Quebec’s proposed Charter of Values, now taking centre stage in its provincial election campaign, would ban the wearing of religious symbols for government workers while on duty. Canadian women are divided: do these changes represent an affirmation of secularism and sexual equality or a punitive restriction of freedom?

A panel will discuss these issues Monday, March 24, at 7 p.m. in the Toldo Health Education Centre’s room 102.

Moderated by Sheza Khurshid, “Gender, Race, Religion and the Proposed Quebec Charter of Values: Canadian Women Speak Out!” will feature:

• Silmy Abdullah, Bill 60: the Road to State-sanctioned Oppression of and Violence against Muslim Women;
• Jackie Hardy, the Implications of the Quebec Charter for All Canadian Women: a Young Feminist’s Perspective; and
• Ayesha Mian, “Randomly” Profiling Hijab: Women, Identity and Nationality.

The event is sponsored by the Friends of Women’s Studies in celebration of International Women’s Day 2014.