Germany set to oust 'stigmatizing' terms around disability from penal code

Terms like "mentally perverted" and "mentally weak" are still used in the German criminal code to refer to disabled people. German lawmakers are now paving the way to replace them with more inclusive language.

The German Cabinet met on Wednesday to discuss the removal of terms like "mentally perverted" and "weak in the mind" from the criminal code, where they are used to refer to disabled people

The government's commissioner for people with disabilities, Jürgen Dusel, welcomed the possible change, saying such terms were "stigmatizing, discriminatory and dehumanizing."

"Terms like 'mental perversion' [seelische Abartigkeit] and 'mentally weak' [schwachsinnig] are simply crude," he told DW.

"People outside of legal and political circles often don't know that these terms exist in the criminal code," he added.

Since his appointment to the office in May 2018, he has petitioned to have the offensive terms changed, stressing the importance of this issue because "language shapes our thoughts and the way we think."

Read more: How Germany is failing disabled and special-needs students


Living with an extreme disability

Which terms will be changed?

Chancellor Angela Merkel and her Cabinet are expected to approve the changes. The decision would then go to the German parliament for a vote. An official change to the legal language is expected within a few months.

Recommendations made by Dusel's office (in German) include the replacement of "weakness" [Schwachsinn] with "intelligence deficiency" [Intelligenzminderung] and "serious mental perversion" [schwere seelische Abartigkeit"] with "schwere seelische Störung" [serious mental disorder].

Read more: Growing old with Down syndrome — how things have changed

The new terms should be more neutral and inclusive, the commissioner said.

"I have a motto: Democracy needs inclusion," he told DW. "The issue of disabled rights is really about democracy."

"I consulted with many disabled people in the discussions around these terms," the commissioner said.

Some 7.8 million people, or 9.4% of the German population, are severely disabled, the government estimated in 2018. The percentage rises to 25% in people aged 65 and above.

Watch video Germany: Equal rights for people with disabilities

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Breaking the disability taboo in Japan

Living with a Disability

Date 11.03.2020
Author Elliot Douglas
Related Subjects Angela Merkel, CDU, Christian Democratic Union
Keywords disability, Angela Merkel
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RELATED CONTENT

#ItsMyRight: 'Don't abort us!' 22.05.2019
Even German Chancellor Angela Merkel listens to Natalie Dedreux. The 20-year-old is fighting for equal rights for the disabled, and invokes the German constitution, the Basic Law. She has launched a petition to ban free blood tests for the early detection of gene defects. "Down syndrome is cool," she says. 

Date 11.03.2020
Author Elliot Douglas
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US women protest soccer federation's gender discrimination by hiding logo

USWNT decided to wear practice jerseys inside-out, hiding the logo of the country’s soccer federation. Only four stars, standing for their World Cup victories, were visible.


Members of the American women's soccer team wore their warm-up jerseys inside-out, hiding the US Soccer Federation (USSF) logo, as they stepped out for their match against Japan on Wednesday night.

The message was clear. This was a sign of protest against the USSF, which filed a claim that the women's team was less skilled and had a less demanding job than the men's team.

Read more: US men's soccer team express solidarity with women

The United States Women's National Team (USWNT) has filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against the federation over a difference in compensation offered to the women's team and the men's team.

When worn inside-out, the jerseys hide the logo of the federation, showcasing only four stars. Notably, these stars stand for the number of times that the women's team has won the World Cup — something the men's team, which did not qualify for the 2018 World Cup — have never done.

US women's soccer team cheered by fans in New York

The president of the USSF, Carlos Cordeiro, apologized for the language used in the court filing, which said that the men had more responsibility as that job "requires a higher level of skill, based on speed and strength."

"I sincerely apologize for the offense and pain caused by language in this week's court filing, which did not reflect the values of our federation," he said in a statement amid rising criticism.

With a 3-1 victory over Japan, the USWNT lifted the SheBelieves Cup, a preparatory tournament ahead of the Olympics in Tokyo this year.

see/rc (AP, Reuters)

DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.

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Germany puts far-right AfD's 'Wing' group under surveillance

The populist Alternative for Germany party has been accused of fueling far-right attacks with "extremist" rhetoric. Its most nationalistic "Wing" will be put under surveillance by German domestic intelligence.


Germany's domestic security agency will run surveillance on the far-right Alternative for Germany's (AfD) most nationalistic group, the agency's president announced on Thursday.

The step designates the AfD group known as the "Wing ("Flügel") as a far-right extremist group warranting observation from security forces.

"The Wing evidently has extremist intentions," said Thomas Haldenwang, the president of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution — Germany's domestic security agency.

The group in the AfD was identified as "suspicious" by the agency in January 2019 and was already being monitored, along with the far-right party's youth branch.

After the far-right attack in Hanau in February, in which 11 people lost their lives, the German government saw increased calls from people across the political spectrum to put the AfD under observation. A manifesto written by the perpetrator of the attack contained anti-migrant rhetoric that echoed AfD sentiments.

Read more: Germany underestimated far-right terror for 'too long'

'We cannot repeat the past'

Halberwang identified the 12 people who died in right-wing extremist attacks in Germany in several attacks in the last 12 months.

"Behind these figures there are innocent victims — and there are also those who are responsible, and those who supported them," he told reporters.

"We cannot repeat the past," he said, explaining that a higher level of surveillance, especially in the digital world, could help unmask the supporters of extremism. He also referenced Germany's murky past with far-right hate crimes.

"The digital world leads to a disinhibition," he said. "If people can easily consume hate in the virtual world, they will begin to act with hate in the real world."

He identified several members of the AfD's Wing, including the state of Thuringia's regional party leader Björn Höcke, as "far-right extremists."

Read more: AfD's Björn Höcke: Firebrand of the German far right


Thuringia regional leader Björn Höcke

AfD slams new surveillance measures

Ahead of the official announcement, several AfD politicians condemned the move, calling it a deliberate tactic to silence the party.

"This is a politically motivated, anti-AfD convoluted act," said Jörg Meuthen, spokesman for the AfD. The party has repeatedly said its activities are not unconstitutional and do not warrant observation.

"The security agency has made a mistake with its allegations," the party said in a statement on Wednesday.

Höcke, who is one of the Wing's most prominent leaders, also spoke out against the decision ahead of the announcement. The Thuringian politician said his calls for the "de-Islamization of Germany and Europe" are "not directed against the freedom of religion anchored in the constitution."

He said his frequent use of anti-Islam rhetoric did not call for "the collective expulsion of Muslims living in Germany, and certainly not of German citizens."



AFD LEADERS AND THEIR MOST OFFENSIVE REMARKS
Alexander Gauland

Co-chairman Alexander Gauland said the German national soccer team's defender Jerome Boateng might be appreciated for his performance on the pitch - but people would not want "someone like Boateng as a neighbor." He also argued Germany should close its borders and said of an image showing a drowned refugee child: "We can't be blackmailed by children's eyes."

FOR PHOTOS CLIK HERE 1234567891011

Hans-Thomas Tillschneider, a Wing supporter and member of the state parliament in Saxony-Anhalt, expanded on his 2017 comments comparing Islam to a fungus.

Tillschneider said on Wednesday he would no longer draw this comparison, saying it prompts "false associations."

Thuringian AfD lawmaker denounced the new surveillance an "institutionalized attitude of snooping" after the announcement.

Read more: AfD: What you need to know about Germany's far-right party

How does the 'Wing' fit into the AfD?

The AfD, formed in 2014, received 12.6% of the vote at the last German federal election in 2017, and it has representatives in all 16 German state parliaments and in the European Parliament. Members of the party have been accused of spreading anti-Semitic, xenophobic, Islamophobic and racist rhetoric.

The Wing was set up in 2015 in the Thuringian city of Erfurt as a nationalistic splinter group of the party. It eschews clear party lines and hierarchies and as such estimates vary as to how many AfD members and voters support the Wing.

Reports in German media from 2019 suggest that up to 40% of AfD supporters in Germany's former eastern states were members of the Wing.

https://www.dw.com/en/germany-puts-far-right-afds-wing-group-under-surveillance/a-52734033

ed/sms (AFP/dpa)

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AfD leaders and their most offensive remarks

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Date 12.03.2020
Related Subjects Alternative for Germany party (AfD)
Keywords AfD, intelligence, security, far right, Björn Höcke, der Flügel
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Greta Thunberg calls for digital strikes amid coronavirus fears

Greta Thunberg urged fellow climate campaigners to avoid mass protests and listen to local authorities. This comes as the number of coronavirus cases around the world increases.





Teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg on Wednesday said that campaigners must avoid mass rallies amid the escalation of coronavirus cases around the world. Instead, "digital strikes" would be the way forward during the crisis, she said on Twitter.

"We young people are the least affected by this virus but it's essential that we act in solidarity with the most vulnerable and that we act in the best interest of our common society," Thunberg said on Twitter, where she has over four million followers.

Read more: Greta Thunberg scathing about politicians as thousands join Hamburg climate protest

In a series of tweets, the 17-year-old urged fellow climate campaigners to follow the advice of experts in an attempt to "flatten the curve." This means to lower the rate of infection by taking countermeasures in the early phase after an outbreak.

As she urged her followers to avoid large gathers and "listen to local authorities”, she also said that the "Fridays for Future” movement will start organizing online campaigns and strikes till the time the pandemic is not under control.
"So keep your numbers low but your spirits high and let's take one week at the time," Thunberg said, as she called on more people to join the "#DigitalStrike" by posting pictures of themselves with a sign on Fridays.

The world is struggling to contain the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2, with the number of people infected increasing by the day, especially in China, South Korea, Iran and Italy. The United States has restricted the entry of all foreign nationals who have traveled to Europe's Schengen countries.

see/rc (Reuters, AFP)

>> DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.

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Coronavirus: The psychology behind panic-buying
People are bulk-buying toilet paper, pasta, soap, tinned foods and disinfectant. Those who have come away empty-handed are asking themselves why so many people panic-buy? DW asked INSEAD's Andrew Yap what's behind it.


DW: Why are people panic-buying?

Andrew Yap: The coronavirus is an invisible enemy. It's something that we cannot see. And, when you cannot see your enemy, what happens is that you lose this sense of control. And when you lose your sense of control, you try and do things to compensate and achieve control again. Buying certain things is one way for you to do that.

If I were to go to the supermarket right now and buy something, would it make me feel less fear about the coronavirus?

What we find in our research is that, if you lose the sense of perceived control, you start buying things to help you solve the problems that caused you to lose control in the first place.

So in other words, if you feel anxious, if you fear the virus, then you start buying things that could potentially prevent you from getting the virus, or find ways that could make your place cleaner.

What people end up doing is they buy masks, they buy hand sanitizers, they buy cleaning detergent to clean their houses and offices, and so on.

Coronavirus infection - how it works

So it doesn't matter whether these measures are effective. If I buy something, I just feel better, I feel safer.

There you go.

You mentioned research. What kind of scientific studies have been conducted on fear and panic and how people react?

So about three or four years ago we wanted to study what happens when people experience stress and anxiety. And we realized that a fundamental element that people hadn't examined is this state of control, or the sense that they lose control. And so we ran a number of experiments in the supermarket, lab experiments.

What we found is that when people lose control, they buy more functional products. Products that help them solve problems. Especially products that help them restore control again.


If control is so important for people, especially in this atmosphere of fear, how would you help our readers restore that control?

One is, you need to get information. You need to be educated and understand what's happening, what the virus is about, how the virus causes you to be infected, the ways you can be infected, how you treat this viral infection.

But I wouldn't ask to you to spend a lot of time on social media, because social media is an echo chamber. One of the reasons you see a lot of panic-buying is because people are watching and seeing photos and videos of people buying toilet paper, all sorts of things, things that are running out. And that led to a lot of cases of panic-buying across the world.

We didn't quite see the same behavior back when there was SARS, which was a similar viral infection, a similar pandemic. There was less panic-buying then, because people didn't have this echo chamber in their palms.

Andy Yap is an assistant professor of organizational behavior at INSEAD Business School in Singapore.



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Related Subjects Coronavirus
Keywords Coronavirus, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, infection, virus, panic buying, psychology
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How has Taiwan kept its coronavirus infection rate so low?

Taiwan's number of COVID-19 infections is currently below 50, despite the island's proximity to the outbreak's epicenter on mainland China. 

Experts say early intervention has helped stop a public health crisis.

More than two months after a new virulent coronavirus emerged from the Chinese city of Wuhan, more than 100,000 people in dozens of countries around the world have been infected.

The COVID-19 infection, however, has largely spared Taiwan, despite the island's relative proximity to the virus's epicenter.

When the outbreak first started in January, some experts predicted that Taiwan would have the highest number of cases outside of mainland China.

However, while mainland China has had over 80,000 COVID-19 cases to date, Taiwan has kept its number of confirmed cases below 50. Some international health experts credit this to Taiwan's quick preparation and early intervention.

Dr. Jason Wang, a public health policy expert at Stanford University in the US, said that Taiwan recognized the potential scale of the crisis early, and was able to stay ahead of the outbreak.

"Taiwan established the National Health Command Center (NHCC) after the SARS epidemic in 2002 and 2003. That was in preparation for the next crisis," said Wang, adding that the NHCC integrates data and allows experts to work together.
Taiwan took early action

Taiwan's government introduced a travel ban on visitors from China, Hong Kong and Macau soon after the number of coronavirus cases began to rise in mainland China. Additionally, the government implemented a ban on exporting surgical masks, ensuring a stockpile in Taiwan.

Taiwan prisoners pay it forward in time of Wang said that the introduction of public health laws gave the Taiwanese government additional power to allocate resources.

"The Taiwanese government integrated data from national health insurance with immigration and customs data," Wang said. "This has allowed frontline medical personnel to identify suspected patients after examining their travel histories."

The Taiwanese government also developed a program that has allowed people to report travel histories and symptoms of illness by scanning a QR code when they arrive in Taiwan.

Travelers then receive a text message with their health status, allowing customs officers to skip low risk passengers and focus on passengers with a high COVID-19 infection risk.

"There are a lot of things that the Taiwanese government was able to do with new technology, and these practices allow them to triage people properly and follow up with appropriate care," Wang said.

The public's willingness to follow government regulations has also helped Taiwanese officials respond to the coronavirus outbreak.

"Most Taiwanese experienced hardship and interruption during the SARS epidemic, so the memory is still fresh. It helps to foster a sense of community," said Dr. Chunhuei Chi, a public health professor at the Oregon State University in the US.

"They know that they are in this together and that makes them willing to comply with the measures rolled out by the government."

Taiwan's medical research

Chi added that Taiwan has invested in its biomedical research capacity over the last few decades and research teams have been working to mass-produce a rapid diagnostic test for COIVD-19.

Last Sunday, a research team at Taiwan's Academia Sinica developed antibodies that can identify the protein that causes the coronavirus. They aim to produce a new rapid test for the coronavirus that can shorten the time frame for diagnosis to 20 minutes.

The lead researcher of the team, Dr. Yang An-Suei, said on March 8 that the next step for the team is to validate the product before rolling out a rapid test kit in Taiwan.

And although Beijing continues to block Taiwan from rejoining the World Health Organization (WHO), public health expert Wang said that Taiwan continues to share its experience in combating the coronavirus outbreak with other countries.

"Taiwan has been sharing their epidemic prevention strategies with other countries through tele-conferences, while helping countries that lack advanced medical capabilities to process samples from patients," Wang said.

"In other words, the Taiwanese government has been actively using the topic of public health to engage with other countries."

As for whether Taiwan can rejoin the WHO through its success in containing the spread of coronavirus, Wang thinks it is an issue that WHO rather than Taiwan should consider.

"The WHO should know that inclusiveness is the key to combating a global pandemic, and if it is ignoring certain pockets in the world, then that is not good," Wang said.

Date 11.03.2020
Author William Yang (Taipei)

Coronavirus and the plague: The disease of viral conspiracy theories

As countless coronavirus rumors circulate online, DW takes a look at some of history's biggest conspiracy theories during pandemics.


Countless unsubstantiated coronavirus claims have been circulating lately, ranging from the entertainingly absurd to the shockingly outlandish. YouTuber Dana Ashlie, for example, recently posted videos online to explain what she claimed was the real reason behind the virus outbreak. Ashlie, who has hundreds of thousands of YouTube and Facebook followers, claimed that COVID-19 emerged because 5G mobile technology was rolled out in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the center of the outbreak.



HOW IS CORONAVIRUS AFFECTING LIFE IN GERMANY?
Food donations drop

Panic-buying has left empty shelves in supermarkets — and food banks. With Germans snapping up canned goods and toilet paper to weather the outbreak, stores have fewer supplies left over to donate to the needy, said Jochen Brühl, head of Tafel Deutschland, which supports more than 1.5 million people with surplus groceries and other donations. Brühl encouraged those who had overreacted to donate.

With COVID-19, or SARS-CoV-2, dominating the headlines, it is hardly surprising that coronavirus misinformation is on the rise. That's why the World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a dedicated website to dispel unsubstantiated claims about coronavirus cures and how the pathogen spreads.

Long history of conspiracy theories

Historically, the outbreak of pandemics has always been accompanied by the dissemination of rumors and conspiracy theories.

But what, exactly, defines the latter? Professor Michael Butter, who teaches at the University of Tübingen, says conspiracy theories tend to claim that a group is clandestinely plotting to control and destroy an institution, a country or the entire world.

The Black Death

In the 14th century, when the plague ravaged Europe, nobody knew how the illness had originated. Soon after, unfounded rumors surfaced that Jews caused the outbreak by poisoning wells in a bid to control the world. Jewish people were accused of being behind the plague — and were subjected to deadly pogroms and forcefully displaced.

Read more: Opinion: We need to deal with our coronavirus panic


'Spanish flu': Patients in Fort Riley, Kansas (USA), in 1918

1918 influenza pandemic

Between 1918-1920, the so-called Spanish flu killed between 25 and 50 million people — making it more lethal than World War I, which ended the same year the influenza pandemic began. As the origins of the virus outbreak remained a mystery until the 1930s, some people believed the pathogen had been developed by the German army to use as a weapon.

East Germany's beetle infestation

When a Colorado potato beetle infestation in 1950 threatened to wipe out all of East Germany's potato crops, the country's socialist leadership was quick to blame the US. In an attempt to distract from its own failures, East Germany accused the US of having orchestrated the beetle infestation to sabotage its economy.

Operation Detrick

The onset of the AIDS epidemic in the US during the 1980s was accompanied by an elaborate Soviet disinformation campaign. In 1983, the Soviet secret service KGB spread the rumor that the US had developed AIDS at Fort Detrick as a biological weapon and tested it on prison inmates, ethnic minorities and gay people. It also claimed the US was deliberately deflecting blame by saying the disease had originated on the African continent.

In 1985, Russian-born German biology professor Jakob Segal even published a pseudo-scientific study to back up the conspiracy theory. And even though many biologists and medical experts dismissed the unfounded claims as nonsense, the conspiracy theory remains popular today.

Read more: Coronavirus scare: When will 'hamsterkauf' become an English word?


Ticks getting under the skin of conspiracy theorists?

Once again, the US is blamed

By the mid-1990s the Soviet Union had collapsed, and national health agencies had largely gotten the AIDS outbreak under control. At this time, however, Africa experienced a major Ebola outbreak. Many conspiracy theorists who had falsely claimed AIDS was created in US military labs, now claimed the Ebola virus was a bio-weapon developed by the US or Great Britain.

Another conspiracy theory in the US military and ticks. In 2019, Republican Congressman Chris Smith called on the Pentagon to release classified documents about a supposed weaponized ticks program. Smith referred to a recent book that claimed the program, which supposedly ran between 1950 and 1975, had allowed the tick-borne Lyme disease to get out of control.

Digital age amplifies misinformation

A whole host of diseases has been blamed on secret US biological weapons programs. Although some conspiracy theorists have suggested that COVID-19 is an artificially engineered Chinese bioweapon.

These, and other conspiracy theories, however, rely on arguments that are never weighted in evidence. The conspiracies tend to emerge in the early stages of a pandemic — when little is known about a pathogen's origin and spread.

The digital revolution, meanwhile, has amplified the dissemination of rumors and disinformation. Online posts are shared much quicker on social media and through messenger apps than any medical or health authority can refute them. The digital age has allowed conspiracy theories to go viral.

COVID-19 can only be contained by studying it scientifically, practicing good hygiene and ensuring those infected receive adequate medical treatment. Similarly, education and media literacy, as well as good mental health, should be promoted to be in line with how we consume information in the digital age.

Some online trolls have even suggested downing a Corona beer to combat irrational coronavirus-related fears. While this has not been proven to help, it may provide a soothing effect in the meantime.


CORONAVIRUS: THE CONSEQUENCES FOR TOURISM
Italy increasingly sealed off

In order to reduce the spread, the border into neighboring Austria can only be crossed from Italy with a medical certificate. Slovenia has closed its border, and Albania has banned Italy air and ferry traffic. Many airlines have cancelled flights to Italy until at least 3 April. Germany, Great Britain, and Ireland tightened travel recommendations and called on their citizens to leave.

The COVID-19 epidemic poses a threat to the everyday life of people worldwide. Travellers are particularly affected, as are people working in tourism. Here are the latest developments. (11.03.2020) 

Date 10.03.2020
Author Christopher Nehring

McDonald's hourly workers in U.S. demand paid sick leave as virus spreads

Reuters•March 10, 2020

McDonald’s workers demand paid sick leave

The demand from the group comes as other chain restaurants have begun to change their policies

(Reuters) - Hourly wage workers at McDonald's Corp on Tuesday sought paid sick leave for those working at its U.S. restaurants and an update to the safety protocols as coronavirus cases in the United States rise.

The burger chain has not trained or given any guidelines on the epidemic, McDonald's cooks and cashiers associated with labor group Fight for $15 and a Union said in a statement.

Maurilia Arellanes, a McDonald's worker in California, said on a media call organized by the labor group that she cannot afford to take a day off if she is sick.

"McDonald's needs to step up and do everything it can to make sure workers like me are safe and that if we do get sick, we can take time off to get better without falling behind on our bills," she said.

The labor group asked the company to pay workers for any missed shifts if its restaurant shuts down due to the spread of COVID-19. McDonald's hourly pay for workers varies from $7.25 to $15 based on the state.

"As we proactively monitor the impact of the coronavirus, we are continuously evaluating our policies to provide flexibility and reasonable accommodations," a company spokesperson said in a statement.

Restaurant workers have for long complained about poor pay and working conditions, drawing support from politicians and Fight for $15, which has regularly targeted McDonald's calling for higher pay and union rights for workers.

Their demands come close on the heels of Darden Restaurants, the owner of Olive Garden and Bahama Breeze chains, saying it would provide its hourly workers paid sick leaves starting Tuesday.

Separately, retailer Walmart Inc said an employee in Kentucky tested positive for the coronavirus, adding that employees would receive up to two weeks of pay in case of infection or if their store, club, office or distribution center were quarantined.

Over 600 cases and 26 deaths have been reported in the United States due to the coronavirus. However, McDonald's has not issued an update on the potential financial impact on its home.

When the outbreak was first reported in China late last year and the company said in January it does not see a big financial hit as it only collected royalty fees from China.

It last week decided to cancel its biennial in-person worldwide convention, attended by operators from around the world and set to take place in a few weeks. It will now hold a digital convention.

"The company canceled a meeting of executives and franchisees, but it's not making any plans for us frontline workers, who cannot afford to take a day off without pay if we get sick," said Fran Marion, a McDonald's worker in Kansas City, Missouri.

All-women crew brings Air Canada flight into Edmonton International Airport

I LOOK FORWARD TO WHEN THIS IS NOT NEWS

Thursday, March 5, 2020

All-female crew at EIA


An all-female crew brought an Air Canada flight into the Edmonton International Airport on Thursday. Dave Mitchell has the story.
EDMONTON -- Edmonton’s rich aviation history saw another first Thursday, with the arrival of a seemingly ordinary Air Canada flight from Toronto.

As the Boeing 787 Dreamliner eased its way to the ramp, keen observers may have noticed the ground crew tending to the aircraft were all women. When the air crew deplaned, every one of them were also female. The arrival of air traffic controllers visiting the passenger gate signalled something truly unusual, as three women from the control tower helped guide the historic flight safely to Edmonton International Airport. It was the first such journey crewed entirely by women.



They all gathered to celebrate in the arrival lounge as the event is a first in Canadian aviation history. While this flight was arranged in advance of International Women’s Day to celebrate many strides made in a field off limits to women of much earlier generations, the impact was not lost on those participating.

"It's nice to see that there’s obviously a lot more women involved in aviation, it's kind of a momentous thing," exclaimed air traffic controller Melanie Collins. "It's obviously a big deal because it doesn’t happen regularly, so it's just neat to be a part of and that it's recognized."

Collins has been working in control towers for 12 years, and while noticing more women following her career path, says she hopes its a growing trend.

"There’s definitely been an increase in females, but it's still underrepresented. It stands out a little bit when we have all females in the tower for a day."

Gathering for a photo after the landmark flight, the women in Edmonton were just part of the story. Counting the crew in Toronto that saw the aircraft into the sky, thirty three women contributed to the entire journey.



First Officer Stacie Kamin was beaming as she soaked in the event. Flying one of the most advanced passenger aircraft in the world is a dream job for her, one that she knows younger women can now aspire to as well.

"I often say its generational. This wasn’t a career that was available to my mom. My mom was an amazing nurse and she taught me that I could do anything that I wanted to do."

With over 200 female pilots now flying with Air Canada in various aircraft, Capt. Jean Nash appreciates the gains made since she began work on the flight deck 35 years ago. She’s encouraging anyone with skills and passion to take to the skies.

"I love being a part of this and giving the message to the young ladies out there, please try aviation, and men! It's a great career, you won’t regret it. You get to travel the world."

'Shame on you, people': Tattoo artist whose design was altered for Greta stickers speaks out   ITS STILL A SEXIST TAT

Artist threatening lawsuit over Greta decal

An Argentinian tattoo artist says his art was stolen and altered to make the Greta decal.

Tattoo artist says design was altered for 'Greta' decal.

Argentinian artist German Canalla says fans told him his art was being used to make the controversial decal.

EDMONTON -- An Argentinian tattoo artist says X-Site Energy Services altered his design to make the decal that appears to show Greta Thunberg in a sex act, and he wants to take legal action.

German Canalla told CTV News Edmonton he received a message on Instagram alerting him of his art being turned into disturbing stickers of the climate activist.

"I was like, 'What the f***," Canalla said. "I was really shocked and surprised."

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Canalla's drawing, of which he made four or five and sold around the world, shows a pair of hands holding the braids of a woman from behind. The altered imaged included "Greta" on the female's back and the X-Site Energy Services logo.



Canalla says his work is erotic and about consensual sex, but "never about rape and child abuse."

The Argentine said he's currently looking for a copyright lawyer to sue X-Site Energy Services.

"What the f*** are you thinking? It's horrible. This is a teenager, trying to do something good for the world … shame on you, people."