In January, 2006, OAITH made a submission to the Standing Committee on Justice Policy regarding Bill 27: An Act to amend the Arbitration Act, 1991, the Child and Family Services Act, the Family Law Act, and the Children's Law Reform Act. Focusing on the Arbitration Act and the Children's Law Reform Act, OAITH raises concerns about the unequal power between men and women in mediation and arbitration, the private vs. public nature of family law mediation, and do not recognize the full impact of abuse in relationships.
This paper examines Ontario family law and the family court system, including recent and anticipated changes to both, through a gendered intersectional lens. In particular, it provides a gender-based intersectional analysis of the implications of family law and the family court system for women who have experienced violence and their children.
The paper has three principle goals. The first is to provide support to frontline workers who assist women involved with family court. The second is to increase the ability of women to negotiate their way through this system so they emerge at the other end with their legal rights respected and with outcomes that keep them and their children safe.
The third is to provide violence against women workers, advocates, and activists with the tools they need to work for change at the community, provincial, and national level.
This paper looks at the application of alternative feminist theories and practices to CRIAW's work on social and economic justice work towards equality for women. Intersectional Feminist Frameworks (IFFs) is the emerging vision being put forward as the way to understand and address gender inqualities. This is critical reflection piece that examines the approaches and principles of intersectional feminist approaches, explores the historical context nationally and internationally, and considers applications at the current juncture in specific areas of social justice for women work, including Immigrant and Refugee Women and Anti-Poverty Campaigns.
This research project aims to analyze and document the experiences of poor and racialized women in the urban centre of Toronto. The research was conducted by engaging community workers, advocates, and policy analysts by exploring their stories through the context of public and governent policies at all levels. The research analyzes a wide variety of experiences with poverty and employment barriers & discrimination, lack of access to education, criminalization of women on social assistance/welfare, the housing crisis, abuse, violence, and harassment, mental and physical health, and public recreation. It also provides ideas and initiatives for community-based women's groups and services, and recommendations for housing, social assistance, and childcare.
This research highlight from the CMHC reports on a study done to investigate if landlords disciminate against battered women. The results indicate that there is housing discrimination against women who are leaving abusive relaitonships, though the underlying reasons are not clear and need further exploration.
This report explores the growing evidence of the strong links between violence against women and children and significant physical and mental health impairment, and risky health behaviours. As well as physical injuries and death, long-term consequences of experiencing violence include mental health problems, which in turn contribute ot health risks and increased risk of further violence. There is also research that suggests longer term chronic diseases may be associated with violent victimization. This report looks at both intiimate partner violence and non-partner sexual violence.
Historical struggles to bring about legal aid services to low income people did not take into account the legal needs of women as a diverse and distinct constituency. As a result, low income women have not received substantive euality of access to the justice system, despite this being the intent of the legal aid program. This qualitative study of women's experiences of trying to access civil legal aid services shows that the system is intimidating and confusing; that coverage criteria are frustrating and limit women's capacity to get needed legal services; and that many felt the quality of legal aid services they received were poor quality and they were not treated with respect by their lawyers. Women with disabilities, immigrant and refugee women, abused women and Aboriginal women encouter additional difficulties trying to access legal aid.