The B.C. CEDAW Group is a coalition of women’s non-governmental and non-profit British Columbia organizations that are committed to advancing the equality interests of women and girls. The coalition first came together in 2002 to prepare a submission on the province of British Columbia to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, on the occasion of the Committee’s review of Canada’s fifth report under the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

The B.C. CEDAW Group re-formed in 2008 to prepare this submission for the review of Canada’s Sixth and Seventh reports under the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

Inaction and Inequality

On Friday, the Government created a new exemption––the 25th. Now those who follow their employment plans and are seeking work will be exempted from the 24-month time limit. Though this is an encouraging development, the Government still has to go the full course and remove the time limit from the books.

Take The Welfare Time Limit Off the Books

Letter to the Prime Minister Paul Martin and Premier Gordon Campbell  (February 2004)

British Columbia is the only province in Canada to place a time limit on welfare eligibility. From diverse perspectives, many people are concerned about the harmful results of this harsh and unprecedented new rule. This report is a response to numerous requests that the Poverty and Human Rights Project has received from concerned groups and individuals for an analysis of the human rights implications of the 24 month cut off rule.

The Right to Social Assistance: 14 Questions and Answers (October 2003)

The B.C. CEDAW Group’s submission to the Standing Committee on Finance, outlining that the federal government, when considering spending priorities, must take into account 1) the negative impact on women of recent cuts and changes to social programs and services made in the Province of British Columbia and 2) the domestic and international human rights law that guarantees equality to women in Canada.

Moving Forward on Women’s Equality, Brief to the Standing Committee on Finance Pre-Budget Consultation (September 2003)

B.C. is not meeting its obligations to women under international human rights law. That was the clear message of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in comments issued recently in New York City.

The U.N. Committee singled out the province of British Columbia for criticism in its review of Canada’s compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). The Committee is concerned about the disproportionately negative impact on women and girls of a number of recent changes in British Columbia, including: funding cuts to legal aid and welfare assistance; narrowed eligibility rules for welfare; the elimination of the freestanding Ministry of Women’s Equality; the abolition of the independent Human Rights Commission; the closing of a number of courthouses; cuts in support programmes for victims of domestic violence; and proposed changes regarding prosecution of domestic violence.

UN Singles Out B.C. Government on Women’s Rights

B.C. CEDAW Report: British Columbia Moves Backwards on Women’s Equality, prepared by the Poverty and Human Rights Project for 12 women’s and anti-poverty organizations in British Columbia (January 2003)

The BC Housing Corporation dropped proceedings against the 54 Woodwards squatters charged in October with contempt of court for occupying a publicly-owned and vacant building. The Corporation seems to have realized that continuing the contempt proceedings against the “Woodwards 54” would have increased the public’s sympathy for the protesters, and further underlined the contempt that the provincial government is guilty of––its contempt for the rights of people who need homes.

Who’s in Contempt Over the Woodward’s Squat? (Nov 2002)

For the second time in twenty years, the Government of British Columbia has decided to abolish its Human Rights Commission. If the draft legislation set out in Bill 53 passes, the Commission will be erased again, this time in the name of providing British Columbians with a new, more efficient “direct access” model of human rights enforcement.

Proposed Human Rights Legislation Gets Failing Grade (Sept 2002)