Women are staging rallies across Canada on Friday and Sunday to protest Tory cuts to women's programs.

At least one rally will be a 1960s-style bra-burning.

The women are reacting to the Conservative government's recent decision to slash the Status of Women Canada budget by $5 million and take the word "equality" out of the organization's mandate.

Nancy Peckford of the Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action says the rallies across Canada are being staged to send the government a strong message.
(CBC)

Status of Women Canada is a federal agency that works to end violence against women and advance women's economic equality and human rights.

Activist Nancy Peckford said the rallies are being staged to send the government a strong message.

"Part of our goal is that women have their voices heard," said Peckford, of the Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action.

"We want to let the federal government know that some of its recent decisions around the support that is provided to women's organizations and to women at the regional, national and community level needs to continue to be there."

The Tories are also closing 12 of 16 Status of Women offices across Canada, leaving only the Edmonton, Montreal, Moncton and Ottawa offices open.

In addition, groups that lobby and conduct research on behalf of women will no longer be funded by the government.

Cuts administrative, government argues

On Thursday, cabinet minister Bev Oda, who oversees Status of Women Canada, defended the cuts.

Cabinet minister Bev Oda, who oversees Status of Women Canada, is defending the federal government's cuts to women's programs.
(CBC)

She said the cuts of $5 million were mostly administrative costs that will help the government streamline its operations.

That $5 million will be made available in April to fund groups who work directly with women in Canadian communities.

She stressed that Status of Women isn't the only department fighting for women's rights in the Canadian government.

She said the minister of immigration has fought to end human trafficking, which affects women, while the minister who oversees aboriginal rights is working to secure native women's property rights.

"We don't necessarily say that women's issues only have one minister and one door to go through," she told CBC News Friday.

Still, she said she respects the protests women are staging.

"We respect people's rights to say their views," she said. "We welcome all comments. I've met with many of the groups that will be protesting and showing how they disagree with our decision."