National Association of Women and the Law | L’Association nationale Femmes et Droit (NAWL | ANFD)

What National Association of Women and the Law | L’Association nationale Femmes et Droit (NAWL | ANFD) does

The National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL | L'Association nationale Femmes et Droit / ANFD) is a Canadian non-profit feminist legal advocacy organization founded in 1974 at a conference held at the University of Windsor Faculty of Law. Operating from its Ottawa headquarters at 234 St. Patrick Street with a staff of approximately 10 employees, NAWL advances substantive equality and the realization of human rights for all women in Canada through legal education, research, strategic intervention, coalition building, and feminist law reform advocacy focused primarily at the federal level. Its primary beneficiaries include women in Canada — particularly survivors of family violence — alongside feminist organizations, advocates, and law students who engage with its capacity-building resources and network.

NAWL's product portfolio is anchored by freely distributed educational and research outputs rather than proprietary technology. Core offerings include the bilingual online course "Feminist Law Reform 101" hosted at course.nawl.ca, the downloadable Feminist Law Reform Manual, the Jurisfemme journal of feminist legal analysis, the Gender and the Law Manual, the digital NAWL Library archive, and the Rightfully Hers exhibit documenting the history of women's equality rights in Canada. The organization coordinates The Chanterelle Alliance for Feminist Law Reform — a coast-to-coast-to-coast network of feminist organizations — and administers the Alison Dewar Scholarship for female law students at the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Common Law. Underlying infrastructure relies on standard non-profit tooling: Donor Perfect for donation processing, Constant Contact for email newsletters, and the nawl.ca website for resource distribution.

NAWL is funded primarily through government grants — most notably from Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) channeled through the Canadian Women's Foundation — and through charitable donations processed via the NAWL Charitable Trust for Research and Education (registered charity #14083 5885 RR0001), which was established in 1983 to support the organization's charitable activities. All resources and educational content are provided free of charge to users. The organization is governed by a National Steering Committee and has no parent company or equity shareholders. Its current strategic priorities, formalized in the 2026-2030 Strategic Plan, encompass ending violence against women, advancing reproductive rights, addressing women's rights in the climate crisis, and economic security.

Name

National Association of Women and the Law | L’Association nationale Femmes et Droit (NAWL | ANFD)

Legal name

National Association of Women and the Law

Website

https://nawl.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) is a Canadian non-profit feminist legal advocacy organization founded in 1974 that advances women's substantive equality through legal reform, policy advocacy, free educational resources, and coalition-based work at the federal level.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women's Rights Legal Advocacy

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD)

Keywords

• Feminist legal advocacy
• Women's rights law
• Legal education resources
• Policy research briefs
• Nonprofit legal services

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants: Primary funding from Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) and other federal government programs to support organizational capacity, violence against women initiatives, and feminist law reform projects.
2. Donor-Directed Contributions: Individual donations, membership contributions, and planned giving (bequests, RRSP/RRIF beneficiary designations) processed through Donor Perfect platform. The NAWL Trust (registered charity #14083 5885 RR0001) receives charitable donations and issues tax receipts.
3. Foundation Grants: Funding received through intermediaries such as the Canadian Women's Foundation (CWF) for specific capacity-building and program initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NAWL is a not-for-profit feminist organization that delivers free legal education, research, and advocacy resources aimed at advancing substantive equality and human rights for women in Canada. Its core offerings include a bilingual online course (Feminist Law Reform 101), a downloadable Feminist Law Reform Manual, the Jurisfemme legal analysis publication, a digital legal research library, gender and law educational manuals, workshops, and the Chanterelle Alliance feminist law reform network.

Product overview

NAWL is a not-for-profit feminist organization that offers a portfolio of educational resources and advocacy tools focused on advancing women's substantive equality through legal education, research, and law reform. The core offerings include the free bilingual online course Feminist Law Reform 101, the downloadable Feminist Law Reform Manual, and the Jurisfemme publication. Additional resources include the NAWL Library digital archive, the Gender and the Law Manual, the Rightfully Hers Exhibit, and regular workshops and book clubs. The organization also manages the Alison Dewar Scholarship for law students and runs The Chanterelle Alliance, a national feminist law reform network. All offerings are provided free of charge and are designed to build capacity for feminist law reform engagement among law students, social justice advocates, and community groups.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Chanterelle Alliance for Feminist Law Reform: A feminist law reform network bringing together feminist organizations from coast to coast to advance a robust, proactive feminist law reform agenda in Canada

Products and services

• Feminist Law Reform 101 A free bilingual online course designed to equip law students, social justice advocates, and community groups with resources and tips on how to engage in feminist law reform to advance women's equality rights in Canada.
• Feminist Law Reform Manual A free downloadable practical guide containing the knowledge and tools needed to advance laws that promote women's substantive equality in Canada.
• Jurisfemme NAWL's publication providing feminist legal analysis on issues affecting women in Canada, covering topics such as pay equity, maternity and parental benefits, and economic equality.
• NAWL Library A comprehensive digital library containing research documents, reports, briefs, and archival materials related to feminist law reform and women's equality rights in Canada.
• Gender and the Law Manual An educational resource providing comprehensive coverage of gender and the law issues in Canada.
• Feminist Law Reform Workshops Educational workshops on feminist law reform topics conducted across Canada, including the coast-to-coast workshop series delivered in-person and virtually to law students, advocates, and community organizations.
• The Chanterelle Alliance for Feminist Law Reform A feminist law reform network bringing together feminist organizations from coast to coast to advance a robust, proactive feminist law reform agenda in Canada.
• Alison Dewar Scholarship An annual scholarship administered by the University of Ottawa providing financial support for a female student in the Faculty of Common Law interested in pursuing a career in women's equality, union-side labour, workers' rights, or human rights law.
• Rightfully Hers Exhibit An exhibit/documentary showcasing the history of women's equality rights and feminist law reform advocacy in Canada.
• FLR Book Club A community initiative inviting participants to start feminist law reform book clubs to promote education and discussion on women's equality rights.
• NAWL Newsletter A regular publication providing updates on law reform initiatives impacting substantive equality and human rights for women, sent via email subscription.
• Unfinished Business Report A national report examining how the 2021 amendments to the Divorce Act are working in practice, offering 40 practical recommendations to better protect survivors of family violence and children, produced as part of NAWL's Responsive Approach to Divorce Act Reform (RADAR) project.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40 practical recommendations to strengthen Divorce Act protections for survivors of family violence
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Calgary Legal GuidancemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject partner in the Responsive Approach to Divorce Act Reform (RADAR) project, providing expertise from Alberta on family violence issues.
• Clinique JuripopmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject partner in the RADAR project, contributing Quebec perspective on family law reform and gender-based violence.
• Barbra Schlifer Commemorative ClinicmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject partner in the RADAR project, providing Ontario-based frontline expertise on violence against women.
• Yukon Status of Women CouncilmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject partner in the RADAR project, contributing Northern and territorial perspective on family violence issues.
• University of Ottawa, Faculty of LawcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in administering the Alison Dewar Scholarship for female law students pursuing women's equality and labour law careers. The scholarship is administered through the university's scholarship office.
• The Chanterelle AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA feminist law reform network coordinated by NAWL, bringing together feminist organizations from coast to coast to coast to advance a proactive feminist law reform agenda in Canada.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• West Coast Legal Education and Action Fund (West Coast LEAF): British Columbia-based feminist legal organization advancing equality through litigation, law reform, and education. Operates a similar advocacy-plus-education model to NAWL, focused on a regional rather than national scope.
• Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic: Toronto-based legal clinic serving women experiencing violence, providing legal representation, interpretation, and counseling. NAWL RADAR project partner; comparable in its focus on violence against women and intersection of legal services with feminist advocacy.
• Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights: Canadian sexual and reproductive rights organization engaging in policy advocacy, research, and coalition work. Directly comparable to NAWL on the reproductive rights priority area, with similar federal-level advocacy and feminist positioning.
• Women's Shelters Canada: National umbrella organization supporting women's shelters across Canada. Comparable to NAWL in addressing violence against women, though focused on shelter services infrastructure rather than legal reform advocacy.
• Women's Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF): National Canadian feminist legal advocacy organization that conducts Charter equality litigation, intervenes in cases, and engages in law reform on women's equality. Directly comparable to NAWL in mandate, federal-level focus, and feminist legal advocacy approach.
• FAFIA (Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action): Coalition of feminist organizations engaging with UN human rights mechanisms to advance women's equality in Canada. Comparable to NAWL in feminist coalition work and federal/international policy engagement, though distinct in its UN-focused strategy.
• Native Women's Association of Canada: National Indigenous women's rights organization that engages in policy advocacy, legal reform, and coalition work on issues intersecting gender, violence, and human rights. Comparable to NAWL in national advocacy mandate and feminist/equality framing.

Broad incumbents

• YWCA Canada: National federation of YWCAs operating shelters, housing, and advocacy programs for women and gender-diverse people. Comparable to NAWL as a pan-Canadian women's rights organization, with a much larger operational footprint and direct-service focus.
• Canadian Women's Foundation: Canada's largest national gender-equity foundation funding direct-service programs, research, and advocacy. Comparable to NAWL as a federal-level gender-equality ecosystem player, with broader programmatic scope and grantmaking capacity.

Emerging players

• Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives: National progressive think tank producing research and policy analysis on economic and social inequality. Comparable to NAWL in policy advocacy and federal-level engagement, though broader in scope beyond women's legal issues.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nawl-anfd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Association of Women and the Law | L’Association nationale Femmes et Droit (NAWL | ANFD)