Standing Committee on the Status of Women

Comité permanent de la condition féminine

For immediate release

Ottawa, June 21, 2016 -

The House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women invites the public to submit written briefs for the Committee’s study on Violence against Young Women and Girls in Canada.

While women of all ages experience violence, the Committee’s study focuses on young women and girls because they are uniquely vulnerable to violence and are undergoing critical developmental stages in their lives. Furthermore, the Committee was concerned by the shortage of statistics and information on violence faced by young women and girls in Canada.

The Committee will be examining violence in the lives of young women and girls with a focus on the following:

• The nature and extent of cyber-violence against young women and girls and best practices to address and prevent it;
  
  
• The nature and extent of street harassment of and disrespectful public behaviour towards young women and girls, and best practices to address and prevent it;
  
  
• Violence faced by women on university and college campuses (including the notion of “rape culture” and definitions and perceptions of consent), and how to develop effective strategies to address this problem;
  
  
• The impact of hypersexualization of young women and girls in traditional and social media, and how to engage relevant sectors in countering such practices;
  
  
• Best practices for engaging men and boys in addressing and preventing violence against young women and girls;
  
  
• The impact of the issues listed above on vulnerable groups in our society (such as Indigenous young women and girls; young women and girls identifying as lesbian, bisexual and transgender; young women and girls of ethnic and cultural minorities; and disabled young women and girls);

The Committee requests that the submission of written briefs focus on the aforementioned topics and that the briefs include specific recommendations on how the federal government can help prevent or address violence against young women and girls.

The deadline for the Committee to receive written briefs from the public, in either official language, is Friday, September 23, 2016. Briefs should not exceed two pages in length (approximately 1000 words). Briefs should be sent electronically to the Committee Clerk at FEWO@parl.gc.ca or submitted online through the Committee’s website. Please see the Guide for Submitting Briefs to House of Commons Committees for further information. Select individuals and organizations may be invited by the Committee to provide additional information following their initial brief.

The Committee hopes that this study and its recommendations will contribute to a better understanding of violence against young women and girls, and will bring to light solutions to prevent and address such violence in Canada.

Canadians are welcome to follow the Committee on its website, where additional information is provided on its upcoming meetings, its ongoing work, and its membership.