Of Canadians, 86 percent see social, democratic benefit in human rights: recent data
The Canadian Association of Statutory Human Rights Agencies (CASHRA) has emphasized the importance of strong institutions and individual efforts alike to the protection of human rights, which it described as a shared responsibility.
According to CASHRA’s recent statement, Canadians’ individual contributions toward safeguarding human rights encompass “how we speak, how we listen, how we challenge discrimination, and how we help make the places we share safer, fairer, and more inclusive.”
CASHRA cited Statistics Canada’s latest study on social and democratic values, which revealed that 86 percent of Canadians saw social and democratic benefits in human rights.
“The start of the summer brings numerous celebrations that provide opportunities to reflect on who we are, the diverse communities we belong to, and the values that bring us together,” CASHRA stated. “These shared values and our collective sense of identity matter especially in moments of pressure and uncertainty.”
CASHRA stressed the importance of safeguarding human rights across educational institutions, workplaces, housing, healthcare, public services, places of worship, online spaces, community settings, and everywhere else.
“Meeting this moment requires a renewed commitment to the values that define us,” CASHRA said. “By strengthening human rights protections and translating them into real-world outcomes, we can build a stronger Canada — one grounded in dignity, equality, reconciliation, and justice for all.”
In its statement, CASHRA acknowledged that the country currently faces global uncertainty and significant financial and social difficulties, including heightened income inequality, a cost-of-living crisis, and increasing poverty, homelessness, and food and economic insecurity.
CASHRA said it has seen inaccessible systems and a rise in hate and intolerance among Canada’s communities, with those facing systemic barriers and discrimination – including Black and other racialized communities, 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, Indigenous peoples, and people with disabilities – acutely experiencing these intersecting forces.
“Canada’s diversity is about far more than demographics,” said CASHRA’s statement. “It reflects a commitment to full, safe, and equal participation, and to a lived reality of belonging.”
CASHRA emphasized the importance of affirming human rights to democratic societies and the rule of law, particularly in times of uncertainty and pressure.
“Rights become fragile when people lack the basic conditions for dignity in their everyday lives,” CASHRA stated. “These realities remind us that rights are defined not only by what is guaranteed in law, but by whether people can meaningfully exercise those rights in their daily lives.”
CASHRA comprises the leaders of Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial human rights commissions, specifically the Yukon Human Rights Commission, the Ontario Human Rights Commission, the Manitoba Human Rights Commission, the Northwest Territories Human Rights Commission, British Columbia’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner, the Canadian Human Rights Commission, the Prince Edward Island Human Rights Commission, the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission, the Alberta Human Rights Commission, the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse, and the Newfoundland and Labrador Human Rights Commission.
