NAWL letter to the Prime Minister and Minister of Justice dated August 20, 2020, calling for the nomination of women and/or men who are Indigenous, Black, racialized, and/or from other equality seeking communities, to fill the two forthcoming Ontario vacancies on the SCC, and the Prime Minister’s letter in response dated October 14, 2020. Read…
Now is the time to lay the groundwork for the construction of a system of child care, as you promised Canadians in the last federal election. You and other federal ministers have publicly acknowledged the importance and centrality of child care. In fact, the pandemic experience has made it clear to all that child care is essential in bad times and good. What is required now is for the federal government to fund and expand child care as a principal piece of Canada’s social infrastructure going forward.…
The NAWL pre-budget submission was submitted to the Finance Committee on August 7, 2020. Read full submission here. List of endorsing organizations Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights Barbra Schlifer Memorial Clinic Canadian Council of Muslim Women Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women DisAbled Women’s Network of Canada Ending Violence Association of…
We write to you as directors and leaders of organizations across Canada that work to eliminate or reduce domestic violence, sexualized violence, and other gender based violence. We were shocked to see media reports that the launch of an inquiry into the April, 2020 massacre in Nova Scotia was being held up by an attempt to graft a ‘restorative approach’ onto the traditional federal-provincial public inquiry. We wish to express our grave concern about, and opposition to, the use of any process for the federal-provincial response to the Nova Scotia mass shooting which is not fully open and public or which does not mandatorily compel the pertinent institutions and state actors to provide relevant information.…
Thank you for your steadfast commitment to women’s rights and gender equality, including your prompt action to mobilize funding to address the gendered impacts of the pandemic. We write at this time to urge that—further to your mandate to ensure that GBA+ is conducted of all government decisions—you ensure that sex workers and other women and gender diverse people working in informal economies and criminalized contexts, are not left out of the COVID-19 response.…
It is clear that the COVID-19 pandemic has far-reaching and long-term gendered impacts. Women are front and centre when it comes to the impacts of and responses to the pandemic. From increased risk of violence in abusive homes under lockdown to expanded caregiving for children out of school and at-risk vulnerable adults to a majority presence in front-line health care, social and other service sectors, women are taking on many additional burdens in this crisis.…
In order to ensure that women and girls, their families and communities who need assistance most will be included in, and benefit from federal responses to the pandemic, it is imperative that there be a robust and systematic application of an intersection feminist analysis of the impacts of COVID-19 on women and girls, and of existing and potential policy and budgetary responses to it. The limited COVID-19 responses designed specifically for women, have focused entirely on the critical services that women’s shelters and sexual assault centres provide. The focus on VAW/GBV is important of course, but represents a very limited and initial response.…
The Honourable Maryam Monsef Minister for Women and Gender Equality Government of Canada Dear Minister Monsef: As we write, evidence continues to mount about the gendered impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. From increased risk of violence under lockdown in abusive homes, to expanded caregiving for children out of school and at-risk vulnerable adults,…
NAWL submitted a brief on Bill C-5—An Act to amend the Judges Act and the Criminal Code—to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights. 36 feminist and equality-seeking organizations endorsed the brief, including: Accessibility for All Action Ontarienne contre la violence faite aux femmes Amnesty International Canada AMS Sexual Assault Support…
Violence against women and gender-based violence are non-partisan, societal issues affecting us all. Women’s Shelters Canada, in collaboration with partners from across the country, have been advocating for a National Action Plan on Violence against Women (VAW) and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) since 2015. Despite tireless efforts from countless feminist organizations across the country, rates of…
Over 170 national and provincial organizations have signed the joint Pharmacare Now Statement calling on all parties to work together to implement universal, public pharmacare within this government’s mandate. A diverse coalition of 150 national and provincial organizations representing health care providers, non-profit organizations, unions, workers, business, seniors and patients are now calling on the Finance Minister…
In the wake of the federal election, our coalition of national and provincial organizations is calling on the new government to immediately implement universal, public pharmacare. Our large and diverse coalition represents health care providers, non-profit organizations, unions, workers, seniors, patients and academics from across the country. Within a minority Parliament, co-operation is more important…
OTTAWA—Late yesterday, Friends of the Earth (FOE) and the National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) filed their Memorandum of Argument of the Proposed Intervenor in the Climate case being appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) by Ontario and Saskatchewan. This filing is an important step by these two organizations to secure Standing…
At current pace it will take 164 years to close the economic gender gap alone in Canada. OTTAWA—Canada’s progress towards gender equality has been uneven, and despite some positive steps there is significant unfinished business, according to a new report released today by a network of gender equality groups and the Canadian Centre for Policy…
Representatives of thirteen national feminist and equality seeking organizations and allies participated in an introductory workshop on feminist law reform convened at the University of Ottawa. The morning session of the workshop, which presented an introduction to feminist law reform, was facilitated by: NAWL’s Executive Director, Suki Beavers; NAWL Project Director, Rachel Kohut; NAWL Project…
A coalition of women’s rights organizations is demanding action in Ottawa following the release of a United Nations report that highlights what it says is Canada’s failure to address violence against women.…
After decades of advocacy by women’s rights groups pressing for much needed changes to the Divorce Act, including by a coalition led by the National Association for Women and the Law (NAWL) and Luke’s Place, and the efforts of many feminists who engaged on Bill C-78; An Act to amend the Divorce Act, the Family…
OTTAWA—Today, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May publicly committed to participating in a federal leaders’ debate on women’s rights and gender equality in the lead-up to the October 2019 federal election. The leaders announced their commitments at the launch of Up for Debate, a non-partisan campaign calling for women’s rights and…
NAWL signed the Open Letter to Minister Jean-Yves Duclos prepared by Canada Without Poverty Campaign 2000 and Citizens for Public Justice to strengthen Bill C-87, An Act respecting the reduction of poverty. The Honourable Minister Jean-Yves Duclos Minister of Families, Children, and Social Development House of Commons Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2 February 1, 2019 Open…
