thoughts on a feminist future
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY EVENT (MARCH 4, 2020):
On March 4, 2020, I spoke at an event to celebrate the 35th anniversary of equality rights in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and to explore the work still to be done.
It was held at Osgoode Hall and was co-sponsored by the Law Society, the Women’s Law Association of Ontario, the Ontario Bar Association Women Lawyer’s Forum, the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF), and the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic.
My role was to describe the history of the work of the women’s movement in the achievement of equality rights back in 1985. Following me was Dr. Kim Stanton, a former LEAF legal director, who spoke about Charter Equality Rights as argued in litigation cases. Then Renu Mandhane, Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Commission, spoke about the role of human rights law in achieving equality. Madam Justice Shaun O’Brien added her personal reflections.
The event concluded with a panel discussion in response to questions from the audience.
The entire event is available online free to the public at this link: https://lso.freestonelms.com/viewer/8aAKri2bW8ZLqfvUp1BSCZuo5CttC
EQUALITY OF POWER: Solutions to the Unfair Treatment of Women:
A three-part lecture series presented by Linda Silver Dranoff at the request of the Toronto Reference Library for its series On Civil Society.
Lecture One: VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AS A TOOL OF CONTROL
In this lecture, Linda Silver Dranoff describes how women have been kept subservient and dependent through history by the use of violence as a tool of control. She shows just how intransigent that abuse has been, and makes powerful suggestions for improvements to the Canadian legal system to ensure that violence against women is challenged and stopped. (September 25, 2018 at the Toronto Reference Library. Video credit Norman Kolasky.)
Lecture Two: EMPOWERING WOMEN AT WORK
In this second lecture, Linda Silver Dranoff exposes the inequality women face in the paid labour force, including: unequal pay, inadequate child care supports, sexual harassment, as well as an inability to break through the employment glass ceiling. She proposes solutions such as quotas, pay transparency, protection of precarious workers, employment equity, a national affordable child care plan, and more. (October 23, 2018 at the Toronto Reference Library. Video credit Norman Kolasky.)
Lecture Three: CHALLENGING THE CENTRES OF POWER
In this third lecture, Linda Silver Dranoff describes how to challenge the centres of power and reshape them towards equality for women. She focusses on the need to change the electoral system to allow everyone’s and particularly feminist voices to be heard. Her focus is proportional representation, and the need for women in leadership positions in politics and corporations. She proposes a national women’s organization to be one voice for women in Canada. (November 20, 2018 at the Toronto Reference Library. Video credit Norman Kolasky.)
SUSTAINING #MeToo: What's Next on the Feminist Legal Agenda
Linda Silver Dranoff covers ways to support the #Me Too movement. Included on her list is the training of police, lawyers and judges, specialized courts, separate legal counsel for victims, prevention through pro-active imprisonment, stronger gun controls, criminal laws to stop online abuse, reclassifying sexual harassment as a crime, along with increased funding for shelters and support services for women. (April 28, 2019 at Ryerson University Chang School. Video credit Norman Kolasky.)