Humanities
      Research
      Council
      (SSHRC)
     
     
      receives
      the
      smallest
      amount
      of
      funding
      of
     
     
      the
      three
      graduating
      councils.
      Women
      have
     
     
      traditionally
      studied
      in
      the
      social
      sciences
     
     
      and
      humanities
      and
      are
      therefore
      most
     
     
      affected
      by
      the
      lack
      of
      dollars.
      This
      scarcity
     
     
      of
      funds
      poses
      barriers
      for-
      women
     
     
      undertaking
      valuable
      research
      projects.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      In
      the
      faculties
      of
      engineering
      and
      applied
     
     
      science
      women
      represented
      about
      9%
      of
      the
     
     
      graduate
      student
      population
      and
      13%
      of
      the
     
     
      total
      enrolment
      figures
      in
      1987-88.
      A
      recent
     
     
      federal
      government
      program,
      the
      Canadian
     
     
      Scholarships
      Program,
      provides
      equal
      funds
     
     
      for
      male
      and
      female
      students
      in
      the
      area
      of
     
     
      science’
      and
      engineering.
      While
      this
      is
     
     
      laudable,
      it
      is
      only
      applicable
      to
     
     
      undergraduates
      and
      does
      nothing
      to
      address
     
     
      the
      under
      representation
      of
      women
      at
      the
     
     
      graduate
      level.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      lack
      of
      women
      in
      teaching
      positions
      at
     
     
      universities
      and
      colleges
      denies
      women
     
     
      students
      role
      models
      in
      an
      educational
     
     
      setting.
      Currently,
      women
      represent
      about
     
     
      18%
      of
      university
      faculty
      and
      most
      of
      these
     
     
      are
      concentrated
      at
      lower
      academic
      ranks.
     
     
      Women
      make
      up
      only
      2%
      of
      the
      faculty
      in
     
     
      engineering
      and
      the
      applied
      sciences
      and
     
     
      5%
      in
      mathematics
      and
      the
      physical
     
     
      sciences.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Student
      Assistance
     
    

    
     
      The
      current
      part-time
      student
      aid
      provisions
     
     
      clearly
      act
      as
      a
      barrier
      to
      women
      in
      their
     
     
      pursuit
      of
      post-secondary
      education.
     
     
      Women
      represent
      over
      60%
      of
      the
      part-
     
     
      time
      undergraduate
      student
      population.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Canada
      Student
      Loans
      Program
      for
     
     
      part-time
      students
      requires
      that
      the
     
     
      individual
      pay
      back
      the
      amount
      borrowed
     
     
      in
      thirty
      days.
      This
      is
      clearly
      unrealistic
      for
     
     
      many
      women
      who
      are
      required
      to
      pay
      not
     
     
      just
      education
      costs
      but
      also
      childcare.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Federation
      Policy
     
    

    
     
      CFS
      believes
      that
      the
      federal
      and
      provincial
     
     
      governments
      must
      work
      together
      to
      create
     
     
      policies
      which
      improves
      the
      accessibility
      of
     
     
      post-secondary
      education
      for
      women.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Federal
      legislation
      be
      introduced
      to
      address
     
     
      the
      need
      for
      non-profit
      childcare
      providing
     
     
      single
      parent
      students
      with
      accessible,
      fully
     
     
      subsidized
      childcare
      on
      campus.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Thee
      part-time
      student
      loan
      program
      should
     
     
      be
      available
      to
      students
      on
      similar
      terms
      as
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      full-time
      student
      program.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Counselling
      be
      provided
      for
      women
      at
      the
     
     
      secondary
      and
      post-secondary
      levels
      to
     
     
      correct
      their
      under
      representation
      in
      certain
     
     
      faculties.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      UPEI
      X-Press
     
    
   
   
    
     
      November
      8,
      1990