National Association of Women and the Law

National Association of Women and the Law
Name	National Association of Women and the Law
Formation	1974
Type	Non-profit advocacy organization
Headquarters	Ottawa, Ontario
Region	Canada

National Association of Women and the Law The National Association of Women and the Law is a Canadian advocacy organization focused on women's rights, family law, human rights and constitutional law reform. Founded in 1974, it has engaged with institutions such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Canadian Human Rights Commission, the Parliament of Canada and provincial legislatures to influence statutes including the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Criminal Code (Canada), and the Employment Equity Act. The association has worked alongside groups like the Canadian Federation of University Women, the Elizabeth Fry Society, the Canadian Labour Congress and the Native Women's Association of Canada to pursue legal change.

History

The organization emerged during the same decade as the Royal Commission on the Status of Women (Canada), the International Women's Year (1975), and the formation of networks linked to the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund and the Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women. Early figures associated with law reform and public policy debates included lawyers and activists who had appeared before the House of Commons of Canada and testified to the Senate of Canada on bills such as amendments to the Divorce Act (1968) and the Pension Benefits Standards Act. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s the association intervened in litigation before the Ontario Court of Appeal, the British Columbia Supreme Court, and the Supreme Court of Canada in cases related to equality provisions of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the interpretation of the Canadian Human Rights Act.

Mission and Objectives

The association's stated mission aligns with principles in international instruments including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and engages with mechanisms such as the United Nations Human Rights Committee and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. Its objectives include advancing reforms in family law, advocating against discriminatory sections of the Criminal Code (Canada), promoting gender-sensitive interpretation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and influencing policy at bodies like the Department of Justice (Canada), the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General, and municipal legal offices. The association has collaborated with legal clinics, University of Toronto Faculty of Law, and policy institutes like the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

Organizational Structure

The association has typically been governed by an elected board of directors and staffed by legal researchers, policy analysts, and community organizers who liaise with provincial branches, legal clinics, and allied NGOs such as the Canadian Bar Association, the Women's Legal Education and Action Fund, and the Coalition of Provincial and Territorial Advisory Councils on the Status of Women. Committees have focused on litigation, legislative reform, public education, and international advocacy, interfacing with institutions such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Canada, and provincial law reform commissions like the Alberta Law Reform Institute and the Law Commission of Ontario.

Key Campaigns and Advocacy

The association has participated in campaigns addressing amendment of the Criminal Code (Canada) provisions on sexual assault, reform of the Divorce Act (1968), improvements to maternity leave provisions tied to the Employment Insurance Act, and protections under the Canadian Human Rights Act. It intervened in major legal matters related to equality jurisprudence at the Supreme Court of Canada and worked on policy submissions to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights and the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs. The group has mounted public education efforts alongside media such as the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, and community broadcasters, while cooperating with advocacy partners including the Canadian Women's Foundation, Amnesty International (Canadian Section), and the World Health Organization on issues crossing into health law and reproductive rights.

Membership and Funding

Membership has historically drawn lawyers, scholars from institutions such as McGill University Faculty of Law, activists connected to organizations like the Canadian Labour Congress and the Coalition for Justice, and grassroots members from regional women's centres. Funding sources have included project grants from federal agencies including Status of Women Canada, foundation support from entities like the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation and the Tides Canada Foundation, contributions from law firms, and membership dues. The association has also sought research partnerships with universities such as Queen's University, York University and think tanks including the Fraser Institute for comparative policy work.

Impact and Criticism

The association influenced case law and legislative amendments connected to equality rights, family law, and workplace protections, contributing to jurisprudence cited in decisions of the Supreme Court of Canada, submissions to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, and policy changes recommended to the Department of Justice (Canada). Critics, including some commentators in outlets like the National Post and policy analysts at the Fraser Institute, have argued that legalistic strategies can be slow to deliver grassroots change and that alliances with institutional actors sometimes distance advocacy from indigenous groups such as Assembly of First Nations and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami. Supporters note collaborations with organizations like the Native Women's Association of Canada and the Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action as evidence of sustained cross-sector engagement.

Category:Women's organizations based in Canada