Human Rights Law and International Development

Gender Equality, Inclusive Governance and the Law: Aligned for a Better World

2018 Annual Conference, January 22-23, 2018 

125 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON

Tuesday January 23, 2017 - 3:00pm - Session 3a

Session: Human Rights Law and International Development: Complementary Approaches to Eradicating Gender-Based Violence?

Speakers:

Chair:

Laurie Sargent, Assistant Deputy Minister, Aboriginal Affairs Portfolio

Speakers:

Sylvie McCallum Rougerie, Counsel, Justice Canada Human Rights Law Section

Chantal Tie, Equality Effect

Jessica Tomlin, Match International

Deborah Gomes-Schultz, Global Affairs Canada.

Description: 

International human rights law and international development share a common goal of eradicating gender-based violence. This panel will contrast the approaches taken by human rights lawyers and international development practitioners in their efforts to combat violence against women and girls, so as to provide participants with an opportunity to learn from the other discipline.

Biographies:

Prior to her appointment as acting Assistant Deputy Minister, Aboriginal Affairs Portfolio, Laurie Sargent served as Deputy Director General and General Counsel of the Human Rights Law Section since October 2014.

A 1998 graduate of the McGill University Faculty of Law, Laurie was called to the bar in 2001. Laurie joined the Department of Justice in 2002 and has provided leadership not only on a wide range of important legal files but also in domestic and international human rights policy files. Laurie has also participated in workplace initiatives in support of departmental and government priorities, notably as past co-chair of the Advisory Committee on Persons with Disabilities. Prior to joining the Department, Laurie clerked at the Supreme Court of Canada. She also worked in Bolivia and Guatemala to advance the rights and interests of Indigenous Peoples in those countries.

Laurie leads the Aboriginal Affairs Portfolio team as they work closely with others across Justice, including the Review of Laws and Policies Secretariat, as well as with client departments, to provide integrated legal and policy advice during this time of transformational change toward a renewed relationship with Indigenous Peoples, based on the recognition of rights, respect, co-operation, and partnership.

Sylvie McCallum Rougerie is counsel with Justice Canada’s Human Rights Law Section. Her legal practice is focused primarily on international human rights law and ss. 7-15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. She has a long-standing interest in the rights of women and girls, and has pursued this interest working with human rights organizations in Kenya and Bangladesh. Sylvie holds a J.D. degree from the University of Toronto and an LL.M. in Advanced Studies in European and International Human Rights Law from Leiden University. She is a member of the Law Society of Ontario.