Though Canada sought chapters in the renegotiated North American free trade deal dedicated to Indigenous issues and gender equality, advocates were left looking for signs of progress amid their disappointment after the Liberal government’s efforts were stymied at the negotiating table. Indigenous issues could follow a similar trajectory, she said. Gender rights didn’t get quite the same attention that Indigenous rights did, however. What ultimately ended up in the USMCA deal amounts to a “vague encouragement to be nice,” said Panezi. Despite disappointment over gender not being the subject of a dedicated chapter, Panezi said the Trudeau government’s commitment to the issue “is definitely genuine,” and lauded the progress made so far.

Source: National Post October 01, 2018 23:32 UTC