Category: Presentations & Appearances

Call for Proposals from Graduate Students of Law

eGirls is looking for paper abstract submissions from graduate students in law and legal studies who wish to be accepted for inclusion in an upcoming two day workshop and public conference, taking place March 27/28, 2014 at the University of Ottawa. Successful applicants will present their paper during day one of the workshop, each be eligible for up to $1,000 to assist with travel expenses, and are invited to attend the public conference on day two free of charge. Exceptional papers may also be selected for inclusion in an edited book volume to be published following the event:

eGirls, eCitizens:  Putting Theory, Policy & Education into Dialogue

 with the Voices of Girls and Young Women

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Protections against online hate messages removed from the Canadian Human Rights Act notwithstanding rising concern over cyberbullying

Jane Bailey presents at the Senate Committee

It’s possible that, like many Canadians, you had no idea the Federal government was in the process of removing section 13, which provides redress for online “hate messages”, from the Canadian Human Rights Act. Bill C-304 An Act to amend to the Canadian Rights Act (protecting freedom) received Royal Assent on June 26, 2013 after a year of delay in the Senate.

On Tuesday June 25th, three feminist voices were invited to the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights, to share their expertise in this area. Professor Jane Bailey presented alongside Professor Kathleen Mahoney (University of Calgary) and Jo-Ann Kolmes on behalf of LEAF. Together, these three made a compelling argument that removing section 13 altogether (as a response to its alleged shortcomings), is a retrograde step that widens existing gaps in our human rights protections, leaving some groups especially vulnerable. (For example, women and disabled persons are not protected by Criminal Code hate provisions.) We invite you to read Professor Bailey’s submission and LEAF’s submission to learn more.

Online Sexualized Bullying: Why Equality Matters

On Friday May 3, 2013, Professor Jane Bailey spoke at Clicks and Stones, a conference about cyberbullying co-sponsored by the University of Toronto’s Centre for Innovation Law and Policy and Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work.  In a presentation entitled “Online sexualized bullying:  why an equality analysis matters”, Professor Bailey relied on the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in AB v. Bragg Communications Inc. as the basis for making two central points:  (i) that individually initiated civil litigation offers a very limited opportunity for redressing the harms of sexualized bullying because it is often slow and expensive, and can expose the target to further unwanted and sometimes humiliating publicity; and (ii) that proactive, collective equality-based responses to the misogyny, homophobia, racism, classism, colonialism and typecast gender conformity that frequently inform sexualized bullying are also needed.  You can view Professor Bailey’s slides from the presentation here.

Save the date – Clicks and Stones: Cyberbullying, Digital Citizenship and the Challenges of Legal Response (03 May, Toronto)

Clicks and Stones:
Cyberbullying, Digital Citizenship
and the Challenges of Legal Response

May 3, 2013

9:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

Campbell Conference Facility, Munk School of Global Affairs, 1 Devonshire Place, Toronto, ON.

Governments are reacting to the cyberbullying phenomenon in various ways.  In Canada, several provinces and the Canadian Senate have examined the issue in depth.  The Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights has made seven recommendations to the federal government, including promoting human rights education and the values of “Digital Citizenship.”   At the same time, cyberbullying cases are reaching the courts here and elsewhere, revealing limits to the ability to address the problem with our legal systems.  What’s the most effective approach?  Join the discussion on May 3, when the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law and Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work present two panels composed of Canadian and US experts on this important issue (including eGirls’ own Jane Bailey).

Panel 1:  Digital Citizenship

Moderator:  Dean Faye Mishna, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto

Panelists:

  • Senator Mobina Jaffer, Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights
  • Professor Wayne MacKay, Chair of the  Nova Scotia Task Force on Bullying and Cyberbullying
  • Professor Shaheen Shariff, Department of Integrated Studies in Education, McGill University

Panel 2:  The Challenges of Legal Response

Moderator:  Adjunct Professor Eric M. Roher, University of Toronto Faculty of Law

Panelists:

  • Professor Mary Anne Franks, University of Miami School of Law
  • Professor Jane Bailey, University of Ottawa Faculty of Law
  • Professor Andrea Slane,  University of Ontario Institute of Technology

This conference is free and open to the public, although seating is limited. For more information or to register, please follow this link. 

Jane Bailey on AB v. Bragg and Why the “e” word matters

You probably heard or read about AB v Bragg in the media. It’s the case about the 15 year old girl who wanted to be able to use a pseudonym (rather than her real name) to pursue an order requiring an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to disclose customer information relating to the IP address from which a fake Facebook profile about her originated. AB went all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) and was ultimately granted this right. The analyses at first instance, before the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal and before the Supreme Court of Canada focused primarily on the privacy interests of young people.

On November 21, 2012, in an invited lecture organized by the University of Ottawa Women and the Law Association, Professor Bailey explored the kinds of equality arguments that might have been advanced in support of the SCC’s decision. She considered some of the reasons why equality was not raised and suggested why the absence of the “e” word matters.

Trevor Milford joins Québec Launch of Media Literacy Week

When we think about literacy, we often think about schools and teachers. But what about Media Literacy? Last week, MediaSmarts teamed up with the Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF) to present the seventh annual Media Literacy Week. To launch the event in Québec, Montréal’s Laurier Macdonald High School hosted a panel discussion on November 5th, about Online Privacy. The discussion was broadcast live to students at 33 schools across the province. Following opening remarks by Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart, eGirls’ very own Trevor Milford – University of Ottawa student researcher extraordinaire – was among the panelists. Along with Daphne Guerrero from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, and Colin McKay from Google Canada, Trevor shared his experience and expertise, and fielded some very insightful questions from students. Covering topics ranging from privacy settings to cyber-bulling, the students proved to be media savvy and in tune to the challenges of navigating the public/private divide online. And the best news is, you can watch the discussion too!