Events
Thursday, October 1, 2020
MCW: Bill 21 – The Legalization of Systemic Discrimination
Time: 6pm
On October 1st, 2020 the Status of Women and Human Rights Committee is hosting a panel discussion on the importance of the legalization of systemic discrimination in Quebec. This dynamic conversation will include a treatment of Bill 21, the discrimination of minority women, and the diverse forms of systemic discrimination within our legal system. We are privileged to have Government Liaison of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women, Samaa Elibyari, as well as CSDM English schoolteacher, Bouchera Chelbi, and finally, lawyer and lead counsel in the challenge to Bill 21, Perri Ravon, who will inform this important and timely discussion.
Registration
About Our Speakers:
Bouchera Chelbi, CSDM English school teacher
Bouchera Chelbi has been a teacher with the CSDM for over 25 years. She has decades of knowledge and experience with systemic discrimination and its impact on education - notably on the rights of both minority students and teachers. She has become a public figure in her opposition to Bill 21 as she continues to safeguard the right of Muslim teachers and students.
Samaa Elibyari, Government Liaison of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women
Samaa Elibyari has been a committed activist in Montreal for more than forty years. Presently Samaa is the secretary of the Council of Canadian Muslim Women, Montreal Chapter. She has represented her organization at the Coalition Inclusion Quebec against Bill 21. She has also authored the documents submitted to the Quebec government, about the discriminatory effect of various bills affecting Muslim women, starting with the Bouchard-Taylor commission till our present day. Samaa has presented a weekly, bilingual radio program called Caravan and broadcast on CKUT from 1999 to 2011. Caravan gave an Arab/ Muslim perspective on current affairs, locally and internationally. She is still doing radio but only at times of crisis, which is often enough. Samaa runs a small rental business. She speaks fluently 3 languages and is happy to report progress on a fourth. She lives close to Mont-Royal parc where she takes regular walks.
Perri Ravon, Lawyer
Perri practices civil litigation, with a particular focus on public and constitutional law. She is one of the lead counsel in the challenge to Bill 21. Perri is with the law firm Juristes Power and was the founder of the firm’s Montreal office. She completed her JD at McGill University and her LLM at New York University, and clerked at the Supreme Court of Canada with Justice Marie Deschamps. Perri also has a deep interest and experience in international human rights law.