CA – On December 12, 2019, a non-partisan coalition of Canadian women launched a volunteer advocacy organization. Canadian Women’s Sex-Based Rights (caWsbar) is promoting women and girls’ sex-based rights, as enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom. The organization’s stated objective is to challenge Bill C-16, which amended the Canadian Human Rights Act to add “gender identity and gender expression” to the list of prohibited grounds of discrimination.

Tweet from caWsbar, announcing the organization

It’s alarming that, despite not being defined in Bill C-16, nor being grounded in evidence-based research, the category of ‘gender identity or expression’ has been used to swiftly influence public policy, often violating the Charter sex-based rights of Canadian girls and women

caWsbar founding member, Dr. ALicia Hendley

caWsbar highlights various examples of how broad interpretations of Bill C-16 have resulted in adult males who self-identify as women being granted access to female-only spaces where women are vulnerable, including rape centres, homeless shelters, prisons and change rooms.

The organization also notes that the Bill C-16 amendment means that “woman” is reduced to a meaningless, equally undefinable concept, rendering it impossible to protect women’s and girls’ sex-based rights and protections. Various examples of this occurring in Canada are highlighted, including Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter (VRRWS), Canada’s longest-running rape crisis centre, which lost its city funding ($34,000 of its $1 million budget), for upholding its policy of accepting only biological females into its core programs.

VRRWS has also been targeted with violent graffiti and dead animals. And when women have organized events to discuss their sex-based rights, caWbar points out that they have been subjected to various intimidation tactics, such as at a Toronto Public Library event.

CaWsbar is calling on all Canadians, regardless of political or religious affiliation, to join in standing up for women’s and girls’ fundamental, sex-based rights to bodily privacy, dignity, fairness and security.

Within 24 hours of launching, CaWsbar’s video had been viewed 13,000 times.

Facebook post by CaWsbar thanking donors and supporters

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Additionally, those wanting more information on how to support Canadian women’s sex-based rights can learn more here.