Frontiers of a Gender Equality Paradox: IHRL and Canada’s National Action Plan on Gender-Based Violence against Women

Abstract

This article explores the experience and lessons from developing Canada’s first national action plan for gender-based violence (NAPGBV) as an example of the vicissitudes of feminist policy-making. The author specifies the processes, methodologies, and collaborations the Expert Engagement Group that she coordinated in a project to guide Canada’s Women and Gender Equality Ministry in developing the NAPGBV. She explores her experiences at the intersection of activism and policy-making, detailing Canada’s international human rights obligations to prevent and protect against gender-based violence (GBV) as the frame of reference. The article traces the separate paths to accountability for GBV in Canada regarding Indigenous women’s experiences and those of more mainstream or settler efforts. The author posits that GBVAW is a multifaceted issue that requires cross-sector collaboration and immediate, sustained, monitored, and accountable action by all governments according to their respective responsibilities and in keeping with international best practices