There has been a “systematic erosion of the human rights of women and girls in Canada” since 2004, says a new report from a coalition of labour and women’s groups.
The coalition says their report is a “reality check” for the Harper government, which has painted a positive picture of gender equality in Canada ahead of a UN conference in March.
Read the full report here. Examples of the recent erosion of gender equality in Canada:
- Elimination of the phrase “gender equality” from the mandate of Status of Women
- Closure of 12 of 16 Status of Women offices
- Elimination of funding to the court challenges program, which provided assistance to court cases related to equality rights guaranteed under Canada’s constitution
- Senior policy advisors within the office of the Prime Minister with strong links to anti-feminist organizations
“Canada no longer compares favourably against other nations in assessments of gender equality and the gender gap,” say the report. “For example, in 2004 the World Economic Forum Gender Gap Index, Canada was ranked 7th. In the 2009 Gender Gap Index, Canada ranked 25th. In 2009, Canada was ranked 73rd in the UN Gender Disparity Index.”
For more federal politics coverage, read Dale Smith’s blog on Xtra.ca – Hill Queeries. Updated every weekday.
Read more:
- Evangelicals get top PMO jobs after shuffle
- Meet Harper’s new anti-gay speechwriter
- Harper government axes funding for court challenges program
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