Release of Shadow Report to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)

We are proud to announce that the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights (JHC), in collaboration with the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies (CAEFS), Indigenous Disability Canada (IDC/BCANDS), and the Coalition for Justice and Human Rights (CJHR), has submitted a shadow report to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). 

This report highlights critical gaps in Canada's treatment of women and gender-diverse individuals, particularly Indigenous women, within the justice system. It addresses issues of mass incarceration, systemic racism, and the harmful practices faced by incarcerated women, including the overuse of solitary confinement, sexual violence, and inadequate access to healthcare. 

Some elements of the report draw specific attention to the conditions at the Edmonton Institution for Women (EIFW) underscoring the unique challenges faced by Indigenous women and gender-diverse individuals, who are disproportionately impacted by the criminal legal system. It also offers recommendations for reform, including the implementation of culturally relevant programming, the abolition of solitary confinement, and increased investments in community-based alternatives to incarceration.

Our submission is a call for urgent action to address these human rights violations and ensure that Canada's obligations under CEDAW are upheld. We are committed to advocating for transformative justice and systemic change to restore dignity and equity for all. 

For more information about our report or to get involved, please contact us at info@jhcentre.org.