April 17, 2020
Domestic violence during COVID-19: Representative for Children and Youth and Human Rights Commissioner call for increased visibility of supports and resources
British Columbia is currently marking Prevention of Violence Against Women Week (April 12-18). Never has this week been more important to mark than now, during the current COVID-19 pandemic. PDF […]
April 15, 2020
A call for human rights oversight of government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic
The following media release contains information about British Columbia’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic that was current at the time of its publication. Provincial health orders and guidelines may have […]
January 29, 2020
A call to name and remember: B.C.’s Human Rights Commissioner’s statement on the anniversary of the Quebec City Mosque Shooting
Three years ago, Canada was rocked by shock and horror as a terrorist attack claimed the lives of six men at a Quebec City mosque and injured many others. “I […]
January 23, 2020
Letter to the First Nations LNG Alliance from BC’s Human Rights Commissioner
In response to an open letter addressed to Commissioner Govender from the First Nations LNG Alliance, dated January 19 2020, the Commissioner issued the following letter. The Commissioner’s statement of […]
January 10, 2020
Statement from B.C.’s Human Rights Commissioner on UN CERD’s Decision Statement
B.C. Human Rights Commissioner Kasari Govender issued the following statement regarding the recent decision statement by the UN Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD). “In my lifetime, there […]
December 10, 2019
BC’s Human Rights Commissioner celebrates Human Rights Day!
Each year, on Human Rights Day, people around the world mark the anniversary of United Nations’ adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights—the first time in our history that […]
December 6, 2019
BC Human Rights Commissioner statement on National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women
Vancouver– 30 YEARS AFTER THE ÉCOLE POLYTECHNIQUE MASSACRE, THE HATEFUL IDEAS THAT LED TO THE MURDER OF 14 WOMEN ARE STILL WITH US. In 1989, a gunman walked into an engineering […]
October 24, 2019
BC’s Human Rights Commissioner applauds initial steps to implement UNDRIP in B.C.
VANCOUVER – Today, the Province of British Columbia introduced legislation to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). “The legislation introduced today is an important […]
September 3, 2019
B.C.’s new Human Rights Commissioner takes Oath of Office
Victoria, B.C. – Kasari Govender was sworn in by Acting Clerk Kate Ryan-Lloyd as B.C.’s new human rights commissioner at the Legislature today. The Office of the Human Rights Commissioner […]