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# Kasari Govender
- URL: https://www.whiteroseintelligence.com/kasari-govender/
- Published: 1999-01-02T18:54:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-01-29T21:54:06.000Z
- Author: Liam Sturgess
- Tags: Profiles, #docs, #individual

**Kasari Govender** is a Canadian lawyer and government official based in Vancouver, British Columbia. She serves as [British Columbia's Human Rights Commissioner](https://www.whiteroseintelligence.com/British-Columbias-Office-of-the-Human-Rights-Commissioner), an independent officer of the [Legislative Assembly of British Columbia](https://www.whiteroseintelligence.com/Legislative-Assembly-of-British-Columbia).[\[1\]](#fn1)[\[2\]](#fn2) She has served on the board of directors for the University of Victoria, Pivot Legal Society, and the Society for Children and Youth of BC,[\[3\]](#fn3) and co-chaired the Coalition for Public Legal Services (CPLS).[\[4\]](#fn4) She has taught at the Peter A. Allard School of Law and Simon Fraser University (SFU).[\[3:1\]](#fn3)

## History

Govender was born and raised in Vancouver.[\[2:1\]](#fn2) Her father was Indian, raised in apartheid Durban, South Africa.[\[5\]](#fn5)[\[6\]](#fn6) His family was removed from their home when the Parliament of South Africa passed the Group Areas Act, segregating towns along racial lines.[\[6:1\]](#fn6) Her mother is of European descent, raised in Vancouver.[\[2:2\]](#fn2)[\[6:2\]](#fn6) Her parents met in the United Kingdom, where they lived for several years.[\[6:3\]](#fn6) After moving back to Vancouver, Govender's mother worked as a policy analyst for the [Government of British Columbia](https://www.whiteroseintelligence.com/Government-of-British-Columbia), and later a researcher of women's issues.[\[6:4\]](#fn6)

Govender says she "grew up in a solid feminist household, with many conversations around inequalities and how they impact us."[\[2:3\]](#fn2)

### Education

Govender attended the University of Toronto for undergraduate studies.[\[2:4\]](#fn2) She articled at a Toronto law firm where Mary Eberts and Beth Symes (future co-founders of West Coast LEAF) worked.[\[6:5\]](#fn6)

She then received her law degree from the University of Victoria Faculty of Law and a Master's degree in international human rights law from the University of Oxford Faculty of Law.[\[3:2\]](#fn3)

### Career

Govender played "a pivotal role in establishing" the Rise Women's Legal Centre, serving as its founding president.[\[3:3\]](#fn3)[\[4:1\]](#fn4)

From 2008-2019, Govender held various leadership positions at West Coast LEAF, and was appointed executive director in 2011.[\[3:4\]](#fn3) She co-authored its 2012 report, "[Blueprint for an Inquiry: Lessons from the Failures of the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry](https://assets.nationbuilder.com/pivotlegal/pages/189/attachments/original/1353022676/Missing%5FWomen%5FInquiry%5Fweb%5Fdoc.pdf.pdf?1353022676)", alongside future premier David Eby, Darcie Bennett and Katrina Pacey.[\[7\]](#fn7) She also led West Coast LEAF's collaboration with the Define the Line research project at McGill University.[\[8\]](#fn8)

In May 2019, Govender was announced as the new BC Human Rights Commissioner — the first since the British Columbia Human Rights Commission was abolished in 2002.[\[9\]](#fn9) Her appointment was overseen by a bipartisan special committee that included Sheila Malcolmson, Stephanie Cadieux, Raj Chouhan and Greg Kyllo, all Members of Legislative Assembly.[\[9:1\]](#fn9) She began her five-year term as Commissioner on September 3, 2019, with a dual mandate of "protecting human rights while building the organization from the ground up."[\[10\]](#fn10)[\[1:1\]](#fn1)[\[2:5\]](#fn2)

#### COVID-19

On November 5, 2020, Govender published a guidance document titled "A human rights approach to mask-wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic." This document was "updated over time to reflect changing circumstances," with revised versions published on [November 23](https://web.archive.org/web/20220201203259/https://bchumanrights.ca/wp-content/uploads/BCOHRC%5FNov2020%5FMask-Policy-Guidance%5FUpdate-201123.pdf) and [December 10](https://web.archive.org/web/20230515191255/https://bchumanrights.ca/wp-content/uploads/BCOHRC%5FNov2020%5FMask-Policy-Guidance%5FUpdate-201210.pdf), 2020, and [April 23](https://web.archive.org/web/20220201203257/https://bchumanrights.ca/wp-content/uploads/BCOHRC%5FNov2020%5FMask-Policy-Guidance%5FUpdate-210423.pdf), [July 22](https://web.archive.org/web/20230515191344/https://bchumanrights.ca/wp-content/uploads/BCOHRC%5FNov2020%5FMask-Policy-Guidance%5FUpdate-210728.pdf) and [September 29](https://web.archive.org/web/20230515193323/https://bchumanrights.ca/wp-content/uploads/Mask-Policy-Guidance-Sept-2021-Update-Final.pdf), 2021.[\[11\]](#fn11)

In December 2020, Govender penned an op-ed for *The Province* arguing that a generalized "collective, often subconscious racism upholds systemic racism and fuels social harms, whether or not we want to recognize it."[\[12\]](#fn12)

Nearing the end of her term, Govender "indicated her interest to seek reappointment for an additional term." She was interviewed by a special committee of the Legislature of British Columbia on February 16, 2024.[\[13\]](#fn13) On May 15, 2024, the committee published a report unanimously recommending Govender be appointed for a second five-year term, beginning September 2, 2024.[\[14\]](#fn14)

## Publications

- June 1, 2020: "[Am I racist? Your initial answer might surprise you](https://theprovince.com/opinion/kasari-govender-am-i-racist-your-initial-answer-might-surprise-you)" published by *The Province*

## External links

- [B.C. Government Directory](https://www.dir.gov.bc.ca/gtds.cgi?esearch=&view=detailed&sortBy=name&for=people&attribute=name&matchMethod=is&searchString=Kasari+Govender&objectId=175146)
- [X](https://x.com/KasariGovender)

---

1. *About the Office.* BC’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner. Retrieved October 24, 2023, from <https://web.archive.org/web/20231024030707/https://bchumanrights.ca/about-us/about-the-office/> [↩︎](#fnref1) [↩︎](#fnref1:1)
2. *Kasari Govender, B.C.'s Human Rights Commissioner - Advancing and Protecting Human Rights*. (2022, June 6). Drishti Magazine. <https://drishtimagazine.com/kasari-govender-b-c-s-human-rights-commissioner-advancing-and-protecting-human-rights/> [↩︎](#fnref2) [↩︎](#fnref2:1) [↩︎](#fnref2:2) [↩︎](#fnref2:3) [↩︎](#fnref2:4) [↩︎](#fnref2:5)
3. *Our team.* BC’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner. Retrieved January 29, 2026, from <https://bchumanrights.ca/about-us/our-team/> [↩︎](#fnref3) [↩︎](#fnref3:1) [↩︎](#fnref3:2) [↩︎](#fnref3:3) [↩︎](#fnref3:4)
4. *Kasari Govender.* (2017, April 18). Define the Line - McGill University. <https://www.mcgill.ca/definetheline/kasari-govender> [↩︎](#fnref4) [↩︎](#fnref4:1)
5. *Champions for Equality: Kasari Govender and Zoe Craig-Sparrow.* (2020, March 13). Government House. <https://ltgov.bc.ca/news/equality-and-inclusion/champions-for-equality-kasari-govender-and-zoe-craig-sparrow/> [↩︎](#fnref5)
6. Pablo, C. (2020, March 5). *B.C. Human Rights Commissioner Kasari Govender seeks to build culture of empathy and compassion.* The Georgia Straight. <https://www.straight.com/news/1368096/bc-human-rights-commissioner-kasari-govender-seeks-build-culture-empathy-and-compassion#> [↩︎](#fnref6) [↩︎](#fnref6:1) [↩︎](#fnref6:2) [↩︎](#fnref6:3) [↩︎](#fnref6:4) [↩︎](#fnref6:5)
7. Bennett, D., Eby, D., Govender, K., & Pacey, K. (2012). *Blueprint for an Inquiry: Lessons from the Failures of the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry.* British Columbia Civil Liberties Association, West Coast Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund, and Pivot Legal Society. <https://assets.nationbuilder.com/pivotlegal/pages/189/attachments/original/1353022676/Missing%5FWomen%5FInquiry%5Fweb%5Fdoc.pdf.pdf?1353022676> [↩︎](#fnref7)
8. *Community and Corporate Partners.* Define the Line - McGill University. Retrieved January 29, 2026, from <https://www.mcgill.ca/definetheline/about-us/community-and-corporate-partners> [↩︎](#fnref8)
9. *B.C. names new human rights commissioner — the first in 17 years.* (2019, May 31). CBC News. <https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/kasari-govender-appointed-commissioner-1.5156744> [↩︎](#fnref9) [↩︎](#fnref9:1)
10. *Human Rights Commissioner.* Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Retrieved November 5, 2023, from <http://archive.today/2023.11.05-223906/https://www.leg.bc.ca/dyl/Pages/Human-Rights-Commissioner.aspx> [↩︎](#fnref10)
11. *A human rights approach to mask-wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic.* BC’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner. Retrieved May 15, 2023, from <http://archive.today/2023.05.15-191203/https://bchumanrights.ca/publications/mask/> [↩︎](#fnref11)
12. Govender, K. (2020, December 2). *Am I racist? Your initial answer might surprise you.* The Province. <https://theprovince.com/opinion/kasari-govender-am-i-racist-your-initial-answer-might-surprise-you> [↩︎](#fnref12)
13. Phillip, J., & Letnick, N. (2024, May 15). *Report of the Special Committee to Appoint a Human Rights Commissioner.* Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. <https://www.leg.bc.ca/committee-content/5217/SC-HRC%5FReport%5F42-5.pdf> [↩︎](#fnref13)
14. *Special Committee to Appoint a Human Rights Commissioner.* Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Retrieved January 29, 2026, from <https://www.leg.bc.ca/parliamentary-business/committees/42ndParliament-5thSession-hrc> [↩︎](#fnref14)