Amnesty International Canada
Happy International Women's Day!
International Women’s Day is a time to take stock of achievements, reflect, and renew commitments to ensure the rights of women, girls, transgender, and non-binary individuals are respected, protected, and fulfilled.
THANK YOU for standing up for women’s rights!
12 ways women human rights defenders have shaken the world this year
Today we celebrate the contributions of women human rights defenders who collaborate, unite, and raise their voices to create seismic shifts in the power structures and systems at the root of gender inequality. Their collective advocacy—often undertaken despite serious risks to their safety and well-being—changes social norms, laws, and step by step is building a more just and equitable world.
We recognize the size of the work remaining in Canada and around the world, but together, we are moving - and we will continue to move - ever closer to a world where people of all genders have equal access to power and opportunities.
>>12 women's human rights achievements in the past year
Calling on Canada to end gender-based violence
Initiatives have been undertaken by various levels of government over many years to prevent gender-based violence and support survivors, and yet, rates of violence are not decreasing.
Canada’s self-proclaimed feminist government has announced policies and programs to address gender inequality and these initiatives are a step in the right direction.
But this collection of piecemeal initiatives will not lead to transformative and lasting change that ensures that every person in Canada, representing a beautiful diversity of genders and identities, has equal opportunity to have their rights to live free from violence and discrimination equally and fully respected, protected, and fulfilled.
Canada urgently needs A National Action Plan to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence in Canada to help fulfill the fundamental human right to live free from violence.
Read more: Why Canada needs a National Action Plan on Gender-Based Violence >>>
Join Amnesty International in calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to end gender-based violence now!
A feminist policy can guide all policymaking in Canada
Today we celebrate International Women’s Day by analyzing why a feminist policy can guide all policymaking in Canada. Jayne Stoyles, executive director of Amnesty International Canada believes that a feminist foreign policy is what Canada needs the most — one centred on addressing the historical and structural gender power imbalances at the root of gender inequality, and their intersection with race, ethnicity, and other identity factors.
"Canada must be held to the same rigorous standards as other countries to address the root causes of persistent gender inequality here at home."
Canada certainly does need a feminist policy to guide all of its policy-making and programming, to end gender inequality both in Canada and abroad.
Read full Opinion Editorial >>
Azza, an incredible woman who hasn’t given up the fight
Azza Soliman is a prominent lawyer and women's human rights defender who has been persecuted by the Egyptian government for almost 30 years. She is unfairly targeted for standing up for women’s rights.
Azza’s courageous and selfless work led to her being labelled a spy and a national security threat by the Egyptian authorities. Now, she is facing charges such as receiving foreign funding in order to slander Egypt’s image. Azza has been banned from travel, her assets have been frozen and she could face time in prison.
“The struggle to enhance and support women and human rights is long and tiring,” says Azza. “Yet, I still have hope.”
Across the world, women human rights defenders like Azza face threats, harassment, smear campaigns and sexual abuse just because they're women who speak out publicly against inequality and injustice.
Please urge Egypt's authorities to drop all charges against Azza and restore her freedom immediately >>>
Good news: Teodora is now a free woman
Last month we announced the thrilling news that Teodora del Carmen Vásquez has been released after a court reduced her sentence. She was forced to spend a decade behind bars in El Salvador after having pregnancy-related complications resulting in stillbirth.
Thank you to all of those who took action by sending solidarity messages and writing letters on Teodora's behalf during Write for Rights 2015!
Women like Teodora who suffer miscarriages and stillbirths are accused of having an abortion, imprisoned, and suffer terrible conditions: they are in cramped, tiny spaces, sleeping on the ground, sweltering in intense heat, and separated from their families and young children.
No one should suffer like this. Your donation will help others like Teodora
Honouring Tina Fontaine through action
15-year-old Tina Fontaine from Sagkeeng First Nation was murdered in Winnipeg in 2014. In February 2018 the person on trial for her murder was acquitted. We express our deepest sympathy to Tina’s family and we call all governments to honour her through concrete action to address violence against Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit people in Canada.
The murder of Tina Fontaine demonstrated a brutal indifference to the lives and inherent worth of First Nations, Inuit and Métis women, girls and two-spirited persons; an indifference that has become commonplace and entrenched across the country.
Today, it is more important than ever to have concrete assurance from the federal, provincial and territorial governments that the testimony that families have shared with the Inquiry will be honoured with meaningful and concrete action.
Please write a letter calling on Minister of Indigenous Services Jane Philpott to close the gap in supports for Indigenous women and girls escaping violence >>
Read: Why we must honour Tina Fontaine>>
A Better Man: Gender-based violence in Canada
Attiya Khan is a Canadian activist and filmmaker who decided to document her journey as she reconnects with her abusive ex-partner.
As a result, A Better Man is a film which seeks to shift and further the discussion on gender-based violence in Canada.
“I hope that sharing my personal search for justice and healing will contribute to the struggle to end domestic violence,” said Attiya.
>>Read more on how to get involved!
Take action now: Call on Canada to develop a national action plan on gender-based violence>>
Cyberhate targeting women
Online violence and abuse against women is an extension of offline actions. It can include direct and indirect threats of violence, such as physical or sexual threats.
Did you know that one in four women around the world has experienced abuse or harassment online, much of it disturbingly aggressive? Blackmailing, revenge porn, discrimination, non-consensual revelation of personal documents and insulting comments are types of abuse that often leave women traumatized and anxious.
“There were floods and floods of…hateful, racist and sexist comments and slurs. I was on a neo-Nazi website, and their followers were being encouraged to mob attack me on YouTube and Twitter.”
Perpetrators and Internet trolls are not fantastical beings living under bridges, but ordinary people who deliberately post abusive comments. Governments and social media companies must do more to stop them!
Learn More: Read about online abuse against women
Feminist Wikipedia Takeover
We are thrilled and excited to launch the new initiative: The Feminist Wikipedia takeover to mark International Women's Day 2018 in Canada.
The campaign aims to promote gender equality in the free, online, open source dictionary Wikipedia by populating it with bias-free profiles on the contributions of women, transgender, and gender non-binary human rights defenders in Canada.
Gender bias is recognized as one of the most frequent criticisms of Wikipedia, with a page on the site devoted entirely to the issue.
"Gender bias on Wikipedia refers to criticism of the online encyclopedia, and especially its English-language site, that the nature and quantity of its content is biased due to the fact that a dominant majority of volunteer Wikipedia editors are male,” according to Wikipedia.
We can take control. Progress is urgently needed to address risks, including in the online space where women, transgender and non-binary people too often encounter harassment, gender bias, trolling, and other forms of oppression.
Learn more: Read about the Feminist Wikipedia Takeover>>
Amnensty SOS: They can’t wait
This week we are celebrating the advocacy of women who care about others – by also increasing the visibility of their work online!
That's why we are excited to announce that the Amnesty SOS app is now available to download >>
From the palm of your hands you can take urgent action on women’s rights, LGBTI rights, prisoners of conscience and protect people and communities at risk.
Use Amnesty SOS to take individual action, to encourage friends and family to raise their voices for human rights or bring it to events and use it as a tool to collect many signatures and amplify your impact.
Download Amnesty SOS app, available for iPhone and Android
Celebrate International Women's Day with the Amnesty Book Club
Join the Amnesty Book Club as we celebrate International Women’s Day with Brown Girl in the Ring by Jamaican-Canadian female writer Nalo Hopkinson.
The novel draws on Afro-Caribbean culture with themes of folklore and magical realism. It was the winning entry in the Warner Aspect First Novel Contest.
Brown Girl in the Ring was recommended for the Amnesty International Book Club by guest reader Sarah Raughley, a writer for young adults and author of The Effigies book series.
Sign up for the Book Club and read this month's discussion guide on Brown Girl in the Ring >>
Important step towards justice for women's human rights defender Berta Cáceres
On March 2, Honduran authorities arrested Roberto David Castillo, executive president of the company building the controversial dam that Berta Cáceres and her organization COPINH had campaigned to stop. Castillo, a former military intelligence officer, is alleged to have masterminded the murder to silence Berta’s powerful voice.
Berta’s family is convinced this arrest is due to two years of pressure by organizations inside and outside Honduras. It is vital that we keep up the pressure. Nine people have now been detained on charges of involvement in the killing but no one has been brought to trial or justice amid an investigation that seemed intent on cover up. Lack of justice sends a chilling message that human rights defenders can be killed with impunity if they dare question those with power in Honduras.
Please raise your voice to demand justice for Berta and protection for other brave water and land defenders under attack in Honduras >>
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