Equality Matters newsletter: January 2025

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As we step into another new year, we want to highlight some successes in 2024 and also share our best wishes for 2025. We look forward to seeing what the year ahead will bring!

As the festivities slow down, we begin preparing to celebrate Black History Month throughout February and International Women’s Day on March 8 – check back next issue for more details.

In this issue, we’re taking a look back at the most popular links we featured in 2024. We’ll also look forward to highlighting the launch of the Unity campaign, Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) funding to address systemic barriers, a progress report on the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and a new GBV test to assess your knowledge. And you may have noticed we unwrapped a new look and feel over the holidays!

Read on!

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Back by popular demand

As we just wrapped up 2024, let’s revisit the year’s most popular resources, as identified by you, our readers. Whether you’re discovering these for the first time or taking a second look, these resources may ignite new ideas or offer helpful information for your year ahead:

  1. The violence at home Signal for Help
  2. Refresh your Gender-Based Analysis Plus skills by taking the course
  3. The Governor General's Awards in Commemoration of the Persons Case

 

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Over 160

organizations

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Accross Canada

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Up to

$100 million

in funding

Funding to address systemic barriers

Big news! WAGE will provide up to $100 million for 163 projects across the country to increase economic and leadership opportunities for women, a key step in achieving gender equality.

Through the Women’s Economic and Leadership Opportunities Fund, we are helping organizations launch new systemic change projects and scale up past successful projects.

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Put your GBV knowledge to the test

What do you know about GBV? Find out and learn more about GBV in this new five-question test – a great way to become more informed about this critical issue.

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Progress report on the National Action Plan to End GBV 

It’s been one year since all the bilateral agreements to end GBV were signed with the provinces and territories across Canada. With 260 partnerships established, over 250,000 resources delivered, and $558 million invested, it’s been an impactful year.

Curious about the progress and what has happened over the last year? Discover more about federal, provincial, and territorial efforts in the first annual progress report on the National Action Plan to End GBV.

Real stories. Real support. 

The recently launched public awareness campaign Unity sets out to foster a more inclusive future for 2SLGBTQI+ communities through introspective exercises and storytelling. Hear about the different ways people in Canada show up for their friends, family members, and colleagues, and learn what small steps you can take to support sexually and gender-diverse people.   

Share this video to show others how open minds can lead to more meaningful relationships!

Real stories. Real support.

Transcript of video

Video opens with Jasmine and Melissa seated together on a couch. We see close ups of each of them while Jasmine is speaking. A rainbow made up of interlocking blocks of colour is seen in the background. Gentle guitar music plays throughout.

Jasmine:

It was me and my parents, sitting at the kitchen table. I was actually about to leave for university, and I felt all this pressure to tell them that, you know, I am who I am, and I love who I love.

Jasmine and Melissa are seated together on the couch against a white background. A video technician uses their film clapper while Jasmine and Melissa laugh. A dialogue bubble made up of rainbow-coloured interlocking blocks appears behind them.

Text on screen: Real stories. Real support.

Close up of Jasmine with the rainbow shaped, colour-block graphic in the background.

Jasmine:

And then I came out and I told them, and they were just like, I'll love you no matter what.

Jasmine and Melissa are seated together on the couch. They look at each other with love and respect, and then share an emotional hug.

Melissa:

So, being an ally has definitely enriched my life.

Close ups of Melissa and Jasmine as they speak. We see views of the two together, often looking to one another and nodding encouragingly. The rainbow shaped colour-block graphic is seen in the background.

Melissa:

Being able to understand what she's going through, being able to educate others and listening.

Jasmine :

You're always listening to me. I think that's, like, the biggest thing.

Melissa :

I remember in high school where it was like, someone said something, and we all would laugh and joke around. And I look back at that and I'm thinking, that was horrible.

Close ups of Jasmine as they speak passionately. We see views of the two together on the couch; Melissa smiles and nods with acknowledgment while Jasmine speaks.

Jasmine like to keep with my bubble and kind of remind myself of how lucky I am to have people around me who love me and support me. My little gang or my little huddle of people that we go together, we move together, and as we move together, it makes it easier, I think.

We see views of the two together on the couch, with close ups of Melissa as she speaks earnestly to the camera. Jasmine smiles and nods with appreciation and determination while Melissa speaks.

Melissa:

I'm willing to learn and I'm willing to be corrected whenever I need to be, because that's part of life, too, right? And I've actually had to say something to someone at work to say, hey, I'm not sure if that's appropriate or not. I feel uncomfortable with your remarks. They're like, well, why do you feel uncomfortable? And I said, because we're all human, right?

Jasmine and Melissa seated together on the couch. We see close ups of Jasmine while Jasmine is speaking, and Melissa’s hand as she fondly rubs Jasmine’s knee. The rainbow graphic is seen in the background.

Jasmine:

Having a strong support system allows me to be myself, allows me to feel comfortable to talk about things that I need to talk about, you know, things that are happening within me.

Jasmine and Melissa seated together on the couch. We see close ups of Melissa as she speaks emotionally. Jasmine looks to Melissa, and nods appreciatively.

Melissa:

You come home and you say, this is my girlfriend. And you introduce her to the world, and you're proud. And we're proud of you because it's not an easy thing to be different than what people want you to be.

Jasmine and Melissa share a loving, emotional hug.

The interlocking colour blocked rainbow appears. Text on screen: Let’s build a safe, free world for all Canadians.

The colour blocks in the rainbow shape are replaced by black background and the word UNITY. Text on screen: canada.ca/unity

The Canada wordmark appears.

Did you know

GBV doesn’t just occur in person. Technology-facilitated GBV is often dismissed but can be just as harmful as physical violence. Examples include doxing, flaming, cyberstalking, and revenge porn.

Learn more about online GBV

In case you missed it

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