Anishinaabe Territory / Ottawa, April 13, 2026 – Amanda Therrien, Senior Staff Lawyer at the National Association of Women and the Law, appeared before the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs as part of its study of Bill S-228, An ...

Anishinaabe Territory / Ottawa, March 24, 2026 – The National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) will intervene this week before the Supreme Court of Canada to defend the constitutional right to equality between women and men, as guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of ...

Anishinaabe Territory / Ottawa, March 23, 2026 – The National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) has submitted a brief to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, outlining critical recommendations to improve Bill C-16, An Act to amend certain ...

By recognizing that the exclusion of asylum seekers from the subsidized childcare system is discriminatory toward women, the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision represents a substantial victory for women’s equality rights.  On March 6, 2026, the Supreme Court judges confirmed that denying asylum seekers access to ...

Urgent: Defining Protection Orders Broadly under the Firearms Licenses Regulations to Address Intimate Partner Gun Violence and Femicides   Dear Minister Anandasangaree,   Last week, the government concluded its second consultation on the regulatory definition of “protection order” for the purposes of firearm license revocation under former Bill C-21. One of the objectives of Bill C-21 was to protect women and children ...

The National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) has submitted a brief in response to consultations on proposed regulations under the Firearms Act, as amended by former Bill C-21. NAWL argues that the regulations must adopt a comprehensive definition of “protection ...

Anishinaabe Territory / Ottawa, February 17th, 2026 –  On Wednesday, February 11th, the National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) had the honour of hosting an important discussion at the Senate about the role that a guaranteed livable income can play in strengthening economic security ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...