povertyandhumanrights.org » women’s poverty

Nothing to report: Submission of the B.C. CEDAW Group

phrc — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 20:37:20 +0000

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 B.C. CEDAW GROUP MADE SUBMISSIONS to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women at the time of its reviews of Canada in 2003 and 2008.

THE B.C. CEDAW GROUP ALSO MADE SUBMISSIONS to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in 2006, and participated in the preparation of the Canadian non-governmental report for the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Universal Peri-

odic Review of Canada in 2009.

THE GOAL OF THE COALITION is to ensure that governments in British Columbia comply with their human rights obligations to women.

Nothing to Report

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

phrc — Mon, 29 Sep 2003 03:50:02 +0000

The B.C. CEDAW Group submits 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

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)

UN singles out BC government on women’s rights (March 2003)

phrc — Sat, 01 Mar 2003 03:30:13 +0000

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.

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

phrc — Thu, 23 Jan 2003 04:25:24 +0000

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, submitted to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women on the occasion of the review of Canada’s 5th report on its compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

Beyond the Social and Economic Rights Debate: Substantive Equality Speaks to Poverty (2002)

phrc — Thu, 01 Aug 2002 15:54:33 +0000

An emerging issue in Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms1 jurisprudence is the defeat of poverty-related challenges based on their characterization as ‘social and economic’ rights claims. In a variety of cases, governments have argued, with some success in lower courts, that the Charter is a negative rights instrument—a document of civil and political rights rather than of social and economic rights— which does not impose positive obligations on governments to assume a redistributive role. Tension about this issue is increasing as governments in Canada pursue cost-cutting agendas that diminish protections from poverty, and people are turning to the courts because they have no place else to go.

Beyond the Social and Economic Rights Debate: Substantive Equality Speaks to Poverty (2002)