Where Have the Women Gone? An Exploratory Study of the Women's Legal Education and Action Fund's Shifting Advocacy

The Women's Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF) is a civil society organization that was created in 1985 to advance women's substantive equality. Political science scholarship in the early 2000s focused significant attention on LEAF—unanimously characterizing the organization as among the most successful groups involved in legal mobilization in the post-Charter era. However, we know very little about the organization's advocacy outside of the courts. To address this limitation, we provide an analysis of all the advocacy-related activities undertaken by LEAF between 1985 and 2022. The findings illustrate that beginning approximately in 2006, LEAF diversified its “collective action repertoire” to undertake more political mobilization, while also dedicating greater attention to issue areas such as Indigenous rights. Our study challenges the judicial-centric approach adopted in previous studies of LEAF and underscores the importance of studying advocacy through a longitudinal lens and with approaches that account for the dynamism of civil society

Action (physics · Exploratory research · Legal action · Political science · Social science · Sociology · Gender Politics and Representation · Gender Studies · Law · Nonprofit Sector and Volunteering · Political Influence and Corporate Strategies · Public Administration

• Theories of the Policy Process

  Paul Sabatier, Paul A Sabatier•Theories Of The Policy Process,…•2019

  Incluir item

• The Rights Revolution

  Charles R Epp•Rights Revolution•1998

  Incluir item

• Repertoires and cycles of collective action

  Mark Traugott•Repertoires and cycles of…•1995

  Incluir item

• The Rise and Decline of Nations

  Mancur Olson•The Rise and Decline of Nations•2022

  Incluir item

• From Normative Debates to Comparative Methodology

  Dave Snow, M Harding et al.•The American Review of Canadian…•2015

  Incluir item

• Voluntary Sector Organizations and the State

  Rachel Laforest•Voluntary Sector Organizations…•2011

  Incluir item

• Law, Politics and the Judicial Process in Canada

  S I Bushnell, F L Morton•Canadian Public Policy•1986

  Incluir item

• The Charter Revolution and the Court Party

  Peter Leslie, Peter Ayton Leslie et al.•Canadian Public Policy•2001

  Incluir item

• Incorporating Multiple Actors and Guidance Instruments into Models of Regulatory Policymaking

  Open Access•Paul A Sabatier, Paul Sabatier et al.•Administration & Society•1987

  Incluir item

• Comparing Policy Process Frameworks

  Open Access•Joanne Sobeck•Administration & Society•2003

  Incluir item

• An advocacy coalition framework of policy change and the role of policy-oriented learning therein

  Open Access•Paul A Sabatier, Paul Sabatier•Policy Sciences•1988

  Incluir item

• Lopsided lobbying? Regulatory opportunism and the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying

  Open Access•Noah Fry•Canadian Public Administration•2022

  Incluir item

• Pluralism, Reformed Pluralism and Neopluralism

  Open Access•Martin J Smith•Political Studies•1990

  Incluir item

• Diverse Lobbying Coalitions and Influence in Notice‐and‐Comment Rulemaking

  Open Access•Maraam A Dwidar•Policy Studies Journal•2022

  Incluir item

• Legislative Decision Making and Substantive Policy Information

  Open Access•Paul Sabatier, David Whiteman•Legislative Studies Quarterly•1985

  Incluir item

• Party Capability Theory and Appellate Success in the Supreme Court of Canada, 1949–1992

  Open Access•Peter J Mccormick, Peter Mccormick•Canadian Journal of Political…•1993

  Incluir item

• Who Intervenes in Supreme Court Cases in Canada

  Open Access•Danielle Mcnabb•Canadian Journal of Political…•2023

  Incluir item

• Interest Group Litigation and the Embedded State

  Open Access•Ian Brodie•Canadian Journal of Political…•2001

  Incluir item

• Ghosts of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council

  Open Access•Miriam Smith•Canadian Journal of Political…•2002

  Incluir item

• Feminists and the Courts

  Open Access•F L Morton, Avril Allen•Canadian Journal of Political…•2001

  Incluir item

• Her Majesty's Justice Be Done

  Open Access•Daniel Voth•Canadian Journal of Political…•2016

  Incluir item

• The Impact of Legal Mobilization and Judicial Decisions

  Open Access•Troy Q Riddell, Troy Riddell•Law & Society Review•2004

  Incluir item

• Why the "Haves" Come Out Ahead

  Open Access•M Galanter•Law & Society Review•1974

  Incluir item