LEAF Edmonton has a history of strong feminists with equally strong voices and was founded nearly concurrently with LEAF National, which coincided with section 15 of the Charter coming into force, on April 17, 1985. We have a continued sense of pride and accomplishment in our branch and the expertise of our members, several of whom are now esteemed members of the judiciary and who include women from all walks of life, enriching us with knowledge and experience beyond the legal world.
Our members have been active in every level of the organization, advocating on behalf of local and national issues in myriad ways including but not limited to:
- appearing as counsel for LEAF;
- participating in case committees;
- drafting submissions to every level of government and appearing in connection with those submissions;
- serving on the national board and its committees;
- delivering educational programs locally, such as the sexual consent education program, “Only Yes Means Yes”;
- organizing educational panels and events locally, most recently on access to abortion in recognition of the 30th anniversary of the Morgentaler clinic in Edmonton (which opened in no small part due to the efforts of local women, including LEAF Edmonton members);
- distributing a newsletter keeping our community informed of LEAF’s activities, local events, and other relevant issues; and,
- organizing fundraising events locally, including the annual Equality Day Breakfast, where we have been honoured to host many distinguished speakers, including most recently, Sania Chaudhry, Hannan Mohamud, and Amna Qureshi who participated in a panel moderated by Danielle Paradis entitled, “Gendered Islamophobia: Personal Reflections of Three Alberta Women.
The issue of personhood and inclusion has been a theme throughout the years for our keynote speakers, as has sexual violence, international equality issues, incarcerated women, and, every year, regardless of specific topic, the as yet unfulfilled promise of substantive equality for us all.
We are currently chaired by Janet Smith, with Megan Harris as the Vice Chair & Secretary, and Marcia Tait as the Treasurer. Our branch meets on the second Monday of each month, alternating between noon and 6 PM. We can be contacted at [email protected].
