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
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
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
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
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
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
In August 2016, West Coast LEAF wrote to post-secondary institutions in British Columbia about the implementation of legislation requiring them to adopt sexual violence and misconduct policies. We’re encouraged that the BC government is taking initiative to protect the rights of survivors on campus with Bill 23, the Sexual Violence and Misconduct Policy Act (“the Act”), which will … Read more Letter to Post-Secondary Institutions Regarding Sexual Misconduct Policies
Coast Salish Territory/Vancouver, B.C. – Today a Coalition on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls responded to the Federal Government’s announcement of the national Inquiry. The Federal Government has released the names of the Commissioners and the Terms of Reference (TOR) for the Inquiry. The Coalition continues to demand justice for missing and murdered … Read more Release: Coalition calls federal plan for national inquiry too vague
VANCOUVER – Today, West Coast LEAF calls on all levels of government to commit to addressing violence against Indigenous women and girls through a robust, effective national inquiry. Following decades of advocacy by Indigenous and women’s activists, the federal government finally committed to an Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in Canada. Earlier … Read more Release: Federal inquiry into missing, murdered Indigenous women lacks provincial commitment
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