Ottawa, Canada, Jul 10, 2018 / 02:01 am
Legal opposition continues to gather against a new rule for a long-standing Canadian summer jobs program, which requires grant applicants to affirm abortion access as a human right.
Previous legal challenges have concerned prospective grantees' right to advocate against abortion, but newer challenges now cite arguments about religious freedom and compelled speech, the Canadian newspaper The National Post reported.
The Canada Summer Job Grants program has funded an estimated 70,000 summer jobs for secondary school or college students, granting small businesses, non-profit organizations, and religious employers the money to fill positions such as camp counselors or landscapers.
Under the grant application's new clause, non-profits and for-profit organizations must check a box affirming their consistency with Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms, relevant case law, and the Canadian government's commitments to the human rights it recognizes. These include "women's rights and women's reproductive rights, and the rights of gender-diverse and transgender Canadians."