Since its launch in December 2020, the Equal Futures Network has mobilized communities and organizations from coast-to-coast-to-coast.
Rallying around the collective efforts of past and present gender equality and women’s empowerment movements, the Equal Futures Network has created a community of support for organizations and individuals driving progress for gender equality and social justice in their communities.
Recognizing that despite progress made, there are persistent gaps and systemic barriers that prevent women and gender diverse people from achieving equal participation in all areas of their lives, the Equal Futures Network works to connect local movements to the larger global community working to achieve gender equality and meet the objectives laid out in the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
In communities across the country and around the globe, women and gender diverse people remain undervalued – they continue to work more, earn less, have poorer health outcomes, fewer choices, and experience multiple forms of violence at home and in public spaces. We know that the expertise to combat gender discrimination already exists and there is a role for the Equal Futures Network to play in convening a domestic space through tools like our Network Map to help recognize and better align common interests and that harnesses knowledge and expertise to accelerate progress for gender equality.
As we continue to imagine the long term impact of the Equal Futures Network on the gender equality landscape, we would like to acknowledge the time, expertise and energy of organizations, agencies and individuals who have been doing this work for countless decades. In particular the work of Indigenous peoples and communities who, since time immemorial, have been the traditional keepers of knowledge and protectors of the land and water and whose work has played a crucial role in advancing and promoting gender equality and human rights. You can read our full territory acknowledgement here.
We will continue to build authentic partnerships, share knowledge that advances our collective objectives and amplify the work, stories and voices of our members as we strive to build a community for gender equality and social justice in Canada.
Thank you to our members, partners, funders and other key stakeholders who helped make this initiative possible and helped shape us into who we are today – we wouldn’t be here without you. Together, we believe that we can realize a more equal world for women, girls and gender diverse people in Canada and around the world.
In solidarity,
The Equal Futures Network Team
The Equal Futures Network acknowledges that Indigenous people are the traditional guardians of Turtle Island, on the land also known as Canada