Here you will find archived news items highlighted by the eQuality Project.
eQuality Project & OPC’s “Info Matters” Podcast
Posted on 14/12/2023
The eQuality Project’s Valerie Steeves and Jane Bailey were recently featured on the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario’s “Info Matter” podcast! You can find the episode on the IPC website, Simplecast, and Apple Podcasts.
IPC and MediaSmarts Lesson Plans
Posted on 21/08/2023
As per the IPC: Prepared by MediaSmarts, Canada’s Centre for Digital Media Literacy in collaboration with the IPC, These new lesson plans teach students in grades two through eight about privacy rights, digital literacy, and online safety. They include privacy principles that every student needs to understand, such as identifying risks, strategies to protect privacy, and respecting others’ privacy. They are available for download on our website and printed copies can be requested by emailing info@ipc.on.ca.
eQuality Project Youth Summit Documentary
Posted on 20/04/2023
As part of The eQuality Project’s Youth Summit on Education Technology held at the University of Ottawa on October 1st, 2022, we produced a documentary to highlight the amazing contributions, ideas, and perspectives of our amazing facilitators and participants. Check it out here.
UN Committee Status of Women
Posted on 06/03/2023
eQuality’s Jane Bailey Named member of the Canadian delegation for the UN Committee Status of Women by WAGE. The priority theme this year is innovation and technological change and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. Further details on the Committee and its work can be found here.
International Day of the Girl
Posted on 09/01/2023
The eQuality Project is proud to share a film to mark the International Day of the Girl! Further information can be found at the link here.
TODAY! eQuality Project Youth Summit
Posted on 01/10/2022
Today is the day! The eQuality Project is delighted to announce that today, we will be conducting the Youth Summit on Education Technologies! This very much marks the culmination of The eQuality Project, always our goal for a kind of “grand finale” of out research and outreach activities. Having been delayed twice by the COVID-19 pandemic, the eQuality Team is incredibly excited to finally be able to launch our in person event connecting young people, educators, policymakers, and researchers.
eQuality Project Youth Summit
Posted on 11/04/2022
The eQuality Project is excited to announce its upcoming Youth Summit on Educational Technologies! The summit will be held on October 1st, 2022 at the University of Ottawa. We are seeking to recruit young people between the ages of 15 – 18 to talk to other young people and Canadian policymakers about their experiences with education technology. Materials will be distributed prior to the summit, and participants will receive lunch, snacks, and $125 for their time.
For more information, please click HERE.
YWCA Hate Speech Heat Map
Posted on 11/04/2022
As part of their #BlockHate: Building Resilience against Online Hate Speech project, YWCA Canada is looking to build a hate speech heat map that documents instances of online hate speech experienced by women, Two-Spirit and gender-diverse people aged 14-30 in Canada. The information collected will be used to support YWCA’s real-world tools and interventions that seek to keep us safer online.
- If you are a woman, Two-Spirit or gender-diverse person between the ages of 14-30 in Canada, please complete our survey to share your experience.
- If you are not part of the communities YWCA looking for feedback from and still want to help amplify this initiative, please share this email with eligible community members.
- If you are part of an organization that serves the communities YWCA looking to hear from and would like more information to share with your networks, please reach out to YWCA Canada for more information.
Tech-Facilitated Violence: An Introduction
Posted on 02/04/2022
RESOLVE Manitoba, a member of The Alliance of Canadian Research Centres on Gender Based Violence have published a brief on tech-facilitated violence in Family Violence & Family Law Brief. You can find English and French versions of the brief below.
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AI + Society Post-Doctoral Fellowship
Posted on 07/01/2022
The AI + Society Initiative is seeking a Scotiabank Post-Doctoral Fellow to pursue a research program focused on the reimagining how to design ethical and inclusive artificial intelligence systems. The successful candidate will be supervised by leading technology law, ethics and policy scholars at the University of Ottawa AI + Society Initiative, notably from The eQuality Project and the Canadian Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Ethical Design Lab (CRAiEDL).
They are particularly, but by no means exclusively, interested in proposals aligning with the following topics: Developing Ethical AI Engineering Design Practices; Youth and AI; and/or, AI and Justice. For further details on the application process, please follow the link here.
2020-2021 eQuality Annual Report
Posted on 08/12/2021
You can now find the eQuality Project’s 2020 – 2021 Annual Report here!
eQ’s Valerie Steeves Editorial in National Post
Posted on 14/11/2021
The eQuality Project’s Valerie Steeves penned a front page editorial for the National Post on the necessity to break up and regulate the tech giants. Steeves drew on her work with The eQuality Project, The eGirls Project, as well as the “Young Canadians in a Wired World” research she has done with MediaSmarts over the last 20 years.
You can find the editorial here.
eQuality’s sava saheli singh awarded CLTS Impact Award
Posted on 03/11/21
eQuality Project post-doctoral researcher, and “Screening Surveillance” producer, sava saheli singh was awarded a CLTS Impact Award, which is designed to recognize and highlight outstanding emerging researchers, and to celebrate the impacts that they have had on technology law, ethics, and policy. The award decision is based on the researcher’s knowledge creation and mobilization activities, as well as outreach in Canada as well as internationally.
Jane Bailey Cited by the Supreme Court of Canada
Posted on 29/10/21
The eQuality Project’s Jane Bailey was recently cited in a decision by the Supreme Court of Canada. The SCC referenced “‘Sexualized Online Bullying’ Through an Equality Lens: Missed Opportunity in AB v. Bragg?”, which discusses a previous SCC case that resulted in a fifteen-year-old being allowed to use a pseudonym in seeking an order to disclose the identity of her online attacker.
#ConnectionChallenge on The Conversation
Posted on 19/05/2021
The eQuality Project’s Valerie Steeves and Robert Porter, and Brock University’s Valerie Michaelson have published an overview of the #ConnectionChallenge on The Conversation! The #ConnectionChallenge was born out of the first COVID-19 lockdowns in Canada in 2020. One group of young people in Kingston wanted to explore the nature of this new socio-technical reality, specifically, the ways in which a reliance on technology and networked devices for communication and socialization effected their sense of connection to themselves and others.
The group wanted to investigate the challenges of maintaining meaningful connections with friends and family via solely digital means after the closure of schools, universities, and workplaces across Canada. Not only does this project focus on the maintenance of close relationships, it also highlights the everyday instances of human connection that are often undervalued or overlooked, such as simply being in a public space surrounded by strangers and the background noise of modern society.
You can learn more about the #ConnectionChallenge here, and read the article on The Conversation here.
Upcoming Event: Technology-Facilitated Violence Conference
Posted on 13/05/2021
The eQuality Project and Osgoode Hall Law School at York University will co-host a two-day conference centred around technology-facilitated violence on May 25th and 26th, 2021! You can find more information on the conference, and register here.
Upcoming Event: Youth Dating Violence: Two Innovative Canadian Interventions
Posted on 27/04/21
The University of Western Ontario’s Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women and Children, EGALE Canada, and Radius’ Youth Dating Violence Intensive Intervention Program will be hosting “Youth Dating Violence: Two Innovative Canadian Interventions.” The workshop will include topics such as:
- Intervening with youth who harm dating partners;
- A youth-centered hackathon to generate and evaluate solutions to prevent LGBTQI2S teen/youth dating violence; and,
- Factors that contribute to program effectiveness and the cultural safety of youth.
For further information and to register, please follow the link here.
OCRCC to host “Conversations on Online Sexual Violence”
Posted on 27/04/2021
The Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres will be hosting “Conversations on Online Sexual Violence” on May 26th and 27th – two day virtual conference for: sexual assault centres, community-based workers, sexual violence and gender-based violence advocates, school-based professionals, sexual violence survivors and allies, youth workers, shelter staff and volunteers. The conference will be divided into the following events:
- May 26th, 2021:
- A panel discussion on what community-based responses to online sexual violence can look like. The panel will include panelists from Ontario Sexual Assault Centres and other community organizations.
- May 27th, 2021:
- Webinar on digital safety from an expert in the field of online safety, who will share advice and steps to identify and minimize risks.
For further information, and to register, please follow the link here.
Action Summit to Combat Online Hate
Posted on: 31/03/2021
The eQuality Project’s Jane Bailey and Suzanne Dunn will be participating in the upcoming Action Summit to Combat Online Hate on April 14th and 15th, 2021. The summit will bring together a diverse group of activists, academics, and policy-makers to discuss the problem of online hate, and to develop an action plan to combat it.
For more information, and to register for the summit, please follow the link here.
#DisconnectChallenge Featured on CBC Kids
Posted on 30/03/2021
The eQuality Project’s #DisconnectChallenge was recently featured in a story on CBC Kids! One Toronto teen was recently challenged to undertake a one-week media fast, and report back on #HowItFelt to disconnect. Check out the story here.
Panel on Technology Facilitated Violence
Posted on 24/03/2021
The eQuality Project, in collaboration with the Institute for Feminist Legal Studies at Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, and the University of Ottawa’s Centre for Law, Technology and Society will co-host “Technology-Facilitated Violence: Thinking Intersectionally,” featuring Hawa Y. Mire, Nasreen Rajani, and Pam Hrick on April 6th, 2021 at 11:30 AM EST.
For further information, and to register for the event, please follow the link here.
Fact Sheet on Children’s Right to Privacy
Posted on 22/03/2021
The eQuality Project collaborated with the Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children to produce a fact sheet on Children’s Right to Privacy. The fact sheet addresses common myths and tropes about children and their attitudes towards online privacy. The fact sheet can be found below or at the Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children’s website here.
Valerie Steeves to Deliver The Chamberlain Lecture
Posted 01/03/2021
On the 16 March 2021, The eQuality Project’s Valerie Steeves will be presenting The Chamberlain Lecture online, hosted by York University. The lecture, Talking Toys: How Smart Technology Reshapes Childhood, will focus on research that Steeves conducted surrounding the privacy implications of Mattel’s Hello Barbie and other networked toys, the ways in which these toys are placing children within the online marketplace, and, the increasing encroachment of big data in everyday life.
Images of Justice: Children & Human Rights
The University of Ottawa’s Human Rights Research and Education Centre is partnered with CONTEKST, the School of Child and Youth Care (Faculty of Community Services, Ryerson University), and the Canadian Journal of Children’s Rights (Landon Pearson Resource Centre for the Study of Childhood and Children’s Rights) to present “Images f Justice: Children and Human Rights.”
This year’s exhibition highlights “satirical and critical cartoons on the rights of the child, their freedoms, as well as various political, social, and legal issues, be it private or public, domestic/national or international, with which children, families, and their advocates grapple across the world.”
You can view and vote fr your favourite here. Voting is open until January 10th, 2021.
UNICEF to launch “Report Card 16” Webinar
Posted 31/08/2020
UNICEF Canada will launching the UNICEF Report Card on September 3, 2020 via webinar! The UNICEF Report Card is designed to reveal the state of children and youth across high-income countries. The release of the 2020 Report Card will provide an assessment of the state of children and young people in Canada. The webinar will be hosted by Dr. Cindy Blackstock, Dr. Michael Ungar, and is designed as a participatory dialogue about what it will take to improve the lives of Canadian young people.
For further information and registration please follow the link here.
Third Young Canadian’s Parliament on August 27, 2020
Posted 20/08/2020
The Young Canadian’s Parliament will be holding its third session on August 27th, 2020 from 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM EST. The session will focus on two main questions:
- Children’s Commissioner: What if we had an advocate for all children in Canada?
- Equity: What gets in the way of you getting access to the things you need?
The session will be held in English, with both simultaneous interpretation in French, as well as closed captioning available in English.
If you are interested in attending, young people can register here. Or if you have any questions, please follow the link here for frequently asked questions.
Children First Canada Second Session of Young Canadians’ Parliament
Posted 20/07/2020
Children First Canada is following up on their launch of the Young Canadians’ Parliament (YCP), with a second session on 23 July, 2020 that will allow a platform through which young Canadians will learn about their rights, interact with government leaders, as well as share their views about the topics that matter most to them.
For more information on the Young Canadians’ Parliament, please follow the link here.
Valerie Steeves on CSA Advisory Panel on AI and Privacy
Posted 13/07/2020
eQ’s Valerie Steeves has joined a Canadian Standards Association advisory panel on a research project that CSA is undertaking concerning AI and Child Privacy. The project will focus on the investigation of the keys privacy risks that AI pose to children, locating the best practices for the preservation of children’s privacy in consumer settings, the ways in which the “right to be forgotten” can be preserved in practice for children as they reach adulthood, and, the effective institutional and legal protections that ensure accountability on behalf of children who are subject to private sector data collections.
Children First Canada Launching Young Canadians’ Parliament
Posted 11/06/2020
Children First Canada is preparing to launch the Young Canadians’ Parliament (YCP), which will focus on launching the YCP, and include thematic breakout sessions concerning mental health and youths’ plans for summer 2020 (which will be led by peer leaders in order to facilitate conversations). The group will then share a report on the major themes of their discussions to a table of Parliamentarians.
For more information on the Young Canadians’ Parliament, please follow the link here.
Participants Reflect on #DisconnectChallenge
Posted 09/03/2020
The Alberta Teachers’ Association’s Phil McRae, along with three participants in the ATA and eQuality’s #DisconnectChallenge Alberta joined Edmonton AM’s Mark Connolly to reflect upon their experiences with the Disconnect Challenge. You can listen to the interview here.
The Disconnect Challenge is a two-week activity that involves participants keeping a media diary for one week (i.e. keeping track of what kinds of media they are engaged with, and for how long), followed by a week-long media fast where they give up all media (apart from technology necessary for school/work, etc.). For more information on the #DisconnectChallenge Alberta, please follow the link here.
Valerie Steeves to Deliver The Chamberlain Lecture
Posted 05/03/2020
On Tuesday, 17 March 2020, The eQuality Project’s Valerie Steeves will be presenting The Chamberlain Lecture at York University. The lecture, Talking Toys: How Smart Technology Reshapes Childhood, will focus on research that Steeves conducted surrounding the privacy implications of Mattel’s Hello Barbie and other networked toys, the ways in which these toys are placing children within the online marketplace, and, the increasing encroachment of big data in everyday life.
For more information on the lecture, please follow the link here.
Panel on Coronavirus, Human Rights, and Social Media at the University of Ottawa
Posted 20/02/2020
eQuality’s Jane Bailey will be participating in a panel discussion of the ways in which social media has been spreading misinformation about the corona virus, and the resulting increase in racism.
The event is scheduled for February 27th from 11:30 – 13:00 in Fauteux Hall, Room 570. In order to RSVP and for more information, please contact healthlaw@uottawa.ca.
Screening Surveillance Panel Now Online
Posted 19/02/2020
Did you miss the screening of “A Model Employee” from sava saheli singh’s award-winning Screening Surveillance series on February 5th? Never Fear! The Centre for Law, Technology and Society has posted a video recording of the screening and panel here.
Screening Surveillance is a short film series that uses near future fiction storytelling based on research to explore the potential societal scenarios that arise out of the the increased use of big data surveillance and the loss of privacy. She was joined in a discussion by eQ’s Valerie Steeves and Jane Bailey for a Q&A session after the presentation and screening.
If you’d like to learn more about Screening Surveillance, please follow the link here.
eQ’s sava saheli singh awarded SSN Arts Prize 2020
Posted 31/01/2020
One of eQuality’s post-doctoral researchers, sava saheli singh was recently awarded the 2020 SSN Arts Prize for her series of short films (co-produced with the Surveillance Studies Centre at Queen’s University) entitled Screening Surveillance.
If you’d like to learn more about Screening Surveillance, please follow the link here.
Alberta Privacy Commissioner Data Privacy Day Op-Ed
Posted 28/01/2020
Jill Clayton, the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta, recently penned on op-ed for Data Privacy Day 2020, which marks the signing of the first international treaty that covered privacy and data protection). In her op-ed, Clayton highlights the work of The eQuality Project, including the upcoming #DisconnectChallenge Alberta. You can find a copy of the op-ed here.
Screening Surveillance: Speculating Surveillance Futures
Posted 23/01/2020
On 5 February, The Centre for Law, Technology and Society will be hosting an annual eQuality Project Lecture at the University of Ottawa. One of The eQuality Project’s post-doctoral researchers, sava saheli singh, will be presenting and screening one film from her Screening Surveillance series. Screening Surveillance is a short film series that uses near future fiction storytelling based on research to explore the potential societal scenarios that arise out of the the increased use of big data surveillance and the loss of privacy. She will be joined in a discussion with eQ’s Valerie Steeves and Jane Bailey for a Q&A session after the presentation and screening.
The presentation will take place in Fauteux 351 at the University of Ottawa on 5 February 2020 from 11:30 – 12:50, and lunch will be provided. CLTS will also be recording the event and posting it on their social media platforms.
If you’d like to learn more about Screening Surveillance, please follow the link here.
eQuality Annual Report
Posted 06/01/2020
The eQuality Project has recently published its 2018 – 2019 Annual Report, and you can catch up with all of eQ’s research projects, policy activities, and outreach materials here.
eQuality and ATA Partner to Run #DisconnectChallenge Alberta
Posted 25/11/2019
The eQuality Project and the Alberta Teachers’ Association are partnering to launch the world’s largest ever #DisconnectChallenge in Alberta in February 2020!
The #DisconnectChallenge is a two-week activity where Alberta students will assess how technology affects their sense of connection with themselves and others. With support from their teachers and families, participating students will document their technology use for one week and then embark on a one-week media fast: avoiding social media platforms, nocturnal screen time, technology around the dinner table, Internet browsing (except for schoolwork), texting (save for their parents/guardians), and listening to music with headphones.
To learn more about the #DisconnectChallenge Alberta, follow the link here.
If you want to learn more about the #DisconnectionChallenge organized in Kingston, ON in 2017, follow the link here.
Watch: Valerie Steeves’ Keynote Address at International Conference on Social Media & Society
Posted 26/07/2019
Did you miss Valerie Steeves’ keynote address at the International Conference on Social Media & Society? Don’t worry! You can watch her presentation here.
The presentation provides an overview of The eQuality Project’s findings from a series of research projects over the past several years that explored how teens use social media in their daily lives. Contrary to popular stereotypes, eQ’s findings suggest that teens do not share aspects of their interests or activities online, but instead undertake a complex process of selecting content for a notional audience based on the cues that are built into the platforms themselves. Due to the fact that their personal lives are considered “random” and therefore not “post worthy”; instead they look for content that conforms to a narrow set of visual representations that will attract the “right kind of attention”. Steeves’ demonstrates how and why young people have lost trust in social media, and presents recommendations from teens to make social media more welcoming and inclusive of all youth.
eQuality and CIPPIC to participate in public panel at OPL
Posted 25/06/2019
eQuality’s Jane Bailey and CIPPIC’s Tamir Israel will be participating in a public panel at the Ottawa Public Library entitled: What free really means: understanding how you pay for free services with your personal data. The Panel will be held on Wednesday, June 26th from 6:30-8:30pm in the Main Branch Auditorium.
For further information, and to register your attendance, please follow the link here (Ottawa Public Library) or here (National Capital Freenet).
IMPACT 2019 Forum at the University of Ottawa
Posted 13/06/2019
The IMPACT 2019 Forum will be hosted at the University of Ottawa on June 18th, 2019 from 08:30 – 17:30! The Forum is a joint effort between professors from the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Social Sciences that aims to brings together academics, government officials, and other interested stakeholders in a non-partisan discussion and sharing of experience related to policy across all levels of government in Canada.
Panellists will discuss such wide-ranging issues as digital security; immigration; climate change mitigation strategies; la Francophonie; criminal justice reform; and, foreign aid. eQuality’s Jane Bailey will be on a panel with Justin Piché, Jennifer Kilty, and, Michael Orsini, discussing Legal and Criminal Justice Reforms, with an emphasis on gender-based tech-facilitated violence against girls and women.
For further information and to view the program follow the link here, or follow the link here for registration details.
MediaSmarts Publishes Research on Online Hate
Posted 29/05/2019
eQuality Project partner MediaSmarts has just published a report on the ways in which young Canadians react and push back against online hate. In addition to the research report, they have also published a series of outreach and education materials such as tip sheets on how to push back against online hate; how to talk to your kids about online hate; and, a series of infographics that highlight trends from their research.
For further information, follow the link here.
TFVA: Call for Chapters!
Posted on 01/05/2019
Are you a scholar, advocate, or practitioner working in the area of technology-facilitated violence and abuse? A new collection that focuses on international perspectives and experiences with tech-facilitated violence and abuse is looking for contributions. Submission details are included in the Call for Chapters flyer below. The full Call is available at the link here.
Feel free to circulate the Call to others you think may be interested, and don’t hesitate to contact the editing team if you have any questions or would like to discuss this further.
Proposals will be accepted until June 1, 2019.
Panel on Violence Against Women Broadcast for International Women’s Day
Posted on 08/03/2019
Privacy International has hosted a recording of a panel on Online abuse of Women for International Women’s Day from the CPDP Data Protection and Democracy Conference that was chaired by eQuality’s Valerie Steeves. For more information, and to watch the video, please follow the link here.
Discussion of R vs. Jarvis Decision at the University of Ottawa
Posted on 13/02/19
On February 14th, following the release of the Supreme Court of Canada’s landmark case on voyeurism, The eQuality Project, Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic, and Centre for Law, Technology and Society will be hosting a discussion on R. vs Jarvis. It will be held in Fauteux Hall FTX 570, at the University of Ottawa.
Want to learn more about the ruling? follow the links here to The Lawyers Daily, and Canadian Lawyer.
eQuality Collaborator Liisa Mäkinen Lecture on February 6th
Posted on 31/01/19
Professor from the University of Turku, and eQuality Project collaborator, Liisa Mäkinen will be presenting The eQuality Project Annual Lecture at 11:30 AM on February 6th, 2019! The lecture is hosted by the Centre for Law, Technology and Society, and will be held on the University of Ottawa Campus, in the Fauteux Building (FTX), Amphitheatre 351. The lecture will include a brief Q&A session, and further details can be found here.
If you would like to watch the lecture, please follow the link here.
eQ’s Jane Bailey in Law Commission of England and Wales’ Report
Posted on 07/11/18
The Law Commission of England of England and Wales recently launched a Scoping Report on Abusive and Offensive Online Communications in November 2018. The Law Commission reviewed current law around abusive and offensive online communications, and to highlight any existing gaps in criminal law which can cause problems in tackling abuse of this nature.
For more information about the report, and to download a copy, please follow the link here.
Opening Tonight! “The Ghomeshi Effect” at the University of Ottawa!
Posted on 23/10/18
Presented by The eQuality Project and the Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity, The Ghomeshi Effect is opening tonight at the University of Ottawa prior to a tour through Ontario and Alberta!
The Ghomeshi Effect is a documentary dance-theatre performance that tackles sexual violence in Canada, particularly how it is handled in the legal system, through an edited series of documented interviews, and uses dance to inform and interrogate the language used in the discussion of sexual violence. The performance will take place at the University of Ottawa’s brand new LabO from October 23-27, 2018, at 7:30pm, followed by a talkback with the artists and members of the community.
In order to register for the event, follow the link here, and to learn more about The Ghomeshi Effect, follow the link here.
Shirley E. Greenberg Chair & Centre for Law, Technology and Society: Feminist Responses to Tech Facilitated, Gendered Violence
Posted on 09/10/2018
Dillon Black, Suzie Dunn, and Anastasia Berwald will be presenting “Feminist Responses to Tech Facilitated, Gendered Violence” at an event hosted by the Greenberg Chair and CLTS at the University of Ottawa on October 10, 2018! Details are available on the poster below, or at the link here.
eQuality’s Valerie Steeves to present at “Teens Talk Tech: Social Media and Families in the Digital Age”
Posted on 20/09/18
Valerie Steeves will be joined by Queen’s University’s Valerie Michaelson to discuss the ways in which the rise of social networking platforms has affected interpersonal relationships, academic achievement, teen dating, and bullying. The will be joined by the participants in the #DisconnectionChallenge – a group of teens who, in 2017, decided to explore the affect that their smartphones were having on their relationships with themselves, their peers, and to nature.
The talk will be held on September 25, 2018 in Mackintosh-Corry Hall, Room B201, Kingston, from 6:30 – 8:30 PM. For further information on the talk, please follow the link here.
The Ghomeshi Effect at the University of Ottawa
Posted on 11/09/18
The eQuality Project is partnering with the Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity to present The Ghomeshi Effect at the University of Ottawa! Originally produced in Ottawa in 2017 (Ottawa International Women’s Day 2017 ‘Femmy Award for Media’), The Ghomeshi Effect is a documentary dance-theatre performance that tackles sexual violence in Canada, particularly how it is handled in the legal system, through an edited series of documented interviews, and uses dance to inform and interrogate the language used in the discussion of sexual violence.
The production is being remounted at the University of Ottawa’s brand new LabO from October 23-27, 2018, at 7:30pm, followed by a talkback with the artists and members of the community.
In order to register for the event, follow the link here, and to learn more about The Ghomeshi Effect, follow the link here.
eQuality’s Jane Bailey to Present at Cyberbullying Conference
Posted on 10/08/18
eQuality Project Co-Leader Jane Bailey will be presenting at “Tackling Cyberbullying: A Comparative and Interdisciplinary Symposium” in Hong Kong on September 4th, 2018. The Conference will bring together local and international scholars, privacy commissioners, social workers and youth in order to engage in an interdisciplinary dialogue concerning the ways in which Hong Kong should address the the problem of cyberbullying through varying meathods, including legal and regulatory reforms.
For more information on the conference please follow the link here.
eQuality Art Exhibition
Posted on 31/05/18
The eQuality Project Exhibition is a selection of artworks that were developed out of a pair of trans-national workshops in 2018, where young women from Canada and Puerto Rico and explored the concepts of privacy, discrimination, and online violence. The first workshop was held in Toronto, Canada (February 2018), while the second workshop was held at Diagonal, in Saturce, Puerto Rico (April 2018).
The exhibition opens on Friday June 1st, from 7:00-9:00 PM.
Open Caucus: Protection of Private Data
Posted on 25/05/18
The Open Caucus is a forum for discussion on issues of national importance, and this non-partisan discussion is open to all who are concerned about the protection of private data. The discussion will be held on Wednesday May 30th, 2018 from 9:15am – 11:15am in Room 160-S, Centre block.
Jane Bailey and CIPPIC’s R vs. Jarvis Intervention
Posted on 20/04/18
eQuality’s Jane Bailey and CIPPIC’s David Fewer will appear before the Supreme Court of Canada on Friday April 20th, 2018 as intervenors in R. vs Jarvis. The issue is whether students have a reasonable expectation of privacy that they won’t be photographed in school hallways by their teachers for sexual purposes. While the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled that there was no such expectation, the Crown appealed that decision to the Supreme Court of Canada.
To view a webcast, please follow the link to the Supreme Court of Canada’s website here.
The OCA’s decision can be found here.
To learn more about technologically facilitated violence, visit the eQuality Project’s Cyberviolence Criminal Case Law Database.
LCO Conference: “Defamation Law and the Internet: Where Do We Go From Here?”
Posted on 02/04/18
The Law Commission of Ontario will be hosting the “Defamation Law and the Internet: Where Do We Go From Here” conference in Toronto on May 3rd, 2018! The conference will consider the ways in which defamation law should be reformed (or if it needs to be reformed) based on the swift developments in law, technology, social values.
Topics discussed will include:
- Defamation;
- Online speech and reputation;
- Relationship between freedom of expression and privacy;
- How Internet intermediaries should be responsible for defamation;
- Internet content moderation;
- Dispute resolution; and,
- Access to Justice.
For further information, such as the full program, or how to register, please follow the link here.
Amnesty International Canada Launches #ToxicTwitter Campaign
Posted on 21/03/18
Today marks the launch of Amnesty International Canada’s #ToxicTwitter Campaign, marked by the launch of the report: #ToxicTwitter: Violence and abuse against women online, in addition to a Twitter action to call on Twitter to address its inadequate and ineffective response to violence and abuse. The report contains a series of concrete and actionable recommendations for how Twitter can become a safer space for women.
For further information, and to read the report, click here.
To get involved in the #ToxicTwitter Action, follow the link here.
CTF Organizing 2018 Women’s Symposium
Posted on 20/03/18
The Canadian Teachers’ Federation is organizing a Women’s Symposium to be hosted by the Prince Edward Island Teachers’ Federation in Charlottetown, May 6-9, 2018 in Charlottetown! The Symposium will examine the bpth the challenges and successes that women in leadership roles within teaching organizations have – and continue to face.
For more information on the Symposium, please follow the link here.
Upcoming: CCGSD’s International Day of Pink!
Posted on 15/03/18
April 11th, 2018 marks the International Day of Pink – a day where communities from across the globe unite in celebrating diversity and raising awareness to confront and stop homophobia, transphobia, transmisogyny, and all forms of bullying. Every year or the second Wednesday in April, people around the world wear pink in solidarity and to spark an amazing social change.
“The message is clear: anyone can bully, any can be victimized by bullying, but together we can stop it.”
To learn more about the International Day of Pink, please follow the link here.
eQ’s Jane Bailey Has Lecture Published in LSUC
Posted 05/02/18
eQuality’s Jane Bailey’s lecture “Democratic Rights in a Technocratic Age: When Constitutions (in Law) Are Not Enough” has been published in a new collection of Special Lectures released by the Law Society of Upper Canada.
To learn more about “Special Lectures 2017 Canada at 150: The Charter and the Constitution,” please follow the link here.
Youth, Art & Resistance: Facilitating Workshops for Change
Posted: 25/02/18
The eQuality Project is partnering with the Human Rights Research and Education Centre and the Shirley Greenberg Chair for Women and the Legal Profession to present “Youth, Art & Resistance: Facilitating Workshops for Change” on Friday March 2nd!
The workshop will be featuring Chloe Georas (Greenberg Visiting International Scholar & Associate Professor of Law, University of Puerto Rico), Jane Bailey (Full Professor, Faculty of Law – Common Law Section, University of Ottawa), and Valerie Steeves (Full Professor, Department of Criminology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa).
Location information:
Friday, March 2, 2018
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Fauteux Hall – FTX570
(57 Louis-Pasteur Private, uOttawa)
To RSVP, please click here.
eQuality Post-Docs at the University of Ottawa
Posted on 07/02/18
The eQuality Project has welcomed two new Post-Doctoral Fellows in 2018!
Wahida Chowdhury a postdoctoral fellow, is a cognitive scientist with a background in cognitive science and psychology, and has been working with eQuality’s Valerie Steeves on the “Canadian Kids Online: Using Surveys to Map Children’s Experiences on the Internet”. The project contributes to a global comparative analysis of children’s’ online experiences.
Ciara Bracken-Roche is a SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellow in our department since January 2018 under the supervision of Valerie Steeves. Her project is entitled: “Drones and big data: Governance techniques and their implications for policing in contemporary Canadian society”. This project explores the adoption and use of drone technologies in Canada with a specific focus on policing and urban spaces.
MediaSmarts New Research on Non-Consensual Sharing of Sexts
Posted on 07/02/18
MediaSmarts partnered with The Factor-Iwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto and Telus to examine how young people’s attitudes, experiences, knowledge, and moral beliefs impact their decisions on whether or not to share sexts that they have received. The findings not only add to our understanding of the motivating factors behind youth’s decisions on non-consensually sharing sexts, but also to help develop more effective interventions to prevent the non-consensual sharing of sexts.
The study has been featured by CBC, CTV Ottawa and Vancouver, and The Huffinton Post.
To learn more, and to read the full report, follow the link here.
eQuality Annual Lecture at The Center for Law, Technology and Society
Posted on 01/02/18
eQuality’s Valerie Steeves and Valerie Michaelson from Queen’s University will be co-presenting “The #DisconnectionChallenge: Youth, Social Media and Privacy” at CLTS on February 7, 2018. For more information on the talk, please follow the link here, and to learn more about the #DisconnectionChallenge, click here.
When and Where:
Wednesday, February 7th, 2018, at 11:30 AM
Fauteux Hall, Room 302
Chloé Georas at Greenberg Speaker Series
Posted on 01/02/18
Chloé S. Georas, Associate Professor at the University of Puerto Rico Law School will be lecturing as part of the Greenberg Speaker Series at the University of Ottawa on Tuesday, 6 February 2018. Her talk is titled: “Sexually Explicit Resistance Art: Activism, Rape Culture and Technology.”
The talk will be held at:
Fauteux Hall, 57 Louis-Pasteur (map)
Room number:
FTX 302
For further information, please follow the link here.
Status of Women Report
Posted on 16/01/18
Research and testimony by eQuality Project researchers, and eQuality Project partners MediaSmarts were drawn on heavily in a report by the Standing Committee on the Status of Women. To read the report, please follow the link here.
eQuality at the Federal Trade Commission’ “Student Privacy and Ed Tech”
Posted on 26/11/17
eQuality’s Priscilla Regan will be participating on one of the panels at the FTC’s “Student Privacy and Ed Tech” Workshop on December 1, 2017. The workshop is free and open to the public will be held in Washington, D.C., and will also be live streamed online here.
For further information on Regan’s comments on Educational Technology, please follow the link here.
The Ghomeshi Effect: Meet the Artists
Posted on 22/11/17
The eQuality Project, the Greenberg Chair in Women and the Legal Profession at the University of Ottawa, and the Human Rights Research and Education Centre – in partnership with the 16 Days Campaign are co-hosting “The Ghomeshi Effect: Meet the Artists” on December 7, in Ottawa!
“The Ghomeshi Effect” is a piece of dance-theatre performance that highlights sexual violence in Canada, and particularly how it is handled in the legal system. Members of the company will perform selections from the show, discuss the history of the production, and what they learned from listening to and interpreting real stories of sexual violence, and how they intend to continue this conversation with audiences.
To register for tickets, please follow the link here.
Feminist Lip-Sync Battle!
Posted on 12/11/17
eQuality partner Ottawa Coalition to End Violence Against Women (OCTEVAW) is hosting a Feminist Lip-Sync Battle in Ottawa on November 15! The event is a fundraiser for OCTEVAW, and will be taking place at the Heart & Crown, and is in honour of Woman Abuse Prevention Month and #WearPurpleDay. Enjoy an evening of laughter, fun music, and feminism!
Purple clothing and accessories are highly encouraged!
For more information, and to purchase tickets, please follow the link here.
eQuality at Eliminating Cyber Violence against Women and Girls
Posted on 12/11/17
eQuality’s Jane Bailey will be presenting at “Eliminating Cyber Violence against Women and Girls” on November 24! Global Affairs Canada will be hosting the event in order to highlight the need to consider violence against women and girls as a Foreign Policy issue. Other panellists include: Shelley Whiting (Director General, Office of Human Rights Freedoms, and Inclusion); Dillon Black (Project Coordinator, Ottawa Coalition to End Violence Against Women & the Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre); Rena Bivens (Assistant Professor, School of Journalism and Communication, Carleton University); and, Ian Kerr (Canada Chair on Ethics, Law & Technology and Full Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa).
A full agenda of the event is available here.
eQuality at the BringIT2017 Conference
Posted on 03/11/17
eQuality’s Valerie Steeves and Jane Bailey will be hosting a workshop on November 8th in Niagara Falls on Privacy in the Networked Classroom. If you are interested in attending, please follow the registration link here.
University of Ottawa to Host Connected Canada Conference in October
Posted on 18/08/17
The University of Ottawa will be hosting Connected Canada Conference on October 13-14, 2017, a free two day conference which will examine what it means to be a digital citizen in Canada today. discussions will include such topics as government service design, news and media literacy, digital rights, and civic engagement.
If you are interested in attending, or leaning more, follow the link here.
Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) – $1,000 Bursary
Posted on 15/08/17
The eQuality project is seeking a student to participate in the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) for 2017-2018.
The eQuality project (a SSHRC funded partnership) is interested in understanding how corporations collect data about children and youth and use that data to shape their attitudes and behaviours. Under the supervision of Dr. Valerie Steeves (Dept. of Criminology), the selected candidate will undertake a small research project on the ways in which student data is used to shape the educational experience through big data analytics/algorithms. The student will be responsible for collecting corporate documents and other material and conducting a qualitative content analysis on the data to map the ways that learning is constructed.
Students who are interested in applying for the position, or who have any additional questions should contact The eQuality Project Manager at sheath@uottawa.ca. Students should include a revised copy of their curriculum vitae and must confirm that they meet the UROP eligibility material outlined on the UO UROP website: http://research.uottawa.ca/urop/undergrad-research-opportunity/how-to-participate.
eQ’s Jane Bailey, co-authored paper with Suzanne Dunn and Julie S. Lalonde
Posted on 15/08/17
eQuality’s Jane Bailey, Suzanne Dunn, and Julie S. Lalonde have co-authored Terms of Silence: Weaknesses in Corporate and Law Enforcement Responses to Cyberviolence against Girls, which has recently been published in the Journal of Girlhood Studies. For further information, please follow the link here.
Sexual Assault: The Roadshow Arrives in Ottawa
Posted on 15/08/17
An exhibition and resource hub for victims of sexual assault and their families is continuing its three year run which ends next year. For further information on the resources available, and where the Roadshow will be traveling to next, please visit the exhibition’s website here, and for an discussion with the creator and one of the exhibition’s Ottawa partners, please follow the link here.
Report: Defamation Law in the Age of the Internet
Posted on 08/03/17
eQuality’s Jane Bailey and Valerie Steeves recently completed a report for the Law Commission of Ontario. The goal of the report was to investigate young people’s attitudes towards online defamation, as well as their experiences with and needs from exiting mechanisms for addressing online defamation.
To read the report, please follow the link here.
Please note: the authors of this report initially carried out the research as a contract researcher for the LCO and that the views expressed in any subsequent work are not necessarily those of the LCO.
Privacy Implications in the Networked Classroom
Posted on 05/07/17
eQuality’s Valerie Steeves recently presented a plenary at the Barney Connections Conference in Toronto. In order to view the presentation, please click here.
Alberta Curriculum Review
Posted on 20/06/17
Information and Privacy Commissioner, Jill Clayton recently spoke to the Alberta Education Curriculum Review Working Groups on teaching students about privacy rights in the information economy. to read her presentation, please follow the link here.
eQuality at the ARCYP Congress
Posted on 05/06/17
eQuality’s Valerie Steeves appeared on a panel at the Association for Research in Cultures of Young People. For further information on the panel and the conference, please follow the links below:
ARCYP Congress May 2017 Program
ARCYPCongress 2017 Full Program
MEDIA SMART’S RELEASE “TO SHARE OR NOT TO SHARE” RESEARCH
Posted on 24/04/17
eQuality Project partner Media Smarts – in partnership with the eQuality Project’ co-leaders and researchers – has recently released research concerning teen’s privacy decisions when posting photos to social media. The report explores the complex decision-making processes that teens go through before sharing photos on social media platforms. This research provides valuable insights into the intense pressure teens are under to create very carefully curated versions of themselves for their friends and the outside world. For further information on the research and to read the report, please follow the link here.
eQ’s Jane Bailey at Policy Ignite!
Posted on 08/04/17
eQuality Co-leader Jane Bailey participated in Policy Ignite’s #Canada300 event this past week, and if you were unable to catch the event, we have uploaded Jane’s talk here. For more information about Policy Ignite, check out their website here.
Digital Surveillance of Students is Detrimental to their Learning
Posted on 24/02/17
eQuality Co-leaders and investigators Valerie Steeves, Jane Bailey, Priscilla Regan, and Leslie Shade shared their insights at the “Privacy Implications in the Networked Classroom” event last month – a video of which is available here. For further information on the role of surveillance and student learning, please follow the link here to the Alberta Teacher’s Association News Journal.
Open Participation in Power: Watch Online
Posted 24/02/17
Were you unable to attend “Open Participation is Power,” but want to know how the events went? Never fear! You can watch the event online by following this link. The events were co-hosted by eQuality, OCTEVAW, Ladies Learning Code, and YWCA Canada, and featured Jamia Wilson (Women, Action & the Media), and took place in Ottawa on February 15th, 2017.
Watch: Kimberlé Crenshaw’s TED Talk on Intersectionality
Posted on 13/02/17
Kimberlé Crenshaw argues that race and gender bias can combine to create a more harmful situation than either could create on their own. Furthermore, those individuals who stand in opposition to multiple forms of discrimination and exclusion are often subjected to both. For more information on her talk, to watch the talk, or to read the transcript, please follow the link here.
eQuality to Co-host Two Events Focused on Ending Online Harassment!
Posted on 22/01/17
The eQuality Project will be working with OCTEVAW, Ladies Learning Code, and YWCA Canada to host a pair of events featuring Jamia Wilson (Women, Action & the Media), in Ottawa on February 15th, 2017! The two events will consist of:
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM – Keynote & Panel Discussion (University of Ottawa, FTX 147), and,
5:30 PM – 8:00 PM – Interactive Wiki-edit-a-thon Workshop & Presentation with a Panel Discussion and Q & A (Impact Hub Ottawa, 71 Bank St.). Please note that registration is required for the evening event.
For further information, and to register for the evening event please follow the link here.
YWCA and Media Smarts Release Guide for Trusted Adults
Posted on 07/02/17
Designed to prepare the adults young women turn to when they experience troubles online, whether they be parents/guardians, teachers, mentors, health and wellness providers, law enforcement, and technology professionals. It includes practical information about the issues girls and young women face online; conversation-starters for adults to start talking to them about these issues; ways to support and advocate for them; and, information on legal issues that can affect girls’ online lives.
For further information on the guide, or to download your own copy, follow the link here.
Missed the Privacy Implications in the Networked Classroom?
Posted on 28/01/17
Were you unable to participate in the Privacy Implications in the Networked Classroom event in Edmonton this week, in person or online? Don’t worry! A video of the talk has been posted online – follow the link here for more details.
Live Stream on January 26th!
Posted on 24/01/17
On January 26th, eQuality will be co-hosting Privacy Implications of the Networked Classroom with the Alberta Teacher’s Association, Big Data Surveillance Project, and, the Office of the Information and and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta.
For further information concerning the event click here.
In order to register for the Livestream , please click here.
eQ Launches Legal Database on Cyberbullying
Jane Bailey’s “Canadian Legal Approaches to ‘Cyberbullying’ and Cyberviolence: An Overview” is officially live on the eQuality website. Explore the content by following the link here.
eQuality’s Jacquelyn Burkell and Sarah Heath Present eQ Methodology to the ASC
Posted on 13/12/16
eQuality Co-Investogator and Project Coordinator presented aspects of the eQ methodology at the American Society of Criminology conference in New Orleans. If you would like to read the presentation, please click the following link here.
eQuality Co-Hosting Workshop on Privacy in the Networked Classroom
Posted on 23/11/16
The eQuality Project is co-hosting “Privacy Implications in the Networked Classroom” with the Alberta Teacher’s Association, Big Data Surveillance Project, and, the Office of the Information and and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta. The Workshop will be held at Barnett House in Edmonton Alberta on January 26th, 2017.
This daylong workshop will include presentations and discussions on the following topics:
- Valerie Steeves (University of Ottawa): Privacy Implications of the Use of Technology in Schools;
- Priscilla Regan (George Mason University) & Leslie Shade (University of Toronto): Privacy Implications of Educational Software – In and Outside of Schools;
- Jane Bailey (University of Ottawa): Privacy Implications of Education Law and Policy on Cyberbullying; and,
- Privacy Officers from across Alberta: Tools to Help Educators Promote Privacy in the Classroom and in Board Policy.
For further inquiries, please follow the link here.
eQ’s Valerie Steeves to Participate in Panel Discussion at Human Rights Film Festival
Posted on 14/11/16
eQuality’s Valerie Steeves will be participating in a panel discussion on the film Trials of Spring on December 3rd from 19:00-22:00. The film traces the trajectory of the Arab Spring in 2011, following through the “ecstasy of newfound courage to the agony of shattered dreams.” For more information on the Human Rights Film Festival, please follow the website link here, and find a information poster here.
Media Literacy Week 2016: Resources
Posted on 04/11/16
Media Literacy Week 2016 took place over the week of October 31st to November 4th, and further information and resources can be found below:
For more information on Media Literacy Week, follow the link here.
Take the Media Literacy Pledge here.
The fifth annual global celebration of Media and Information Literacy week is taking place from October 31 through to November 6. For more information, follow the link here.
NAMAC and Youth Media Reporter Call for Papers
The National Alliance for Media Arts & Culture is teaming up with Youth Media Reporter to produce new YMR Journal focused on youth media and creative youth development, entitled Our Desired Futures. Read the full submission guidelines here.
From Selfies to Self-Care: Resources for a Safer Digital World
Posted on 29/10/16
A pair of new resources have been developed out of the YWCA’s “From Selfies to Self Care” on October 11th, 2016. The YWCA has developed “Rights Guide for Girls, Young Women and Gender Nonconforming Youth,” providing key information, strategies, and resources to support youth in the avoidance of violence. “#PressPaws on Cyberviolence” is an video module informed by youth surveys concerning strategies to deal with cyberviolence.
YWCA Canada’s Rights Guide for Girls, Young Women and Gender Nonconforming Youth:
This online resource provides key information, strategies and resources to support them in preventing violence in their lives and responding appropriately when they or their friends experience violence. The website offers information on their rights under Canadian law with important information about their rights at home, school, online, at work and in the community. It covers key issues like healthy relationships, health, safety, etc. Supported through funds from the Ontario Provincial Police and the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario, the online version will act as a beta version prior to the release of a printed guide. Visitors will be able to share feedback and suggest additional sections and questions.
#PressPaws On Cyberviolence:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/T9SsPSKuOY0
This is a stop-motion video that provides self-care tips for those dealing with cyberviolence, and gives suggestions on how to make online spaces safer for everyone. It was informed by an online survey that invited girls, young women, genderqueer and non-binary folks across Canada to share their thoughts on cyberviolence. #PressPaws uses an intersectional feminist lens to shift conversations about cyberviolence from victim blaming to strategies of resilience and creating change. The video was co-created by grassroots collectives Project Slut and femifesto, and filmmaker Susan Tiihonen. French version is also coming up soon.
4th Annual Human Rights Film Festival Lineup Announced
Posted on 20/10/16
The 4th Annual University of Ottawa Human Rights Film Festival will be held as part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence. This international campaign calls for the elimination of gender-based violence by raising awareness at local, national, and international levels.
The Film Festival is free and open to the University of Ottawa Community and the general public, and the screenings will be followed by opportunities for discussion with filmmakers, academics, and experts. Further information can be found here.
eQuality Project Doctoral Fellowships at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Information
Posted on 18/10/16
One to two doctoral fellowships at the PhD level (beginning September 2017) are available in the Faculty of Information, University of Toronto, to work on a project, funded through a SSHRC Partnership Grant, the eQuality Project, under the supervision of Dr. Leslie ReganShade. The interdisciplinary research partnership will investigate how commercial data practices target youth, and map out how online information infrastructures combine with social norms to open young people up to discrimination. The project will inform digital economy policies and create new knowledge that can take human rights, privacy and equality concerns more fully into account.
Students with a background and interest in the political economy of information and communication, youth and social media, digital policy, feminist media studies, surveillance studies, big data and social justice, and data and discrimination, are encouraged to apply. Students are an integral component of our collaborative research project.
Students will be funded for up to four years through a combination of fellowship and research assistance. Funding information for the Faculty can be found here:
http://www.ischool.utoronto.ca/phd-funding-summary.
In coming to the Faculty of Information (the iSchool), students will find an intellectually diverse and rich environment, and an ideal place to pursue ground-breaking research about information, technology and people. More information about our program is available at:
http://www.ischool.utoronto.ca/phd
Applicants must apply for the Doctorate in Information and in your statement of intent indicate an interest in working on the eQuality project, with a description of a dissertation topic. As a condition of this fellowship, students will be required to be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and will be required to write a dissertation on a topic that fits within the broad intellectual contours of the
partnership. For information on the eQuality Project see:
http://www.equalityproject.ca/
The deadline for full consideration for the program is January 15, 2017. More information on the admissions process can be found at:
http://www.ischool.utoronto.ca/phd-admissions
For further information about this fellowship contact Dr. Leslie Regan Shade:
http://www.ischool.utoronto.ca/faculty/leslie-regan-shade
leslie.shade@utoronto.ca
Media Literacy Week 2016: October 31st – November 4th
Posted on 02/10/16
Media Literacy Week, co-led by MediaSmarts and the Canadian Teachers’ Federation, shines a spotlight on the importance of digital media literacy for today’s youth. Media Literacy Week 2016 has been scheduled for October 31st to November 4th, and further information can be found below:
In order to learn how to participate, follow the link here.
For more information on Media Literacy Week, follow the link here.
YWCA Hosting a Panel Discussion, Video Launch and Resource Sharing Event – From Selfies to Self-Care: Resources for a Safer Digital World
Posted on 02/10/16
eQ partner YWCA, in collaboration with women’s organizations, grassroots intersectional feminist organizations and the information, communications and technology sector are hosting a panel discussion, video launch and resource sharing event in order to address cyberviolence against young women.
If you are invested in attending From Selfies to Self-Care: Resources for a Safer Digital World, it will be taking place on Tuesday October 11th, 2016 from 6:00PM to 7:30PM. This free event is open to youth and allies.
In order to reserve your ticket, please click here.
Watch eQ’s Valerie Steeve’s Recent Talk at Waterloo
Posted on 27/09/16
Equality lead investigator Valerie Steeves recently gave a talk at Waterloo University entitled: “What Hello Barbie Can Tell Us About Behavioural Targeting” as part of the CrySP Speaker Series on Privacy. In order to watch the lecture, please follow the link here.
OCTEVAW & THE PURPLE SISTERS LAUNCH CYBERVIOLENCE INITIATIVE
The eQuality Project Seeks Youth Advisory Committee Members
Posted on 15/09/16
We’re looking for members for our Advisory Committee for The eQuality Project and we hope you may consider joining our group! We’re putting together an Advisory Committee of young people in their 20s and 30s working on issues relating to online equality and effecting real change in this area.
The Project:
The eQuality Project is a partnership of academics, community groups, educators and policymakers that maps the ways in which e-marketing analytics sort youth into categories that often reproduce real-world patterns of discrimination and set up young people for online conflict. We’re also using our research findings to create educational and outreach materials that will help young Canadians push back against online harassment, racism, homophobia and misogyny, and make the most of their digital media experiences.
Why an Advisory Committee?
Accountability to diverse groups of youth is central to this project. Our Advisory Committee will ensure that our partnership work is grounded in young peoples’ needs and perceptions.
To ensure respectful engagement, we are committed to implementing the highly successful approach of the Ottawa Coalition to End Violence Against Women (one of our community partners) and the Youth Services Bureau in setting out some guiding intentions for engaging Advisory Committee members:
Youth Engagement is not a program – Youth engagement should be viewed as a philosophy and natural way of working in the organization rather than as a special program.
Contributions match the project goals – Young people and adults who are working with us should be recruited for their knowledge, skills, interests and commitment to the organizational mission.
One person cannot represent many – A young person should not be considered “the youth voice” at the table – it should be acknowledged that everyone at the table brings different perspectives to the issue.
Debate as a learning tool – Debate is a key element of personal and organizational growth. Our youth engagement process is dedicated to learning and growing and being flexible and adaptable throughout this process.
What would your role involve?
As an Advisory Committee member you will be asked to commit to participating in four one-hour tele-meetings throughout the year, to provide feedback on the research and outreach activities associated with the project. You’re also welcome to join us for our annual project team meetings and any other special events and workshops organized by the project if you’re interested in doing so.
Next steps:
If you’re interested in participating, or would like additional information, feel free to contact the Project Manager – Sarah Heath.
Update: Thank you all for your interest, but these positions are now filled.
eQuality Project: Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) – $1,000 Student Bursary
Posted on 14/09/16
The eQuality project is seeking a student to participate in the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) for 2016-2017. The eQuality project (a SSHRC funded partnership) is interested in understanding how corporations collect data bout children and youth and use that data to shape their attitudes and behaviours. Under the supervision of Dr. Valerie Steeves (Dept. of Criminology), the selected candidate will undertake a small research project on the relationships portrayed in advertising material, legal agreements and policies related to Mattel’s ‘Hello Barbie’ doll. The student will be responsible for collecting advertising material and conducting a qualitative content analysis on the advertising material and the phrases Hello Barbie can say, to map the ways that play is constructed.
Students who are interested in applying for the position, or who have any additional questions should contact the eQuality Project Manager at: sheath@uottawa.ca.
Students should include a revised copy of their curriculum vitae and must confirm that they meet the UROP eligibility material outlined on their website here.
Update: Thank you all for your interest, but this position is now filled.
eQuality Collaborator Shaheen Shariff Awarded SSHRC Grant for “A Multi-Sector Partnership to Investigate and Develop Policy and practice Models to Dismantle ‘Rape Culture’ in Universities”
Posted on 14/09/16
eQuality Collaborator Shaheen Shariff was recently awarded a multi-million dollar SSHRC Partnership Grant for “A Multi-Sector Partnership to Investigate and Develop Policy and practice Models to Dismantle ‘Rape Culture’ in Universities.” eQuality Lead Investigators Valerie Steeves and Jane Bailey, and eQuality collaborator Faye Mishna are also involved as co-applicants.
For more information regarding the SSHRC results, please click here.
eQuality Collaborator Anne Cheung prepares new project: “Tackling Cyberbullying by Enhancing Privacy Protection: A Comparative and an Interdisciplinary Study”
Posted on 12/09/16
eQuality collaborator Professor Anne Cheung partnered with Professor Jane Bailey, Dr. Edward Chan, Dr. Yongxi Chen, and, Dr. Dennis Chun-Lok Fung on “Tackling Cyberbullying by Enhancing Privacy Protection: A Comparative and an Interdisciplinary Study.”
The investigators will carry out theoretical legal analysis and empirical research to determine youth’s attitudes towards personal data sharing and cyberbullying. The long term goal of the project is to bring about a paradigm shift on the legal protection of privacy in the internet age, and exert a transformative effect on violent behaviour. The results of the research will also contribute to digital media policy and the development of a privacy literacy framework for youths.
CCRF National Conference: “Realizing an Inclusive Canada”
Posted on 07/09/16
eQ partner, Canadian Race Relations Foundation’s National Conference (October 26-27, 2016) will feature presentations by thought leaders that will strengthen our understanding and acceptance of Canadian values, belonging and identity.
Further information:
eQuality Co-Leader, Partners Attend Federal Roundtable on Gender-based Violence
Posted on 23/07/16
eQuality’s Jane Bailey, MediaSmarts’ Jane Tallim, OCTEVAW’s Dillon Black, and, YWCA Canada’s Paulette Senior attended Status of Women Canada’s first roundtable in the consultation process for the Federal Strategy Against Gender-based Violence (focusing on youth and online gender-based violence). After the roundtable the Minister announced a renewal of funding for advocacy activities – where Paulette Senior and Julie Lalonde participated a panel discussing its importance.
View the full Press Release here.
eQuality Co-Leader, Partner, and Collaborator Appear Before Parliamentary Committee
Posted on 23/06/16
eQuality Co-Leader Jane Bailey, eQuality partner Matthew Johnson of MediaSmarts, and Shaheen Shariff – an eQuality collaborator from McGill University – appeared before the Parliamentary Committee on the Status of Women and Girls. In order to read the speaking notes, please follow the link below:
Matthew Johnson MediaSmarts Testimony to the Standing Committee on the Status of Women June 16 2016
Eagle Canada’s ‘Draw the Line’ Campaign
Posted on 09/06/16
Eagle Human Rights Trust has recently launched the ‘Draw the Line Campaign’ designed to address the root causes of transphobic violence. Using a combination of interactive modules, it challenges common myths about sexual violence and provides bystanders with information on how to safely and effectively intervene in situations of transphobic violence.
To learn more about the campaign, click here.
Vanier Institute of the Family Releases Infographic on Canadian Diversity
Posted on 02/06/16
eQuality Partner Vanier Institute of the Family recently released a new infographic concerning the diversity of Canadian families. Check out the graphic at the link here.
NEPC Publishes Report concerning Digital Surveillance in Schools
Posted on 30/05/16
Faith Boninger and Alex Molnar (both from the University of Colorado Boulder) have co-written this report on the surveillance of children on schools through the integration of digital devices. The report, which you can read here, considers the ways in which schools are facilitating digital marketing towards children.
MEDIA SMARTS RELEASES RESULTS OF 2015 YOUTH SURVEY
Posted on 26/05/16
Media Smarts partnered with PREVNet and Telus to undertake a national survey of 800 Canadian youth. The goal of the survey was to determine the attitudes and experiences of electronic bullying. To learn more about the survey, and to read the full report, click here.
Canadian Women’s Foundation Launches “As We Are” Project
Posted on 23/05/16
The CWF’s “As We Are” Project is focused on empowering todays girls to think critically about gender stereotypes, confront sexist messages in the media, as well as identify their own strengths and confidently find their own voices.
To learn more about the project, click here.
CRRF ‘150 Stories’ Project
Posted 21/05/16
eQuality Project partner, the Canadian Race Relations Foundation has launched the ‘150 Stories’ project in order to celebrate Canada’s multiculturalism in the lead up to the country’s sesquicentennial in 2017. To learn more about the project, and hear some of the stories, click here.
ATA Publishes Preliminary Results of Decade Long Study
Posted on 14/05/16
eQuality Project partner, the Alberta Teachers’ Association has released preliminary results on an ambitious decade-long study investigating the technology habits of Alberta Students. The ATA, University of Alberta, and Boston Children’s Hospital undertook the project in order to investigate how youth react to technology use.
Read more about the study here, or watch a report on it here.
New All-Female Theatre Group Aims to Give Voice to Women’s Issues
Posted on 03/05/16
The LadyParts Collective, a new all-female theatre group, has been organized in order to both create works that address issues that affect women in their Los Angeles community as well as to create more opportunities and roles for women.
You can read more about the LPC here.
Celebrate CCGSD’s 11th Anniversary on the International Day of Pink!
Posted on 12/04/16
April 13, 2016 marks the 11th Anniversary of the Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity, and as part of their celebrations, the CCGSD is holding the Day of Pink Gala! The International Day of Pink is an event that seeks to take a stand against homophobia, transphobia, and bullying of all kinds in schools, communities, and workplaces. For more information on the International Day of Pink, and to attend the CCGSD’s Day of Pink Gala, follow the link here.
eQ’s Jacquelyn Burkell, Leslie Shade, Val Steeves and Jane Bailey at IGSA Conference
Posted on 10/04/16
eQuality’s Jacquelyn Burkell, Leslie Shade, Val Steeves and Jane Bailey present eGirls eCitizens: A Dialogue on Theory and Practice at the inaugural International Girl Studies Association Conference at the University of East Anglia, UK on 9 April 2016.
For more information on the conference, please click here.
Criminal Harassment Law is Still Flawed Concerning Online Abuse
Posted on 10/04/16
Laura Kane writes, the case of a British Columbia man’s online campaign to destroy his ex-wife’s reputation reveals that criminal law has a long way to go in terms of online harassment. Read the full article here.
Cyber Civil Rights Initiative: Information and Resources for Victims of ‘Revenge Porn’
Posted on 07/04/16
The Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, which grew out of the End Revenge Porn Campaign, provides information and resources online for victims of Revenge Porn. These material include details concerning the CCRI, victim’s stories, FAQs, a crisis helpline, and more. For more information, visit the CCRI’s website here.
WMC Speech Project’s Tools for Dealing with Online Abuse
Posted on 04/04/16
The WMC Speech Project is committed to raising public and media awareness about online harassment, and the ways in which women’s rights and expression are affected. Further information, and details concerning the Project can be found here.
Crown Prosecution Service Provides Legal Guidance Online
Posted on 04/04/16
The Crown Prosecution Service has a section of their website dedicated to online legal guidance, all available in .pdf format. Further details concerning the CPS’ guidance concerning stalking and harassment can be found here.
NWAC and FAFIA-AFAI Symposium Release Recommendations for the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
Posted on 02/04/16
Native Women’s Association of Canada and the Feminist Alliance for International Action released 22 recommendations for the National Inquiry into Mussing and Murdered Indigenous Women. Further information is available from the Native Women’s Association of Canada website here, and a .pdf copy of the Symposium Outcome Document can be downloaded here.
eQuality’s Priscilla Regan Presents at ASPA
Posted on 31/03/16
eQuality’s Priscilla Regan presented ‘Big Data in Education: Developing Policy for Ethical Implicationsin US and Canada’ as part of a panel on Increasing Transparency in Government on March 21, 2016. You can find the slides of her presentation here, and further information on the conference can be found here.
eQuality’s Valerie Steeves Joins Panel on Internet Privacy
Posted on 24/03/16
Professor Valerie Steeves was invited to join a panel discussion on TVO’s The Agenda in examining the state – and possible future – of internet privacy. Focusing mainly on social media platforms, the panel discussed the current situation in regards to user’s expectations of privacy, whether those expectations are being met, and possible improvements to user’s online privacy in the future.
Watch the discussion here.
eQuality and Partners to Present at Panel Discussion
Posted on 20/03/16
eQuality’s Valerie Steeves and Jane Bailey will be joined by OCTEVAW’s Dillon Black and YWCA Canada’s Raine Lillifeldt on a Panel Discussion hosted by the University of Ottawa’s Centre for Law, Technology and Society.
For more information, click here.
To download a podcast of the discussion, click here.
eQuality’s Jane Bailey and Valerie Steeves at NGO Forum
Posted on 18/03/16
Professor Bailey and Professor Steeves will be joined by Raine Lillefeldt from YWCA Canada, on a speakers panel at the NGO Commission on the Status of Women Forum in New York City on 22 March, 2016. The Forum will parallel the UN Commission on the Status of Women also taking place in New York City.
For more information, click here.
Heartmob: Hollaback’s Response to Online Harassment
Posted on 18/03/16
Heartmob is a new online community designed to support victims of online harassment.
Learn more here.
Canadian Centre for Gender & Sexual Diversity Educators Conference
Posted on 16/03/16
A partner of the eQuality Project, the CCGSD’s Educators Conference is focused on the ‘Accepting Schools Act,’ and will provide workshops and training for educators, administrators, and youth service workers.
Find out more here.
Professor Jane Bailey Receives 2016 CBA Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Law
Posted on 14/03/16
The Canadian Bar Association’s Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Law recognizes outstanding contributions to the law or legal scholarship in Canada.
Learn more here.
R. v. Jarvis: Cyberviolence Against Women – Can Criminal Law Respond?
Posted on 07/02/16
Guest post by Carissima Mathen and Jane Bailey.
Read it here.
EQ’s Jane Bailey at YWCA Knowledge Exchange Forum
Posted on 22/11/15
Working together to share knowledge and new approaches.
More information is available here.