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Anishinaabe Territory / Ottawa, February 4th, 2026 – Following a thoughtful debate in the House of Commons, Members of Parliament voted to move forward with the Keeping the Children Safe Act, paving the way for long-awaited reforms sought by feminist organizations.  By voting to proceed with the study of Bill C-223 at committee, ...

Montreal/Toronto/Ottawa/Quebec City, January 17, 2026 – The launch of the national buyback program for prohibited assault-style weapons is a win for public safety in Canada, say leading gun control advocacy groups and women’s organizations. These firearms are not reasonably used for hunting ...

The National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) has submitted a brief to the Standing Committee on the Status of Women as part of its study on Section 810 of the Criminal Code and women’s safety.  In its submission, NAWL urges the federal government to strengthen ...

More action needed for government to deliver concrete results to end gender-based violence and femicides   Anishinaabe Territory/OTTAWA, December 5th, 2025 – On the eve of the 36th anniversary of the Polytechnique antifeminist mass shooting, the National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) welcomes the tabling in the ...

The National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) welcomes the report of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women on coercive control and supports its recommendations to amend the Divorce Act to prevent the use of parental alienation allegations in cases of intimate partner violence or ...

On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, women’s organizations denounce nearly two years of government inaction on a measure designed to save lives  In December 2023, Bill C-21, reforming the Firearms Act, became law after extensive study in both the House of Commons and the Senate. It contained a simple and essential safeguard: anyone subject to ...

Anishinaabe Territory/OTTAWA, November 4, 2025 – The National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) is pleased to see multi-year and ongoing funding in Budget 2025 for the Department for Women and Gender Equality (WAGE). This predictable and stable funding is vital ...

Anishinaabe Territory/OTTAWA, October 30th, 2025:   The National Association of Women and the Law welcomes the Government of Canada’s pre-budget commitment to provide sustained funding for the Department of Women and Gender Equality (WAGE). This commitment recognizes that women’s rights and gender justice ...

NAWL gathers Members of Parliament to discuss Urgent Reforms for Women’s Economic Security On Tuesday, October 7, the National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) had the honour of hosting an important discussion on Parliament Hill about the economic challenges facing ...

Anishinaabe Territory / OTTAWA, September 18, 2025 : The National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) welcomes the introduction of the Keeping Children Safe Act, a private member’s bill tabled by Liberal Member of Parliament Lisa Hepfner to strengthen protections for women ...

Dear Prime Minister: Gender Equality is not Optional Globally, women’s rights and gender equality are under attack from regressive movements and governments alike. Here in Canada, for the first time since the Harper era, we are facing an unprecedented and catastrophic rollback ...

On Thursday, May 15th, the National Association of Women and the Law, in partnership with the David Asper Centre for Constitutional Rights, had the honour of appearing before the Supreme Court of Canada in an important case for women’s equality rights. Attorney ...

National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) Statement on  Speech from the Throne   Commitments to implement new measures addressing intimate partner gun violence    Anishinaabe Territory/OTTAWA, May 28th, 2025: The National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) welcomed commitments in the ...

The National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) applauds the inclusion of a Minister for Women and Gender Equality (WAGE) in Cabinet, and congratulates Minister Rechie Valdez on her appointment to this essential position. Since March 2025, over 400 feminist organizations ...

The National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) congratulates Prime Minister Mark Carney and the elected Liberal MPs on receiving a mandate from Canadians to form a new government. During this time of economic turmoil, there is an urgent need for ...

Consultations on Regulations Amending the Firearms Licences Regulations and the Protection Order Regulations   Commentary on Canada Gazette, Part I, Volume 159, Number 10   About NAWL  The National Association of Women and the Law is a not-for-profit organization that works to advance women’s rights in ...

On March 20th, 2025, Suzanne Zaccour, Director of Legal Affairs at the National Association of Women and the Law, testified before the National Assembly of Québec’s Committee on Institutions regarding Bill 91, which proposes the creation of a Unified Family Court within ...

New York UNHQ – It is unacceptable that the new Canadian Prime Minister has eliminated the position of Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth (WAGE) in his newly announced cabinet. This regressive step undermines decades of progress toward gender equality and ...

Women’s and children’s lives remain at stake until regulations are in place to make new domestic violence provisions operable The National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) welcomes the coming into force of important new measures to protect women and children ...

On Wednesday, February 12th, the National Association of Women and the Law had the honour of appearing before the Supreme Court of Canada in a case that could shape legal protections for survivors of intimate partner violence. Ahluwalia v. Ahluwalia is about ...