Standing up for basic human rights is FOR EVERYONE.

Anyone out there believe that local elected officials in Ontario couldn’t hold office if they were a perpetrator of harassment? Us too. Except we were wrong.

On May 31st 2023 the government voted down Bill 5 - The Stopping Harassment and Abuse by Local Leaders Act. This Bill was brought forward for the third time to try to create an appropriate accountability structure for municipally elected leaders when it comes to perpetrating harassment and abuse.

We are now calling on the government to pass its own legislation to address this glaring gap in human rights protection. Women from across the province, and people across the province, are currently subject to harassment from municipally elected officials and have little to no recourse. No matter how egregious the harassment the elected official can still retain their position and seek re-election. The system actively deters reporting, given that no matter how terrible, the maximum penalty that can be applied when claims of egregious acts of harassment are substantiated, is 90 days without pay.

Due to the lack of urgency in passing the initial bill, candidates ran in this past election that otherwise may have been excluded if this law was in place. Let that sink in.

This is a non-partisan issue and legislation that must be prioritized to protect people in the workplace from elected municipal officials who abuse power by perpetrating harassment. Please donate to help elevate the issue and ensure we can apply a non-partisan and inclusive approach to making positive and necessary changes in this province.

The movement has this name because women (including trans, non-binary and gender fluid people) are more adversely affected. This legislation will protect ALL PERSONS. **According to the Angus Reid Institute (2018), 52% of Canadian women say they have been subject to sexual harassment in the workplace, and 28% of Canadian women say they have been subject to non-consensual sexual touching in the workplace.

A lack of accountability for elected officials at the municipal level translates into immunity, and this MUST END. AND WE CAN END IT. TOGETHER.