Human Rights and Equity Conference 2025

From left: BCNU President Adriane Gear welcomes conference attendees. Butterflies in Spirit, an Indigenous dance group, performs in honour of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit people. Author Ivan Coyote shares poignant personal stories about seeking health care as a non-binary, trans person.

Addressing Gender-Based Violence Through Collective Action

More than 200 BCNU members gathered in Vancouver on Nov. 18 for the union's annual human rights and equity conference on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh nations.

The conference theme, Gender and Care – Change Through Collective Action, gave attendees the opportunity to contemplate how gender-based violence is upheld by systems of colonialism, patriarchy, racism (including Indigenous-specific racism) and transphobia, shaping how power and harm are distributed across society – and the need for collective action to create enduring change.

Speakers included Gena Edwards, president of the BC Native Women’s Association; Dr. Balbir Gurm, Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Nursing; renowned author Ivan Coyote; and Angela Marie MacDougall, Executive Director, Battered Women’s Support Services.

Speakers shared research and stories on generations of gender-based violence and how it informs our families and communities today, while encouraging members to reimagine and reframe ideas of public safety from the perspective of the survivor.

During the day’s proceedings, BCNU president Adriane Gear encouraged attendees to engage in the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence, which takes place annually from Nov. 25 (International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) to Dec. 10 (International Human Rights Day), and includes the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women on Dec. 6. Transgender Day of Remembrance on Nov. 20 was also highlighted at the conference, with attendees and speakers taking time to honour the memory of trans lives lost because of discrimination, gender-based violence and prejudice.

Watch for more HRE conference highlights in a future issue of Update Magazine.

χʷəy̓χʷiq̓tən / Audrey Siegl (she/her) is an inspiring warrior, leader, activist, artist, cultural worker, and engaged community member of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓-speaking Musqueam people. She works with teachings and medicines passed on to her from her Musqueam family and ancestors. Audrey has been active in grassroots, environmental, and social justice-political frontline movements, advocating for the protection of Indigenous women, land, and water, and all those who inhabit those spaces, invited or not. Though she is rooted in West Coast and Musqueam medicines, she has worked extensively across Turtle Island with many teachings and medicines. 

She is proud and honoured to carry on the work of her grandparents and ancestors. Audrey has a wide portfolio of work that includes the MMIWG2S Inquiry, Greenpeace campaigns, the housing crisis, the toxic supply and overdose crisis, advising on the City of Vancouver Climate Justice Charter, forced displacement, and the connection between extractive industry and violations of First Nations land and human rights.

Úcwalmicw xilh nmíml̓en q̓íxin̓ (Indigenous Ways Equal Safety)
 

Kwiks Tina7 nskwátsitsa. Nsnek̓wnúk̓wa7 Ts’kw’aylxwc Stl’atl’imx. My English name is Gena Edwards, and I am from Ts’kw’aylaxw in the Stl’atl’imx Nation.

Gena Edwards is a matriarch in the Eagle wilp with the Nisga’a Nation.  She serves as President of the British Columbia Native Women’s Association, 1st Vice President of the Native Women’s Association of Canada and has previously been a leader in her home community of Ts’kw’aylaxw.

Gena is passionate about Indigenous issues related to health, child welfare, human rights, MMIWG2S+ and our climate crisis. She comes from a long line of political Chiefs maternally and paternally since pre-contact. A strong advocate for the betterment of all Indigenous peoples on Mother Earth, Gena emphasizes our deep interconnection. She holds a bachelor's and master's degree in social work and is dedicated to closing gaps in all areas affecting Indigenous people, especially women, girls, and gender diverse people. Gena is passionate about sharing knowledge to help shape policies and better assist government initiatives for Indigenous people.

Butterflies in Spirit is a dance group made up of Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people who perform hip hop, contemporary and decolonial Indigenous dance for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit people (MMIWG2S+) and the disappeared across Turtle Island and the world. Most members of Butterflies in Spirit are survivors or family of MMIWG2S+. The dancers, choreographers, and musicians are Indigenous artists who work diligently through community advocacy, dance, music and art to highlight the injustices Indigenous communities face daily.

Intersecting Systems of Power: Unpacking GBV Through Colonial, Patriarchal, and Racialized Frameworks
 

Dr. Balbir Gurm, RN, BSN, MA, EdD (Leadership & Policy) is an award-winning nursing leader, educator, and social justice advocate. A Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Nursing, she founded the Network to Eliminate Violence in Relationships (NEVR) and co-edited Making Sense of a Global Pandemic. Dr. Gurm consults widely on anti-racism, cultural safety, and inclusion, delivering impactful workshops and shaping policy. Her leadership has earned numerous awards, including two YWCA Women of Distinction Awards and the BC Achievement Community Award. 

Somewhere Over the Rainbow Sticker
 

Ivan Coyote is a renowned writer and storyteller from Whitehorse, Yukon, and the author of thirteen books, four films, six stage shows, and three albums. Their acclaimed works - including their most recent book, Care Of - explore gender identity, family, class, and queer liberation with wit and compassion. Recognized with honorary doctorates from Simon Fraser University and Yukon University, Coyote’s work blends personal truth with collective storytelling. 

Individual, Relational, Community and Systemic Change to Take Action on Gender-Based Violence
 

Angela Marie MacDougall is an activist, educator, and organizer with over 30 years dedicated to gender, racial, and social justice. As executive director of Battered Women’s Support Services, she has advanced intersectional feminist, trauma-informed approaches to policy and services. MacDougall co-authors national reports, speaks widely on systemic change, and is a founding member of Feminists Deliver and the Intersectional Feminist Justice Collaborative. Recognized as a Remarkable Woman by the City of Vancouver, she continues to inspire collective action for equity.