Is Canada truly a liberal democracy? The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report ranks Canada 36th for gender equality out of 146 countries (2024), a drop of six points compared to last year. Workplace discrimination, both direct and indirect, remains prevalent, despite the Canadian Human Rights Act being amended on June 19, 2017, to include gender identity and as prohibited grounds of discrimination.
Echo Keizer (they/him), Chair of the Queer & Trans Health Collective and a Committee Member of the Women’s Advisory Voice of Edmonton (WAVE), shares their personal experiences with discrimination in a candid one-on-one interview with Irum Khan. They argue that the Canadian work environment still has significant strides to make before it can be considered a fully inclusive and representative democracy. Additionally, they offer insights into Alberta’s transgender legislation being pushed forward by Premier Danielle Smith.
