related to this committee may be found by searching the Archives.
Some materials containing personal information have been restricted by the Archives for privacy reasons. Contact the Archives for more information.
Original archival description created 2017 by Laureen Harder-Gissing.

File list:

Sub-series 1: Women's Concerns Committee

1. Ontario Women's Concerns Committee minutes and reports, 1992-1998, 2000
2. Canadian Women's Concerns Committee minutes, reports and correspondence, 1992-1996, 1998
3. MCC Ontario's director's correspondence re women's concerns, 1992, 1997-2000
4. Women as conscientious objectors project proposal, 1992
   Note: Includes a paper on "Mennonite women as COs in WWII" presented by Marlene Epp at the 50th anniversary CO reunion, 7 Aug 1992, Abbotsford, B.C.
5. MCC Canada gender audit report, 1997

Sub-series 2: Family Violence Concerns

1. Correspondence, 1991-2002
   Note: One piece of correspondence is restricted
2. Draft Mennonite Reporter article on one congregation's response to sexual abuse, 1990-1993
   Note: Source materials are restricted
3. December 6 Coalition minutes, 1993
4. "Celebrating the possibility for healing" retreat, 1993-1994
   Note: Minutes and evaluation forms are restricted
5. "Lament, healing and hope: a conference on sexual abuse," 1994; "Embracing the survivor: Christians responding to sexual abuse," 1994
   Note: One piece of correspondence is restricted
6. "Expanding the circle of caring: ministering to the family members of survivors and perpetrators of sexual abuse" correspondence and draft, 1994-1995
7. "Exploring our spiritual journeys: a retreat for Mennonite and Brethren in Christ women survivors of abuse," 1995
   Note: Minutes and correspondence are restricted
8. Correspondence re Mark Yantzi's book, 1995-1996
   Scope and content: Correspondence and comments regarding drafts of Sexual Offending and Restoration / Mark Yantzi (Waterloo, Ont. : Herald Press, 1998)
9. "On being a secondary victim of sexual abuse" workshop, 1995
10. "A journey with a perpetrator" article, 1997
    Note: Article source materials are restricted, 1994-1997
11. "Survivor and spouse" retreat minutes and correspondence, 1996-1998
    Note: This file is restricted
12. Family Violence palaver correspondence, 1998
13. Inter-Church Working Group on Violence and Sexual Abuse minutes and correspondence 1993, 1998
14. Friend to Friend newsletter and correspondence, 1998
15. Miscellaneous sexual abuse resources
16. Restricted files
    Notes: Sub-series 2 restricted files are located here.
    An archivist's note regarding the restrictions is included.