“My people will sleep for one hundred years, but when they awake, it will be the artists who give them their spirit back.”- Louis Riel The above quote from Metis leader Louis Riel has been resonating with me, as I reflect on the incredible richness of the Indigenous arts scene across Turtle Island (North America) and … Read more A mixtape to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day
One of the ways that West Coast LEAF uses the law as a tool for social change is through public legal education. Our public legal education program encourages people to think critically about the law and society, and to understand and exercise their legal rights. For the last 20 years, part of the way we conduct our … Read more Celebrating 20 Years of Youth-to-Youth Legal Education
West Coast LEAF provided submissions as part of a public consultation process on modernizing the Employment Standards Act. We explained how gender-based discrimination results in particular difficulties in the labour force for women and gender and sexual minorities, and we called for legal protections to help ensure that people of all genders can participate in the … Read more Submissions regarding the Employment Standards Act
In March 2019, West Coast LEAF submitted input as part of the consultation regarding a universal basic income in BC. We shared our analysis of the gendered dimensions of poverty and echoed the call of BC Poverty Reduction Coalition (of which we are a member) to implement a basic income framework only if it is grounded in … Read more Submission to the BC Basic Income Consultation
VICTORIA – Today, the provincial government released Budget 2019. The budget takes important steps towards addressing poverty in the province. The budget also leaves disappointing gaps in services that will disproportionately impact women and other people impacted by gender-based discrimination. “This budget indicates political will to address poverty and implements some important measures to address … Read more Release: Budget 2019 brings welcome improvements in benefits but falls short on legal aid
Read our 2018 Annual Report. to learn about West Coast LEAF’s work for gender justice in the 2017/2018 fiscal year. Publications
On December 6th, 2018, the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women, West Coast LEAF released our 10th annual CEDAW Report Card, grading BC on nine issues impacting women’s human rights, including child protection, a new section introduced this year. The Report Card assesses BC’s record in 2018 in relation to obligations set out … Read more 2018 CEDAW Report Card
VANCOUVER – Today, West Coast LEAF released its 10th annual Report Card on the rights of women in BC. The report card shows that although BC’s grades have improved in six areas, further progress is needed for the province to satisfy its international obligations to women’s human rights. Advancements in areas such as child care are encouraging, but … Read more Release: Report card on gender equality in BC released
Case summary This is a family law case concerning the ability of courts to retroactively change a child support order after a child has reached adulthood. The parties resided together as common law spouses for four years, during which time they had a child together. After the end of the relationship, their daughter lived with … Read more Michel v Graydon [2019]
In October 2018, West Coast LEAF urged BC’s Finance Committee to make gender equality a budget priority for 2019. In particular, we highlighted the gendered dynamics of poverty and called for BC to invest in measures to promote economic security. Read our submissions. Submissions