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November 20, 2002

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Attacks on Asian Women Denounced in Vancouve

Community remains defiant in the face of growing violence

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Stephen Hui
The Peak

VANCOUVER—Activists are condemning a series of attacks on Asian

women in Vancouver as race-motivated sexist violence.

At least five attacks on Asian women in public places in Greater Vancouver
have occurred in the past six months. International student Ji-Won Park was
beaten and strangled in Stanley Park in May and most recently, student

and Women’s Shelter.

Jay suggested the attacks are part of a racist
“backlash” against the growing number and
prominence of persons of Asian ethnicities liv-
ing in the Lower Mainland. The rape crisis
worker said Asian women would not surren-
der to the threat of violence but would con-
tinue to live their lives and organize in resist-
ance.

Rita Wong, a member of Direct Action
Against Refugee Exploitation, said, “Asian
women, like other women of colour and First
Nations women, experience many forms of
ongoing racialized violence.”

“Racism and sexism continue to operate in
many contemporary forms,” Wong continued,
“ranging from economic systems—that deval-
ue our labour and displace many women so
they are forced to leave their home communi-
ties in order to survive—to the brutal violence
that took Amanda Zhao’ life.”

Wong linked the attacks on Asian women
with violence against Aboriginal women and

  
 
  
  
 
  
    
   
   
 
  
 
 
  

she does to make a living or survive.”

Jay agrees and points to Zhao’s case as
example.

“We must address the fact that the offic
who took the report felt comfortable dismi
ing the disappearance of an Asian women i
municipality where another Asian women h
been attacked less than 13 hours earlier,” t
rape crisis worker said.

Jay maintains that a woman’s vulnerabili
to attack is dependent on their place in soci
ty, which is related to such factors as Engli
language proficiency and what status th
have as a migrant or citizen.

“With the recent news of attacks on Asi
women I am thoughtful about my visibility
an Asian woman in Canada,” said Gra
Balbutin, a collective member at Rape Reli
“Despite that, I will continue to work to st
violence against women and make men mo
accountable for their sexist behaviour, inclu
ing the police.”

British Columbia has the highest rate of vi

Downtown Eastside.

Amanda Wei Zhao was kidnapped in Burnaby and murdered. Speakers women much earlier,” Wong said.

responded to the violence at a press conference at Simon Fraser University’s

Harbour Centre campus.

“Regardless of race all women can relate to these attacks. We all live with the
fear or threat of rape,” said Suzanne Jay, a worker at the Vancouver Rape Relief

Proving Hopelessness

 

Carolyn Neale
OP Contributor

On September 30, 2002, the Employment and
Assistance for Persons with Disabilities Act took effect,
causing grave concerns for persons and employees with-
in British Columbia’s mental health system.

Many of these concerns centre around the permanence
of the Persons with Disability (PWD) designation for
people on the formerly permanent Disability Benefits
Level II (DBII), an income support program that pro-
vided monthly financial assistance to people with mental
and physical disabilities.

eighteen thousand of the 50,000 British Columbians
who had been receiving DBII benefits received letters at
the end of September telling them that they no longer
qualify, according to the new guidelines established
under the new Persons with Disabilities Act.

© page 4

The Ministry of Human Resources has indicated that
the people who need to reapply did not have sufficient
information on file to determine eligibility under the
new legislation.

Changes under PWD express that eligibility for the
new benefits is to be “function” based rather than “diag-
nosis based.” From now on, supplements offered to cover
extra costs associated with a disability are discontinued, a
physician must infer the disability will last for at least two
years, and the impairment must significantly impact
daily activities either continuously or periodically. A fact
sheet provided by the Ministry of Human Resources
states that the new legislation is consistent with human
rights case law, by focusing on functional limitations
rather than on diagnoses. The changeover does maintain
a disabled person’s medical coverage, should they gain
employment.

Of the 18,000 who have been informed that they no
longer qualify, 5,600 to 6,300 are people with mental ill-
nesses. This is roughly half of the total number of the
mentally ill who had up to that point been receiving dis-
ability benefits.

Concerns arose as the changes for the mentally ill were
announced, and there was uncertainty regarding how
their ability to perform daily activities would be evaluat-
ed. These concerns subsided somewhat when the legisla-
tion conceded that “social functioning” is to be consid-
ered the same as daily functioning.

A representative at <www.mentalhealthconsumer.net>
has expressed fierce concerns about the 23-page-long
application package the denied clients are required to

the disappearances of over 60 women in the _ lence against women in Canada. More than

“If 60 white women had disappeared froma __ experienced at least one incident of physical
university campus, there arguably would have _ sexual violence. The provincial governme
been an investigation into those missing however, is planning to rescind its policy

“The double standard of investigation must is implementing severe cuts to women’s ce
stop. It is not acceptable for any woman's life tres, legal aid and sexual assault progra
to be dismissed or ignored because of her race Critics say these moves will put more wome
or her marginalized position in society or what _ lives at risk.

  
   
 
  
   
   
   
  
   
   
  
  
   
    
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
  

percent of women over the age of 16 ha

automatic prosecution for spousal assault a

complete and return by a rigid January 2003 deadlin
He feels that part of the purpose of the Ministry's revie
process is “to control distribution of the applications,
reinforce that it is the Ministry that has the authority
make the decision (not the doctor) and to separate t
more disabled from the less disabled.”

The source is also concerned with how people
Disabilities Benefits I (DBI) are being treated. Peop
receiving this assistance now fall somewhere in betwe
the level of assistance received by regular welfare reci
ents and the income of DBII recipients. All people w:
had been receiving DBI were notified in late Septemb
that their status is discontinued. A new Persons wi
Persistent Multiple Barriers (PPMB) category h
emerged that will enforce new criteria for eligibilit
People will continue to receive the DBI level of inco
until reviewed and if found ineligible their benefits w
cease immediately, whereas a person found ineligible
continue at the DBII level has a grace period of 90 da
before their income drops. New applicants for the PPM
designation and people who had been receiving DBI f
less than one year will not qualify until they have fail
at all attempts for training and employment for one yea
time.

The source comments, “Isn't it wonderful that peop
will have a whole year in which to prove themselv
hopeless—it should be really good for their ment
health.”

For approved applicants and existing recipients, pr
gram and ministry cuts promise to make daily livi
more difficult. Rona Wilkman, a Community Livi