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138 results for: Economic security


Release: Human rights groups call for increased welfare rates, protection of right to food

West Coast LEAF has issued a press release jointly with the BC Civil Liberties Association, Pivot Legal Society, BC Public Interest Advocacy Centre, and Community Legal Assistance Society calling on the BC government to raise social assistance rates and address the resulting epidemic of food insecurity and the dire consequences for human health and safety. The press release coincides with … Read more Release: Human rights groups call for increased welfare rates, protection of right to food



2016 CEDAW Report Card

For the 8th year in a row, West Coast LEAF has issued our CEDAW Report Card which grades BC’s progress in nine key areas in women’s rights, including access to justice, economic security, affordable housing and child care, and women’s health and safety. BC’s actions and inactions are assessed against the obligations set out in the UN Convention … Read more 2016 CEDAW Report Card



Release: BC gets low marks on report card assessing women’s equality

VANCOUVER – Today, West Coast LEAF released its eighth annual report card on women’s rights in BC. While there have been minor improvements in some of the nine key areas this year, the overwhelmingly low grades reveal that BC has once again failed to deliver on its responsibilities towards women. In particular, the Province has … Read more Release: BC gets low marks on report card assessing women’s equality



Submission on 2017 Budget Consultations

In October 2016, West Coast LEAF wrote to the Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services to call for women’s equality to be made a priority for BC’s 2017 budget. We made particular recommendations to reduce poverty, improve women’s access to justice, and address the unacceptable treatment of women in prison, including the over-incarceration of Indigenous women. Read our submission.  (PDF, … Read more Submission on 2017 Budget Consultations



Release: Discrimination case against street homeless puts equal protection to the test

VANCOUVER – Today, West Coast LEAF in coalition with the Community Legal Assistance Society (CLAS) is at the BC Court of Appeal (BCCA) in an appeal concerning discrimination against Vancouver’s street homeless population. The appeal, brought by the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association (DVBIA) and the City of Vancouver (COV), seeks to overturn a finding … Read more Release: Discrimination case against street homeless puts equal protection to the test



Release: Advocates call for people on social assistance to have equal autonomy in their relationships

VANCOUVER – West Coast LEAF is calling on the BC government to amend the law to ensure that the people living in poverty have equal freedom to choose when they are financially dependent on another person. West Coast LEAF is recommending amendments to BC’s Employment and Assistance Act and Employment and Assistance for Persons with Disabilities Act that will … Read more Release: Advocates call for people on social assistance to have equal autonomy in their relationships



Submission to the BC Ministry of Justice Regarding the Family Law Act

In September 2016, West Coast LEAF wrote to the BC Ministry of Justice in response to two consultation papers about property division and guardianship under BC’s Family Law Act. We spoke out against proposed amendments to the Act that would give guardianship to all biological parents without requiring significant involvement in caring for a child. This change would lead … Read more Submission to the BC Ministry of Justice Regarding the Family Law Act



Submission to Status of Women Canada on the Federal Strategy on Gender-Based Violence

In September 2016, West Coast LEAF submitted a letter to Status of Women Canada in response to a call for feedback on the development of a federal strategy on gender-based violence. To respond to the alarming rate of serious violence against women in relationships, including violence leading to death (intimate partner homicide), West Coast LEAF … Read more Submission to Status of Women Canada on the Federal Strategy on Gender-Based Violence



Briefing note on amending social assistance legislation to support women’s financial independence

In September 2016, we submitted a briefing note to the BC government calling for changes to the Employment Assistance Act and the Employment and Assistance for Persons with Disabilities Act that would support women’s financial independence, self-determination in relationships, and ability to flee abusers. We called for revisions to the current broad definitions of “spouse” and “dependent” in the … Read more Briefing note on amending social assistance legislation to support women’s financial independence



Letter opposing the clawback of maternity and parental leave benefits from disability assistance

In July 2016, West Coast LEAF wrote to Michelle Stilwell, Minister of Social Development and Social Innovation, to call for an end to the clawback of maternity leave and parental leave EI benefits from assistance payments for parents who are designated as Persons with Disabilities (PWD). Deducting maternity leave and parental leave benefits from disability assistance has … Read more Letter opposing the clawback of maternity and parental leave benefits from disability assistance