EQUALITY: Nowhere Near There Yet
West Coast LEAF envisions an equal and just society for all women and people who experience gender-based discrimination.
We recognize that gender-based inequalities threaten the safety, well-being, and human rights not only of women, but also of Two-Spirit people, intersex people, gender non-conforming people, trans people of all genders (not only women), and people with non-binary gender identities. West Coast LEAF is committed to an inclusive vision of feminism that defends the right to be free from discrimination based on gender identity and gender expression.
West Coast LEAF recognizes our responsibility to work for the full realization of the rights of Indigenous peoples. In the context of historic and ongoing colonial violence and injustice, West Coast LEAF understands that fulfilling this responsibility requires a deep and continual commitment. We respectfully acknowledge that our office is located in Vancouver on traditional, ancestral, and unceded Coast Salish homelands, including the territories of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. We understand that many of us are uninvited to these territories. As an organization that includes many settlers, we take responsibility for learning and seeking long-term transformation in our relationships with Indigenous peoples and land.
West Coast LEAF promotes substantive equality, an approach that recognizes and celebrates differences. Rather than treating everyone the same, substantive equality ensures that historically disadvantaged people can actively participate in society and access justice. We strive to ensure that the equality principles in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which advance the rights of all disadvantaged and marginalized groups, are fulfilled.