Dignity Network Canada unites civil society and government action to strengthen global LGBTIQ+ human rights.
Strengthening LGBTIQ+ rights through government advocacy, member mobilization, and international partnerships for greater resources and impact.
Through our government relations work, we:
Advocate for stronger Canadian leadership
Amplify member voices
Build collaborative partnerships
Respond to urgent global issues
Alongside our international partners, we advocate for resources and policies that support LGBTIQ+ rights, especially in the Global South and East. Our aim is to build towards a well-connected global movement, with LGBTIQ+ organizations around the world at the forefront of rights and development work.
On a monthly basis, Dignity Network Canada convenes its members to discuss advocacy and policy goals. We co-convene a regular biannual dialogue between members and the human rights division of Global Affairs Canada. We also co-chair a quarterly Community of Practice meeting of LGBTIQ+ related programmes and organizations funded by Global Affairs Canada.
International Advocacy Engagement
Dignity Network Canada both works with its members and also engages as an independent organization in a number of international advocacy spaces.
Dignity Network Canada, along with our members Egides and Egale Canada, are also participants in the Amsterdam Network, a group of about 15 civil society organizations across major donor countries (Norway, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, Spain, Australia, Germany and others). We collaborate and share learning on LGBTIQ+ inclusion in foreign policy and international assistance.
Dignity Network Canada is a member of ILGA and ILGA-North America & the Caribbean. We support various research and outreach initiatives and actively participate in both ILGA World and regional conferences in Asia, Latin America, and Africa, where our members are active.
Flagship Roundtable Event
A key focus of Dignity Network Canada’s biennial Roundtable is dialogue with and about government — including parliamentary outreach and engagement — creating opportunities to discuss how the Canadian government can continue to develop and strengthen its work in support of global SOGIESC (sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics) issues. Through open discussion and shared strategy, the Roundtable helps shape collective advocacy efforts and strengthens Canada’s contribution to advancing global LGBTIQ+ rights.
Pride 7
Pride 7 (P7) is an unofficial engagement group of the G7, focusing on the promotion and protection of the rights of LGBTQ+ persons and associated policy recommendations.
This affinity group was launched in Japan in 2023 with the aim of encouraging G7 member countries, including Japan, to fulfill their role as democratic nations and to ensure LGBTQ+ issues emerge as a key agenda item for discussion and action in all future G7 Summits. Along with our members Egale Canada and Egides, Dignity Network Canada is a regular participant in the P7.
In partnership with Egale Canada, Dignity Network Canada hosted the P7 Summit in Spring 2025 to advance social, political, and economic equality for Canada’s 2SLGBTQI communities by addressing systemic barriers to inclusion and fostering advocacy capacity on both a national and international scale.
