Kasari Govender
@KasariGovender
Passionate advocate for human rights. Mother, aunt, sister, daughter. BC's first independent Human Rights Commissioner @HumanRights4BC She/her.
Poverty, mental and physical illness, advanced age, and isolation are driving factors in who is most at risk on our heating planet, disproportionately bearing the burden of climate change. This is why climate change is a human rights issue. thetyee.ca/Opinion/2025/0…
For those following the proposed changes to BC's mental health laws, this is very useful resource on what got us here: healthjustice.ca/timeline
This reminds me of Bryan Stevenson's words: the opposite of poverty isn't wealth. The opposite of poverty is justice. cbc.ca/news/politics/…
We would love to hear from you! Help us improve the Commissioner’s Book Club with a short anonymous survey. Your input will help us make this space even more welcoming and impactful. To access the survey please visit: tinyurl.com/5n8habey
Three B.C. residents share their personal stories about involuntary mental health and addiction treatment, emphasizing the importance of both first hand experience and scientific data in making policy choices that will improve our health system vancouversun.com/health/does-in…
I'm so excited host children's author and illustrator Jessica Love and BC Summer Reading Club coordinator Georgia Franklin at our next Beyond the Headlines event. Julian is a Mermaid is one of my favourite kids books - if you haven't read it, I highly recommend for #Pride2025
For our next Beyond the Headlines episode, taking place Monday, Jul. 14 at 10:30 a.m. PDT, Commissioner Govender will host a conversation about how to support youth in understanding and celebrating gender identity and expression. (1/2)
Mis and disinformation often surrounds refugees and can lead to the undermining or disregarding of their human rights. Let's get our facts straight. Check out this reading list to learn more: thenewhumanitarian.org/news/2024/06/2… #WorldRefugeeDay
Did you know that between January 2015 and November 2021, British Columbia welcomed 14,860 refugees, according to the @UNRefugeeAgency? World Refugee Day is a celebration of the incredible resilience and bravery to start over and thrive in a new country. unhcr.ca/in-canada/refu…
#NoToHate.
🚨 The rise of online hate and disinformation against refugees is causing real-world harm. On International Day for Countering HateSpeech, learn more and say #NoToHate.
Housing is a human right!
[RELEASE] Nine City Councils are calling on the BC gov't to recognize housing as a human right. Housing is recognized as a human right at the federal level in Canada. It's time our provincial government steps up to make the same commitment, in policy and practice. #bcpoli
Want to learn more about what hate speech is and is not? Check out this resource.
Hate speech comes in many forms, including racism, misogyny, homophobia, Islamophobia, etc. Here are 5 things B.C.’s Human Rights Commissioner wants you to know about hate speech. bchumanrights.ca/hate-speech-qa
Girls and young women need better access to mental health care, StatsCan report suggests cbc.ca/?__vfz=medium%…
Today!
Tune in tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. PDT for our next Beyond the Headlines episode, a live discussion on migrant workers’ rights between B.C.’s Human Rights Commissioner and the Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada’s English-Speaking section. bchumanrights.ca/beyond-the-hea…
I'm so very glad to see the court confirm that stereotypes have no place in child protection proceedings - and that those who have been discriminated against can go to the Human Rights Tribunal to seek remedies.
On Thursday, the B.C. Court of Appeal upheld the Human Rights Tribunal’s authority to decide discrimination cases involving child welfare services in Vancouver Aboriginal Child and Family Services Society (VACFSS) v. R.R.. (1/2)
A mobile, community-led crisis response team in 6 BC communities shows that police don’t have to be involved in mental health emergency calls. Since Jan 2023 five teams have responded to nearly 10,000 calls. 99% were resolved without involving police: cfjctoday.com/2025/05/11/man…
