VANCOUVER – On September 10, 2020, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) released judgments in two cases concerning the interpretation of Ontario’s anti-Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) laws; on which BC’s Protection of Public Participation Act is modeled. In response to the decisions, the anti-violence sector urges the Supreme Court to centre the voices of survivors of … Read more Release: Supreme Court of Canada’s anti-SLAPP judgments endanger survivors of gender-based violence
In July 2020 we made submissions to the BC government’s Building BC’s Recovery Together engagement process. Our submissions explain that BC’s recovery plan must be feminist in both process and substance. We highlight the impact the pandemic is having on people who experience marginalization on the basis of gender, the essential elements of a feminist … Read more Submission to BC’s COVID Restart Plan
This month, West Coast LEAF officially turns 35 years old…
In June 2020, West Coast LEAF made submissions to the budget consultations held by the government of BC Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services. We urged the committee to keep front of mind the following fact: if we do not urgently scale up efforts to combat gender inequality, we will see long-term and major … Read more Submission to the BC Budget 2020 consultations
As Canada and the world adapts to a “new normal,” we’re grappling with the ways that the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened economic precarity…
In June 2020, West Coast LEAF made submissions to the government of Canada regarding its response to COVID-19. We highlighted the link between the COVID-19 pandemic and worsening gender disparities in Canada when it comes to financial security, safety, freedom from violence, and more. We then recommended four concrete actions the government can take to … Read more Submissions on the Canadian government’s response to COVID-19
In 2018, in anticipation of amendments to the federal Divorce Act, Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould, brought public attention to the vast scope of unpaid child support in Canada. “There are billions of dollars in unpaid child support payments in Canada and we need to do something about it – parents have to meet their obligations – and … Read more Addressing the Child Support Crisis in Canada
Back in February 2020, which now seems like a lifetime ago, West Coast LEAF signed on as an organizational endorser of Research 101: A Manifesto for Ethical Research in the Downtown Eastside. The Manifesto was developed by peer workers in the Downtown Eastside (DTES) through a six-part workshop series, in collaboration with SFU researchers. It “provide[s] guidelines … Read more Six Things to Know about The DTES Ethical Research Manifesto
VANCOUVER, UNCEDED COAST SALISH HOMELANDS – Today, West Coast LEAF released a report card assessing the BC government’s recent progress on gender equality and human rights. While recognizing that BC has taken some steps in the right direction between December 2018 and early April 2020, the BC Gender Equality Report Card also finds that many of these … Read more Release: BC Gender Equality Report Card reveals areas of progress and areas of serious concern
The BC Gender Equality Report Card 2019/2020 assesses the BC government’s progress in advancing human rights and gender justice…
