In Canada, the Criminal Code hate propaganda law provides protection to a limited list of "identifiable groups" being only those distinguished by colour, race, religion, ethnic origin and sexual orientation.  "Sex" or "gender" is not included and so women and girls have no protection from hate propaganda. 

The federal government has, to date, refused to amend the law to include sex/gender, although in 2003 it passed a Private Member's Bill (Bill C-250) adding "sexual orientation".  While Bill C-250 was going through public hearings and review, neither politicians in the House of Commons nor members of the Senate amended the law to extend protection to the female half of the population.  This is contrary to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms which guarantees everyone the equal protection of Canadian laws (Section 15).

This section contains information relating to that  discriminatory and unconstitutional situation. 

Fact Sheet: click here for a fact sheet on the exclusion of women from the hate propaganda law

Big Apple in Colborne, Ontario, sells hateful t-shirts (2008)

Jim Flaherty Asked Again to Honour His Promise (February 23, 2007)

Tories Asked to Amend Hate Law to Include Women (July 31, 2006)

Information on complaint filed with the Ontario Human Rights Commission against HMV Canada Inc. re their sale of hate rap (2007)

Articles on Donald Smith Case (2002 - 2005)

Why aren't we shocked by brutality against girls and women? (2006)

Foreign Entertainers Must Sign Anti-Hate Declaration (2005)

Homophobia Bad - Sexism Good in Music Biz - some examples (various dates)

TTC want police to lay hate-crime charges over misogynist grafitti (2000)

Articles on hate rock prosecutions in Canada (1997 - 2004)

Rap called hate propaganda in Quebec (2006)

Hate Rap Bands Receive Warning in France (2003)

Free Radical news release: Canadians Urged to File Human Rights Complaints re Pimp Products (2005)

Appeal to Ontario Attorney General Bryant to lobby for protection of women from hate propaganda (2004)

"She was asking for it" t-shirt on sale at St. Catharines store (2004)

Death Threat Not Art (2004)

MPs extend Criminal Code hate crime protection to include sexual orientation - Bill C-250 (2003)

Letter to Jack Layton, Leader of the NDP, re Bill C-250, January 1, 2003

Letter to Jack Layton, Leader of the NDP, re "Equality Victory" - September 28, 2003

Letter from NDP MP Svend Robinson re Bill C-250 explaining why he won't include women (2003)

Excuses from Liberal Justice Minister Anne McLellan for not changing the hate propaganda law (2001)

Excuses from Liberal Justice Minister Martin Cauchon for not changing the hate propaganda law (2003)

Canadian Criminal Code excerpt re hate propaganda law