Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund

The only national organization in Canada that exists to ensure the equality rights of women and girls under the law.

Today's Court

Today, when gains won are threatened, or when ways to expand women’s equality are identified, LEAF acts. By gaining intervener status at the Appellate or Supreme Court level LEAF is continually shaping the equality guarantees in Canada’s Charter. LEAF’s expertise is crucial to pushing important considerations forward.

Today's Court

Tomorrow's Promise

What does discrimination look like? What is harassment? Our Trailblazers, Youth Commission and Speakers' Bureau projects are volunteer-driven.  They provide forums for girls and women to hear and talk about equality rights in terms of their own lives and futures. It brings girls, lawyers, and educators together to learn how equality is achieved in our homes, communities and courts.

Tomorrow's Promise

Founding Mother

It’s not okay if men are treated better than women. LEAF’s founding mothers argued that at a time when many Canadians still saw women as secondary to men. By April 15, 1985, when Section 15 of Canada’s Constitution was enacted, they had made sure women’s equality rights were front and center. Two days later they formed LEAF to ensure fair interpretation of women’s rights by the courts.

Founding Mother

Your Local LEAF

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Your Local LEAF

Welcoming Our Legal Director

LEAF is pleased to announce that Kim Stanton, a human rights, equality and constitutional lawyer, will joins us as part-time Legal Director

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Litigation

Whatcott (Feb 2013) constitutionality of hate speech prohibitions in human rights legislation.  SCC rules "words matter":  hate speech causes deep harm.  

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Call for Nominations

Interested in working together in our pursuit of substantive equality?  LEAF is recruiting for our Board of Directors and all Board Committees.

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What's New

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    Welcome Diane

    LEAF welcomes Diane O’Reggio as its Executive Director. An experienced and dynamic champion and administrator of progressive organizations, Diane brings a wealth of expertise to LEAF

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  • Forsaken

    Forsaken

    LEAF marks the release this week of Forsaken: The Report of the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry. We hope that the release of the Commission’s report will draw the nation’s attention back to the plight all victims of violence who have been forsaken by the Canadian justice system, and particularly to the more than 67 victims of a serial killer whose atrocities were ignored by too many for too long.

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