Statement: There’s No Gender Equality Without Trans Women

OTTAWA – On International Women’s Day 2023, hundreds of community organizations from across Canada have signed a statement declaring that gender equality cannot be achieved without supporting, celebrating, and uplifting trans women. Canada has seen rising hate against trans communities, and particularly against trans women, but trans women deserve our respect and care – in addition to concrete government action to address anti-trans hate.

Today, hundreds of organizations – both individual organizations and major national networks – have joined together to declare that ‘there’s no gender equality without trans women’. On International Women’s Day, advocates across the country have joined together to celebrate women in all their diversity.

While far right and hate-based movements have surged, trans communities have been under attack. But today, and every day, we must stand together to protect the wellbeing of trans folks, and particularly trans women – especially trans women of colour.

Concrete action is needed, now more than ever, to keep trans communities safe and protected. The national coalition has endorsed the following calls to action to address anti-trans hate:

• We call upon the Government of Canada to ensure that trans communities are included in the forthcoming National Action Plan to Combat Hate, and supported with dedicated resources allocated to fighting anti-trans hate
• We call upon civil society organizations across Canada to accelerate efforts to affirm, engage, employ, and uplift trans and gender diverse people
• We call upon all feminists to proclaim that feminism must be trans-inclusive, and that there’s no gender equality without trans women

This latest campaign comes as a follow up to the Trans-Inclusive Feminism Campaign launched by the CCGSD, Wisdom2Action, and Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights in 2021.

ADD YOUR NAME TO THE STATEMENT