As Canadians in general and specifically as residents of our nation's capital, I believe that we would generally like to think that CBC Ottawa Radio and TV is making a reasonable effort to cover news that is particularly of a life and death nature in Ottawa.  After all, isn't CBC Ottawa as a representative public broadcaster supposed to be at the very least showing empathy for the very people and communities who fund their salaries?  I also think that most Canadians would like to think that by promoting women in positions within this public broadcaster, we, as Canadians, are enabling representation on vital women's issues that would otherwise be ignored by “an Old Boys network”.

It is within these contexts that I'm rather troubled by the apparent behaviour of the Office of Pamela Waddell who is Executive Producer and is “responsible for news on all platforms over at CBC.”  Many months ago, Ms Waddell was made aware that a sick and elderly woman was being subjected to abuse by her husband.  This was a great opportunity for Ms Waddell to do her job, and raise awareness on the atrocious phenomenon of elderly spousal abuse which effects women across Canada and around the world.  This is a relatively little known issue which can in sickness, broken bones, deprivations, starvation, sever psychological trauma, severe emotional distress and even death among many elderly women.  And you know what effort that Ms Waddell and her colleagues made in seeking to cover the issue?  Absolutely nothing.  She and her colleagues at our representative public broadcaster apparently just decided to sit on the story, and it was business as usual at the CBC.  As the CBC sat on this story, the abuse only got worse, like so many other elderly women out there who also suffer.

Thanks, in part, to the apparent lack of interest by the CBC, Dezrin, lost the ability to walk, talk and write under worsening elderly spousal abuse.

As this terrible tragedy shows, women's rights in general and critical coverage of women's issues in the media cannot simply rely on the voices of often affluent, middle-class and white women who essentially see themselves as part of an oppressive power structure that operates to marginalize the voices of women like Dezrin.  Indeed, some women may have gotten their great job not because they were progressive feminists in support of social ideals but by stepping on the hands and feet of other women - and men - on "their way to the top".  Such women certainly do not want to "jeopardize their career" on the way to "the top" by exposing social inequities by the very same circle of men who oppress women in their private relationships.

In order to affirm the rights of women, and give voice to women in the media, we, as a Canadian society need to change the very insular, self-serving, oppressive, hierarchical culture of organizations like the CBC that try to act as if it's representative of Canadians but then demonstrates fundamental hypocrisy by ignoring the on-going repression of vital issues that effect the civil rights of women, visible minorities, First Nations, Inuit and other disenfranchised group. 

To CBC Ottawa and its female broadcasters, how did see fit to ignore the cries of a 5'0'' elderly woman to an abusive 6'4" man who deprived her of food, visitation access to her son and social service agents when she needed them the most and other support in Kanata which is an affluent suburb on Ottawa.  Apparently lots of abuse is taking place in Kanata and other parts of Ottawa?  How many lives could CBC have spared with more socially responsible behaviour through women who actually cared about the plight of other women? CBC Ottawa News and its national affairs team will spread social wareness of abused women in Islamic countries but apparently will turn a blind eye to the ravages of abuse taking place in their own backyard.  The women in CBC seem to be catering to an illusion of the advancement of the rights of women in that supposedly public broadcaster.

It is apparent that no matter ho many women we promote to high positions of authority in corporations like the CBC or even in Parliament that will not guarantee the kind of progressive social change that is required to liberate elderly women like Dezrin and other Canadians who remain voiceless thanks to Ms Waddell and her operatives. 

I dedicate the Old Skool UB40 song One in Ten (above video) to the Office of Ms Pamela Waddell.

Thanks a lot CBC!  Keep up the good work in Ottawa!!