The Right Honourable Stephen Harper, P.C., MP
Prime Minister of Canada
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2
Dear Prime Minister:
We, the undersigned organizations and women’s human rights defenders, are deeply concerned regarding Canada’s actions during the ongoing 23rd Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC), which have weakened the annual HRC resolution on violence against women. As it stands now, the resolution fails to reflect the views of many governments and civil society organizations regarding the crucial linkages between sexual and reproductive health and rights issues and the resolution theme of “sexual violence.”
In the past, the Government of Canada has taken a leadership role in seeking to create advances to protect women from violence, as recent as April 11, 2013 when Canada pledged $5 million to G8 efforts targeting sexual violence in conflict zones.
The approach to the new resolution has been regressive. It represents a serious attack on women’s rights and the health and wellbeing of survivors of sexual violence. The Government of Canada has used its role as chair of the negotiations to block commitment to provide access to a comprehensive package of services that are essential to survivors of sexual violence. Numerous governments and civil society organizations insist that these services must explicitly include: access to essential sexual and reproductive health services including emergency contraception, safe abortion (including review of laws that restrict access to abortion in cases of pregnancy resulting from rape), post-exposure prophylaxis for HIV infection, and diagnosis and treatment for sexually transmitted infections. In addition to this, the Canadian government has blocked the inclusion of references to critical prevention strategies, including providing comprehensive sexuality education to adolescents, which challenge gender stereotypes and norms and promote gender equality, therefore contributing to eliminating all forms of gender-based violence, stigma and discrimination.
Blocking references to the full realization of women’s human rights, by refusing to secure the access of survivors of sexual violence to essential sexual and reproductive health services, constitutes not only a troubling departure from Canadian law but also legally-binding international treaties to which Canada is a party, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Moreover, this position alienates Canada’s traditional allies, who continue to express grave concern regarding Canada’s failure to recognize the linkages between sexual and reproductive health and rights and sexual violence.
In addition to concerns about the content of the resolution, we are concerned about the tone of the negotiation process. Actions of the Government of Canada, which chairs negotiations of the annual HRC resolution on violence against women, have hampered the negotiation process. This has included circulating drafts of the resolution only a short time before negotiation meetings thereby hindering other governments’ abilities to engage meaningfully in the negotiations, and not including numerous critical proposals pertaining to sexual and reproductive rights and health that were made during negotiations that had broad support from governments and received no opposition comments.
We call on the Canadian government to include (at a minimum) the following operational provisions in the text, which commit to:
1. Providing survivors of sexual violence with essential sexual and reproductive health services;
2. Providing comprehensive sexuality education to adolescents which would promote not just sexual and reproductive health and rights but also gender equality, and hence reduce gender-based violence; and
3. Reviewing abortion laws and regulations that restrict or deny access to safe abortion in cases of pregnancy resulting from rape.
Failing to include these references represents a significant roll back on international agreements, including the recent 57th Session on the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), which will result in serious consequences for women’s rights at the UN, and at the national level, including for survivors of sexual violence.
In line with the above recommendations, at a minimum, this resolution must reflect and not deliver less than what was agreed at this past CSW. We trust that you will take this matter seriously by taking immediate action to ensure the full integration of the above into the text.
Sincerely,
(Please see list of signatories below)
CC: Honourable John Baird, P.C., MP
Minister of Foreign Affairs
House of Commons
Ottawa, ONK1A 0A6
CC Paul Dewar
NDP Foreign Affairs Critic
House of Commons
Ottawa, ONK1A 0A6
CC Bob Rae
Liberal Foreign Affairs Critic
House of Commons
Ottawa, ONK1A 0A6
Signatory organizations
Action Canada for Population and Development (now Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights)
Action ontarienne contre la violence faite aux femmes (AOcVF)
Akahata
Amnesty International Canada
ASTRA Central and Eastern European Women’s Network for Sexual and Reproductive Rights and Health
ASTRA Youth Central and Eastern European Women’s Network for Sexual and Reproductive Rights and Health
Canadian Auto Workers Union (CAW)
Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies
Canadian Association of Social Workers
Canadian Council for International Co-Operation (CCIC)
Canadian Council of Muslim Women (CCMW)
Canadian Federation for Sexual Health
Canadian Federation of Business and Professional Women
Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW)
Canadians For Choice
Canadian Union of Postal Workers
Canadian Unions of Public Employees (CUPE)
Canada Without Poverty
Canadian Women’s Foundation/Foundation canadienne des femmes
Center for Reproductive Rights
Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL)
Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Unions of Canada
Creating Resources for Empowerment in Action (CREA)
Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (International)
Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR)
Fair(e) Enough Inc.
Federation for Women and Family Planning, Poland
Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS (GYCA)
Harmony House, Ottawa, ON
International Women’s Health Coalition (IWHC)
Institute for International Women’s Rights – Manitoba
MATCH International
McLeod Group
Minority Women in Action (MWA)
Mouvement Français pour le Planning Familial
National Council of Women Canada
Ontario Federation of Labour
Oxfam Canada
Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC)
Transition House Association of Nova Scotia
Rutgers WPF
Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI)
West Coast Women’s Legal Education Action Fund (LEAF)
Women’s Legal Education Action Fund (LEAF)
World Federalist Movement – Canada
Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights
YWCA Canada
Signatory women’s human rights defenders/défenseurs des droits humains des femmes signataires:
Aidan McFarlane
Alecsa Mackinnon Blair Alexa Johns Alexandria Novokowsky Allison Webster Amelie Laporte Amy thirst Andrea Fernandez Angela Huser Ann Braithwaite Anna Veeder Annabelle Mineault Annapurna Moffatt Anne Langdji Anni Buelles Ashley Wheaton Ashmeela Ahmad Barbara Lyske Bedelia Bloodyknuckle Bonnie Pearson Brendan Glauser Brian Delaney Canadians for Choice Carol Leigh carolyn johnston Carolyn Rumsey Cheryl Dendoff Christiane Nkolo Claire Cameron Claire Duffy Claudine Jacques Craig Peters Crystal Casey Dan German Daniel Cayley-Daoust Daniel van Heest David Rogalsky Deane Aguilar Deanna Ogle Devon Crick Devon MacFarlane Diana Sarosi Elizabeth Dandy Elizabeth Pickett Erika Reis Evan Johnston Forrest Wieler France Laferriere Franki Harrogate Fraser Mackinnon Blair Georgia Foster Gladu de Vette Alexia Gladys Radek Gordon Hill Heather Burley Heather Gibb Hilary Brown Ian Weniger Isaac Campbell Jacqueline Hansen Jamie Eberle Jamie Murray Jane Doyle Janine Farrell Jeff deValk Jennifer Burgess Jennifer Kaleta Jo-Ann Rodrigues Joni Di Placido Jonquil Garrick Josh Lepinsky Josie Baker Joyce Arthur Julie Caron Julie White K B Kathleen Heaney Katherine MacDonald Kathleen May Katrina Nokleby |
Kayla Vick
Keith Higgins Kelsey Croft Kristine St-Pierre Lana Fox Laura Manning Laura Track Laura Wershler Laurie Martin Leigh Elliott Leigh Naturkach Leilani Farha Leonie Johns Linda MacDonald Lindsay Bush Lindsay Roberts Lisa Blair Lisa Redekop Llynn Byrne lori hirtelen Lorlie Copeland Lorraine Serrano Margaret S. Martin Marie Cuillerier Marie Hammond-Callaghan Marie Lemay Marie Shoup Marilyn Carpenter Mark Olacke Martha Villeda Martin Dufresne Mary Leong Mayssam Zaaroura Michael Beck Mike Thorpe Monique Cuillerier naima mussarat Nancy manderson Noorin Dahya Olga Gil Pat Bailey Paul Hannon Philip Ogyny Raheena D Randy Tyson Rebecca Langstone Reece Sellin ripika kapoor Rita Kodida Robin Sundstrom Rosario Castro Sally Armstrong Sarah Kennell Scarlett Lake Scott Long Seanna Nichol Senthuri Paramalingam Shannon Hardy Shannon Lloyd Sharon Froese Sharon Goldberg Shawn Des Jardins Shelby Smith Shobana Rajan Simone Manley Sonja Boon Stephen Dick Stephen Mounsey Susan Russell Sylvie Denault Tara Stout Tharmini Kuhathasan Trevor Phillips Tricia-Dawn Parker Turia Hudsmith Vera Peters Vince Clements Yvonne Sullivan Zuly Trujillo |
Additional sign-ons/Signataires supplémentaires
Childcare Resource and Research Unit
Club des femmes de carrière du Sud-Est du N.-B. (Shediac-Moncton)
DisAbled Women’s Network (DAWN) Canada / Réseau d’action de femmes handicapées (RAFH) Canada
Fédération des femmes du Québec
Justice for Girls International
Inter Pares
Regroupement des maisons pour femmes victimes de violence conjugale
Réseau Action femmes
Women’s Health Clinic
Adele Rayworth
Adrienne Germain Adriana Fresco Adrienne Stevenson Alana Domit Bittar Allyson Lyske Amber Scoyne Angie-Lee Louis-Seize Anne Finlay Anne McMullin Ariane Coury Arlene Macklem Ashleigh Wiles Ashok Athavale Audrey Beaulieu Audrey McClelland AZUCENA ROCHA VIELMA Barbara McCubbin Belle Jarniewski betty smith Bonnie Winters Brenda Durdle Brenda Mielke Brenda Wallace Brian Freund Brianna Bertin C Murphy caitlyne brewer cam macquarrie Camilla Bignell CAREY McPherson Carol Churchill Carol Greene Carol Pelton carolyn egan Carolyn Filteau catherine levasseur Catherine Phipps Cathryn Nadjiwon Celine Basto chanda pundir Chantal Gauthier CHANTELLE THORPE Chie Reeves Christine Monks Christine Storm Claire Card claude lebeuf Colleen Allan Constance Caton Corrine Patchett Craig Lauder Cristiann Kannen daniel pessole Danielle Bertin Darryl Peck Dave Snelgrove david allan Debbie Emery Deborah Kahan Diane O’Reggio Donna Zaffino Dorfam Farno Dorothy Stephens Douglas Alton dreulani dupuis Drew Varsava Elizabeth Abrantes Elizabeth Barnes Elizabeth Eaton Emily Newcombe Emma Alexander Emma Hazan Felicitas Ritter Franca De Angelis Frank Showler Fred Andersen Fred Brailey Gail Brinston Gayathri Naganathan ginette deslauriers GloriaAnn Curwin Graemee Bates Greta Levy Hannah Jukes Hedy Fry Helen Brink Irene Schnell J Ticknor Jaela Rogers Jamie Murray Jason Albright jatharthan paramarajah Jean A Paterson Jean Farrall Jeanette Doucet Jeff pinder Jennifer Lindley Jessie Tsang Jill Doctoroff Jill Johnson Joan Macklin Jo-Anne Dillon Joanne Nieuwkerk John Gaul Julia Keast Julie Pollock |
Karla Lancaster
Kate McInturff Katherine Steele Kathleen Fredette Kathleen Howes Kathryn Blair kathy antle Kay Procter Kelly Wiggins Kelsey McKessock Khaleel Meghji Kim Egan Kringen Henein Kristen Lawr Lance Sylliboy Laura Snelgrove Laura Williams LeAmber Kensley Leann Pilon Leia Peison Lesley Grott Leslie Kuretzky Liette Lalonde lillian mak Linda Cartier Linda Garrard Linda Hutsell-Manning Linda Rice Lisa Ordell Lissa Donner Lois Hodgins Lovely Dhillon Maddy Capozzi Marcy Boyd mariam omar marianne waraich marija babic Marilou Mcphedran Marion Desplenter Mark Buell mary scott Maryanna Price Mckenzie Brown Megan Hutching Melanie Anderson melanie faith Menai Wardle Michael Brok Michele Landsberg Mike Scott Monica Gordon Monica Lysack Monica Meikle Norma Walker Pam Bowman Pat Watt Patricia Zimmer PAUL Dhillon Peter Barnacle Petra Roberts Phyllis Michailidis Rachael Lake Rachelle Poirier Raegan Scott Hapect Rathika Sitsabaiesan Rebecca Lantos Renate Pasborg-Hering Ricardo Avron Wolkoff Ron Deeprose Ron Schinners Rosemarie Hainault Ryan Taylor sabrina baribeau salina abji Salme Jormakka Pringle Sandra Frederiks Scott MacKinnon Shawna Oochoo Sheila Adams Shellie Bird Sheri Laekeman Sherry Noble Shivani mahajan Sophia HUDA Sue Genge Sue Lott Sumeet Saini Susan Barnes Susan Hartley Susan White Sylvain-Paul Côté Sylvia Hawkins Sylvie Renaud Suzsanna kingsbury Tara Hurley taylor byers Theresa Fredette Tracy Booth Vanessa Sheppard vicky frederick Vicky Kotab Victoria Pitchford Wayne Helgason Wendy Fortune William Kuo Yvonne Trethart |