LEAF and your Body
LEAF and Your Body is an educational kit that provides resources to the community about laws that impact women’s relationships with their bodies. This includes issues such as reproductive rights, human assisted reproduction, sexual harassment and sexual assault.
One of LEAF’s most successful educational programs describes the wide-reaching relevance of the Ewanchuk decision through a workshop called No Means No. LEAF and Your Body explains consensual relationships and the role of gender discrimination in sexual assault and the impact of both on women in Canada.
To find out more or to register for a No Means No workshop please contact education@leaf.ca
Examples of LEAF Interventions Related to Sexuality and Reproductive Health
Sexual Assault
The Ewanchuk (1999) decision upheld the principle that no one can sexually touch another person without that person’s clear consent. Stereotypes about gender roles, such as believing that a woman wants to have sex because she’s acting or even dressed a certain way (“implied consent”) is not enough. Ewanchuk really goes beyond “no means no”; the message is instead: “only yes means yes”. Click for more info
Bubble Zones
In R. v Lewis (1996) and R v Demers(2003) and Watson v. R; Spratt v. R (2006), British Columbia’s Access to Abortion Services Act, that requires anti-abortion protestors to remain a certain distance away from abortion clinics was upheld. Women seeking access to abortion are entitled to equality, privacy and security of the person. The courts recognized that “health care has a fundamental value in our society…” and can therefore trump other rights, such as freedom of association, of assembly and of religion. Click for more info
Rape Shield
In R v. Darrach, The Supreme Court of Canada unanimously upheld provisions in the Criminal Code, which limit the use of a woman’s sexual past history as evidence. LEAF argued that using women’s sexual past as evidence in a sexual assault was an attack on her dignity and a violation of her equality rights. This decision upheld what are often called the “rape shield” laws, which “shield” the complainant’s past sexual history from being used against her in court to dismiss her complaint or imply consent. Click for more info
Click here to download Reproductive Rights Fact Sheet.
Materials on three other key themes can be explored by clicking below.
