{"id":2130,"date":"2013-06-20T15:54:08","date_gmt":"2013-06-20T15:54:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.aidslaw.ca\/newsite\/?page_id=2130"},"modified":"2022-11-04T20:39:23","modified_gmt":"2022-11-05T00:39:23","slug":"womens-rights","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.hivlegalnetwork.ca\/site\/our-work\/womens-rights\/?lang=en","title":{"rendered":"Women\u2019s Rights"},"content":{"rendered":"

Overview<\/h2>\n

Women and girls account for a steadily growing proportion of the world\u2019s HIV cases, both in Canada and internationally. Not enough has been done to address the poverty, subordination, violence and human rights abuses that drive the epidemic among women and compound its impact upon them.<\/p>\n

We research and analyze<\/b> the role that the law plays in perpetuating women\u2019s poverty, lack of access to health care and social services, lack of rights awareness, exposure to stigma and discrimination and vulnerability to violence.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re also collaborating with<\/b> other organizations, including women\u2019s groups, to promote <\/b>laws and policies that advance women\u2019s broader economic and social equality. The empowerment of women and girls is key to reducing vulnerability to HIV infection, ensuring equitable access to care and treatment and reducing the disproportionate impact of the epidemic.<\/p>\n

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March 2026 OHCHR Submission<\/a><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\tPublished: April 28, 2026\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t
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The HIV Legal Network (\u201cLegal Network\u201d)\u00a0 submited the following information to assist the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (\u201cOHCHR\u201d) in its preparation of a report on drug policy and its impact on the rights of women and girls. The Legal Network\u2019s submission focuses on the context in Canada.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t\t

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KNOW YOUR RIGHTS – A Guide for Indigenous Women Living with HIV and Affected by Intimate Partner Violence<\/a><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\tPublished: April 7, 2026\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t
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This guide is for women living with HIV who are experiencing \u2014 or are at risk of \u2014 intimate partner violence (IPV). IPV includes physical, emotional, psychological, sexual, or financial abuse by a current or former partner. It is not only harmful: it is also against the law. IPV can affect anyone \u2014 relevant here … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t\t

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KNOW YOUR RIGHTS – A Guide for African, Caribbean, and Black Women Living with HIV and Affected by Intimate Partner Violence<\/a><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\tPublished: March 30, 2026\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t
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This guide is for women living with HIV who are experiencing \u2014 or are at risk of \u2014 intimate partner violence (IPV). IPV includes physical, emotional, psychological, sexual, or financial abuse by a current or former partner. It is not only harmful: it is also against the law. IPV can affect anyone \u2014 relevant here … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t\t

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Submission to the United Nations Human Rights Committee: Review of Canada at 145th Session<\/a><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\tPublished: February 3, 2026\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t
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The HIV Legal Network made this submission to the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Committee (\u201cCommittee\u201d) in advance of its review of Canada\u2019s periodic report, detailing our concerns about Canada\u2019s implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). This submission provides information on violations of Articles 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, and … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t\t

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Securing Rights – 2024\/25 Annual Report<\/a><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\tPublished: December 16, 2025\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t
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We hope you\u2019ll read our 2024-25 annual report \u2014 Securing Rights: Using Our Values to Meet the Moment \u2014 to find out more about the kind of positive change we\u2019re making and get a glimpse of what we hope to accomplish in 2026.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\r\n<\/div>\r\n\n

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MEDIA RELEASE: TOWN OF NEWMARKET TARGETS AND SHUTS DOWN ASIAN MASSAGE BUSINESSES<\/a><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\tPublished: May 5, 2022\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t
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TOWN OF NEWMARKET TARGETS AND\u00a0SHUTS DOWN ASIAN MASSAGE BUSINESSES Groups calling on municipality to end the injustice and repeal new, racist by-law For immediate release May 5, 2022 \u2013 Toronto \u2013 A group of more than 50 allied organizations \u2014 as well as community members, activists, academics, and others \u2014 who are committed to human … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t\t

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MEDIA STATEMENT: WORLD AIDS DAY 2021: FORTY YEARS OF HIV, FORTY YEARS OF PROGRESS<\/a><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t
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WORLD AIDS DAY 2021: FORTY YEARS OF HIV, FORTY YEARS OF PROGRESS The following can be attributed to the HIV Legal Network. \u00a0 November 30, 2021 \u2013 Toronto \u2013 Tomorrow is World AIDS Day \u2014 a day to reflect on the current state of HIV and AIDS in the world, where we started, and how … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t\t

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STATEMENT: Law enforcement “protections” harm sex workers<\/a><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\tPublished: April 9, 2019\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t
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Rather than helping, sex workers\u2019 human rights are being systemically violated by those meant to protect them   The following statement is issued by the Canadian HIV\/AIDS Legal Network (\u201cLegal Network\u201d). Comments can be attributed to Sandra Ka Hon Chu, Director of Research and Advocacy, Canadian HIV\/AIDS Legal Network.   April 10, 2019 \u2014 In … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t\t

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UN Experts Make Historic Recommendations to Canada: End unjust HIV criminalization, repeal law restricting supervised consumption services, and implement needle and syringe programmes in prison<\/a><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t
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GENEVA, November 18, 2016 \u2014 The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women issued its Concluding Observations today following its review of Canada\u2019s compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. This is the first time the Committee reviewed women\u2019s rights in Canada since 2008.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t\t

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Grans and Gays Confronting HIV: Human Rights Groups Honour Activists on World Aids Day<\/a><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\tPublished: November 27, 2013\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t
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Overview Women and girls account for a steadily growing proportion of the world\u2019s HIV cases, both in Canada and internationally. Not enough has been done to address the poverty, subordination, violence and human rights abuses that drive the epidemic among women and compound its impact upon them. We research and analyze the role that the … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22738,"parent":9,"menu_order":150,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2130","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hivlegalnetwork.ca\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2130","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hivlegalnetwork.ca\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hivlegalnetwork.ca\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hivlegalnetwork.ca\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hivlegalnetwork.ca\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2130"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/www.hivlegalnetwork.ca\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2130\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22961,"href":"https:\/\/www.hivlegalnetwork.ca\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2130\/revisions\/22961"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hivlegalnetwork.ca\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hivlegalnetwork.ca\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22738"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hivlegalnetwork.ca\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2130"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}