Workshops

Inspired by the Feminist Law Reform 101 course, these workshops cover a wide-range of feminist law reform topics
Image

Topics we’ll cover include:

  • Feminist Law Reform [FLR]: What is it and how to get involved?
  • Who to influence and how?
  • The federal law reform process
  • How to write parliamentary briefs, petitions and other key tools
  • How to draft a thesis statement for a brief/Op-ed writing skills
  • How to work in coalitions to achieve substantive equality
  • How to lobby Members of Parliament or Senators
  • Using social media for feminist advocacy and activism
Workshop Schedules
Image

Do you want to organise or host a Feminist Law Reform Workshop?

Get in touch to find out more
  • Whitehorse, Yukon: September 28-29, 2022
  • Fredericton, New Brunswick: October 21-22, 2022​ (to be confirmed)
  • Quebec City, Quebec: November 10 – 11, 2022​ (to be confirmed)
  • Calgary, Alberta: January 13 – 14, 2023​ (to be confirmed)
Funded by Women and Gender Equality Canada

Subscribe to be informed on any new workshops.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Our Past Workshops

"Defining the Future" Workshops at uOttawa

March 1st, 2024

On March 1st, 2024, NAWL hosted a practical full-day workshop with the aim of increasing feminist law reform capacity in Canada. 30+ law students, activists, partners and other attendees participated in this event which was part of the celebrations for NAWL’s 50th anniversary. 

This workshop was co-hosted by the Shirley E. Greenberg Chair for Women in the Legal Profession at the University of Ottawa. 

Part 1:  Workshop on Writing Compelling Commentary  

Writer, advocate, and Informed Opinions’ CEO Shari Graydon drew upon more than 30 years of media experience to lead a practical workshop about persuasive writing. Graydon gave tips about tone, audience, and target publications, and led interactive exercises for participants to draft compelling opening lines for op-ed pieces. 

Part 2:  Panel on Quebec Law 21 and Section 28 of the Charter 

Natasha Bakht, full professor at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law and Shirley E. Greenberg Chair for Women and the Legal Profession, moderated an insightful panel discussion about Quebec’s Law 21 (prohibiting public servants from wearing religious symbols at work) and section 28 of the Charter (which guarantees equal Charter rights for men and women). Panelists were Kerri Froc, associate professor at the UNB Faculty of Law; Idil Issa, co-founder of Mouvement Montreal and founder of Femmes Musulmanes Contre le Racisme; Roshan Jahangeer, who has a PhD in political science from York University; and Vrinda Narain, associate professor at McGill Faculty of Law. 

Part 3:  Workshop on engaging with Members of Parliament  

Participants attended a practical and interactive seminar from professional activism coach Kimberly Carrol about engaging Members of Parliament.  

Image
Image
Image

Feminist Law Reform Workshops in Quebec City

November 11-12, 2022

In November 2022, we were pleased to host two feminist law reform workshops at Université Laval. These workshops were made possible thanks to funding from the Chambre des notaires and Women and Gender Equality Canada, and through a partnership with COMRADES.

The mission of the Chambre des notaires is to protect the public through current, quality notarial practice. The notarial profession financially supports collective initiatives that encourage the development of a vibrant and accessible legal society for the people of Quebec. Click here to find out more. With so much information circulating, the notary is a key player in helping the public find their way around, make better choices, protect their assets, and ensure that their wishes are known and respected. Click here to find a notary.

Part 1: #EarthNeedsFeminism workshop

The #EarthNeedsFeminism workshop took place on November 11 from 4.45pm to 7.45pm. During the workshop, participants were able to attend a lecture by Dr Sabaa Khan, Chair of NAWL’s Women’s Rights & the Climate Crisis working group and member of NAWL’s National Steering Committee. Simultaneous interpretation in Quebec Sign Language was provided at the event, enabling two Deaf participants to attend. Participants also carried out interactive activities on feminist climate justice, including the production of photos and videos sharing why “Earth Needs Feminism”.

Part 2: Feminist Law Reform workshop

During this one-day workshop, participants heard presentations from several exceptional speakers, including Martha Jackman, Mélanie Lemay, Julia Tétrault-Provencher, Alexandra Dupuy and Nellie Brière. A variety of topics were covered, including how to use international law as a lever for change, how to use social media to campaign for feminist law reform, and how to write effective op-eds and briefs.

Feminist Law Reform Workshop in Whitehorse, Yukon

September 28-29, 2022

NAWL had the pleasure of holding two feminist law reform workshops in Whitehorse, Yukon, in September 2022.

The goal of these workshops is to foster the development of skills related to the advancement of a feminist law reform and to raise awareness about the importance and necessity of this reform among future generations of lawyers, social justice advocates and activists from the women’s sector.

The attendees had the opportunity to learn from incredible speakers who are leaders in their fields.

Part 1: Campaign Creation Workshop

Participants attended a presentation on feminist climate action by Madeline Tater and Aleah McCormick, two law students interning with NAWL. Afterwards, participants engaged in interactive activities related to this topic. Using a workbook created by NAWL, they created signs, photos and videos on the theme "Feminist Climate Action Now!” and discussed coalition-building strategies as well as the effective use of social media to advocate for feminist law reform.

Part 2: Feminist Law Reform Workshop

Several outstanding speakers gave presentations at this workshop, including Martha Jackman, Pamela Cross, City Councillor Michelle Friesen, Emily Tredger, Lesley McCullough, Deirdre O'Beirne-Røsæg and MP Brendan Hanley. Workshop topics included writing legal briefs and op-eds, an introduction to feminist law reform and advice on how to interact with MPs. We were also honoured to welcome Elder Betsy Jackson, who started the workshop with an opening prayer.

Image
Image
    Hero Example
    Image

      Workshops at the Law Needs Feminism Because Forum in Halifax

      February 23, 2019

      27 law students completed the two skills building NAWL workshops offered during the 3rd Law Needs Feminism Because National Forum.

      The first workshop was designed to provide feminist law students with the confidence and tools to contribute their expertise to the public discourse on feminist law reform issues. Participants received skills based training and hands-on support from Informed Opinions to strengthen their capacities to write compelling, short-form written commentary for newspaper op-ed pages and online sites on equality rights issues, with a specific focus on the right to abortion in Canada, the Canada Summer Jobs Program Attestation, and the government’s legal obligation to protect and promote women’s equality rights.

      The second workshop was on how to use social media for feminist advocacy and activism. The workshop was led by Paula Ethans—a young feminist and recent law school graduate who had completed the University of Ottawa Feminist Law Reform course in 2018.

      Image
      Image

        Feminist Law Reform Workshop in Vancouver

        May 22, 2019
        This introductory workshop on feminist law reform was held at the Law Foundation of British Columbia. The morning session of the workshop, which presented an introduction to feminist law reform, was facilitated by Suki Beavers and Rachel Kohut (NAWL Project Staff) and Pam Cross (a NAWL Project partner and member of the Project Advisory Board). The afternoon session of the workshop, which focused on strengthening advocacy skills with a focus on writing op eds, was facilitated by Shari Graydon of Informed Opinions.
        Participants included representatives from twelve women’s equality seeking groups, including:
        Participants at the Toronto Feminist Law Reform Workshop on June 10, 2019
        Women sitting at a table at the Toronto Feminist Law Reform Workshop

          Feminist Law Reform Workshop in Toronto

          June 10, 2019
          Fourteen women convened in Toronto for an introductory workshop on feminist law reform. The morning session of the workshop, which presented an introduction to feminist law reform, was facilitated by NAWL Project staff, Suki Beavers and Rachel Kohut, and NAWL Project Advisory Board member and partner, Pam Cross. The afternoon session of the workshop, which focused on strengthening advocacy skills by writing op eds, was facilitated by Laura Shine from Informed Opinions.
          Participants included representatives from nine women’s equality seeking organizations, including:
          Image

          Feminist Law Reform Workshop in Montreal

          September 13, 2019

          An introductory workshop on feminist law reform at the federal level was held in Montreal at McGill University. This workshop was facilitated in French and focused on violence against women in the context of family law, specifically divorce.

          The morning session of the workshop, which presented an introduction to feminist law reform, was facilitated by: NAWL’s new Project Director, Rachel Kohut;1In June 2019, Suki Beavers (the former Project Director) became NAWL’s Executive Director and Rachel Kohut was hired as the new Project Director. NAWL Co-Chairs, Anne Levesque and Martha Jackman; and Souhila Baba, who had participated in the introduction to FLR workshops previously convened by NAWL in Halifax in February 2019. The afternoon session, which focused on strengthening advocacy skills by writing op eds, was facilitated by Maïka Sondarjee and Laura Shine from Informed Opinions.

          At this workshop, Mathilde Trou and Louise Riendeau (Regroupement des maisons pour femmes victimes de violence), Marie-Hélène Senay (Fédération des maisons d’hébérgement pour femmes) and Karine-Myrgianie Jean-François (DisAbled Women’s Network Canada) — who participated in the Bill C-78 coalition led by NAWL and Luke’s Place — shared their respective experiences engaging in feminist law reform at the federal level.

          Amongst the fourteen participants were feminist law students and representatives of ten Quebec-based women’s equality-seeking groups including:
          Image

          Feminist Law Reform Workshop in Ottawa

          September 20, 2019

          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 Partner and Advisory Board member, Pam Cross; and Souhila Baba (who had participated in the Feminist Law Reform Workshop previously convened in Halifax). The afternoon session of the workshop, which focused on strengthening advocacy skills by writing op-eds, was facilitated by Shari Graydon, founder of Informed Opinions.

          The twenty participants included feminist law students and a diverse range of senior and junior organizational representatives from the following organizations: