Human Rights

From Rio to Tokyo, gender discrimination in sport continues

August 25th, 2016 by Katie Douglas

This article was first published on rabble.ca

Caster Semenya, a South-African woman, ran and won the women’s 800-metre race at the 2016 Rio Olympics on Saturday night. Semenya has hyperandrogenism, a condition that causes her body to produce more testosterone than the average woman. Controversy around Semenya dates back to 2009 when she was forced to undergo blood and chromosome tests and a gynecological exam to prove that she is a woman. Many have argued that her high testosterone levels give her an unfair athletic advantage and she should either take medication to bring her testosterone levels in line with those of average women or be barred from competing.

This controversy brings to light one of society’s most persistent and destructive myths — that sex is a binary concept and our deeply entrenched view of the two genders and their respective roles is to be upheld in all areas from domestic tasks to sporting competitions. Athletes like Semenya are important because her participation raises the arbitrary and exclusive nature of this falsehood and the question of what society is going to do about it on an international and high‑profile stage. Continue reading “From Rio to Tokyo, gender discrimination in sport continues”

New Accessible Customer Service Standards come into force July 1st. Are you ready?

June 22nd, 2016 by Katie Douglas

On July 1, 2016, the Accessible Customer Service Standards under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (the AODA) are changing. The changes apply to all organizations in Ontario with one or more employees that provide goods or services to the public.

The AODA is organized into five ‘standards’: customer service, information and communications, transportation, employment, and the design of public spaces. These standards are being phased in gradually and will be fully implemented in 2025. We’ve previously written about the new employment standards coming into force under the AODA in 2017. Those changes apply to all organizations with fewer than 50 employees. Read up on them here.

Below is a brief summary of the changes coming July 1st under the Customer Service Standard. Organizations with questions or which are unsure if they are meeting their obligations under the AODA are encouraged to contact us. Continue reading “New Accessible Customer Service Standards come into force July 1st. Are you ready?”

Small organizations: new accessibility standards apply to you starting 2017

May 31st, 2016 by Katie Douglas

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (the AODA) removes barriers to participation in society for people with disabilities by requiring organizations to follow various “Accessibility Standards.” Currently, small organizations –organizations with 1 to 49 employees – must meet two Accessibility Standards. The first, Information and Communications Standards, require that, if requested, organizations provide or arrange for communication supports (e.g.. sign language interpreters) and information in accessible formats (e.g. large type brochures) for people with disabilities. Further, small organizations that provide goods or services to members of the public (e.g. a food co‑operative) must meet the Customer Service Standards which require that they provide their goods and services in a way that is accessible to people with disabilities, including accommodating service animals. Continue reading “Small organizations: new accessibility standards apply to you starting 2017”

Bill C-16 introduces transgender protections but keeps Harper’s damaging human rights legacy

May 26th, 2016 by Shelina Ali

This article was first published on rabble.ca

Last week, the Liberal government introduced Bill C-16, an Act to Amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code of Canada to protect transgender individuals from discrimination and hate propaganda. The bill is almost identical to Bill C-279, a private member’s bill introduced in 2012 by NDP MP Randall Garrison. The two bills seek to make very simple amendments to the Canadian Human Rights Act (CHRA) and the Criminal Code of Canada (Criminal Code): to provide protection from discrimination and from hate propaganda based on gender identity or expression.

The history and fate of the previous Bill C-279, together with prior amendments to the CHRA carried out by the Harper government in 2012 under Bill C-304, provide important insight into why the reintroduction of these amendments is so important — but also how, through Bill C-16, the Liberal government has failed to take advantage of a crucial opportunity to undo Harper’s damaging impact on the scope of equality rights protections available to Canadians under the CHRA. Continue reading “Bill C-16 introduces transgender protections but keeps Harper’s damaging human rights legacy”

Inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women brings hope and challenges

April 28th, 2016 by Safia Lakhani

This article was first published on rabble.ca

On December 8, 2015, the federal government announced that it was launching a national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women. The announcement followed repeated calls for action by human rights advocates and Aboriginal women’s groups who have reported an overrepresentation of Indigenous women amongst Canada’s missing and murdered women. While the RCMP estimated that 1,012 Indigenous women were missing or murdered between 1980 and 2012, the number is expected to be higher than 1,200, and possibly as high as 4,000.

Since the government’s announcement, many have expressed high hopes for the inquiry. A recent headline in the Toronto Star went so far as to state that the inquiry, properly conducted, “could heal decades-old wounds and perhaps begin to restore trust in the justice system.” To be sure, the inquiry represents a departure from the Harper government’s reductive characterization of the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women as a familial issue, rather than one borne of poverty, marginalization and systematic racism towards Indigenous peoples, and girls and women, in particular.

But is the public’s faith in the healing powers of the inquiry justified? What tangible changes will it bring about? And what challenges may the commission face in carrying it out? Continue reading “Inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women brings hope and challenges”

Homophobia in pro-sports is a big problem: we’ve got a long way to go

April 25th, 2016 by Michael Hackl

While sitting in the penalty box during the third period of the April 19 playoff game between the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues, Andrew Shaw of the Blackhawks shouted what appeared to be a homophobic slur at somebody on the ice.  After the game, Shaw was asked what he had said and answered “emotions are high … I don’t know what I said.”  Twitter comments on the incident ranged from those that took issue with Shaw’s apparent acts to others that, unfortunately, suggested that what had happened was no big deal.  Let’s be clear – it is a big deal, and should be treated as such. Continue reading “Homophobia in pro-sports is a big problem: we’ve got a long way to go”