Academics such as Anne Orford have challenged feminists who operate at the intersections of law, equality, and social justice to imagine a rights framework that avoids reproducing the pervasive and often unspoken assumptions of imperialism and patriarchy. To me, feminist governance frameworks challenge masculinist and Eurocentric approaches to labour, decision-making, and communication by calling on us to actively reimagine … Read more A feminist governance framework recipe
In January 2020, West Coast LEAF provided input on modernizing BC’s regulation of health professions to address sexual violence in a consistent and comprehensive way. Our recommendations included undertaking a meaningful and accessible consultation process (including with survivors of sexual violence), providing greater direction to the bodies regulating health professions about how to prevent and … Read more Submission on regulating health professions
Read our 2019 Annual Report. to learn about West Coast LEAF’s work for gender justice in the 2018/2019 fiscal year. Publications
In December 2019, West Coast LEAF and Rise Women’s Legal Centre collaborated to respond to the BC government’s request for input about proposed new Provincial Court Family Rules. We urged the government to adopt a framework that would take into account the realities of gender-based violence and reduce barriers in access to justice. We also made the … Read more Submission on Provincial Court Family Rules
Today, a coalition of BC anti-violence organizations intervened in Maia Bent, et al. v. Howard Platnick, et al. at the Supreme Court of Canada. The coalition, including Atira Women’s Resource Society, Battered Women’s Support Services (BWSS), Salal Sexual Violence Support Centre (formerly WAVAW Rape Crisis Centre) and West Coast LEAF, is calling on the Supreme Court of Canada to interpret anti-SLAPP legislation … Read more Release: Anti-SLAPP legislation must ensure the dignity, safety and equality rights of survivors of gender-based violence, says BC Coalition to Supreme Court of Canada
Case summary These two cases about strategic lawsuits against public participation (“SLAPP suits”) were heard together by the Supreme Court of Canada. SLAPP suits commonly take the form of defamation claims and may often be used to silence dissenting views or to intimidate. Defamation claims are increasingly being used as a legal weapon against survivors … Read more Maia Bent, et al. v Howard Platnick, et al.; 1704604 Ontario Limited v Pointes Protection Association, et al. [2019]
What does a feminist education look like to you? We’d like to think it includes teaching students about justice, encouraging critical thinking about power and inequality, and giving young people tools that they can use to help themselves and others to live happily and freely. With the addition of a social justice elective for grade 12 students and the work being … Read more Five ways to bring feminism into the high school classroom
West Coast LEAF wrote to the Mayor and Council of the City of Vancouver in support of a motion to investigate pervasive sexual harassment and sexual assault in the hospitality industry and identify steps the City can take to promote safer workplaces. Read our letter. Submissions
Commencing in 2016, West Coast LEAF partnered with the YWCA-Metro Vancouver on a project aimed at identifying strategies to reduce barriers in the justice system for sexual assault survivors through dialogue among key stakeholders, including frontline anti-violence activists and service providers, police, former Crown, retired judges, academics, and defense counsel. In fall 2018, we released We Are Here: Women’s Experiences … Read more Letter urging BC to invest in a rights-based framework for survivors of sexual assault
In June 2019, West Coast LEAF, EVA BC and Surrey Women’s Centre wrote to the Attorney General of BC to call for adequate legal aid for anti-violence organizations facing applications to disclose client counselling records to defense counsel as part of sexual assault cases. As it stands now, anti-violence organizations with very limited budgets are being forced to cover … Read more Letter calling for legal aid for anti-violence organizations protecting clients’ counselling records
