REAL Women of Canada () is a socially conservative advocacy group in Canada. The organization was founded in 1983.
REAL stands for "Realistic, Equal, Active, for Life". The group believes that the nuclear family is the most important unit in Canadian society, and that the fragmentation of the Canadian family is a primary cause of social disorder. It lobbies the Government of Canada in favour of legislation to promote what it believes to be the Judeo-Christian-Islamic model of family life, and to support homemaking. REAL is also opposed to feminism, abortion and LGBT rights including same-sex marriage.
Interventions
The group has intervened in Supreme Court of Canada cases including R. v. Morgentaler (1993) and M. v. H. (1999). In R. v. Sullivan (1991) it argued that a fetus is a person and the only thing different between a fetus and a baby is a short amount of time.
Objectives
According to its website, its aims are to emphasize the importance of the family and legally promote what it refers to as a "Judeo-Christian" understanding of marriage and a nuclear family, to promote homemaking, and to oppose abortion and assisted suicide.
Part of their economic policies to help meet their objectives are increased tax relief for single-income families, families with children, and individuals with children.
REAL Women is similar in political and social outlook to Phyllis Schlafly's Eagle Forum and to Concerned Women for America in the United States.
The organization criticized individuals who have spoken out against Uganda's criminalization of homosexual relations. On August 7, 2013, the group issued a statement criticizing Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird for speaking out on LGBT human rights issues in both Uganda and Russia as part of Canada's foreign policy.
History
In January 1983, Judy Erola, the federal cabinet minister for the status of women, proposed scrapping the tax exemption for dependent spouses, including mothers at home raising young children. Seeing this change as anti-family, persons active in the anti-abortion campaign began to speak out in opposition. On September 3, 1983, a group of Ontario women formed what would become known as REAL Women: Realistic, Equal, and Active for Life. REAL Women was dissatisfied with how feminist organizations addressed women's issues, and said that many housewives felt disparaged and attacked by these organizations. A press conference was held in 1984 officially announcing their formation. The group claimed initially to have 10,000 members, however this was later discredited. they denounce the equal rights clause in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and feminist movements and organizations, and they argue that government spending and funding of these feminist organizations is undermining traditional gender and family relations.
Archives
There is a REAL Women of Canada archival deposit at Library and Archives Canada. The archival reference number is R11007. The deposit covers the date range 1970 to 2015. It contains 16.7 meters of textual records; 2 videocassettes; 5 photographs.