Gender justice has been integral to VIDEA’s work for all of our 40+ years – we are more than a feminist organization, we are a women’s organization. It is our role as a feminist, women’s organization to create the conditions where the voices of those who identify as women, girls, gender-diverse and 2SLGBTQ+ youth and those with additional barriers, are brought to the center of conversations. VIDEA works hard to ensure that young people in all their diversity are able to claim their gender and human rights while supporting them to create policy change. This Team highlights the gender justice programmes, advocacy and focus in our work. 

Shared Wisdom: Up North is an Indigenous youth-led project addressing systemic barriers facing young Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQIA+ folks. Seven Indigenous youth are engaging their communities in Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut to identify systemic barriers and interventions to support Indigenous women, girls, and gender-diverse folks to access leadership positions, influence policy and apply a strength-based approach to challenge harmful stereotypes. These youth are working to ensure that those directly affected by gender inequality are part of the dialogue and solution

Other recently completed gender justice projects include Protecting Our Spirit, an Indigenous youth-led project working to decolonize sex work and educate youth on safe ways of engaging in sex work, and increase sex worker safety through policy development and advocacy. Using what they learned throughout the project, Indigenous youth leaders created a resource to support understanding of sex work laws, the importance of ethical and feminist porn, decolonizing sex work, safety tips, and more!