The Gender Pay Gap
By Julia Smith, General Member The gender pay gap, a persistent issue affecting countries worldwide, is a glaring indicator of gender inequity. In Canada, a nation often commended for its commitment to gender equality, this gap remains a troubling reality. The gender pay gap refers to the difference in average earnings of people based on […]
National Child Day Events held by UNICEF Canada and Children First Canada
November 20, 2023, marks the 30th anniversary of National Child Day in Canada – it’s a day to honor Canada’s commitment to upholding the rights of children and two historic events: the 1959 signing of the UN Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child […]
Youth Health in Canada: Unveiling Determinants, Pandemic Impacts, and Upstream Solutions
By Sree Nair, General Member In Canada, the health and well-being of its youth are profoundly influenced by social determinants, encompassing income, education, employment, housing, and healthcare access. These factors significantly impact marginalized groups, including women, Indigenous communities, racial minorities, LGBTQ+ individuals, and individuals with limited socioeconomic resources, thereby exacerbating health disparities¹. To address these […]
World Kindness Day
By Laetitia Satem, General Member World Kindness Day, celebrated annually on November 13th, was established in 1998 by a coalition of non-governmental organizations. This day encourages kindness at all levels, from homes to global communities. World Kindness Day must be celebrated this year more than ever in a world grappling with a poly-crisis, including war, […]
Inspiring Healthy Futures is seeking a Managing Director
Inspiring Healthy Futures (IHF) is a pan-Canadian community comprised of cross-sectoral champions (individual and organizational) for children, youth and families. IHF was founded by four co-sponsors including the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health, Pediatric Chairs of Canada, UNICEF Canada and Children’s Healthcare Canada but includes over three […]
Deceptive Food Labels: Unmasking Misinformation and Empowering Consumers
By: Julia Smith, General Member Food labels may be causing more harm than good In a recent study conducted by the New York Post, 82% of Americans stated that they have found food labels misleading, and over 93% feel like companies hide sugar in their products by using different words for sugar on their labels. […]
It’s National Pain Awareness Week
Around 8 million Canadians, many of them children, live with pain—over 65% of children in hospitals experience painful procedures without any pain management in place. By raising awareness of best practices, The Solutions for Kids in Pain (SKIP) Project is working to improve pain management in Canadian health institutions. To learn more about the work […]
Creating a Culture of Consent: Strategies for Universities to Promote Respectful Relationships on Campus
By Leisha Toory, General Member Figures from Statistics Canada published in 2020 show that nearly three-quarters of university students in Canada witnessed or experienced unwanted sexualized behaviours in a post-secondary setting in 2019—either on campus or in an off-campus situation that involved students or other people associated with the school. In August 2022, Statistics Canada reported that sexual assault […]
Fall Vaccinations and their Importance
By Ysabelle Tumaneng, General Member Fall vaccinations are well underway. As a post-secondary student, I have learned about the importance of vaccination in my science classes and how it plays a crucial role in protecting individuals and the community. Vaccination is introducing a vaccine into the body to stimulate an immune response against a specific […]
International Pronouns Day
By Laetitia Satam, General Member Happy International Pronouns Day! International Pronouns Day is celebrated on the third Wednesday of October each year and has been an official day since 2018. It is a day to remind people that using your preferred pronouns is one of the simplest forms of respect. International Pronoun Day is not […]