National Association of Women and the Law Conference 2002 Resolutions

16 July 2002
July 16, 2002

Tuition Increases:

BE IT RESOLVED that the National Association of Women and the Law strongly opposes the tuition increase approved by the Faculty Council of the Faculty of Law at the University of Toronto, to $22,000 over 5 years.

NAWL recognizes that high tuition has a disparate impact on women’s ability to access legal education and the profession, in particular on women from disadvantaged groups.

NAWL calls upon the Canadian Bar Association and its provincial counterpart, provincial law societies and their members, to condemn and take action against law school tuition increases which are a form of privatization of legal education and have a discriminatory impact.

NAWL calls upon federal and provincial governments to stop cuts to university funding and significantly re-invest in post-secondary education.

NAWL calls upon law schools in Canada to suspend further increases in view of their disparate impact.

CARRIED

Inuit and Métis Women:

BE IT RESOLVED that NAWL lobby the Government of Canada to fully recognize, fund, contract and negotiate with Pauktuutit (Inuit Women’s Association) and the Métis National Council of Women as official and autonomous organizations representing Inuit and Métis women in Canada.

CARRIED

Child Custody And Access:

BE IT RESOLVED that NAWL coordinate a national initiative to link provincial and territorial women’s groups and networks in a national strategy to respond to the Divorce Act and Family Law Reforms on Child Custody and Access.

CARRIED

Durban Plus 5:

BE IT RESOLVED that NAWL join other NGOs in pressuring the Government of Canada to implement the Declaration and Program of Action from the World Conference Against Racism.

CARRIED

BE IT RESOLVED that NAWL pressure the Government of Canada to support a Durban Plus 5 conference in 2006.

CARRIED

Migrant Workers:

BE IT RESOLVED that NAWL calls upon the Government of Canada to immediately ratify the Convention on the Rights of Migrant Workers and their families.

BE IT RESOLVED that NAWL calls upon the Government of Canada to immediately honour the spirit of the Convention and extend all rights and benefits under the Convention to all migrants.

Restorative Justice:

BE IT RESOLVED that NAWL strike a working group (in coalition with equality seeking women’s organizations) to study the federal/provincial Restorative Justice Initiatives and the implications of the Restorative Justice programs for women, particularly criminalized women, women who have experienced misogynist violence, and Aboriginal women.

FURTHER, BE IT RESOLVED that NAWL does not support any implementation of restorative justice programming without prior government consultation with criminalized women, women who have experienced misogynist violence, Aboriginal women and women’s equality seeking groups.

CARRIED

Aboriginal Women:

BE IT RESOLVED that NAWL, when requested to do so by equality seeking Aboriginal women’s organizations, support and where possible collaborate on lobbying governments for full access and participation by Aboriginal women in all consultations, policy development and negotiations in connection with Aboriginal issues.

CARRIED

Kimberly Rogers:

BE IT RESOLVED that NAWL commemorate Kimberly Rogers and all women living in poverty, annually, on a date to be determined in collaboration with other interested groups. NAWL will work together with such groups in communicating information and media efforts about the case.

CARRIED

Legal Aid:

BE IT RESOLVED that NAWL continue its efforts in lobbying and mobilization around the issue of women’s access to legal aid at the federal, provincial and territorial levels.

Best Interests of the Child Test:

BE IT RESOLVED that NAWL supports an approach to the best interests of the child test which encompasses consideration of the impact of racism on the lives of racialized children.

Income Security:

BE IT RESOLVED that NAWL continue its research and lobbying efforts in relation to national standards for income security and effective mechanisms for their enforcement.
QUEBEC CONFERENCE:

BE IT RESOLVED that in order to further develop and strengthen ties with Quebec feminist organizations, NAWL will facilitate a workshop or conference in Montreal in advance of the next Biennial Conference.

Access to Justice:

BE IT RESOLVED that NAWL coordinate a national initiative to address the issue of reduced access to justice for all women through cuts to legal aid and women’s advocacy groups and increased privatization of dispute resolution.

Legal Aid:

BE IT RESOLVED that NAWL contact the Premier of British Columbia to strongly condemn the drastic cuts to legal aid, specifically in the area of family law, which will disproportionately impact women’s access to justice and their equality rights.

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about NAWL
The National Association of Women and the Law is a not-for-profit feminist organization that promotes the equality rights of women through legal education, research and law reform advocacy.
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