Standing Committee on the Status of Women

Comité permanent de la condition féminine

For immediate release

Ottawa, May 7, 2024 -

The House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women (the Committee) adopted the following motion on Monday, November 27th, 2023:

That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee undertake a study of coercive behaviour, focusing on and studying those countries or jurisdictions around the world that have already legislated on this issue; that the committee devote at least six meetings to this matter and then report its findings and recommendations to the House.

The Committee will examine coercive behaviour, with a focus on existing legislation in other jurisdictions that aim to criminalize coercive behaviour. The Committee invites the public to contribute to the study by submitting written briefs.

The Committee’s final report, which will include recommendations to the Government of Canada, will be informed by these written submissions and by witness testimony. The Committee encourages those who submit briefs to include concrete recommendations related to legislation on coercive behaviour.

Protecting the privacy of those who submit briefs remains a priority for the Committee. If you wish to submit a written brief anonymously or do not want a brief to be made public, please inform the Clerk of the Committee at FEWO@parl.gc.ca, and the necessary arrangements will be made. Written briefs will be publicly available unless otherwise requested.

The deadline for the Committee to receive written briefs from the public, in either official language, is Sunday, June 30, 2024. Briefs should not exceed two pages (approximately 1,000 words) and should be emailed to the Clerk of the Committee at FEWO@parl.gc.ca or submitted online through the Committee’s study webpage.

Please see the Guide for Submitting Briefs to House of Commons Committees for details and instructions related to written submissions for House of Commons committees.

The Committee looks forward to hearing from Canadians on this important topic. The Committee welcomes all Canadians to follow its work on its website, where additional information is provided on the Committee’s meetings and testimony, live proceedings and membership.