Canada has unveiled plans to introduce a “feminist international assistance policy” that will see at least 95 percent of Canadian foreign aid allocated to help women and girls by 2021.
Tag: Canada
What a Real Feminist Foreign Policy Looks Like
Building the bricks and mortar of gender equity in other countries isn’t straightforward. But it can be done.
How Canada Finally Axed Its Federal Tampon Tax
As American activists embark on a journey to end the so-called “tampon tax,” they’ll want to look to activists in countries that have successfully lifted similar taxes in recent times. Canada happens to be one of those nations. According to canadianmentruators.ca, Canadians collectively spent $519,976,963 on menstrual products in 2014 (before tax). With a 5 […]
We (Tentatively) Heart: Canada’s Feminist Prime Minister
While it’s still a little too early to heart him wholeheartedly (pun intended), we’re showing some tentative love for Canada’s new prime minister-elect, Justin Trudeau. In an interview that aired earlier this week, the soon-to-be PM addressed a wide range of feminist concerns, including sexual assault, victim-blaming and sexism on Parliament Hill, and declared that he’s “proud […]
Powerful Photos Show the Crisis Facing Canada’s Aboriginal Women
Between 1980 and 2012, more than 1,100 Aboriginal women in Canada were murdered, and in 2013 there were 164 Aboriginal women who had been missing for more than 30 days. Those numbers come into shocking relief when the small population of Aboriginal—also known as First Nations—women is compared with the total number of missing and […]
We Heart: Comedians Take Down the Tampon Tax, Taylor Swift-Style
Periods are even worse than you thought—and not just because no one told you you don’t need to be chained to the tyranny of the tampon. In case you aren’t familiar with the intricacies of the American tax code, “necessities” or “non-luxury” items are exempted from sales tax as people must buy them in order to survive. […]
Canada is Blaming Sexual Assault on “Biological Wiring”
In March, retired Canadian Supreme Court Justice Marie Deschamps published a report detailing the cultural factors that contribute to the high levels of harassment, date rape and other forms of assault in the Canadian military. Earlier this month, CBC news released an interview with Canadian Chief of Defense Staff General Tom Lawson, who had something […]
To Veil or Not to Veil: The Twisted Logic of Canada’s Prime Minister
Fear-mongering about the alleged threats of the Muslim faith took a decidedly Canadian turn last month when Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper declared in Parliament that covering one’s face with a niqab (a headscarf that covers every part of a woman’s face but her eyes) is “rooted in a culture that is anti-women.” Using pro-equality rhetoric to […]
Every City Needs a Trans Awareness Campaign Like this One
Vancouver is consistently named one of the most livable cities in the world, and its Park Board recently launched a program that’s making it even more appealing. Hillcrest Community Centre, built during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, became host this week to a series of posters raising awareness about the trans community and issues facing […]
Ode to My High School Health Teacher
Back when I was a public school student in Toronto, my sex-ed classes—while certainly better than the abstinence-only education many American and some Canadian children receive—were inconsistent; sometimes helpful and sometimes bizarre. Take, for instance, my 7th grade experience. Our teacher pulled out flash cards of different relationship “steps” (think: holding hands, kissing, oral sex, intercourse, […]