Canada urged to quell discrimination against women after fall in UN ranking
Canada urged to quell discrimination against women after fall in UN ranking
The country fell from first to 25th in the United Nation’s gender equality ranking, prompting a call for action from 14 non-profit organizations
Jessica Glenza in New York
@JessicaGlenza
Wednesday 26 October 2016 06.30 EDT
Activists have called on Canadian leaders to introduce concrete policies to confront discrimination against women and girls after the country fell from first to 25th in the United Nation’s gender equality ranking.
The criticism comes as the United Nations holds its 65th annual meeting to eliminate gender discrimination, and just a few months after the country’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, was praised for a speech to the UN in New York, where he said, “I am a feminist.”
“Canada fails to respect, protect and fulfill the social and economic rights of women and girls,” a group of 14 non-profit organizations said in a statement. “Too many women in Canada experience poverty, homelessness, insecure housing, woefully inadequate social assistance incomes, food insecurity and other violations of the right to an adequate standard of living.”
The groups, which include Amnesty International, the Native Women’s Association of Canada and Oxfam, pointed to Trudeau’s comments on gender equality and his pledges to improve relations with the country’s indigenous population.
More:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/26/canada-women-un-ranking-discrimination-justin-trudeau