25 September 2020
September 25, 2020
Feminist groups call for immediate action on abortion access in New Brunswick
For Immediate Release A coalition of feminist organizations is calling for the federal government and the government of New Brunswick to take immediate action in light of the imminent closure of Clinic 554 in Fredericton. The Fredericton clinic, the only free-standing clinic ...
18 September 2020
September 18, 2020
Joint letter by Feminist Groups including NAWL to Minister Freeland, calling for her to host a roundtable with Women’s Rights organizations and feminist leaders as part of the net federal budget consultations
The Honourable Chrystia Freeland Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance House of Commons Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6 Re: Roundtable with women’s rights and equality-seeking organizations for Federal Budget 2021 Dear Minister Freeland, In this unprecedented moment in history, federal budget priorities ...
30 August 2020
August 30, 2020
NAWL and other feminist groups joined Women’s Shelters Canada in reissuing a call for National Action Plan on Violence Against Women & Gender-Based Violence
In the summer of 2020, NAWL was among the feminist groups that joined Women’s Shelters Canada in reissuing a call for a National Action Plan on Violence against Women & Gender Based Violence. Read the full reissue call here in English or ...
20 August 2020
August 20, 2020
NAWL letter to the Prime Minister and Minister of Justice on SCC nominations
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 ...
12 August 2020
August 12, 2020
Open letter to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of Canada: There is no time like the present to build a pan-Canadian system of child care
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 ...
7 August 2020
August 7, 2020
NAWL Written Submission for the Pre-Budget Consultations in Advance of the Upcoming Federal Budget
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 ...
7 July 2020
July 7, 2020
NAWL signs letter on the use of a restorative approach to an inquiry into the Nova Scotia mass shooting
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 ...
22 May 2020
May 22, 2020
Canada must protect the rights of sex workers during COVID-19 by ensuring access to emergency income supports
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+ ...
19 May 2020
May 19, 2020
Letter sent by NAWL to the Prime Minister from women’s rights and equality seeking groups on feminist policy making in the context of COVID-19
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 ...
17 April 2020
April 17, 2020
NAWL and CRIAW Proposal for Support to Equality Seeking Women’s Groups in Canada during the COVID-19 Pandemic
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 ...
17 April 2020
April 17, 2020
NAWL joins other women’s rights groups to call on the Government of Canada to ensure a rigorous & far-reaching gendered response to COVID-19
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 ...
13 April 2020
April 13, 2020
NAWL submits brief on Bill C-5 to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights
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 ...
3 March 2020
March 3, 2020
NAWL signs letter calling for Canada’s National Action Plan on Violence Against Women and Gender-Based Violence to be bold, ambitious, and intersectional
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 ...
17 February 2020
February 17, 2020
Joint Letter to Finance Minister on PharmaCare
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, ...
19 November 2019
November 19, 2019
NAWL endorses Pharmacare Now
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 ...
7 November 2019
November 7, 2019
Standing in Supreme Court Climate Case sought by Friends of the Earth and NAWL
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. ...
28 October 2019
October 28, 2019
When it comes to gender equality, Canada has unfinished business: Study
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 ...
20 September 2019
September 20, 2019
NAWL hosts introductory workshop on feminist law reform in Ottawa
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 ...
27 June 2019
June 27, 2019
UN report highlights systemic violence against Indigenous women, supports MMIWG inquiry findings
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. ...
22 June 2019
June 22, 2019
After decades of waiting, women’s rights organizations celebrate changes to the Divorce Act
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 ...