*CASAC is not active as an association at present time, the information found on this website is available as archival materials from the Canadian women’s movement.*
Quicklinks
- Solidarity with Aboriginal Women against Sexist Violence
- Solidarity in the Global Arena
- Criminal Justice and Violence against Women
- Canadian Struggle to Reduce Violence Against Women through Women’s Economic Security
- Prostitution and Human Trafficking
- Rape and the Legal System
- Misuse of Polygraph Devices on Sexual Assault Victims
- Fighting for Freedom and Access to Healthcare and Medical Treatment
- Breaking our Silence: Educating and protecting Women
- Women-Lead Autonomous Centres within the Women’s Movement
- The Common Oppression of Abused and Battered Women
- International Women’s Day
- Psychiatry and Women
- Fighting Pornography
Solidarity with Aboriginal Women against Sexist Violence
CASAC recognizes the particular vulnerability to violence against women endured by aboriginal women, and the particular leadership offered by aboriginal women to resisting violence against women. [link to CASAC Policy]
Struggle for Status
- Sharon McIvor’s Fight against Sex Discrimination in the Indian Act. Since 1985, Sharon McIvor has fought for gender equality in the Indian Act, which discriminates against Aboriginal Women as bearers of status. Recently, Bill C-3 continues to perpetuate these inequalities.
Demand for public inquiry into the cases of the murdered and missing Aboriginal women
- “Nothing to report”: Submission of the B.C. CEDAW Group to the United Nations Commitee. January 2010.
Integrating and creating alliances with Aboriginal women within sexual assault centres
Solidarity in the Global Arena
[link to CASAC policy]
International Integration and alliances between sexual assault centres
- CASAC/ACCCACS presents their panel “A Pan-Canadian View of the Work of Rape Crisis Centres in Canada” at Women’s Worlds 2011 on July 4th, 2011. View panel summary.
- Teresa Ulloa Ziáurriz visits Canada to speak on “Questions of ‘Consent’ in Prostitution.” Minwaashin Lodge/Aboriginal Women’s Support Centre in Ottawa hosts the Latin American and Caribbean Region Director of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW) on March 1st, 2011. View invitation.
- New Human Rights Resource: CEDAW Online Training. The Feminist Alliance for International Action (FAFIA) is pleased to announce the launch of a new resource for educators, activists and policy-makers interested in human rights: an online training course on the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). January 2011.
- The Equality Effect (http://www.theequalityeffect.com/) is an organization working to address inequality of women and girls in Africa using international human rights law.
See their new video launched in December, 2010.
- The Casa Amiga Centro de Crisis A.C. in Chihuahua, Mexico, honours Esther Chávez Cano on November 25th, 2010. View invitation.
- Male government officials raid a women’s shelter in Mexico. June 9th, 2010.
- The Canadian World March of Women 2005
An international movement of women committed to the elimination of poverty and violence in Canada and to making the links between local and global actions.
Fighting Racism: “Most women in the world are brown and poor”
- CASAC writes in support of Tamil refugees and other potential immigrants aboard the Sun Sea. August 11, 2010. “We are particularly concerned that among the ship’s passengers may well be women and children in need of compassionate contact with NGO’s like our own to protect their dignity, safety, security, and privacy.”
Criminalize violence against women
- The Women’s Equality and Security Coalition (WESC) Withdraws from the Missing Women Inquiry. Press Release, August 4th, 2011.
- Oppal Missing Women Commission of Inquiry – 11 group Women’s Equality and Security Coalition (WESC) requests full standing. February 3rd, 2011, Louisa Russell, Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter.
- The Need for a Public Inquiry into the Pickton Investigation. July 2010.
- Demands for a Public Independent Inquiry into Police Conduct at the G20 Summit. July 2010.
Rape and Wife Battering
- CATW Supports Prosecution of Dominique Strauss-Kahn. Press release, July 6th, 2011. Print version.
- Canada conducts Death Panel Reviews relating to Violence Against Women
Recognizing and resisting Prostitution and human trafficking as violence against women
- Prostitution: Violating the Human Rights of Poor Women. Shelagh Day, Action ontarienne contre la violence faite aux femmes, 2008.
Stop criminalizing women for self-defense
Canadian Struggle to Reduce Violence Against Women through Women’s Economic Security
[link to CASAC policy]
Guaranteed Livable Income
- Dignity for All Campaign www.dignityforall.ca
The Dignity for All Campaign is calling on the Canadian federal government to take action towards eliminating poverty in Canada.
- Why Women would Gain from a Guaranteed Livable Income. Cindy L’Hirondelle, first published for the Status of Women Action Group (SWAG) in 2003, revised in 2004 for the Canadian Woman Studies Journal.
Prostitution
- Prostitution – Sweden punishes buyers to target demand, by Janice Raymond. September 7th, 2010.
- Abolishing Prostitution Through Economic, Physical and Political Security for Women, Lee Lakeman.
- A Feminist Definition of Abolition, Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter.
Human Trafficking
- Human Trafficking in Canada: A Threat Assessment. The RCMP released a report on a national overview of human trafficking, within and involving Canada. Sept 13th, 2010.
- Trafficking In Persons Report, 10th edition. June 2010.
This American report summarizes the state and treatment of human trafficking around the world, including Canada.
Rape and existing rape laws are among the strongest indicators of prevailing societal attitudes towards women, and Canadian rape laws reflect these patriarchal attitudes and discriminate against women. Few rapes are reported to the police, and even fewer go to trial and result in conviction. CASAC believes that it is essential that the law acknowledge that rape is an assault and Rape violates the most basic right of social life, namely the freedom from unprovoked attack on one’s physical person. Rape takes many forms and faces, and consent may not be inferred from lack of resistance. [link to CASAC Policy]
- Toew’s quibbling about use of term ‘rape’ does nothing to stop it by Constance Backhouse, Canwest News Service. Vancouver Sun, 25 May 2010.
A critical analysis of Public Safety Minister Vic Toew’s suggestion of restoring “rape” in the criminal code.
Misuse of Polygraph Devices on Sexual Assault Victims
Despite our knowledge that polygraph devices register only physiological changes in response to emotional stress, and the fact that polygraph results are not admissible evidence in court, polygraph examinations continue to be used, especially on sexual assault victims more than victims of other crimes. We support the rights of sexual assault victims to refuse polygraph examinations, and endorse the abolition of polygraph use on rape victims.
[link to CASAC Policy]
Fighting for Freedom and Access to Healthcare and Medical Treatment
CASAC supports rights of victims of sexual assault to receive standardized, comprehensive and sensitive medical attention and access to a standardized Sexual Assault Evidence Kit. We uphold women’s rights regarding their lives and health, which include the choice between male and female physicians and nurses, proper follow-up procedures and access to information, entitlement to medical records, and access to morning after treatment, pregnancy counseling, safe abortion procedures and all associated information. [link to CASAC Policy]
Breaking our Silence: Educating and protecting Women
CASAC member centres are committed to breaking our silence by speaking of our reality and that of all women, and we work together as peers with women who have been raped or assaulted.We support member centres who work with women who choose to remain anonymous, who pledge confidentiality to women and to other member centres regardless of legislation. We support those centres that have pledged to speak out, and who release information as they deem appropriate which will protect, educate other women while respecting their wishes regarding their anonymity. [link to CASAC Policy]
Women-Lead Autonomous Centres within the Women’s Movement
CASAC believes that all member centres should be women led autonomous centres, and the Canadian Association’s own structures reflect this belief, including our conventions, conferences, and meetings directed toward and open to women-only delegates and observers. [link to CASAC Policy]
The Common Oppression of Abused and Battered Women
Violence against women in society is manifested in many forms, and by men in many different roles. Communications between our centres reaffirms our understanding of the common oppression experienced by women who are battered and women who are sexually assaulted. As a result, CASAC’s regional representatives strive to compile and circulate information regarding battered women and the existing resources in each region. [link to CASAC Policy]
- CASAC stands in opposition to the private members bill C-391: The Act the amend the Criminal Code and the Firearms act. September 17th, 2010.
“Eliminating the gun registry will most certainly expand the use of firearms, and will mean serious consequences for all women’s safety in Canada.”
CASAC recognizes the international nature of our struggle and wishes to express solidarity with other women’s groups, as well as acknowledge the work of the anti-rape movement and the work of others to eradicate violence against women. We therefore endorse an International Women’s Day of Protest and Celebration of March 8 and urge all member Centres to publicly protest the violence done to women. [link to CASAC Policy]
International Women’s Day, website.
Traditional psychiatry in medicine and its institutions are entrenched with sexist attitudes toward women, and have more often been used as a means to control and coerce women to accept the oppression and inequalities women face in society. Since women are so often victimized through the inappropriate prescription of drugs, subject to abusive treatments such as electo-convulsive therapy, rendered powerless via the Mental Health Act, and inappropriately diagnosed with depression, we view this treatment from the medical field as violence against women. [link to CASAC Policy]
- Canadian Psychological Assocation’s Policy Statement on Violence Against Women. CPA Public Policy Committee. June 2010. The CPA has committed to addressing violence against women, stating that “it is the responsibility of the Canadian government, psychologists in Canada, and all Canadians.”
Pornography is a form of hate material (written, visual, or audio) that depicts women and children as acceptable objects of sexual coercion, violence, degradation and/or dehumanization. This material further legitimizes these roles through continually entering mainstream media – condoning, reinforcing, and institutionalizing this sexual and economic exploitation. CASAC recognizes pornography as a form of violence against women, and aims to integrate a feminist perspective of pornography into their public education work.
[link to CASAC Policy]
- Pornography and Prostitution and Canada: The Dangers Ahead. Janine Benedet, LL.B., LL.M, S.J.D. Demand Dynamics: Pornography and the Demand for Global Sex Trafficking Conference organized by Captive Daughters and the International Human Rights Law Institute. 14-15 March 2005.