Come Together, Act Together

Never before have small, individual actions been so powerful. Let’s join forces to fight for gender justice around the world.

According to the World Economic Forum, we are still 257 years away from achieving gender equality. That’s three human lifetimes before women and girls will earn equal pay, cease dying preventable deaths in childbirth, and gain the right to control their own bodies. And global crisis has made a big problem bigger, with communities isolated and left behind in the midst of ever-growing inequality.

THE LONG ARM OF GENDER INEQUALITY

We all know that’s not right! That’s why we’re donating $1 to the Canadian Women's Foundation with every gift purchase to help end gender-based violence.

Thanks to you, we've reached our maximum donation of $50,000*!

Want to do more? Let’s #ActTogether to amplify the 16 days of Activism against Gender Based Violence. When we all #ActTogether, every small action contributes to something big.

GET THE CALENDAR

About The Canadian Women’s Foundation

The Canadian Women’s Foundation is Canada’s public foundation for gender equality. It supports diverse women and girls to move out of violence, out of poverty, and into confidence and leadership.

Canadian Women’s Foundation and The Body Shop

Our donation will go towards the Out of Violence Programs. These programs help ensure women and girls get the support they need now and into the pandemic’s aftermath. The Out of Violence Programs provide:

Emergency shelter and second-stage shelters to women and their children escaping violent homes
Sexual assault response and care
Legal information and court support
Programs for children who have witnessed violence in the home
Counselling and safety planning
Prevention efforts to stop the cycle of violence before it starts through healthy relationship programs for young people of all genders.

The rate of violence was already at an emergency level before the pandemic with a woman killed by her partner an average of every 6 days in Canada. We, as a collective, must come together and act together. Join us and take part in our 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.

Women suffer more in global crisis

Existing unequal and unfair work situations become more so, while unpaid caregiving work done by women increases. Domestic violence surges as tensions rise, and women are confined round the clock with their oppressor. [2]

2 Morgan G, Bajpai A, Ceppi P, Al-Hinai A, Christensen T, Kumar S, Crosskey S & O’Regan N. Infrastructure for gender equality and the empowerment of women. UNOPS, Copenhagen, Denmark. 2020.

Domestic violence is systemic

Domestic violence is rooted in gender inequality – as long as women are seen to be inferior, they will be susceptible to all forms of violence. We need to challenge this perception at every opportunity, and make sure that women are equally represented in positions of power and influence.[3]

3 Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Family Planning and Ending Gender-based Violence, Female Genital Mutilation and Child Marriage. 27 April 2020.

Homeless from a violent home

Violence and female homelessness are closely linked, with victims of domestic violence forced into precarious living circumstances when our system(s) fails to protect them. Women who are already experiencing homelessness are also at far greater risk of physical or sexual violence than their male counterparts.[4]

4 GIWPS: https://giwps.georgetown.edu/at-the-intersection-of-vulnerabilities-women-and-girls-experiencing-homelessness-during-the-global-coronavirus-pandemic/

Harnessing Your Personal Power

Here’s your individual activism journey broken down into three simple steps, and a bunch of handy resources to help you on the way.

Yes, the task ahead is BIG. But in the end, real seismic change is just a whole lot of smaller changes joined together.

LEARN

Books. Podcasts. Instagram posts from accounts in the know. Now is the time to get your eyes and ears on everything gender inequality, so you can ride into this fight armed to the teeth. We’ve created a list of our favourite resources for you - and even made some ourselves.

TALK

Here’s where you spread the social justice word. Tell a friend, regale a colleague - speak to a stranger in the grocery store. Each time gender equality is discussed and debated, the movement grows in size and power. Need help? Here’s a list of conversation topics to change the world.

DO

No longer the sole province of hardcore protestors, activism is now accessible to all of us through small but meaningful actions. Dive in head first with our 16 Days of Activism, or find out how to get involved with your local partner.

Activism 101

Activism isn’t just protests and poster-making. There’s no right or wrong way to be “an activist” – as long as you are speaking up, educating yourself and others or taking action to make change. Here are three ways to be an activist without going to a protest.

LEARN! READ, LISTEN AND THINK

Knowledge truly is power. We need to understand the issues at hand in order to make good decisions about how to make change. Also, often there are people out there doing a great job in the area you’re passionate about. Learn about who’s out there and what they’re doing so you can put your energy to the best use.

USE SOCIAL MEDIA AS A FORCE FOR GOOD

Sharing valuable, sometimes lifesaving information in the blink of an eye? Yes please. Don’t be shy about wearing your values on your sleeve (or your feed). Also, if you see things getting nasty in the comments section, like or respond to the productive and positive comments that are keeping the conversation on track. Comments with more engagement get seen more. Farewell trolls!

ENGAGE WITH YOUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT

There are so many ways to do this. Spend 15 minutes a week learning who your local politicians are and their positions on issues that are important to you, attend a local town hall or meeting or call a politician about something you’d like to see change. AND VOTE!

Your activism library

Classic Reads:

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf

Women, Culture & Politics by Angela Y. Davis

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde

CONVERSATIONS TO CHANGE THE WORLD

Welcome to a game where the rules are easy, but the conversations are hard. From pay gap to thigh gap, these cards are designed to bring us together to tackle gender inequality - one tough topic at a time.

Play now

16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is an international campaign coordinated by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership and used by activists around the world to call for the elimination of all forms of gender-based violence.

Together, with your help, The Body Shop and the Canadian Women’s Foundation will amplify this campaign across Canada.

Come together, act together! You’ve got 16 days to check these actions off your list.

Whether you choose to shop with us, have a tricky conversation at a family dinner, sign this letter, share a Facebook post or read a book…REMEMBER: SMALL, INDIVIDUAL AND EVERYDAY ACTIONS HAVE GREAT POWER.

GET THE CALENDAR

*From November 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020, The Body Shop will donate $1 of each Holiday Gift sold to Canadian Women’s Foundation, up to a maximum donation of $ 50,000.00.

[1] https://www.weforum.org/projects/closing-the-gender-gap-accelerators

[2] Morgan G, Bajpai A, Ceppi P, Al-Hinai A, Christensen T, Kumar S, Crosskey S & O’Regan N. Infrastructure for gender equality and the empowerment of women. UNOPS, Copenhagen, Denmark. 2020.

[3] Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Family Planning and Ending Gender-based Violence, Female Genital Mutilation and Child Marriage. 27 April 2020.

[4] GIWPS. https://giwps.georgetown.edu/at-the-intersection-of-vulnerabilities-women-and-girls-experiencing-homelessness-during-the-global-coronavirus-pandemic/)