Join the Women’s Legal Education & Action Fund in Winnipeg for a conference focused on addressing violence against Indigenous women & girls.
Date: Friday, November 7, 2025, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm local Central Standard Time
Location: Canadian Museum for Human Rights, 85 Israel Asper Way Winnipeg, MB R3C 0L5
The Advancing Social Justice Through Law Conference will be focused on meaningfully addressing violence against Indigenous women and girls in Manitoba and the ongoing imperative of advancing the Calls for Justice coming out of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
The goal is to help educate the broader legal community in Winnipeg about the work that is currently being done to achieve the Calls for Justice, what still needs to be done, and what the responsibilities of the legal community are in this work. It also aims to provide a platform to celebrate, honour, and acknowledge the depth of talent and experience in the Manitoba legal and frontline advocate communities.
We’re honoured to be joined by Brandi Morin, acclaimed journalist and bestselling author, and Leah Gazan, the Member of Parliament for Winnipeg Centre, as our keynote speakers.
About Brandi Morin
LEAF is honoured to announce that acclaimed author and journalist Brandi Morin will be joining us in Winnipeg on November 7th, 2025 for our « Advancing Social Justice Through the Law » conference.
Known for her clear-eyed and empathetic reporting on Indigenous oppression in North America, Brandi brings a unique perspective to her work. As a survivor of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls crisis, she uses her personal experience to tell the stories of those who did not survive the rampant violence.
Her impactful journalism has graced the pages and screens of prestigious media outlets, including National Geographic, The BBC, Al Jazeera English, the Guardian, VICE, Rolling Stone Magazine, the Toronto Star, the New York Times, and CBC Indigenous, among others. Brandi’s exceptional reporting has earned her numerous accolades throughout her career, including the 2019 Human Rights Reporting award from the Canadian Association of Journalists, first place in the Print/Online Best Feature Story category at the 2022 National Native American Journalism Awards, top prize in the Feature Reporting category at the 2022 Edward Murrow Awards, the 2023 Ken Filkow Prize for advancing freedom of expression in Canada, and Amnesty International Canada’s 2022/23 Media Award in the Local News/Alternative category.
Brandi is also the bestselling author of « Our Voice of Fire: A Memoir of a Warrior Rising. »
About Leah Gazan
Leah Gazan, the NDP member of parliament for Winnipeg Centre, will be delivering our mid-day keynote at LEAF’s « Advancing Social Justice Through the Law » conference.
MP Gazan is a member of Wood Mountain Lakota Nation, located in Saskatchewan, Treaty 4 territory, and has represented Winnipeg Centre since 2019. She is a leader in local, national, and international human rights advocacy, having she successfully moved unanimous consent motions to recognize the residential school system as an act of genocide, and to recognize the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people (MMIWG2S) as a Canada-wide emergency and to immediately invest in a Red Dress Alert system. Seeking to fulfill Call for Action 4.5 from the Final Report of the National Inquiry into MMIWG, Gazan tabled Bill C-223, An Act to develop a national framework for a guaranteed livable basic income, in the 44th Parliament.
In 2024, Chatelaine Magazine presented Gazan with the Doris Anderson Award for her advocacy surrounding the Red Dress Alert. She also tabled Bill C-413, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (promotion of hatred against Indigenous Peoples), to create an offence of willfully promoting Residential School Denialism, and in the current 45th Parliament, tabled Bill C-247, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code, which would repeal Section 107 and protect workers’ right to strike from back-to-work legislation.
The conference will include a full day programming. This program should be considered a qualifying activity under the The Law Society of Manitoba CPD requirements. A catered breakfast and lunch will be served for all attendees.
Thanks to our sponsors, the Manitoba Law Foundation and the Winnipeg Foundation, for providing funding to make this conference possible. We are also grateful for the support of our volunteer-run local branch, LEAF Winnipeg, and members of our conference planning advisory committee.
This conference will take place within Treaty One Territory, the traditional lands of the Anishinabe (Ojibway), Ininew (Cree), Oji-Cree, Dene, and Dakota, and is the Birthplace of the Métis Nation and the Heart of the Métis Nation Homeland.
If you require an accessibility accomodation to attend this conference, or wish to request a Equity Ticket at no cost, please contact Chance Kawar, Branch Resource Manager for LEAF, at [email protected].
For more information about the conference, please contact Aubrey Abaya, Public Legal Education Manager for LEAF, at [email protected].
Click here to purchase tickets and for more information.