Gender equality

On the surface, the Shafia murder case doesn’t look like a “political” issue at all. The horrifying killing of four innocent women by family members near Kingston nearly three years ago could easily be seen as simply the tragic drama of an individual family, not a matter for analysis and action in the broader Canadian socio-political context. On reflection, however, that individualized assessment breaks down. In fact, the Shafia murders raise issues of a highly political nature which demand the attention of all progressive Canadians.

Le massacre de l’École Polytechnique à Montréal, il y a 18 ans, n’est malheureusement pas un cas isolé. Tous les 6 décembre, nous honorons la mémoire des quatorze femmes assassinées à l’occasion de la Journée nationale de commémoration et d’action contre la violence faite aux femmes, mais souvenons-nous aussi de nos 500 sœurs autochtones disparues ou assassinées, et de toutes les personnes qui ont subi les conséquences de la violence.

When feminism becomes its own form of oppression, what do we have to say about it? Western notions of polite discourse are not the norm for everyone, and just because we hear and use buzzwords like “intersectionality” in equity-seeking movements, doesn’t necessarily mean we're 'walking the talk' (i.e. actually being anti-racist). 

(Vancouver) It’s time for a complete overhaul of BC’s legal aid system, according to a new report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and West Coast LEAF (Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund). “Our system is in crisis,” says Alison Brewin, Executive Director of West Coast LEAF and co-author of the study. “Slashing legal aid services only saves money in the very short term. When people lack legal representation, cases are less likely to be resolved outside of court, and can lead to lengthy trials that are extremely costly to the public.”