In 1981, Canadian women fought for and won an Equal Rights Amendment in the brand new Charter of Rights and Freedoms. [Section 28 provides that, Notwithstanding anything in this Charter, the rights and freedoms referred to in it are guaranteed equally to male and female persons.]

Although there were discussions among women's groups for a year beforehand, and lobbying and presentations, the campaign really kicked off on February 14, 1981, when about 1300 women gathered in the West Block of the House of Commons for a volunteer-run conference on Women and the Constitution.

To celebrate this achievement, and to link up with women in other countries (Rwanda, Afghanistan, South Africa) who are exploring how to implement equality guarantees in their own new-ish constitutions, a coalition of women's groups is organizing another conference, to be held February 14 and 15, on Parliament Hill.

This group is seeking women who participated in that original conference, as well as reaching out to those who might want to be involved with the next one. We are requesting help with reviewing a document from 1983, with an eye to updating it for the conference.

The document is online at:
http://adhoc25.org/updateintro.html

For more information, please visit http://adhoc25.org.

Or send an email to [email protected] .

Or read more about the original conference at:
coolwomen.ca

[ 17 November 2005: Message edited by: writer ]

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In 1981, Canadian women fought for and won an Equal Rights Amendment in the brand new Charter of Rights and Freedoms. [Section 28 provides that, Notwithstanding anything in this Charter, the rights and freedoms referred to in it are guaranteed equally to male and female persons.]

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Wasn't Section 28 part of the Constitution from the beginning? If so, I don't think it's really proper to call it an "amendment".

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Women's groups forced the government to adopt that section with a year-long lobby that kicked off with a huge, almost spontaneous, conference on February 14, 1981.

The Women's Constitution Conference was the first public conference ever held in Parliament buildings. Originally, the Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women ("CACSW", then a federal arm's-length agency, since abolished by the federal government) organized the event and issued invitations to women across Canada.

The CACSW had researched the issues involved in the proposed Charter of Rights and Freedoms in Prime Minister Trudeau's new constitution (released in September 1980) ...

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Nope, it wasn't, which is the point. From the coolwomen article:

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Women's groups forced the government to adopt that section with a year-long lobby that kicked off with a huge, almost spontaneous, conference on February 14, 1981.
The Women's Constitution Conference was the first public conference ever held in Parliament buildings. Originally, the Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women ("CACSW", then a federal arm's-length agency, since abolished by the federal government) organized the event and issued invitations to women across Canada.

The CACSW had researched the issues involved in the proposed Charter of Rights and Freedoms in Prime Minister Trudeau's new constitution (released in September 1980) ...

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On March 18, 1981, four members of the Ad Hoc legal team went into a meeting with two Justice Department officials. Out of that meeting came a new clause spelling out equality between "male and female persons" - not part of Clause One, as the conference insisted, but a new Clause 28. Placed towards the end of the Charter, with clauses intended to guide the courts in interpreting Charter rights, it was the first "Notwithstanding" clause in the new constitution. This meant that it was to apply to every clause of the Charter, in spite of what the clause might say or appear to say.

On April 23, the three parties in Parliament adopted some amendments to the constitution, including Clause 28, and declared the package complete.

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On April 23, the three parties in Parliament adopted some amendments to the constitution, including Clause 28, and declared the package complete.

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