Our campaigns and advocacy work provide life-changing input in a range of critical areas. In all of them, we are committed to inclusivity, encompassing women and gender-diverse people. We are focused on encouraging and driving real change as we work together to create a more equitable and just society for us all.
Our works have centered on choice and connection in mental health services, and have sought funding to better support community safety. We have guided efforts to set higher journalistic standards related to reporting on sex workers, reflecting our dedication to uplifting and supporting marginalized voices.
Addressing economic disparities, we have been advocating for proactive pay equity legislation in Newfoundland and Labrador, and have engaged with social media on the pride movement and other significant societal issues and achievements. In the political sphere we have worked to ensure gender equity in our commitment to systemic change. We also support survivors of sexual violence and encourage positive changes in the criminal justice system, including in the areas of domestic violence in the workplace.
Each of these initiatives represents our unyielding dedication to advocacy, inclusivity, and empowerment.
PANSOW Calls For The Declaration Of IPV As An Epidemic In NL And The Establishment Of A GBV Task Force
The Provincial Action Network of the Status of Women in Newfoundland and Labrador
Published: April 2026
PANSOW Urges Immediate Action: Declare IPV an Epidemic in Newfoundland and Labrador and enact a provincial task force on GBV.
Black History Month 2026
Honouring Black Brilliance Across Generations – From Nation Builders to Tomorrow’s Visionaries
Published: February 2026
February is Black History Month in Canada! With this year’s theme, ‘Honouring Black Brilliance Across Generations – From Nation Builders to Tomorrow’s Visionaries’, we’re spotlighting the work of two women who are in large part the reason why Black History Month is celebrated across the country today.
SJSWC 16 Days of Activism Against GBV 2025
November 25th is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
Published: November 2025
November 25th is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Today is the first of 16 days of activism against Gender-Based Violence. Please follow along with us on our social media platforms over the next 16 days as we share information, resources, and ways you can take action against GBV.
Click here to learn more about the Mirabel Sisters and their revolutionary legacy.
An Open Letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney
calling for safe passage of St. John’s residents on flotilla to Gaza, permanent ceasefire and effective two-way arms embargo
Published: October 2025
The SJSWC calls on the federal government to take decisive and compassionate action to uphold Canada’s commitment to human rights and justice, to provide safe passage of Canadian citizens and all onboard the entire flotilla by ensuring the unimpeded access of aid, a permanent ceasefire and an effective immediate two-way arms embargo.
An Open Letter to the City of St. John’s and Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
Regarding Funding for the Downtown Safety Coalition
Published: July 2023
Alongside First Light, Migrant Action Centre, Quadrangle NL, Stella’s Circle and Thrive, the St. John’s Status of Women Council is sharing an open letter to the City of St. John’s and Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, expressing concern regarding the effectiveness of the Downtown Safety Coalition.
Sex Work: A Journalistic Guide to the Fundamentals of Your Sources
Safe Harbour Outreach Project
Published: June 2023
This media guide has been written by the staff of the Safe Harbour Outreach Project in collaboration with sex workers, for you – the journalist. In it, we share with you the proper language to use in reporting, how to choose respectful images, how to write about sex work effectively, and the best ways to work directly with sex workers in the most respectful way possible.
Five Years of Right Here, Right Now
Centering Choice And Connection In Responsive Mental Health Services
Published: May 2023
The St. John’s Status of Women Council operates Right Here Right Now (RHRN); our feminist, person-centered and trauma-informed counselling program. Beginning as a pilot project in 2016, RHRN continues to offer free, one session at a time counselling to women and non-binary people in St. John’s. After five years … data collection has produced key learnings and recommendations.
Proactive Pay Equity Legislation in Newfoundland and Labrador
Put money back in the pockets of women and marginalized people
Published: August 2022
Newfoundland and Labrador is one of four provinces and territories across Canada without legislated pay equity. In 2017, on International Women’s Day, the House of Assembly in Newfoundland and Labrador saw a motion to introduce pay equity legislation, which was supported by a unanimous vote. Since then, it has not been enacted or prioritized. As part of our work towards social and economic justice for women and marginalized people, we are digging deeper into pay equity in the form of this report as a case for wide-reaching proactive pay equity legislation in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Pride Reflections
St. John’s Status of Women Council
Published: July 2022
For the entire month of July, SJSWC participated in Pride Reflections, a weekly Q&A series about gender and sexuality posted on SJSWC’s Instagram page. Click through our slideshow to read how our staff tackled these thought-provoking questions:
- What does pride mean to you?
- How does your sexuality and/or gender identity influence how you navigate the world?
- How do you celebrate community during pride month? How do you celebrate every day?
Celebrating Pride
Leadership In Our Community
Published: July 2022
The St. John’s Status of Women Council is celebrating pride month by honouring the wonderful work 2SLGBTQIA+ people are doing in our province. Originally featured on SJSWC’s Instagram page, this slideshow showcases the contributions, experiences, and insights of local prominent 2SLGBTQIA+ people in Newfoundland and Labrador and highlights their impact on our province’s culture and community.
“Empowering Them” E-Course Launch
Launching our first free, publicly accessible e-course Aimed At Ending gender-based violence (GBV) In NL
Published: November 2021
Watch the livestream of the official launch for the “Empowering Them” E-Course, proudly created by the St. John’s Status of Women Council and Women’s Centre.
For decades, work around GBV has happened behind the walls of women’s centers, transition houses and Sexual Assault Centers. We know it’s time to bring this issue out into the world. We all have a part to play in ending Gender Based Violence, and this new E-Course gives community members the tools to do just that.
Calling All Candidates
Feminist Q&A with St. John’s Municipal Elections Candidates
Published: September 2021
During the 2021 Municipal Election in St. John’s, the St. John’s Status of Women Council reached out to all 30 candidates for a question and answer series about feminist issues impacting our community. We are sharing candidates’ responses to promote community engagement and to inform voters on election issues that impact all of us.
Download Housing and Accessibility Q&A
Stories of Sex Worker Solidarity
Safe Harbour Outreach Project
Published: March 2021
Watch SHOP’s short video series “Stories of Sex Worker Solidarity” in recognition of #InternationalSexWorkerRightsDay, where we highlight some of the incredible people, groups, and organizations who work to ensure sex workers are safe and welcome in our community, and hear about why sex worker’s rights are important to them.
Virtual Panel on Gender Equity
St. John’s Status Of Women Council
Published: February 2021
Watch our Virtual Panel on Gender Equity, an all-party panel leading up to the 2021 provincial election, hosted by the St. John’s Status of Women Council and PANSOW, the Provincial Action Network on the Status of Women.
Our panelists are: NDP leader Alison Coffin, Liberal Minister Lisa Dempster, and PC Torngat Mountains MHA Lela Evans. We’re engaging parties on issues disproportionately impacting women and people of marginalized genders from across the province – including justice, healthcare, housing, gender-based violence, and our social and economic recovery.
“Resistance on the Rock: How Sex Workers in Newfoundland Talk Back” with Dr. Laura Winters
Safe Harbour Outreach Project
Published: December 2020
In recognition of December 17th, the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers, SHOP hosts a talk with Dr. Laura Winters to hear about her research with sex workers on community building, understanding stigma, and Talk Back as a form of everyday resistance.
SHOP & RNC Partnership Breakdown
Safe Harbour Outreach Project
Published: November 2020
The Safe Harbour Outreach Project (SHOP) and the St. John’s Status of Women Council have made the decision to end our official SHOP Liaison Officer partnership with the RNC. In 2014, SHOP approached the RNC in hopes of establishing better communication, reducing sex work stigma through education to the RNC, and creating better access for sex workers when interacting with police. None of this has transpired, and so we are releasing this public statement to our broader community, and the sex workers and survivors we serve.
Domestic Violence at Work NL (DV@WorkNL)
The Impacts and Issues in Newfoundland and Labrador
Published: November 2020
The Domestic Violence at Work NL (DV@WorkNL) research project initially began in 2018 as a three-year undertaking that studied the impacts of domestic violence (DV) in workplaces throughout the province, with a particular focus on DV as a barrier to women’s economic participation in the workforce. While partial data from DV advocacy organizations and police reports suggest that DV is increasing in this province, there are some research gaps such as workplace impacts and the dynamics of DV which this project tries to address. This project also includes resources and supports for domestic violence survivors and co-workers to assist with education, workplace safety and retention.
Survivors of Sexual Violence and the Criminal Justice System
Reviewing a legacy of harm, the justice gap, and recommendations for advocates and allies
Published: November 2020
In this report, SJSWC scans the wide body of existing research, media, and literature to evaluate the ways victims of sexual violence are impacted through the processes made available to them in the criminal justice system, particularly within Canada. Our aim is to determine the most effective, equitable, and evidence-based recommendations for increased access to justice and reducing harm for survivors of sexual violence, both within and outside of the criminal justice system.
Imagine the Courage
Research and Recommendations on Domestic Violence in Workplaces in Newfoundland and Labrador
Published: November 2020
Statistically it has been shown that women and other marginalized genders experience domestic violence (DV) at a disproportionately higher rate than men. The St. John’s Status of Women Council (SJSWC) set out to learn more about the DV these groups experience and the ways it impacts survivors’ health and economic stability. Our research focused primarily on the experiences of DV survivors and their advocates. This report includes a summary of that research as well as some key recommendations to improve workplaces across the province.
Soliciting Our Expertise
A Q&A With Sex Workers And Allies
Published: August 2020
SHOP & Peace Love ’n Pride have come together to centre and celebrate the voices of lived experience from our wonderfully diverse and intersecting 2SLGBTQI+ sex working communities. Originally featured on our Facebook page, we are proud to launch our sex worker Q&A series through a visual album. We gathered questions anonymously from sex workers and allies across Newfoundland and Labrador, and sex workers have generously offered their expertise in response.
The Structural Inequality In NL’s COVID-19 Recovery Plan
St. John’s Status of Women council
Published: May 2020
View the livestream of the press conference organized by SJSWC, the Provincial Action Network on the Status Of Women (PANSOW), and the Gender and Politics Lab (Memorial University). Join us for a discussion about why and how our province’s recovery plan should seek to create a new reality that is just and equitable for all.
