Nova Scotia Human Rights Week 2025
The Human Rights Commission invites communities across the province to reflect on the importance of dignity, equity, and justice for everyone during Nova Scotia Human Rights Week from December 3 – 10. Guided by the Nova Scotia Human Rights Act, this week-long celebration highlights our shared responsibility to protect human rights, strengthen inclusion, and build communities where all people can thrive.
Each year, Human Rights Week culminates with International Human Rights Day on December 10 and the presentation of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Awards. This global observance marks the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, a milestone that anchors modern human rights protections in Canada and around the world. In Nova Scotia, Human Rights Week provides space to learn, connect, and take meaningful steps toward positive change.
The 2025 program brings together partners from across the public, private, and community sectors. Sessions explore key themes such as accessibility, racial equity, gender inclusion, fostering safer communities, and the many ways systemic discrimination continues to shape daily life. These events offer practical tools for action and showcase the work being done across the province to advance human rights.
Whether you attend a presentation, join a community conversation, or explore new ideas, Nova Scotia Human Rights Week is an opportunity to reaffirm a simple truth. Human rights belong to everyone.
Below you will find the schedule of events taking place throughout the week (and a few on the shoulders). Sessions continue to be confirmed so please visit this page in early December for the full schedule.
- December 1, 2:00 - 3:30 pm: Built Environment Accessibility Standard Information Session
- December 3–10: Human Rights on Screen, True North
- December 3, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm: Ability to Rise: Celebrating Leaders in Disability Inclusion
- December 3, 5:00 - 7:00 pm: Youth Roundtable: Voices for a Safer Halifax
- December 4, 10:00 – 11:00 am: Understanding Ableism
- December 4, 11:45 am – 12:45 pm: Towards Transformation: An Intersectional Look at Anti-Trans Rhetoric Across the Country
- December 4, 1:00 – 2:30 pm: Accommodations at Work
- December 5, 10:00 - 11:00 am: Accessibility Project Funding for Nova Scotia Businesses and Community Groups
- December 5, 1:30 – 3:00 pm: Human Rights in Action: Living Equity, Dignity and Justice in Halifax
- December 5, 3:30-5:00 pm: Human Rights Week Collective Craft at Halifax Central Library
- December 8, 10:00 – 11:00 am: Under Construction: Accessible Navigation Assistance for Halifax and Beyond
- December 8, 11:30am - 12:30 pm: Gender-based Violence: Education and Preventative Responses
- December 8, 1:00 – 2:30 pm: Dignity, Respect and Safety: The Heart of a Healthy Workplace
- December 9, 10:00 - 11:30 am: Black Food Sovereignty In Mi’kma’ki
- December 9, 11:45 – 12:45 pm: The BLAC Report: 30 Years Later
- December 9, 2:00 – 3:00 pm: Advancing Equity and Inclusion in Nova Scotia: Updates from the Office of Equity and Anti-Racism
- December 10, 2:00 – 4:00 pm: 2025 Nova Scotia Human Rights Awards Presentation
- December 11, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm: Accessibility Foundations
All sessions will be recorded and made available for viewing and sharing. Below are some highlights from past Human Rights Week events.