LEAF logo
DONATE
MENU
LEAF logo

Contact

DONATE
Informations en français
  • About
    • Our Story
    • Mission & Vision
    • Staff
    • Board
    • Law Program Committee
    • FAQs
    • Employment Opportunities
  • Cases and Law Reform
    • Our Work
    • Issue Areas
      • Reproductive Justice
      • Indigenous Rights and Law
      • Identity-Based Oppression
      • Hate Speech and Online Hate
      • Sexual Assault and Consent Law
      • Gender-Based Violence
      • Access to Justice
      • Workplace Rights
      • Socio-Economic Rights
      • Family Law
    • Search Cases & Submissions
    • Current Work
      • Basic Income Project
      • LEAF’s Feminist Strategic Litigation Project
      • LEAF’s Technology-Facilitated Violence (TFV) Project
      • National Abortion Access Framework
    • Past Projects
    • Legal Representation Referrals
  • Education
    • Overview
    • Workshops, trainings & webinars
    • Factsheets & infographics
  • News & Events
    • Search News & Events
    • Events
  • Publications
    • Search Publications
    • Working Papers
    • Reports
    • Annual Reports
  • Regional Branches
    • Overview
    • LEAF Edmonton
    • LEAF Halifax
    • LEAF Kingston
    • LEAF Ottawa
    • LEAF Québec
    • LEAF Thunder Bay
    • LEAF Toronto
    • LEAF Windsor
  • Get Involved
    • Ways to Get Involved
    • Donate
    • Join a Branch
    • Volunteer
    • Become a LEAF Pro Bono Lawyer
    • Partner with LEAF
Menu
  • About
    • Our Story
    • Mission & Vision
    • Staff
    • Board
    • Law Program Committee
    • FAQs
    • Employment Opportunities
  • Cases and Law Reform
    • Our Work
    • Issue Areas
      • Reproductive Justice
      • Indigenous Rights and Law
      • Identity-Based Oppression
      • Hate Speech and Online Hate
      • Sexual Assault and Consent Law
      • Gender-Based Violence
      • Access to Justice
      • Workplace Rights
      • Socio-Economic Rights
      • Family Law
    • Search Cases & Submissions
    • Current Work
      • Basic Income Project
      • LEAF’s Feminist Strategic Litigation Project
      • LEAF’s Technology-Facilitated Violence (TFV) Project
      • National Abortion Access Framework
    • Past Projects
    • Legal Representation Referrals
  • Education
    • Overview
    • Workshops, trainings & webinars
    • Factsheets & infographics
  • News & Events
    • Search News & Events
    • Events
  • Publications
    • Search Publications
    • Working Papers
    • Reports
    • Annual Reports
  • Regional Branches
    • Overview
    • LEAF Edmonton
    • LEAF Halifax
    • LEAF Kingston
    • LEAF Ottawa
    • LEAF Québec
    • LEAF Thunder Bay
    • LEAF Toronto
    • LEAF Windsor
  • Get Involved
    • Ways to Get Involved
    • Donate
    • Join a Branch
    • Volunteer
    • Become a LEAF Pro Bono Lawyer
    • Partner with LEAF
Home / Cases and Law Reform / Issue Areas
Latin American head in profile. Hispanic woman. Races and nationalities of the world. Vector flat illustration

ISsue Area

Indigenous Rights and Law

Gender equality cannot be achieved without addressing the past and ongoing harms of colonialism, racism, and sexism. Colonial law has had, and continues to have, devastating impacts on Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA persons. The Canadian state continues to deny Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA persons equal protection and benefit of the law, causing them to disproportionately experience poverty, violence, incarceration, and other negative outcomes.  

LEAF has committed to prioritizing reconciliation and working towards decolonization in our positions in court and through our law reform advocacy. We have supported the hard work of Indigenous women and feminists to remove sex discrimination from the Indian Act, including through litigation with the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) at the Supreme Court of Canada, litigation at the Ontario Court of Appeal, and ongoing advocacy. We have also pushed courts to use s. 15 of the Charter as a tool to address the over-incarceration of Indigenous people, and Indigenous women in particular.

At the same time, LEAF recognizes the inherent limitations of Canadian colonial law in achieving justice for Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA persons – and will take steps to better understand our relationship with the diverse Indigenous legal traditions that exist across Turtle Island. We will also ally with Indigenous persons and organizations in our advocacy efforts.  

Les droits des autochtones et la loi

L’égalité des genres ne peut être réalisée sans s’attaquer aux méfaits passés et actuels du colonialisme, du racisme et du sexisme. Le droit colonial a eu et continue d’avoir des effets dévastateurs sur les femmes, les filles et les personnes 2ELGBTQQIA autochtones. L’État canadien continue de refuser aux femmes, aux filles et aux personnes 2ELGBTQQIA autochtones la même protection et le bénéfice de la loi, ce qui les fait vivre de manière disproportionnée la pauvreté, la violence, l’incarcération et d’autres résultats négatifs.


Le FAEJ s’est engagée à donner la priorité à la réconciliation et à œuvrer pour la décolonisation dans nos positions au tribunal et à travers notre plaidoyer pour la réforme du droit. Nous avons soutenu le travail acharné des femmes autochtones et des féministes pour éliminer la discrimination sexuelle de la Loi sur les Indiens, notamment par the truchement de litiges avec l’Association des femmes autochtones du Canada (AFAC) à la Cour suprême du Canada, litiges devant la Cour d’appel de l’Ontario, et des plaidoyers continues. Nous avons également poussé les tribunaux à utiliser l’art. 15 de la Charte en tant qu’outil pour lutter contre la sur-incarcération des Autochtones, et des femmes autochtones en particulier. 

En même temps, le FAEJ reconnaît les limites inhérentes du droit colonial canadien dans la réalisation de la justice pour les femmes et les filles et les personnes 2ELGBTQQIA autochtones – et prendra des mesures pour mieux comprendre notre relation avec les diverses traditions juridiques autochtones qui existent sur l’île de la Tortue. Nous nous allierons également aux personnes et organisations autochtones dans nos efforts de revendication. 

Related Projects

Past Project

Legal Strategy Coalition on Violence Against Indigenous Women (LSC)

Learn More

Related Cases & Law Reform

Cases

R. v. Sharma (2019)

This case concerned the over-incarceration of Indigenous women.   LEAF, in partnership with the David Asper Centre for Constitutional Rights (the...

Canada (Human Rights Commission) v. Canada (A.G.) (2018)

This case concerned sex discrimination in the Indian Act.   LEAF, in partnership with the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC), appealed...

R. v. Barton (2017, 2019)

This case concerned the use of racist and sexist stereotypes about Indigenous women in criminal trials, and the meaning of...

Gehl v. Canada (Attorney General) (2017)

This case concerned sex discrimination in the Indian Act, in relation to registration for “Indian status”.  LEAF intervened before the Ontario...
See More

Submissions

LEAF urges full implementation of Bill S-3
LEAF responds to Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
See More

News

Join us to learn about reproductive justice and reproductive self-determination!
LEAF and the Asper Centre welcome the Ontario Court of Appeal’s Decision in R. v. Sharma
See More
Cases and Law Reform
  • Our Work
  • Issue Areas
    • Reproductive Justice
    • Indigenous Rights and Law
    • Identity-Based Oppression
    • Hate Speech and Online Hate
    • Sexual Assault and Consent Law
    • Gender-Based Violence
    • Access to Justice
    • Workplace Rights
    • Socio-Economic Rights
    • Family Law
  • Search Cases & Submissions
  • Current Work
    • Basic Income Project
    • LEAF’s Feminist Strategic Litigation Project
    • LEAF’s Technology-Facilitated Violence (TFV) Project
    • National Abortion Access Framework
  • Past Projects
  • Legal Representation Referrals
    Help us promote gender equality
    Donate to support equality

    Stay up to date on feminist law and LEAF’s work to advance gender equality

    Related Workshop/Training/Webinar

    Toward Reproductive Justice and Reproductive Self-Determination
    This panel discussion will explore the origins, meaning, and importance of reproductive justice.

    Related Publication

    Using the Legal System to Advance Equality for Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA People
    LEAF_FAEJ_hz_names_colour_rgb_rev
    Donate to support equality

    National Office
    180 Dundas Street West, Suite 1420
    Toronto, ON M5G 1Z8
    [email protected]
    Phone: 416.595.7170
    Toll-free: 1.888.824.5323
    Facsimile: 416.595.7191

    Stay up to date on feminist law and LEAF’s work to advance gender equality

    LEAF_FAEJ_hz_names_colour_rgb_rev

    National Office
    180 Dundas Street West, Suite 1420
    Toronto, ON M5G 1Z8
    [email protected]
    Phone: 416.595.7170
    Toll-free: 1.888.824.5323
    Facsimile: 416.595.7191

    Charitable Registration Number: 10821 9916 RR0001

    Facebook-f
    Twitter
    Instagram

    Stay up to date on feminist law and LEAF’s work to advance gender equality

    Donate to support equality

    © 2020 Women’s Legal Education & Action Fund (LEAF). All rights reserved. | Legal & Privacy | Accessibility | Website by Affinity Bridge

    MENU

    Menu
    • About
      • Our Story
      • Mission & Vision
      • Staff
      • Board
      • Law Program Committee
      • FAQs
      • Employment Opportunities
    • Cases and Law Reform
      • Our Work
      • Issue Areas
        • Reproductive Justice
        • Indigenous Rights and Law
        • Identity-Based Oppression
        • Hate Speech and Online Hate
        • Sexual Assault and Consent Law
        • Gender-Based Violence
        • Access to Justice
        • Workplace Rights
        • Socio-Economic Rights
        • Family Law
      • Search Cases & Submissions
      • Current Work
        • Basic Income Project
        • LEAF’s Feminist Strategic Litigation Project
        • LEAF’s Technology-Facilitated Violence (TFV) Project
        • National Abortion Access Framework
      • Past Projects
      • Legal Representation Referrals
    • Education
      • Overview
      • Workshops, trainings & webinars
      • Factsheets & infographics
    • News & Events
      • Search News & Events
      • Events
    • Publications
      • Search Publications
      • Working Papers
      • Reports
      • Annual Reports
    • Regional Branches
      • Overview
      • LEAF Edmonton
      • LEAF Halifax
      • LEAF Kingston
      • LEAF Ottawa
      • LEAF Québec
      • LEAF Thunder Bay
      • LEAF Toronto
      • LEAF Windsor
    • Get Involved
      • Ways to Get Involved
      • Donate
      • Join a Branch
      • Volunteer
      • Become a LEAF Pro Bono Lawyer
      • Partner with LEAF