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View Lenore Zann Profile
Lib. (NS)
Thank you so much, Adam. Thank you for being so generous and for thinking of my time as well.
I want to say thank you to the witnesses. I know this is a difficult topic, but it's very, very important.
I want to highlight some of the things that Ms. Blaney mentioned, which are totally what I agree with. It is about misogyny. It is about patriarchy. It is about the inequality for women in society and the complete disdain and contempt that some men have towards women and girls. It needs to stop now. The more femicides we hear about, the more angry, really, I become. I know that these can all be averted if people are educated to believe that we are all equal, that you can have your emotions and be upset about something, but it doesn't mean you can kill somebody or try to control somebody else. This is all about control and domination. These are all colonial attitudes and actions anyway. By and large, I believe most women have been affected by this, our first nations people in particular, and I'm so, so, so sorry.
In the submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, the Native Women's Association of Canada stated that some of the recurring themes that contribute to the recruitment of indigenous women in trafficking include—we've talked about them today—precarious housing and poor living conditions; high rates of unemployment, unstable employment and low working wages; lack of access to social and economic resources and programs; prior exposure to human trafficking and sex trade from a young age, through family or friends; and family violence and the impacts of colonization, such as residential school experience and intergenerational trauma.
So tell us about “nothing about us without us”. What are the first steps we need to take to make sure we can crack down on this terrible practice of human trafficking? Putting a price—a price—on a woman's life is disgusting.
Ms. Blaney and Ms. Anderson, would you like to comment?
Fay Blaney
View Fay Blaney Profile
Fay Blaney
2021-06-15 12:17
Okay.
I tied “nothing about us without us” to the funding of autonomous indigenous women's organizations so that we can spread our wings, like I did, in women's centres and in university. Studying women's studies there is where I learned about what happened to me.
It becomes so normalized. There is a book called Black Eyes All of the Time. I think we need another book that talks about the sexual abuse of indigenous girls and how that becomes so normalized that being trafficked isn't so far removed from our reality. The remedy to that, as far as I'm concerned, is capacity building amongst ourselves as indigenous women.
I never know how to do this respectfully, and I do want to be respectful. I have concerns about the fact that we have a well-resourced Assembly of First Nations but a poorly resourced Native Women's Association of Canada that can't adequately represent our interests across the country, much less at a local level. We really need to do that capacity building ourselves. As a result of the Royal Commission on the Status of Women, in 1972, I think, non-native women got women's centres all across this country. They got Status of Women Canada and the Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women. All of these things happened for non-indigenous women. We need our turn to do that. We need to decolonize from what was done to us in the Indian Act.
That's a long process. I fear we're not even starting that. We're still under the umbrella of our band councils and under this banner of colonialism, without specific focus on gendered colonialism, gendered racism and gendered poverty. Those things are pretty much absent, and they're eclipsed by the bigger questions of colonialism.
That's what I talk about a lot.
View Anju Dhillon Profile
Lib. (QC)
Thank you so much, Minister.
I'd also like to say how appreciative I am that you brought up Quebec and the 11 femicides that took place in just about the first four months of this year. It's very hard to stomach these, and we mourn the loss of these women.
I would like to ask you, please, if you can provide us with more details on the work to date of the national action plan to end gender-based violence.
View Maryam Monsef Profile
Lib. (ON)
Thank you so much, MP Dhillon.
To date, as part of our emergency response, we've supported more than 250 organizations in Quebec offering emergency gender-based violence supports with more than $17 million, and that's before budget 2021.
What budget 2021 offers with $601 million for a range of GBV programming is another down payment on the response to ending gender-based violence and providing supports [Technical difficulty—Editor] ways of ensuring that young men and boys, particularly, are healing and that they're part of the solution in [Technical difficulty—Editor] for human trafficking-related programs and capacity building.
There are even core funding supports for GBV organizations as well as a secretariat to coordinate the work with provinces, territories, indigenous partners, municipalities, civil society organizations and the federal government. Also, there are statistics, additional data, that we'll be banking and harnessing, as well as community-based research.
This budget is an important tool and an important step forward in our collective national fight to end gender-based violence.
View Andréanne Larouche Profile
BQ (QC)
Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
Madam Minister, thank you for joining us on this day that affects me greatly as a Quebec woman. We are now up to our 13th femicide in Quebec. The figure turns our stomachs. That is the context in which we are meeting with you today, Madam Minister.
I understand that you have come to talk to us about matters such as the action plan to end gender-based violence. But the problem remains. Is it not time to review the strategy a little or to speed up the process?
Recently, I was in discussions with officials from Quebec's Department of Public Security and the Secrétariat à la condition féminine, in Quebec also, about the femicide issue. For them, one essential question remains: how much money goes directly to organizations? Quebec would like to know what the plan is.
Exactly how much money is going to go directly to organizations in Quebec?
There is money for coordination, prevention, statistics and studies, but how much money will go into the trenches, because that is where things are playing out? Implementing the strategy is fraught with delay, and unfortunately, women are still dying.
My condolences go to the loved ones of this 13th victim.
View Maryam Monsef Profile
Lib. (ON)
On behalf of the Government of Canada, on behalf of the Prime Minister, we extend our condolences to families and loved ones grieving deaths that are entirely preventable—entirely preventable.
It wasn't too long ago, Madam Larouche, when all of us, as MPs, were in the House of Commons for an emergency debate. The numbers were a lot lower, but the pain was just as intense and the deaths just as preventable when we debated, for the first time in the House of Commons, gender-based violence as an emergency issue. My team and I took notes, and actually what you see in the budget is an acceleration in the pace of the response and a significant investment from the federal government to move forward.
As you pointed out, there are 132 sexual assault centres and non-indigenous shelters that have received federal funding over this past year, and there are 113 gender-based violence service organizations and seven indigenous off-reserve shelters that have received emergency supports. Moving forward, we are in regular conversation with our colleagues in Quebec and in other provinces to make sure these dollars get to the front lines quickly and that there's no lag in the time it takes for organizations in Quebec to receive funding compared to everybody else in the country.
Madam Chair, I am always open to ideas on how to improve the efficiency and the effectiveness, as well as the equity, in these programs. If colleagues want to reach out to me with their input, please do. I'm happy to take that call and happy to be part of this work.
I assure you, however, that just like you, I am haunted by every single death, by every single headline. Those are just the ones we know of. There are women sleeping in their cars right now because they have nowhere else to go. There are women staying in abusive relationships because they don't know there are other places they can go. There are women trapped in harmful circumstances because of poverty. That is the work we can all do together to move forward and create more choice and opportunity for women and non-binary folks in this country.
View Andréanne Larouche Profile
BQ (QC)
Madam Minister, I wanted to ask you some other questions and I was trying to signal to you.
First of all, during the emergency debate, I pointed out that, last time, there had been a difference of six months between Quebec and the other provinces in terms of signing the bilateral agreements. For me, efficiency means speeding up the signing of bilateral agreements when it is high time to transfer the money. Quebec wants to put that money to use and has the ability and the jurisdiction to do so.
The Department of Public Security and the Secrétariat à la condition féminine are asking for the signing of the bilateral agreements to be speeded up. If we are to be effective, we must also avoid duplications. There is an action plan to end gender-based violence, and there is a federal gender-based violence strategy.
What is the difference between the two?
View Maryam Monsef Profile
Lib. (ON)
The federal strategy that Patty Hajdu brought into effect back in 2017, because of her work, was the first time the federal government was coordinating its efforts and investing significantly in gender-based violence. It gave us statistics and data we didn't have before.
This next phase is phase two of Canada's response to gender-based violence. It has three times as much funding, and of course we've built partnerships, programs and efficiencies that will scale up. If colleagues have input into how to move that work quickly forward, particularly in Quebec, that's a priority for me too and I'm all ears.
View Sonia Sidhu Profile
Lib. (ON)
Thank you, Minister.
Budget 2021 has set aside specific funding allocation towards programming for men and boys. I believe this is the first time we are prioritizing this group in the work of preventing and addressing gender-based violence.
Could you speak to why this grew to be such a significant priority in the work you do?
View Maryam Monsef Profile
Lib. (ON)
We worked with Mr. Terry Duguid, who was my parliamentary secretary for a time and built a framework to support men and boys in the work to address and prevent gender-based violence.
The new investments in budget 2021 expand on the work we've already done and allow us the opportunities to build systems and networks of organizations that are feminist in their approach and support men and boys as they help other men and boys heal and become champions for equity and change.
View Andréanne Larouche Profile
BQ (QC)
Thank you, Madam Chair.
In my previous comment, I pointed out that the Department of Public Security and the Secrétariat à la condition féminine are still asking for details about the transfers of funds for shelters to assist women victims. They are also asking that more money be invested for social and affordable housing.
The Minister says that she is proud to be part of a government that calls itself feminist. So why has the government been letting the Deschamps report gather dust since 2015? The investigation actually began with Quebec reporters in 2014, and recommendations were made in the Deschamps report in 2015.
The report on the RCMP by Justice Bastarache shows once more that women in the RCMP are victims of all kinds of crimes and they are not in a good situation. But the Bastarache report is still on the shelf.
They may say they are feminist, but they have delayed in implementing the recommendations of the core working group that published the 2021 national action plan for missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. Indigenous women's groups had to go public to condemn the delays in implementing the recommendations before the government became involved.
My colleague Ms. Mathyssen spoke about pay equity. How long have we been talking about that? Even the Minister said that they were talking about the importance of pay equity 50 years ago. The government may talk about it, but the equity has yet to be achieved.
As for the action plan to end gender-based violence, we have often asked for dates and specifics as to the money invested to assist women who are victims of violence.
So many files are gathering dust! I will not even mention women aged from 65 to 74, whom the government has completely forgotten. According to recent announcements, they will receive nothing. However, the seniors who are the most forgotten and the most likely to be poor are women. They are not waiting until they are 75 to be poor. Between 65 and 74, women seniors suffer from poverty and isolation. The pandemic has made it all worse, as it has increased the difficulty for women to take their place in the world of business.
Is the Minister working with her fellow ministers? Our justice system needs to be reworked, because money will not be enough.
Madam Minister, you have 30 seconds to tell us in a few words how the discussions between ministers and your colleagues are going.
View Maryam Monsef Profile
Lib. (ON)
Madam Chair, my colleague just asked eight questions, so I will try to answer as quickly as I can in the order she asked them.
On public safety and the status of women and our partnership with Quebec, we have a great relationship with them and will continue to work out the details. I hope colleagues vote for the budget so that those funds can flow starting this June.
On housing, we've signed an agreement with Quebec, and we're moving forward with additional funds in the budget.
On DND, my colleague is right. Despite all the progress that's been made, not enough has been done, and we're committed to accelerating that work and additional resources in the budget will help, but that alone will not help. This conversation is part of the greater reckoning we're having as a country, and that culture change has to be part of it.
On pay equity, as she asked, as my previous colleague asked, pay equity legislation is actually moving forward on time, despite COVID, and those regulations will come into effect this year. Employers will have time to then build those plans.
My colleague asked about gender-based violence and seniors as well. I agree women in rural communities, particularly those 55 and up, are hardest hit, and we're working hard to ensure that they have the security and supports they need.
On GBV, we've already rolled out historic investments, and as soon as the funds are unlocked from budget 2021, we'll roll those out quickly as well, so they get to the front lines quickly.
Last, on women entrepreneurs, I was there when Bardish Chagger developed the strategy and ensured that that feminist lens was applied. We're collecting data. Mary Ng is responsible for that file now. She's increased investments for women entrepreneurs during COVID, of course, but budget 2021 also includes additional supports for them. Women entrepreneurs make up about 16% of businesses. We need to double that number, and our government's committed to ensuring that happens.
View Arnold Viersen Profile
CPC (AB)
Ms. Van De Bogart, much of the national strategy to combat human trafficking is devoted to prevention. What percentage of the funding goes to prevention?
View Lenore Zann Profile
Lib. (NS)
Thank you very much. Actually, I will be getting there, so thank you for starting that question.
I want to say to begin with that I know our government has acknowledged that indigenous women and girls experience some of the highest rates of violence in this country and that the COVID‑19 pandemic has only exacerbated this already dire situation. Recently we've seen deeply distressing stories in the media about the lack of proper treatment of indigenous children in care. This is unacceptable.
When women are provided the supports they need to allow them to evade potentially compromising situations, there is a lowered likelihood for exploitation. With regard to specific funding for gender-based violence prevention programming for indigenous women, funding now has been distinguished as capacity building for indigenous and 2SLGBTQIA+ people. That's because the missing and murdered women and girls inquiry necessitated that distinction. The allocated funding for this year's budget, budget 2021, represents $415 million specifically for the Department of Women and Gender Equality, which contributes to a total of $601.3 million to advance the national action plan to end gender-based violence.
I have a question for Public Safety.
In 2019, Canada's national strategy to combat human trafficking added the new pillar of empowerment to emphasize the important role that victims and survivors play in combatting human trafficking. Can you update our committee on what kind of work is being done under this new pillar and on what new funding is being provided to grassroots organizations to facilitate trauma-informed support?
Alia Butt
View Alia Butt Profile
Alia Butt
2021-06-01 13:06
Good afternoon.
I'd like to acknowledge at the outset that I am participating in this call from Ottawa and that I am on the unceded traditional territory of the Anishinabe Nation.
Thank you for welcoming me here today so that I can share a few observations for your study on sex trafficking of indigenous peoples.
We know that indigenous women and girls, women who are newcomers to Canada, Black and racialized women and those living in poverty are at particular risk of being trafficked.
In fact, according to Statistics Canada, in 2019, 95% of victims of human trafficking identified by police in Canada were women and girls.
Human trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation is a form of gender-based violence. WAGE is leading the government's efforts to develop a national action plan to end gender-based violence. Budget 2021 committed an investment of $601.3 million over five years to advance this national action plan, which will be achieved in collaboration with indigenous partners, provincial and territorial governments and civil society. WAGE will receive $415 million of this investment, including $105 million over five years to enhance the gender-based violence program, which includes efforts to stop human trafficking.
WAGE has been working closely with Public Safety Canada to support the national strategy to combat human trafficking. Last year, WAGE launched a call for proposals to support organizations on the front lines to develop and implement promising practices to enhance supports for at-risk populations of victims and survivors of human trafficking.
We approved 43 projects to receive $14 million in funding. Some of the projects we funded include one by the Nova Scotia Native Women's Association, which is working to develop and implement the Nova Scotia indigenous human trafficking prevention strategy that will advance knowledge and enhance empowerment supports for at-risk populations and survivors of human trafficking in Nova Scotia. Also, there is the Alberta Native Friendship Centres Association, which is working to develop and implement an indigenous, youth-led, culturally relevant prevention training and education program that will advance knowledge and awareness and empower at-risk indigenous youth and indigenous survivors of human trafficking in Alberta.
We are also striving to ensure that organizations that provide critical services to victims and survivors of gender-based violence are supported through the pandemic. For example, last year, as part of the government's COVID-19 economic response plan, we at WAGE provided $90 million in funding to women's shelters, sexual assault centres, women's organizations and other organizations, providing supports to over 800,000 women and children experiencing gender-based violence across the country.
We also work closely with Indigenous Services Canada to ensure there are supports to indigenous women and children experiencing gender-based violence. As part of the budget 2021 investments that I just mentioned, $200 million will continue to support this critical sector. Another $55 million has been specifically earmarked to bolster the capacity of indigenous women and 2SLGBTQQIA+ organizations to provide gender-based violence prevention programming aimed at addressing the root causes of violence against indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.
Through all of our program and policy work at WAGE, we continue toward advancing gender equality by removing systemic barriers, preventing and addressing gender-based violence, enhancing women's economic security and increasing women's representation in leadership roles.
Thank you. Again, my apologies for the issues at the onset of the meeting.
View Julie Dzerowicz Profile
Lib. (ON)
Minister, we will not be able to achieve gender equity if women continue to battle gender-based violence. Why was it important to include a substantial amount of money in budget 2021 for a national plan to end gender-based violence?
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
I do think this is a measure that all members of the committee will support.
This budget includes unprecedented investments for fighting gender-based violence, investments of more than $600 million. I think that fighting gender-based violence has been an issue in Canada for a long time, but it would also be fair to say that the pandemic has made the situation more acute for many vulnerable Canadians. Being forced to stay at home has meant that some Canadian women have found themselves closed into a dangerous environment, so I'm really pleased that we have this major investment.
I see the chair nudging me to stop talking, so I will.
Drew Lafond
View Drew Lafond Profile
Drew Lafond
2021-04-29 12:30
Thank you for the invitation and apologies for the delays, everybody. Thank you kindly for your patience.
[Witness spoke in indigenous language]
[English]
My name is Drew Lafond. I'm here as the president of the Indigenous Bar Association in Canada. Serving as president, I'm in the second of a two-year term.
The IBA, by way of background, is a not-for-profit organization comprised of indigenous lawyers, judges, academics and students across Canada. Our mandate, generally, is to promote the advancement of legal and social justice for indigenous peoples in Canada and the development of laws and policies that affect indigenous people, generally.
In response to the request by the committee for submissions, the past year has been rife with examples about territorial sovereignty, broken treaty promises between the Crown and indigenous peoples and more shockingly, the disvalue of indigenous lives, particularly the lives of indigenous women and youth.
The COVID-19 pandemic is worsening the underlying legal, political health, economic and social injustices that indigenous peoples and communities face. Against this backdrop, the IBA is acutely concerned with the treatment of indigenous peoples in the recognition and respect of their human rights. The IBA responded to the events in the last year by finding some pragmatic and timely responses to the rapidly changing political, economic and social realities facing indigenous peoples.
The first initiative we undertook was in April 2020. We partnered with researchers at the Department of Indigenous Studies at the University of Saskatchewan to conduct an online survey that examined the legal impacts of COVID-19 and the ability of the legal profession to respond to those impacts. As part of that study, the participants primarily spoke about jurisdictional issues that they were facing, such as conflicts over who has the authority to regulate who's coming into indigenous communities and who has the authority in relation to a community's pandemic and health response. It includes the exacerbation of jurisdictional issues that were happening prior to the pandemic, including the state undermining indigenous laws and legal authorities. Participants expressed concerns regarding consultation and negotiations where existing agreements and precedents meant to uphold indigenous rights were too often being ignored in the interest of economic revitalization plans. Concerns were raised about the case delays, which have worsened an already slow process and deferred indigenous rights matters further. These delays are uneven, with indigenous clients having to wait for access to the courts while resource extraction approvals by the Crown continue at a regular and accelerated pace.
We must address the clear gendered issues in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. These include increased family violence, disproportionate family care responsibilities faced by indigenous women, access to safe and stable housing, gender violence outside of the home, concerns about industry or “man camps” posing dangers to the health and safety of nearby indigenous communities, and worsening economic inequalities for indigenous women. These gender-specific injustices create barriers to indigenous women being able enforce their rights and access meaningful, legal participation.
Secondly, the IBA worked with the UBC faculty of law, the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs' BC First Nations Justice Council, the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council and the first nations or indigenous legal clinic in B.C. to study 21 reports in the last 30 years concerning indigenous peoples in the justice system.
As a result of that study, we pulled 10 recommendations for immediate action, which I'll mention briefly here: create a national indigenous-led police oversight body; establish a national protocol for police investigations; redirect public safety funding to services that increase community safety; implement a multi-pronged indigenous de-escalation strategy; establish a national protocol for police engagement with indigenous peoples; amend Canadian and provincial-territorial human rights codes to include indigenous identity as a protected ground against discrimination; create indigenous courts; increase indigenous representation across all levels of the criminal justice system; and establish requirements that judges give written reasons in all indigenous sentencing cases and require that judges give written reasons in all indigenous child apprehension cases where a child is placed outside of the indigenous community.
Just to close off, during the COVID-19 pandemic, we're facing significant challenges in being able to centre our well-being and our legal rights, including our rights to health, access to our territories, to our laws and to self-determination. Canada has fiduciary obligation to support the enforcement of rights and protections for indigenous peoples.
Those are my submissions to the committee today. Thank you.
Allison Pytlak
View Allison Pytlak Profile
Allison Pytlak
2021-04-27 16:51
Thank you for inviting me to speak today.
We were also pleased to hear that the Government of Canada has cancelled permits to Turkey for the L3Harris Wescam surveillance and targeting sensors. Given the volume of information indicating the diversion of this equipment to other end-users, this is a positive step that is in keeping with Canada's domestic and international obligations. It also sets a precedent that can be applied elsewhere, and we welcome the interest of this committee in the matter.
Yet while this was the right decision to make, there are concerns that need to be registered and lessons learned along the lines of points made by the representatives of Project Ploughshares. I want to focus my statement, however, on a particular aspect of the final report of the review, and that is the gender-based violence or GBV risk assessment, under criterion 6. I have to say that for a government that considers itself to be feminist, that acts as a gender champion within multilateral disarmament fora and that will soon formally release its feminist foreign policy, the quality of the GBV risk assessment is lacking.
The findings in this section of the report overlook vital information and do not demonstrate an understanding of core legal concepts. For example, the Turkish military has become increasingly involved in armed conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Libya since 2016. This is where the technology in question is being used, technology that has been described as “essential” to Turkey's deployment of its uncrewed aerial vehicles, or UAVs, and for launching air strikes.
Yet within the paragraph titled “Gender-based violence in the context of the conflicts in which Turkey is involved”, there is not actually any mention of GBV in those contexts, even though its prevalence is well documented by credible and easy-to-locate sources. Instead, the report states simply that Turkey has not “deliberately targeted children, women, or civilians”, comments on its membership within the Convention on the Rights of the Child and states that Turkey takes in refugees.
This is concerning. It is concerning first because the report fails to include any reference to or findings for the risk of gender-based violence in the context of the conflicts where Turkey is involved and where it is using the equipment in question.
Second, the use of the words “deliberately targeted” indicates that the concepts of “commit” and “facilitate” are possibly being taken to mean the same thing. In legal usage, the word “commit” implies directly carrying out an action, whereas “facilitate” is understood to mean “make something possible or easier”. “Facilitate”, in other words, encompasses a broader range of conduct and arms usage.
A risk assessment is meant to assess for just that—the risk of GBV being committed or facilitated by the items in question, and not deliberate targeting. It bears repeating that GBV is wider than violence against women alone and can also include socio-economic and psychological or emotional violence alongside physical and sexual violence.
Multiple credible sources have documented GBV in Syria, Libya and Iraq and affirm that its prevalence has been greatly exacerbated by protracted armed conflict and violence in all those locations. For instance, in 2018, the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria confirmed that sexual and gender-based violence against women, girls, men and boys was a “devastating and pervasive feature of the conflict”. GBV is also pervasive within Turkey's refugee camps and in occupied Afrin. It is therefore difficult to understand how this information could have been omitted from the report and from a GBV risk analysis.
Men and boys also experience GBV and are sometimes uniquely at risk in relation to UAVs and signature strikes. Some militaries use sex—and in particular maleness—as a characteristic by which to determine a target. As a result, military-age males are more at risk of becoming victims of inaccurate targeting. This is problematic because it erodes civilian rights to protection in conflict and has human rights implications and further suggests that sex can be a key signifier of identity, which itself constitutes a form of GBV.
Finally, it's worth noting that in March 2021 Turkey withdrew from the Istanbul convention on preventing and combatting violence against women, a convention referenced in the report. This move has prompted a strong reaction from many high-level officials within the UN human rights community and Turkish feminists, some of whom have also registered concern over increasing levels of femicide and anti-LGBTIQ activities of people within Turkey.
The reason why I am making these very specific points is partly in response to the quality of this particular assessment, but more broadly to offer insights that can hopefully improve the quality of future, or in-progress, GBV risk assessments, such as in relation to Saudi Arabia, as one example.
To close, I would just point out that it is anticipated that our foreign minister will formally launch Canada's feminist foreign policy in the coming weeks.
In order for us to have credibility as a feminist country, we need to, at a minimum, do more to prevent GBV at home and abroad. We also recommend bolder action in the context of Canadian arms transfers and military relationships writ large, because equipping and emboldening aggressive militarism is fundamentally incompatible with a feminist approach.
Thank you for your time and attention, and I look forward to your questions.
View Jack Harris Profile
NDP (NL)
Thank you.
I have one question in relation to the issue of gender-based obligations.
Do you share Global Affairs Canada's assessment that there's no substantial risk of gender-based violence in the context of arms export to Turkey? You did mentioned something about that, Ms. Pytlak. Could you elaborate on that slightly?
Allison Pytlak
View Allison Pytlak Profile
Allison Pytlak
2021-04-27 17:36
No, I don't share their analysis. I think that there is a lot of very credible evidence that has highlighted gender-based violence pervasive in many of the contacts where Turkey is involved militarily. I think that their further aggression in those areas will only exacerbate and increase gender-based violence.
Experts agree that protracted conflict only makes gender-based violence worse, deeper and more protracted. That's why I think it would have been hard for them to not come across this information had they done a very thorough GBV risk assessment. I wanted to speak to that today to offer where they can do better in future GBV risk assessments.
View Gudie Hutchings Profile
Lib. (NL)
Major Brennan, just to get back to my earlier question regarding gender-based violence, is it the case that there's not a lot of sexual misconduct training in the early stages of any CAF career?
Kellie Brennan
View Kellie Brennan Profile
Kellie Brennan
2021-04-22 19:51
There's not specific misconduct training, no. That is missing. We could have discussions regarding prevention and enlightening new recruits to what it could be like and how to protect themselves. That would definitely help.
Lise Martin
View Lise Martin Profile
Lise Martin
2021-04-22 15:59
Thank you very much for this invitation.
My name is Lise Martin, and I am the executive director of Women's Shelters Canada.
I come to you today from the unceded territory of the Algonquin nation.
We are a national organization representing the 550-plus violence against women's shelters and transition houses across the country.
The pandemic has had devastating impacts on women experiencing abuse. In the context of stay-at-home orders, home is far from safe for a number of women and their children. With the introduction of the stay-at-home orders last spring, shelters, along with our provincial shelter associations, were quick to point out that, if home was not safe, you did not need to stay and that help was available. Throughout all phases of the ongoing pandemic, Canada's 550-plus shelters have remained open.
I will focus my intervention on the federal program to provide emergency COVID funding to gender-based violence organizations, more specifically, the funds provided to shelters and transition houses.
In total, $100 million was provided. The first $50 million was announced in late March 2020 while the second $50 million was announced in late October.
In late March 2020, the department, Women and Gender Equality, reached out to us to discuss the possibility of having our organization distribute the funds earmarked to shelters. Although the distribution of funds is not part of our mission, we knew that we had the most accurate and up-to-date information on shelters. We knew that shelters needed funds ASAP. Finally, we knew that our small but mighty team could take this on.
We distributed $20.5 million to shelters in the spring of 2020 and a further $15.7 million in December. These funds were provided to 385 shelters. On average, each shelter received $90,000 distributed over three transfers. The shelters very much appreciated these funds at this time of unprecedented crisis. The impacts on shelters were numerous. What Melpa has described has occurred in shelters across the country.
The federal emergency COVID funds were able to respond to a very real and immediate need. You will recall that the WHO declared the pandemic on March 11, 2020. Between April 13 and 24, we were able to provide initial funds into the bank accounts of most of Canada's shelters.
Women's Shelters Canada provided funds to all shelters with the exception of those funded by Indigenous Services Canada and those within the province of Quebec, where the distribution was made by the provincial government. We continue to be concerned about shelters in Quebec that had to wait much longer to receive these crucial emergency funds. In the first wave, Quebec shelters did not receive funds before mid-June. Whereas our final third round of disbursement was made in late December prior to the Christmas holidays, shelters in Quebec are only now beginning to receive their third installment.
The funding program was designed with a great deal of flexibility allowing it to respond to the very different needs across the country. In terms of the funds that were announced in late October, we were able to negotiate the deadline for funds to be spent. It is September 30, 2021, rather than the usual March 31.
Last fall we argued convincingly that the pandemic would not end on March 31, which clearly it has not. There were, however, a number of cases where bureaucratic rules superseded logic; namely, the fund did not allow for capital investment. For example, we received a request from a shelter in a remote area of Yukon that asked if funds could be put towards the purchase of a vehicle to transport women. There are huge transportation barriers in the north and in our rural and remote communities. The response was that such an expense could not be covered but that they could make use of taxis, and this would be covered. Well, there are no taxis in this community, and shelters often need to get women in the middle of the night and often at great distances.
A number of shelters reached out asking about building an additional bathroom, converting an office into a bathroom, for example. Unfortunately, all of these requests were turned down because of Treasury Board guidelines that did not adapt to these exceptional circumstances.
Let me now turn to what comes next. The pandemic has highlighted that gender-based violence increases in times of crisis and how fragile our systems and services to respond were and are. This needs to change.
Gender-based violence levels won't go back down after the pandemic. More than ever, we need strong and well-funded services and prevention initiatives to deal with the now and to strengthen our response capabilities for future crises.
As organizations supporting shelters, we, as well as the shelters themselves, need stable and ongoing funding. In our 2019 “More than a Bed” report, 74% of violence against women shelters indicated that insufficient funding was a major challenge, and 64% did not receive a regular annual cost of living increase.
Within this context, it is extremely challenging to remunerate shelter workers' wages that reflect their levels of expertise. A recent study from our member in Alberta showed that the women's shelters' workforce earned less and worked longer hours than the average worker in an equivalent role in the province's non-profit and public sectors. As the pandemic has shown, a sector is only as strong as its people.
Earlier this week, we welcomed the federal budget, which included the first investments into Canada's national action plan on gender-based violence, a plan for which we have been advocating since 2013. It is definitely a major step forward. We have, however, clearly indicated that a fully national action plan will require billions, not millions. Gender-based violence is a systemic issue that requires systemic solutions.
Thank you. I look forward to your questions.
Michel Tremblay
View Michel Tremblay Profile
Michel Tremblay
2021-04-22 17:12
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I’d like to acknowledge that I’m joining you from Ottawa on the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabeg people.
I 'm pleased to speak to you on behalf of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
As Canada's national housing agency, we are guided by an ambitious goal: to ensure that by 2030, everyone in Canada has a place to call home they can afford and that meets their needs.
This goal has never been more relevant. Housing affordability is a top concern for Canadians—and it has only been heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic.
At CMHC, our work to improve affordability is driven largely by the national housing strategy, a 10-year, $70-billion-plus plan to give more Canadians a place to call home.
Most national housing strategy programs focus on those Canadians who are most vulnerable. The strategy also focuses on addressing the biggest challenge to affordability, which is the lack of housing supply. As such, it includes large-scale programs to encourage projects that build new rental homes and renovate existing ones.
The national housing strategy also includes significant funding for housing innovation and research. We recognize that we cannot achieve our aspiration simply by doing things the way they have always been done. Innovative, new ideas and approaches are needed.
One way we are looking for new ideas is through our solutions labs, a $30-million, 10-year program approved by Parliament as part of the national housing strategy that examines persistent, complex housing issues. solutions labs brings together diverse stakeholders, including experts in the field, housing providers, developers and people with lived expertise to quickly develop potential solutions to some of the most difficult challenges facing our housing system today. These project teams are supported by expert consultants, who help design and implement labs that provide a safe space for diverse perspectives to come together, for assumptions to be questioned and for new ideas to emerge and be tested.
It’s within this context that CMHC worked with Generation Squeeze and other stakeholders to establish a Solutions Lab to examine issues relating to housing, wealth and inequality and how to improve housing affordability for Canadians. As of December 31, CMHC had provided funding to a total of 47 solutions labs. I would like to share some examples with you today.
One of the most advanced labs is examining how we can help increase access to suitable housing for Canadians who are released from the federal prison system after completing their sentences. These individuals are often released with no identification, no money and no supports in place. You can imagine the challenges they face in finding a place to live, especially with a criminal record. This lab is also exploring opportunities for ex-prisoners to find jobs in the housing construction industry, including possibly helping to build tiny homes they might one day occupy themselves.
Another lab is creating a road map to remove barriers to shelters and other services for women and transgender people who have been victims of violence. The ideas and materials generated by this lab will help to develop adaptable housing and supports for these vulnerable groups.
We are also funding a Solutions Lab entitled “Housing through an autism lens: A pathway from crisis.” Supports for people on the autism spectrum typically end when the individual reaches age 18, so access to affordable housing is a major issue for autistic adults. Barriers can include everything from knowing what to look for in a suitable house to understanding leases and how to share space with others. The end product of this lab will hopefully be an integrated set of flexible housing-related supports, services and bricks and mortar solutions that will be broadly adopted so that autistic adults have better experiences with housing.
These are just a few examples of the close to four dozen solutions labs that have been supported by the national housing strategy. Each is unique, and each is doing groundbreaking work that will lead to better housing outcomes for Canadians.
Mr. Chair, thank you for the opportunity to speak about this unique approach to solving complex housing challenges across the country.
I’d be happy to take questions from the committee.
Thank you.
View Leah Gazan Profile
NDP (MB)
As a quick follow-up, would you say a violation of these basic human rights—housing, access to clean drinking water—is directly related to the epidemic of violence and murder of indigenous women and girls and two-spirit individuals in this country?
Beth Symes
View Beth Symes Profile
Beth Symes
2021-04-15 13:58
Absolutely. We were at the missing and murdered indigenous women and girls inquiry and called evidence to show that the lack of housing, the lack of health care, the lack of policing all increase, significantly, the risk of missing and murdered Inuit women and girls, who are 14 times more likely to be murdered than non-indigenous women and girls.
Yes, absolutely, all the social determinants of health are key to keeping indigenous women, Inuit women, safe, secure and healthy.
View Sonia Sidhu Profile
Lib. (ON)
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you to all the witnesses who are joining us today.
My first questions are for Colonel Leblanc. In your answers, I want you to focus on women and, generally, on survivors.
Can you discuss why it is important for your investigations to remain neutral and independent?
View Nelly Shin Profile
CPC (BC)
The problem I'm seeing here and the reason we're here is that systems are blind to the plight of people and the nuances that are human-sensitive, such as gut instincts and unofficial knowledge of background. When leaders or those in position to impact justice ignore, let's say, an elephant in the room, then a culture can't shift.
You mentioned a lot about strong leadership. Strong leaders shouldn't blame the system but should take action that transcends the system, because they put the dignity and well-being of people first. I, along with many who have observed abdication of responsibility with our current defence minister, wouldn't really be here having these long discussions if there were complete confidence.
Would Madam Deschamps be able to comment on whether the minister could demonstrate more convincing commitment to shift the culture of toxic masculinity in the way he is handling all of this so that he is providing leadership that transcends the system?
Marie Deschamps
View Marie Deschamps Profile
Marie Deschamps
2021-03-25 12:39
I'm not sure whether you're asking me to give my opinion on the way the minister is currently acting, which I don't want to comment on. Certainly, however—
View Gudie Hutchings Profile
Lib. (NL)
Thank you so much, Madam Chair.
Madam Deschamps, I'm going to echo everything my colleagues have said. I hope you realize what a model you are for young women and girls. What you've done is truly remarkable. We appreciate so much your appearance here today, your expertise and your being able to emphasize the transformational recommendations to protect all women and everyone, all members of the CAF.
Also, your report is so interesting, Madam Deschamps. You talk in your 2015 report about the culture at the CAF and highlight that both men and women “appear to be generally desensitized to the sexualized culture. Officers tend to excuse incidents of inappropriate conduct on the basis that the CAF is [just] a reflection of civilian society.” God, isn't that sad?
Since 2015, our government has taken steps to improve the conditions of Canadians who serve, but it's so clear that more can be done. What will it take, madam, to create that multi-level cultural change?
Marie Deschamps
View Marie Deschamps Profile
Marie Deschamps
2021-03-25 12:40
This is the answer that the global strategy was supposed to provide. When I drafted my report, I said that the Canadian Forces needed to come up with a global strategy. I was not in a position to draft such a strategy. I thought they would come up with it and come up with it early. This is not what I have seen. It's difficult for me today to give you tips, because this is not something that can be done overnight.
When I presented my report to the generals, I told them that it would take a generation to accomplish the change. However, we're six years past that presentation, the generation is growing up and it seems that we have accomplished very little.
View Sonia Sidhu Profile
Lib. (ON)
General, have experts in gender-based violence and trauma been involved in the efforts to address sexual violence in the Canadian Armed Forces? Can you elaborate?
Wayne D. Eyre
View Wayne D. Eyre Profile
Wayne D. Eyre
2021-03-23 12:12
Madam Chair, I cannot speak definitively on what consultation occurred before I got into this chair. Definitely, going forward, they need to be part of the conversation and part of the solution.
View Lindsay Mathyssen Profile
NDP (ON)
Of course, these conversations can't just be about women. They need to be about leadership for and support of LGBTQ service people. It needs to be in support of those who identify as transgendered.
What are your plans to ensure that people who identify in those groups are supported as well?
Wayne D. Eyre
View Wayne D. Eyre Profile
Wayne D. Eyre
2021-03-23 12:27
Madam Chair, that's another excellent question.
In my view, one of the fundamental roles of a leader at any level is to understand the personal circumstances of each and every one of their subordinates, treat them as individuals, cater to them, support them and give them the development they need to thrive in the organization. That same sort of attitude has to permeate its way down the ranks.
We have seen in our history far too many cases where leaders, for whatever reason, have been exclusionary and have not included everybody in the team. That absolutely has to change, because our success is predicated on teamwork. As the face of Canada changes, the faces of our teams are changing. If we can't embrace that sense of teamwork, we're not going to be able to succeed operationally going into the future.
View Lindsay Mathyssen Profile
NDP (ON)
We heard a great deal about the different forms of education that are taking place regularly, and the increase in that education that members of the armed forces have to go through to ensure they receive education on all forms—about those who are transgendered and understanding all those different sexual orientations, identities and even racial backgrounds. That's all included within that education as well.
View Sylvie Bérubé Profile
BQ (QC)
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I represent the Cree and Anishinabe territory of Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou.
My question is for Minister Bennett.
We always talk about violence against indigenous women and girls. Unfortunately, this is an ongoing problem. In 2019, the government indicated that it had a national plan for missing and murdered indigenous women and girls and that it would be released by June 2020. However, in May 2020, the government indefinitely delayed the release of the national action plan because of the pandemic.
Please tell me about the progress that has been made on the national action plan since June 2020.
View Carolyn Bennett Profile
Lib. (ON)
As always, our hearts go out to the survivors and families touched by the national inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women and girls, two-spirit and LGBTQQIA people.
In response to the first-ever national inquiry into this tragedy, our government worked with the provinces, territories, partners, indigenous governments, and victims and their families to develop a national action plan and a clear roadmap to ensure the safety of indigenous women, girls, two-spirit and LGBTQQIA people, both in their communities and in our cities as a whole.
We now have sub-working groups, all led by indigenous women. More than 100 women are participating in sub-working groups, including on the urban environment, on two-spirit people, on data, on first nations, on Inuit and on Métis. There is also the National Family and Survivors Circle. All sub-working groups work together and the leaders of each sub-working group report their work to the umbrella group. The Yukon government has already shared its work. It's a good example for all the provinces and territories.
I think it's an effective plan. In addition, it provides for the responsibility over the coming years to continually measure results and adapt the process accordingly.
View Carolyn Bennett Profile
Lib. (ON)
I hope it will improve relations. As the case of Joyce Echaquan showed, it will take change in all of our institutions, addressing systemic racism and taking an approach that will allow all Canadians to see the role they can play in reconciliation and ensuring the safety of indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people. It is a shared responsibility.
Last week, I had a good discussion with the Quebec minister responsible for indigenous affairs, Ian Lafrenière. In the wake of the Vienna conference, these are recommendations and calls for justice. Together, they are a good plan for Quebec, but also for Canada as a whole.
View Carolyn Bennett Profile
Lib. (ON)
The National Family and Survivors Circle would like to see a simpler version of the calls for justice. This is necessary for the average person. They have a right to expect to live in safety.
View Rachel Blaney Profile
NDP (BC)
Thank you so much.
I'd like to come back to Minister Bennett.
In my riding, there is a group of amazing young women who make buttons and earrings. It's their Lil' Red Dress campaign. They sell those buttons and earrings. They are beautiful. I encourage everybody to purchase some.
The reason they do it is so they can put up billboards to alert people to the fact that there are missing indigenous women. They put up the billboards. A picture of the woman is on the billboard and they give contact information to try to help the family.
I'm a little frustrated by how long it is taking for the missing and murdered indigenous women and girls strategy to be fully implemented. We know that along so many highways in so many places across this country indigenous women and girls are gone and we never hear from them again. They have been murdered.
I am wondering if you could speak about how long it will take to get the actual work in place. How long are people going to have to fundraise to try to save lives and reconnect families?
View Carolyn Bennett Profile
Lib. (ON)
Thank you for that question.
Your example of what is happening on the ground is really important. This is the reason there was the first-ever national public inquiry. We need the support of provinces and territories and indigenous governments themselves, such that all of us are working together to have indigenous women and girls and two-spirited and gender-diverse people safe wherever they are. These kinds of local initiatives are really important.
In 2015, we started investing in all of the things that were in the platform and put in place the family liaison units that would help families navigate the justice system and get the information they know. Those have been hugely successful.
As on the Highway of Tears, Rachel, with those billboards, we now know with social media that missing persons, so tragically are still happening. We're going to address this in a comprehensive way that will be accountable. We want to make sure that, as we put in place the concrete actions to stop this tragedy, we continue to measure and adapt the outcomes, but also look at the causes of the causes, and to make sure that we are making progress on all of those things as we go forward.
I hope that those local initiatives end up being supported and get real results.
Alex Kamarotos
View Alex Kamarotos Profile
Alex Kamarotos
2021-03-11 15:44
Good afternoon.
Let me first of all thank you warmly for the invitation to Defence for Children International. I'll start with a few words about the organization. I think we are the only non-Canadians here.
Defence for Children International is a leading child rights-focused and membership-based grassroots movement and is currently composed of 35 national sections across five continents. It was created in 1979, the International Year of the Child, in Geneva, Switzerland.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet Jeria, reported the following at the current session of the UN Human Rights Council here in Geneva:
Much of the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been exacerbated by a failure to address previously existing structural causes of inequality, social exclusion and deprivation, and the inability of many countries, rich and poor alike, to meet the basic needs of a sizeable proportion of their populations.
This is equally applicable to children and the rights of the child, in particular during this pandemic. DCI has had the chance to count on some very relevant experience from such other health emergencies as the 2015 Ebola emergency in west Africa, where DCI-Sierra Leone and DCI-Liberia were particularly involved. In February 2020, the international secretariat and the entire movement mobilized in front of this pandemic. We very quickly gave alerts regarding the risk of violations exacerbated by the pandemic or even created by mitigation measures taken by states.
In my intervention, in complementarity with your earlier hearings, I want to touch upon two issues related to children. The first one concerns the impact of the pandemic on violence against children, including gender-based violence. The second is the impact on access to justice, in particular for children deprived of liberty. That touches upon the issue we just heard.
UNICEF reports that violence prevention and response services have been disrupted in 104 countries during the COVID pandemic. I believe we still only see the top of the iceberg regarding the impact of the COVID pandemic on violence against children, but it seems to be already well documented that COVID-19 and some of the mitigation measures taken by the governments have increased the exposure of children to different forms of violence, exacerbating such human rights violations as stigmatization, discrimination and xenophobia; child labour and unpaid work; child pregnancy; and harmful acts that include child marriage and female genital mutilation, as well as online abuse, bullying and exploitation. As the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children emphasized in her report to the UN Human Rights Council earlier this week, “What began as a health crisis risks evolving into a broader child-rights crisis.”
I also want to share our experience and results in the area of justice for children, in particular children deprived of liberty. DCI has been part of the origin—we are currently the co-chair together with Human Rights Watch—of a wide civil society coalition on children deprived of liberty. The NGO Panel for the Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty is composed of 170 civil society organizations worldwide. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet Jeria, has urged authorities since the beginning of the pandemic to look at releasing detainees and in particular low-risk child offenders. UNICEF data indicate that at least 31 countries have released children from detention because of concerns about the spread of COVID-19. This is certainly insufficient, and even lower than the number of adult detainees released.
Honourable members, I cannot finish this very short and certainly incomplete presentation without speaking about the impact of COVID-19 measures on the mental health of children and the importance of ensuring the meaningful participation of children on mitigation measures that concern them. Last year DCI organized child- and youth-led online debates on the impacts of COVID-19. We had very, very concrete results.
We also participated, together with a great number of other civil society organizations, in #CovidUnder19, an initiative to meaningfully involve children in responses to the pandemic, with participation from more than 26,000 children from 137 countries.
I want to quote from two of the children who participated in the initiative. The first one comes from a Bolivian girl: “I think the government should understand that children are not dumb and easily manipulated. Children should feel that trust and not feel like they have to remain silent. This would increase their confidence and [motivate them] to report injustice.”
Last but not least, a 16-year-old Canadian girl said, “Even though there is a pandemic going on, there are people out there who experience abuse daily. The awareness, even in Canada, on how to access the resources is not explained in the best way. Finding that information should be basic knowledge for any human being.”
I thank you.
View Andréanne Larouche Profile
BQ (QC)
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I want to thank the minister and the other witnesses for being here today to talk about investments that may help women. At least, that's our hope.
During the pandemic, more women lost their jobs, particularly because they held precarious jobs. They also lost their jobs because they had to make the choice to stay home and take care of their families. We saw these realities during the pandemic.
There's also the whole issue of violence. Almost 10% of women feared being victims of violence in the home during the pandemic. In Quebec, there were five femicides in two months. Five women have already died. I'm saying this because this figure hurts. It's unacceptable in 2021.
You also spoke about senior women. They ended up isolated and alone at home. They may not have lost their jobs, but they have been hit hard by the increase in grocery costs, rent and COVID-19 taxes. All the costs have increased for these senior women, but their purchasing power hasn't increased. They had to make difficult choices at the end of the month: housing, food or medication.
You also referred to the Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada's report from 50 years ago. Even then, there was talk about the importance of pay equity for women and the importance of achieving it. Legislation was passed in Parliament. We look forward to women being able to experience this equity. We look forward to the government setting an example.
These are only a few issues that have come to light as a result of the pandemic.
I want to address the supplementary estimates. Money is needed to help women. One thing that stands out in this analysis is the fact that $8.7 million set aside for women wasn't spent before the end of last year, or between March and December 2020. The amount is being carried forward in the estimates.
Why weren't we able to spend the $8.7 million?
It seems that the needs were there. Quebec may have known what to do with it, especially in cases of domestic violence.
View Maryam Monsef Profile
Lib. (ON)
Forgive me. Let me try that again.
Madam Larouche, I want to acknowledge that Quebeckers are mourning. More than half of the deaths due to COVID in Canada have been Quebeckers. The whole country mourns with you.
You're also right in that the rates of violence have gone up and that our partnership with Quebec has been instrumental in providing supports to front-line organizations. There is $17.46 million in emergency COVID funds specifically focused on addressing gender-based violence that has gone directly to the Government of Quebec, and they have deployed those dollars to the front line. We're doing that work.
You also made mention of our elders and how they have been harmed. Increases in OAS and GIS have supported our elders. Supports for front-line organizations in the community to be able to better support them have also been part of our priority.
You asked about the funding that my team has been rolling out to the front line. I will perhaps ask my wonderful deputy minister, Guylaine Roy, to respond to that aspect of your question.
View Lindsay Mathyssen Profile
NDP (ON)
Thank you.
Minister, going back to your mandate letter, it also says that the Prime Minister expects you to “drive systemic change that promotes a fairer and more productive society for women by improving quality of life, advancing leadership and addressing gender-based violence.”
Do you believe it's your role as the minister to address those systemic barriers that women face when it comes to being heard, believed and trusted when they come forward to say they have been a target of gender-based violence, even if it's in our armed forces, and even when it's a cabinet colleague who ignores them?
View Maryam Monsef Profile
Lib. (ON)
Madam Chair, it is the responsibility of every single one of us to ensure that survivors are heard and that they have the supports they need when they have the courage to come forward. Absolutely I take my responsibility seriously. I'm also fortunate that I'm not the only one around the table who takes on that burden. It is up to all of us.
My colleague referred to the armed forces and the troubling allegations that continue to come forward. If I may, Madam Chair, let me thank every single survivor who has the courage to step up and to share her story. These silence breakers have the ability to give courage to those who are suffering in silence.
Our government is determined to improve the processes so that it's not a matter of confidentiality or lack of trust in these organizations that prevent more victims from coming forward and that we create spaces and institutions and workplaces where all women and non-binary folks can feel safe and that they belong.
View Nelly Shin Profile
CPC (BC)
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you for being here, Minister. I appreciate your willingness to hear questions.
Minister, in the Prime Minister's mandate letter to you, he asked you to “develop a National Action Plan on Gender-Based Violence, with a focus on ensuring that anyone facing gender-based violence has reliable and timely access to protection and services”. As you know, the pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing gaps of assistance toward women. Because of lockdowns, women facing domestic violence are challenged in regard to their exits. It's been a year since the pandemic lockdown. How are Canadian women safer today than a year ago?
On that note, how are indigenous women and girls safer today than a year ago? You haven't released an action plan in response to the report. I asked you this question at committee in July of last year. How are they safer today? What is the process you're in right now in response to that?
In addition to this list of questions, my concern right now is the culture of gaslighting women, which I'm not very happy with. I know we want to counter that, but when you have the Minister of Defence abdicating, and the government covering up for that, to me that is treating the trauma of these women as just invisible. You can say all the nice things and show solidarity through words, but if there's no action.... Then we have these hotel quarantine situations with sexual assaults.
I mean, it's not a safe place right now. It needs to be safer. Can the minister commit to these points and share with us today what has actually been done to make Canada a safer place for women a year after the lockdown?
View Maryam Monsef Profile
Lib. (ON)
MP Shin, I share your frustration, and I want to assure you that in the past five years, more has been done to create greater safety and support for Canadian women than in, I would say, decades, probably not since the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Because of just my own government department, not the whole government but just my own, six million Canadians received supports and care—
View Nelly Shin Profile
CPC (BC)
—but if these women continue to face the fear of sexual assault and actually experience it, and you have a defence minister who keeps covering up, and a Prime Minister who keeps covering up, this is not good for our country.
I really, really wish, and I will pray, that you will continue to receive the wisdom to deal with this so that we all feel safe.
View Maryam Monsef Profile
Lib. (ON)
MP Shin, there is no cover-up. If anything, we're out there talking openly about the processes that need to be improved. We're out there sharing data about the increases in gender-based violence. We're working on a national action plan on gender-based violence, which can only move forward with provinces and territories.
View Nelly Shin Profile
CPC (BC)
It's been a year since the lockdown and I don't think women are safer.
We're reading these things in the headlines and we've passed—
View Andréanne Larouche Profile
BQ (QC)
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I'll go back to the question that I was about to ask the minister when my first comments were interrupted.
I'll continue with this analytical mindset. In the main estimates, we can see that the amount allocated in 2021-22 is even lower than the amount allocated last year before the supplementary estimates.
In the department, do people really think that the crisis or the feminist recovery will generate fewer resources than last year? I'm trying to get a handle on the figure.
How will the money be allocated to Quebec and the provinces? We know that Quebec and the provinces are already running programs. They need transfers. How will the money be transferred?
You spoke about the national action plan and said that you wanted to address violence. You said that you spent two days with women. Will more money be needed to implement this plan? Is there a target date and are there examples of these measures? Could these measures have prevented the assaults that we've seen in the military or during the quarantines?
View Jag Sahota Profile
CPC (AB)
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Minister, I'm going to build on what my colleague MP Shin had asked you. I'm going to give you some statistics.
One in three women and girls in Canada will face some sort of gender-based violence in their lifetime. That is 6,373,323 women and girls.
At your last appearance here at the committee, when you appeared for main estimates, you refused to answer my question about when we would see the national action plan to address gender-based violence. Our allies such as Australia, Belgium, Finland, France, Norway and the United Kingdom have all developed national action plans, and in some cases, are already working on versions two and three.
You've been giving a lot of fluffy answers, but fluffy answers don't solve the problems. Actions do, and we do not have a national action plan from you. You're sitting here and telling us that you're protecting women, that you're defending women, that you're standing up for women, yet there's no action plan.
Can you tell me when that action plan is coming and how, by not having that, you're protecting and standing up for women?
View Maryam Monsef Profile
Lib. (ON)
Madam Chair, our federal strategy to address and prevent gender-based violence was the first of its kind, so Canada is moving to phase two of its plan to address and prevent gender-based violence with a national action plan.
The last time I was here, I shared with this committee that we have to speak with our provincial and territorial counterparts. We did that, and we are moving forward. I encourage my colleague to look at the record of decision that came from that meeting.
When we put forward that federal strategy on gender-based violence, the Conservative Party of Canada voted against it. I am hopeful that this time the Conservative Party of Canada will support our measures to ensure that every woman is safe.
Mélanie Lemay
View Mélanie Lemay Profile
Mélanie Lemay
2021-02-16 11:14
Good morning, dear members.
It's with great pleasure that I appear before you.
My name is Mélanie Lemay. I'm the co-founder of Québec contre les violences sexuelles, a movement I launched with Ariane Litalien and Kimberley Marin. We have succeeded in getting framework legislation passed in CEGEPs and universities throughout Quebec.
Since the wave of #MeToo, we have been very involved in changing awareness about sexual violence.
Given our many experiences, it seems obvious to us that it is necessary to improve at all costs the tools available to victim-survivors to flee violence or denounce it. It is essential to expand the models. Although we are testifying today in favour of adding the notion of coercive control to the Criminal Code, the fact remains that, in its very essence, criminal law too often challenges our experience and our reality. Since it is essentially focused on the rights of the accused, we are only witnesses. By dispossessing us of our histories, the criminal law reproduces power relations that already exist in our society.
In the position I find myself in today, I salute your courage and willingness to dwell on this difficult issue. However, I invite you to look further, to think about ways to innovate, beyond a rigid box that locks us up and forces us into compartments that don't fit our real needs.
This summer, we organized a march in Montreal. This event encouraged many people to unite their voices to demand concrete changes. We must stop the continuation of violence from one generation to the next. This truth is widely accepted in a society that claims to be egalitarian. Yet, in reality, we have been the target of several groups of violent men who wanted to silence us with the possibility of an attack. A battering ram car actually arrived on the scene threatening to attack the crowd. Throughout the day, we had to face men who came to shout their anger in our faces, under the amused gaze of the policemen. We had received online threats, but because they weren't in a form recognized in the Criminal Code, the police abandoned us. Luckily, we had taken care of ourselves and our own safety, and there were no tragedies that day, unlike at other events in the past.
However, we have remained marked by society's indifference to the personal sacrifices we make since we must continually advocate for this cause.
Today, I am speaking to you, but thousands of others did so yesterday and, if nothing changes, there will be just as many tomorrow. So I'm speaking to you with the sincere hope that this will be the beginning of a long dialogue on best practices. Here, in these unceded lands, ideas, expertise and proposals abound and are the stuff of international dreams.
I hope to see you unite as the various political parties in Quebec have done, by creating a transparent committee of experts who bring the realities on the ground to the decision-making table. From this committee, a report was born. I have the honour of being accompanied by Simon Lapierre, full professor at the University of Ottawa's School of Social Work, who was a member of this committee of experts.
This ability to unite and see beyond partisanship is a model and an inspiration. What we, as survivors of domestic and sexual violence, most sincerely wish for is a system that focuses on our rights and needs, in order to develop a real sense of justice free of victimization.
There is even a need to create a whole new area of law focusing on gender-based violence. In this regard, we could draw on the knowledge of First Nations and Black communities, who have long reflected on these issues. They have expertise that deserves to be heard within these walls. This would certainly create a more just and equitable world for all. In addition to being adapted to the realities of our gender, a form of law like this would allow for the inclusion of the violence suffered by LGBTQ+ communities.
I'll now turn things over to my colleague, who will return to the main topic on the agenda.
Genevieve Isshak
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Genevieve Isshak
2021-02-04 11:18
Thank you, everyone.
As the clinical director of residential and community services at Hiatus House in Windsor-Essex, Ontario, I really appreciate the opportunity to speak with all of you with respect to Bill C-247.
Our mission at Hiatus House is to break the cycle of domestic violence, one family at a time, by providing 24-hour crisis help and emergency shelter to abused women and their children. This is combined with public education, research and specialized counselling services for all family members impacted by domestic violence.
We know that one in four women have reported that they have experienced domestic violence. Because this does not include the unreported instances, we believe this number is closer to one in three, which is similar to what the World Health Organization reports worldwide. Keeping these numbers in mind, I would like to ask you to just consider how many of you know or have known of a family member, neighbour, co-worker or friend who has experienced domestic violence. Should one of these women in your life ever need assistance, Hiatus House is the only shelter for women experiencing domestic violence in Windsor-Essex.
Amidst the current pandemic, we know that survivors of gender-based violence are most at risk of violence in their own homes. We know that the most common location of abuse for women and their children is in their homes. We hear the necessary pandemic messaging that staying home is staying safe, but what happens when home isn’t a safe place to begin with? Being coerced to stay home results in people feeling even more isolated and leaves little opportunity for escaping their abuser and finding safety.
Abusive partners use isolation—both physical and psychological—as a means to control their partner’s contact with friends and family to emotionally bind the partner to them with the shackles of fear, dependency and coercive tactics of control.
We know that the risk to women in abusive relationships is dynamic and that these women are subject to isolation, emotional and psychological abuse and controlling acts of violence. This abuse invariably escalates over time. These abusive behaviours are intended to cause fear and gain power and control over a woman’s thoughts, beliefs and actions. Controlling another person’s thoughts, beliefs and actions does not require specific overt acts of violence, although those acts certainly may be occurring as well.
As such, the bill will help keep women safe and hold abusive partners accountable for their violence, whether that is an overt act of violence or the type of emotional and psychological abuse that is most common in the intimate abusive relationships that I have just detailed.
Our interest in the bill is focused on the safety of women who are subjected to gender-based violence including intimate partner abuse, and the eradication of all forms of gender-based violence. We are grateful for the possibilities that the bill offers and commend MP Garrison for his initiative in bringing this critical piece of legislation forward.
As you are all well aware, the question of finding the most appropriate criminal response to intimate partner abuse has challenged the violence against women movement, politicians, policy-makers and shelters for decades. While we think Bill C-247 offers important ideas, we believe it is imperative to also take the time for a fulsome and inclusive discussion about integrated legal responses before committing to just one approach.
We believe that the national action plan on violence against women currently in development is important to consider. Such an inclusive discussion would ensure that unintended negative consequences as well as possible benefits—of any law or policy reform—are carefully considered and appropriate and adequate resources are put into place to support those reforms. We urge you to create space for these diverse voices when the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights examines this bill.
We also offer our input at any time it may be helpful. Our expertise and experience over many decades of working with women with diverse experiences of violence has taught us much in the implementation. We concur with the intent of the bill and value its genesis in the context of COVID-19-related surges in intimate partner violence.
With that, I thank this committee for inviting my opinion on behalf of Hiatus House today. I hope that you will consider providing careful study and adequate resources to effectively and appropriately implement the bill and allow it to accomplish its well-intended goals.
An end to violence against women and their children in Windsor and Essex County and across all of Canada—creating a life where all family members are empowered to live violence-free—is our vision for the future.
Thank you,
Taryn Russell
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Taryn Russell
2021-02-02 15:41
Sorry, interpretation.
I feel that her comments really highlight the complexities of implementing distance-based learning measures, particularly for families living in poverty and in crisis situations.
Save the Children has worked to employ innovative solutions to address many of these learning barriers, but it is vital that we get all children back into school as soon as it is safe to do so. We know the interventions that will be needed. These include things like financial support for the world's poorest families, catch-up classes for children who re-enter the formal education system, water sanitation and hygiene facilities in schools to make them COVID-19 safe, and national back-to-school communications campaigns to inform communities that it is safe to return to school, and especially those targeted at vulnerable groups, which I mentioned earlier, including girls, refugees and internally displaced children. Finally, it includes effective training for teachers to keep everyone safe during the pandemic.
The closure of schools and the increase in global poverty rates has also exacerbated another critical issue affecting children, that of gender-based violence. To give an example, in Uganda, despite some schools having reopened, more than 13 million children have remained out of school since the end of March last year, including 600,000 refugee children. In Nwoya District in northern Uganda, figures show that cases of both teenage pregnancies and child marriage doubled, and rates of child labour tripled between April and June last year while children were out of school. With reporting difficulties, the numbers are likely much higher.
Without urgent action, it's projected that over the next 10 years as many as 13 million additional girls may marry as a result of the pandemic, and we know that this will have immediate as well as lifelong impacts on them, including higher risks to disruptions of their education, life-threatening adolescent pregnancy and childbirth, malnutrition, mental health issues, and the inability to control their own future.
Arsema, a young Ethiopian girl, whose own child marriage was averted, thankfully, with support from a community safeguarding program, told us “I couldn’t be happier. Now I can study hard and become a doctor”. Every child has a right to plan for their own future in this way. What's so concerning is that the pandemic is already causing critical interruptions to GBV preventative interventions. This includes child protection and referral services for girls at risk of GBV, which is how girls like Arsema would have been identified and supported in their communities.
It's clearly a time when governments should be investing in children, their education and their safety, yet budgets are being hollowed out by a recession, and the diversion of public spending to health care and economic recovery, which are important. Most of the world's poorest countries, especially in Africa, entered the economic downturn with limited financial space. The international community will be needed to step up and take action to help fill this gap through international aid, but also debt relief measures and providing technical assistance and political support for issues like GBV and education.
In our prior testimony, we provided recommendations that Canada should scale up its humanitarian assistance, that Canada should prioritize urgently needed attention to these neglected areas like education and gender-based violence, and that Canada should support calls for a global ceasefire. These recommendations still stand, and I would just echo my colleague on the need for Canada to be championing an agenda for children reflecting their needs as well as their voices into fora both domestic and global when discussing COVID-19 response measures. Children may not be the most directly affected by the virus itself, but as our testimony shows, they're bearing a heavy load of the indirect impacts and need our support.
Thank you.
View Kerry Diotte Profile
CPC (AB)
Dr. Mirza, you talked about gender-based violence and gender-based issues. I'm wondering what the special challenges are in dealing with this when you have many societies that might not see genders as equal. For instance, some societies would ask why you should send a girl to school. What are the special challenges there, and what can be done about that?
Tanjina Mirza
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Tanjina Mirza
2021-02-02 17:24
That's a great question. Interestingly, I think people everywhere do want to send their children to school. There are barriers that remain for all children, but more so for girls.
Just raising awareness about the importance of education has been tremendous work. This whole gender integration is not just about targeting girls. We have focused heavily at Plan International on male engagement and raising awareness with traditional elders. They often tend to be men. Father figures, spouses, grandfathers—they have tremendous power in decision-making at home. When we want to talk about raising awareness on this, it's not just at the household level but also at the community level with religious leaders and traditional elders.
At the policy level, oftentimes the education policies are not very supportive. For instance, in some countries, when unmarried girls get pregnant, they are not allowed back in school. It's important to make sure that those barriers are removed at the policy level. We almost need a multi-layered, multipronged approach to keeping all children in school, but especially girls.
View Randall Garrison Profile
NDP (BC)
Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
As this is the first day of our study on coercive and controlling behaviour, I just want to take a second to put on the record how we got here. If we were doing a normal study of a private member's bill, as the sponsor of Bill C-247 I would get to make an introductory remark. Let me just say a couple of things briefly.
At the beginning of the pandemic I did a phone-around to the two independent police forces and two RCMP detachments in my riding. All four of those police commanders, when asked what the main thing was that they were seeing in the pandemic, first remarked on the increase in domestic violence calls. It was interesting that it was across the riding. It was interesting that it was the immediate response of all four.
When I had a discussion with them about how police felt about that, they very quickly raised their frustration that their ability to act was limited only to the most serious physical violence and their frustration at their inability to address issues of coercive and controlling behaviour, which quite often—almost always, in fact—are associated with more direct forms of physical violence.
I did a call-around, then, to the service providers for women's groups and women's shelter organizations in my riding and, of course, found the very same thing, that they reported a very sharp increase in demand for their services. Interestingly, they reported the same frustration. In the attempt to try to keep their clients safe, they were frustrated by the inability of the police to act until it was much later on in the relationship.
As a result of those conversations, I began to look at what more we could do as a society to address this problem. The British example was brought to my attention by Mitzi Dean, a local MLA who is now the Minister of Children and Family Development in British Columbia.
I drafted a private member's bill, Bill C-247, which is modelled on the British law, so that we could look at whether this addition to the Criminal Code could help provide another tool for addressing the problems of domestic violence in this country.
The second part was to try to get more people to discuss and be aware of what's being called by some a “shadow pandemic”. I then decided to put forward a motion to this committee to conduct this study.
For me, the study has two parts. One is to raise the profile of this very significant increase in domestic violence and intimate partner violence during the pandemic. The second is to look for solutions, which may involve my private member's bill, but there may be other solutions that we could adopt that would help address this problem.
That's how we got here this morning, from my point of view, and I'm really pleased to have the department officials here to help us try to address this problem. I'm certainly looking forward to the wide variety of witnesses we will have coming forward in later sessions.
We've had an attempt by the federal government to come forward with a strategy to reduce and address gender-based violence.
Ms. Smylie, has that strategy taken into account the phenomenon of coercive and controlling behaviour?
Lisa Smylie
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Lisa Smylie
2021-02-02 11:48
As the member notes, the Government of Canada does have a federal strategy to address and prevent gender-based violence. To date, there has been over $200 million in investments and an ongoing commitment of $40 million per year.
In that strategy, we consider various forms of gender-based violence, including forms related to coercive and controlling behaviour. One of the key things that we're doing under this strategy relevant to this study is an investment of over $24 million in new data and research to date. Part of that is so that we can better understand the phenomenon and all of the various forms of intimate partner violence. It is so complex and for various reasons it's very difficult to measure.
We're also making investments in programs. To date, there's been almost $17 million and 54 projects across the country, which are helping service providers and organization better support survivors and their families. That includes survivors of the types of behaviours we're focused on, coercive and controlling behaviours.
Also of note under this strategy, the Department of National Defence has invested $1.5 million to date in family support services and military member services, as well as sexual assault centres in close proximity to Canadian Armed Forces bases.
Those are just some of the things under this strategy that we are doing. I think one more important thing, since it was mentioned, is that through the RCMP there's been an investment of $4.6 million in policing operations and support. They are undergoing cultural competency training to make sure that officers are able to support victims and survivors appropriately.
View Iqra Khalid Profile
Lib. (ON)
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to the witnesses for your very compelling testimony and your continued hard work on the plight of those who are most vulnerable.
I want to focus my questions specifically on a theme that all of you have touched on today, and that is on women and girls. We saw the impact of COVID on women and girls in Canada, where, I know, over 80% of care providers are women.
Maybe I can go to each of you to see what the impact is of COVID on women and girls in an IDP camp in Myanmar or in Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh, where there is limited access and where, you have mentioned, there is rampant gender-based violence. What is the impact on women and girls?
Mr. Mueller, I will start with you, and then I'll tweak my question for Ambassador Rae. Please go ahead.
David Mueller
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David Mueller
2020-12-10 19:01
Yes, the COVID outbreak has put more restrictions on the camps, like access to health facilities. Of course, the burden of care is also on women in the camps, as everywhere, but with reduced access to health services. That has been the biggest impact on families and women in particular.
The increase in tension, of course, is also seeing violence against women in the communities. We've seen an uptick in that also due to the fact that we don't have a presence there. Our lack of international presence, due to the further restrictions in movement for us as well as the people, has meant that psychosocial support, health support or even complaints mechanisms are not working as well during this COVID period. Also, for women, the health facilities are not in the camps. They're outside the camps, so that really exacerbates their position as well.
View Iqra Khalid Profile
Lib. (ON)
Thank you, Mr. Mueller.
Ambassador Rae, first of all, thank you for all the work you've done over the past number of years as a special envoy for Canada. Congratulations on your new appointment as a representative to the United Nations.
You spoke about possible resolutions to the political crisis in Myanmar and how difficult that is. Over the past number of years, the United Nations has been working quite actively to include gender-based violence, which is often used as a weapon in areas of conflict. Obviously, we are talking in the context of COVID. Maybe you can shed some light on how not just Canada but the international community can continue to include women and girls in that conversation for conflict resolution in the climate that Myanmar has been faced with.
Bob Rae
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Hon. Bob Rae
2020-12-10 19:03
First of all, I would just endorse everything that David said. I think the evidence for that is growing.
The other disturbing thing is that, where we thought we'd made progress, things are going backwards, like with early forced marriage, for example. Girls are being married off at very young ages. It's a source of income in the Rohingya culture. When there's no other money and no other work, it just feeds into the system.
There have been significant increases in gender-based violence. I think the point you're making about the role that women and young people can and must play in peacebuilding is very significant.
For the last year, Canada has been the chair of the peacebuilding commission at the UN. We've made the inclusion of women a theme of our work. In all the work we've done around the world and in our hearings that we've held at the UN, we're always focusing on this question of how we can make sure that women are present and that women are part of the solution. We've been doing this even in terms of the recent discussions in Afghanistan.
It's tough. It's a challenge because there's still a lot of resistance from many sources of patriarchy that say that's not the way they do things. The reality is that women are demanding a place at the table and are demanding to be involved. We see it in the effective leadership of the camp in Cox's Bazar, as well as in the larger camp in Sittwe. They are women. They are playing such a critical role. They are tired of being marginalized.
We have a significant issue with respect to education, as it relates particularly to women. The very small efforts and progress we were able to make in education had the most significant impact on women and girls because it finally allowed them to get access to education, which they never had. In northern Rakhine, most young Rohingya and other groups do not have access to education, particularly women. It's often just said there that there's no education after the age of 10 or after the age of 12. This is a really big issue.
I think it's where the logic of the feminist foreign assistance program and the feminist foreign policy becomes overwhelming. It's not an ideological statement. It's just the reality that this is where the major inequities lie right now. If we can drive that agenda, then we can do better on a number of other fronts as well.
View Peter Fonseca Profile
Lib. (ON)
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you to the witnesses who are joining us.
My first couple of questions are for Islamic Relief Canada.
Plan International and some United Nations agencies have informed their members that the pandemic is correlated with an increase in gender-based violence, early marriage and genital mutilation. Care Canada has said that these increases are particularly significant in fragile or conflict-affected countries.
My question is for Mr. Al-Rawni. Has Islamic Relief Canada collected similar evidence in the countries where it's working?
Zaid Al-Rawni
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Zaid Al-Rawni
2020-12-08 15:55
Yes. We're in the process of actually collecting data from various projects in fragile states in places where the incidences of GBV, forced marriage and FGM are an issue. We published a report a few years ago about FGM and the effect of FGM and how faith-based organizations can actually play a pivotal role in ending FGM.
Unfortunately, there is a correlation between an increase in poverty and an increase in vulnerability and the price that women and girls are paying. In every single context we've been to to date, in the most vulnerable communities, women and girls are paying the highest price for the family trying to grapple with the challenges, and that often means fathers and mothers are forcing their children into marriages at a very early age.
We have anecdotal evidence currently from Yemen, where early child marriages are on the rise, unfortunately, in a context where the only difference between now and previously is that the pandemic has exacerbated the situation.
We are still collecting data from most places, but unfortunately, the data that you represented resonates quite heavily and unfortunately stands true. We suspect—not to pre-empt the data we find—that it will be the case, and the research that we produce will say as much.
View Peter Fonseca Profile
Lib. (ON)
Thank you.
I know that this November you came forward with your Islamic gender justice declaration. I want to ask you about that declaration. Did it take into account the vulnerabilities created and exacerbated by this pandemic?
Zaid Al-Rawni
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Zaid Al-Rawni
2020-12-08 15:57
Unfortunately, the declaration was produced and worked on before the pandemic. The idea was that it would encourage faith healers to play a pivotal leading role in ending GBV—gender-based violence—in their local communities. They can be some of the strongest actors in local communities in some of the most vulnerable and fragile states where we work.
It didn't take into account COVID specifically, but unfortunately, we suspect that, again, COVID will make things a lot harder for the poor generally, but specifically a lot harder for women and girls.
Pam Krause
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Pam Krause
2020-12-07 20:01
Good evening, Mr. Chair and members of the committee.
My name is Pam Krause, and I am the president and CEO of the Centre for Sexuality. I am also a proud member of the Calgary LGBTQ community. I've worked and volunteered as an advocate on equality and social justice in the local non-profit community for 20 years. Thank you for inviting me to participate in this important consultation.
The Centre for Sexuality is a nationally recognized prevention-focused organization that delivers evidence-based programs and services to normalize sexuality and improve sexual health. We've been leading the way in the areas of sexuality, healthy relationships, human rights and consent for 48 years in Calgary. We serve over 40,000 people in Alberta annually thanks to our many partnerships with schools, community groups, health agencies and corporate partners.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an extraordinary disruption to the social fabric of our country. It has exacerbated existing crises and stretched limited resources beyond their breaking points. Urgent action is needed to protect those Canadians who are most vulnerable because of this pandemic.
Every six days a woman in Canada is killed by a current or former intimate partner. Domestic abuse rates in Alberta are at a 10-year peak. Study after study demonstrates that during times of economic stress and high social anxiety, gender-based violence rates skyrocket. The United Nations has called this the “shadow pandemic”.
Before the pandemic started, our support resources were already stretched. Last year, the Calgary police responded to almost 25,000 calls related to domestic violence. Over 23,000 Alberta women, children and seniors requesting admission to shelters were turned away in the last two years. Women's Shelters Canada released a report showing that 60% of shelters across Canada have reported significant increases in calls and requests since March. The Association of Alberta Sexual Assault Services reported a 57% increase in people reaching out for help since the beginning of the pandemic.
This comes with a real-world cost. A Justice Canada study estimates the economic cost of domestic violence in Canada to be as much as $7.4 billion per year.
The Government of Canada should make new investments to ensure that we are rebuilding a society that treats people humanely and equitably. There are proven programs, including our own WiseGuyz program, which can be scaled up to advance this goal, but we're in desperate need of additional resources.
Canada's gender-based violence strategy will enter its second-to-last fiscal year in 2021. We ask you to recommend that the government renew this program now, with new funding and increased focus on prevention.
As we emerge from this pandemic and lockdowns are lifted, we can expect normal behaviours to return to daily life. Many psychological experts anticipate an increase in, or at minimum normal, sexual activity levels post-lockdown.
Before COVID-19, Canada was already facing an epidemic of sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections—STBBIs. Chlamydia and gonorrhea infection rates have been increasing across Canada. Alberta is in the midst of a syphilis outbreak, with infection rates at a 70-year high. As Canadians re-engage in normal pre-lockdown sexual practices, there is a significant risk that these already high infections rates will spike further.
The risks are even more dangerous given that much of Canada's public health infrastructure has been under immense strain. Many sexual health information centres are operating on reduced hours, and testing clinics have shifted focus to COVID. Researchers from the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS recently projected that a 50% disruption to HIV services due to COVID could lead to a 9% increase in new infection rates.
There is an economic case for investing in STBBI prevention, as one study estimates the economic loss attributed to those infected with HIV to be $4 billion, or $1.3 million per person infected.
Sexually transmitted infections and blood-borne infections disproportionately affect marginalized communities, which creates a vicious cycle when combined with other barriers, like stigma, racism and poverty, that mitigate access to sexual health care.
The Public Health Agency of Canada provides $26.4 million annually to community health organizations in Canada through the HIV and hepatitis C community action fund.
To combat this looming sexual health crisis, we ask you to recommend an increase of $50 million annually to address the growing STBBI rates across Canada.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating. I urge all of you to recommend new investments to ensure that we emerge from this pandemic as a more just and inclusive society.
Thank you very much. I would be happy to answer any of your questions.
Jennifer Watts
View Jennifer Watts Profile
Jennifer Watts
2020-12-07 15:49
Thank you for the invitation to speak to the committee today.
I'm also speaking from Mi'kma'ki and would like to recognize that I am on the unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq people.
I am the CEO of the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia. We're a full-service delivery agency that offers settlement services, language training, employment services, business development, employer support and many wonderful community integration programs. We have served newcomers in our province for over four decades. Last year we served 10,000 clients and delivered both pre- and post-arrival programs.
I'd like to offer you the perspective of the impact of COVID on a settlement agency.
The first thing I'd like to speak about is the critical role of technology in rapidly disseminating information and continuing the delivery of service to our clients. We were able to pivot and offer practically all of our programs virtually and we have identified many interesting, new, emerging and promising practices. However, there are vulnerable populations that will be left behind because of the lack of digital literacy skills, access to tech equipment and lack of access to Internet either due to cost or simply because it does not exist in rural or small centres.
Access to high-speed Internet needs to be identified as a fundamental necessity and right to keep one's family and community safe, to further education and to find a job. Suggestions within the settlement sector are to develop a multi-dimensional national plan to support at-risk newcomer populations with low digital literacy and no access to technology.
There's also a call to create a national technology capital replacement budget for the settlement sector to ensure that current service providers have the capacity to continue and to expand a hybrid approach to service delivery.
The second thing I would like to highlight is that we've seen an increase in racism and racist attacks particularly focused on Asian and Black populations. It's increased their vulnerability. Engagement of all levels of government is needed. The double impact of racism and COVID is becoming clearer and is very concerning. In the settlement sector, we recognize the need to increase our capacity and further develop skills to respond to increasing racism. It points to the need for us to really develop a national capacity-building approach that includes training and tools to increase settlement staff's ability to appropriately support newcomers experiencing racism.
The third point is the increase in gender-based violence and domestic violence. We're seeing it happening in our country. This is happening across all segments of Canadian society. IRCC has seen the importance of this issue and is supportive in developing specific programs. We would like to highlight and make clear how important this area of work is for furthering our capacity and resources, particularly in the communities we're engaged with.
The fourth area is the importance of family reunification through the family class process. It strengthens the family unit and the family's integration success in Canada and more spaces are welcome. Family class reunification supports families who arrive under all immigration pathways. It not only supports the family, but it also supports Canada's economy and the integration of many people into the labour market. We see, particularly during a crisis such as the pandemic, how important family connections are.
The fifth area is the impact of COVID on privately sponsored refugees and their sponsors. ISANS is a sponsorship agreement holder, and we receive about 100 spots a year. We support that through family reunification with people who are here in our province.
We have heard from co-sponsors of the many painful impacts that have resulted from the closures of visa posts overseas, from the difficulties of people in refugee camps receiving documentation who sometimes have to travel long distances and are unable to get back to camps to people here who are co-sponsors and have been holding apartments for months on end, anticipating that people will arrive, but they have not been able to travel.
There is a whole series of things impacting the privately sponsored refugee network. We would encourage the government to continue to support this very important area of humanitarian response and to continue to work with the co-sponsors and with the sponsorship agreement holder network to resolve these problems.
We'd also like to raise the principle of additionality. Although we certainly support privately sponsored refugees, the very important and continued support for government-assisted refugees is an area that really responds to Canada's humanitarian responsibilities and obligations. Certainly we want to see those numbers continue to be supported, particularly during this time of COVID. We have been receiving GARs since July. It's been a very important commitment on our part and, we think, the federal Government of Canada.
Taryn Russell
View Taryn Russell Profile
Taryn Russell
2020-12-03 17:24
I can start, and then I'll let UNICEF jump in as well.
That's been one of the most concerning things we've seen. There's a real threat of rolling back some really good progress that we've made globally on gender equality. The combination of increasing rates of poverty and the closures of schools has put girls in a really vulnerable position.
We've seen rates of gender-based violence or domestic violence increasing. We've seen girls at increased risk of early and child marriage in many contexts. For example, in Cox's Bazar, we've had reports coming in that child marriage rates are increasing. That also leads to early pregnancy. It's all connected. We know that when girls are too young to get pregnant, they are at really high risk of death as well as health complications.
This is one area where we're really stressing that we need to be scaling up our efforts to ensure that we don't roll back on the progress made. That means getting girls back into school and it means our health programming and stand-alone gender equality programs not falling off because of COVID measures.
View Heather McPherson Profile
NDP (AB)
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you very much to both of our witnesses. This has been very interesting. I have the pleasure of going fourth, so many of my questions have already been addressed.
I'm going to focus a little on what my colleague from the Bloc Québécois has brought forward in terms of the impacts that COVID-19 has had on women.
Ms. Hicks, you were very eloquent when you spoke about those impacts, about the violence, the failure of women to be able to go back to work, the burden of house care and child care. What I'm interested in is how you would predict or how you would see Canada doing a better job, improving our role in addressing this, both domestically and internationally, because as my colleague Mr. Bergeron mentioned, this is not something that happens elsewhere; this is something that also happens in Canada. Could you comment on that?
Ms. Triggs, if you wouldn't mind, I might get you to comment on that as well.
Peggy Hicks
View Peggy Hicks Profile
Peggy Hicks
2020-11-26 16:07
Thank you for the opportunity.
I do think this is an area where more attention has been paid, but there's never enough engagement on these issues. Therefore, it is really important that we look at what's happening and try to outline clearly what types of responses are effective.
One of the things we've emphasized is that when there is a crisis such as this, we know there is a need immediately for more referral services and more access for people for shelter. People need other options even in the midst of a pandemic, and I think we were somewhat slow to roll those out and to recognize that need. Both in Canada and through Canada's support elsewhere, those types of solutions are very important.
As we've also seen, and this has been well documented, women's access to health care during the pandemic has been greatly diminished. For example, women have not been able to easily access sexual and reproductive health and care, which has an enormous impact on their lives as well. Emphasis in that area is a second piece that I would urge Canada and other governments to look at.
Gillian Triggs
View Gillian Triggs Profile
Gillian Triggs
2020-11-26 16:08
Thank you very much.
I think the question of gender-based violence in the context of COVID has really been one of the most disturbing impacts of COVID, because it has existed, of course, as we all know, in all our societies, but COVID has shone a light on this and expanded our understanding. However, also, the lockdowns have increased family tensions and we've seen an exacerbation of an existing situation.
What do we do about it? Perhaps before I mention what one might do, one thing that has been so interesting is that within weeks of COVID we were getting reports from our call centres in many parts of the world, but particularly Africa and Latin America, where in one instance we were getting 10 times the number of calls on gender-based violence in these countries. It has been true all over the world. It's not particular.
It's a very worrying phenomenon. What do we do? At UNHCR, one of the things we're doing is developing call centres. We're massively or very significantly increasing call centres to give greater access to women to call in. We can then provide mechanisms for getting out to legal advice, to health centres, to psychosocial support where necessary and to other social services. We think that's one way of achieving it in the context of a COVID that continues.
As Peggy said, people need options, shelters, but perhaps what it comes down to ultimately is greater funding and stronger advocacy to ensure that this funding is in place, not just as a temporary measure but something that becomes a significant feature of the social safety net of all systems and includes women in the environment of a pandemic. This won't be the last pandemic. There will be others, and this is a continuing and societal problem.
View Jag Sahota Profile
CPC (AB)
Thank you, Minister, for being here, and thank you for that presentation.
You spoke about gender-based violence. In 2017 the government announced a national strategy on gender-based violence. The Liberal election platform in 2019 said that a Liberal government would develop a national action plan.
In a recent briefing provided to me by your department, the officials mentioned that stakeholders have been calling on the government to develop a national action plan, yet the department was still evaluating how to develop one.
Minister, we're coming to the end of 2020. When can we expect the national action plan so that we can start addressing this issue?
View Maryam Monsef Profile
Lib. (ON)
Your question is an important one.
When we launched the federal strategy in 2017, it was the first time that the Government of Canada had brought the various efforts it was undertaking under one umbrella. It started to coordinate amongst different departments, but also with provinces and territories, who, frankly, at the time were leaps and bounds ahead of the federal government in what they were doing.
In the five years we've been in office, we've been able to provide historic funding to women's organizations. We've reopened shuttered women's organization support centres across the country.
The federal strategy did three things. It provided supports for survivors and their families. It invested in prevention efforts. It also put forward ways in which our justice systems could be more responsive to victims and survivors. A lot of progress has been made, for example, in clarifying the definition of consent and in building capacity for front-line organizations.
The national action plan takes that work one step further. We are, as you so rightly mentioned, in the process of working out in the middle of COVID what the best ways forward would be.
You can rest assured that supports for survivors and their families will continue to be number one.
View Anju Dhillon Profile
Lib. (QC)
Thank you, Minister, for being here. Since there's a lack of time, I will quickly get to it.
Gender-based violence is a horrendous reality in all communities across Canada. There's social harm related to it, not just in a social way but in an economic way. Our government developed the national action plan on gender-based violence. Would you please give us a quick update on the development of this plan?
Thank you so much.
View Maryam Monsef Profile
Lib. (ON)
You are right, MP Dhillon. The scars that are caused by gender-based violence, including sexual violence, never fully heal. The best we can do is be there for those who experience it and do what survivors have asked us to do, which is work to prevent these violations from happening to others. Since the pandemic began, we have not only responded with emergency supports, but we've also engaged in hundreds of conversations with experts who are providing us with necessary feedback to shape the national action plan.
I'm happy, Madam Chair, to keep this committee in the loop with that information on the progress we're making.
View Andréanne Larouche Profile
BQ (QC)
Good morning, Madam Minister, and thank you very much for being with us today.
I find this symbolic, all the more so because tomorrow we begin 12 days of action on violence against women. It lasts until December 6, a key date to be particularly commemorated in Quebec because it's the anniversary of the Polytechnique femicides.
You have just paved the way, and I had already asked you the question in the summer when we studied the issue. Violence against women has worsened during the pandemic. I feel this is a good opportunity to introduce the action plan on violence against women. I asked you about it this summer and my colleague also asked you earlier.
Do we have a date? Do we know when the plan is going to be rolled out?
Since you just began working to update the action plan, could you give me a few of the measures we are likely to see included in it?
View Maryam Monsef Profile
Lib. (ON)
Thank you, Ms. Larouche.
I'm pleased to say that at that federal-provincial-territorial table, colleagues, despite our differences, we are united in a belief that we need to do more, that we can do more and that all Canadians expect us to do just that.
You're absolutely right. The 16 days of activism to address and prevent violence against women are upon us, this year with a particularly sombre tone as we're not able to come together on December 6 in vigils to light candles and to lay roses as we would have in previous years.
This year is particularly important, as I said, because December 6 and all the sadness that it comes with is followed by December 7, the 50th anniversary of the tabling of the Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada report in the House of Commons, which was the beginning of a series of significant gains for women and gender-diverse peoples.
In terms of where we are with the national action plan, we have been connecting with labour groups and with indigenous leaders. Later today I'm meeting with disability activists and folks, themselves, with disabilities and exceptionalities. We have reached out to rural communities. My brilliant parliamentary secretary, Gudie Hutchings, has been working with the justice system, with police services across the country and with victim support services.
The reason we are having these very methodical conversations almost at the community level, including the Federation of Canadian Municipalities as well as provinces and territories, is that Ottawa will come up with a plan based on what we hear from experts and survivors on the ground. However, it will be up to communities to implement that plan.
We need to ensure two things: first, that the national action plan is reinforced and working in parallel with the response to the calls for justice around the MMIWG inquiry; and second, that we understand what communities need in order to be able to implement their own community safety plans. We are, of course, working very closely with Quebec and other provinces and territories to make sure that they are on board and to make sure that the framework that we've put in place meets their realities.
Again, the process is methodical and careful, but there's a recognition across the country that we have to move with urgency.
View Andréanne Larouche Profile
BQ (QC)
Oh, I was happy.
Ms. Monsef, you mentioned that you were currently meeting with indigenous leaders for your action plan. I'd like to know how the national action plan you are introducing will address the calls for justice that came out of the National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and also the calls for action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
How will your meeting with indigenous leaders fit into your national plan?
View Maryam Monsef Profile
Lib. (ON)
Thank you, Ms. Larouche.
It's critical that the two work hand in hand. Minister Bennett has been leading our government's efforts. Over the past several months, she has brought together, per province and per territory, survivors, their families, experts and leaders to ensure that their responses are taken into account in the development of the action plan.
We are, first and foremost, ensuring that we commemorate and remember the stories of those missing and those who are gone. There are about 100 projects across the country commemorating our stolen sisters.
Second, we've heard “nothing for us without us” from indigenous leaders and representatives, so they are at the table. They're at the table on the gender-based violence advisory council, which advises me. They are at the table when we gather for federal, provincial and territorial annual meetings. Also, of course, much of what they share around prevention, support for survivors and a responsive justice system is taken into consideration, both with the calls for justice and the national action plan. You've also seen, in our COVID response, additional supports for shelters on reserve and off reserve, as one example.
View Gudie Hutchings Profile
Lib. (NL)
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Minister, it's always great to see you. Thank you for acknowledging the important work that this committee does for all women.
Minister, I want to talk about a specific form of gender-based violence: sexual violence. It was three years ago when the #MeToo movement sparked real change around the world. Women from all walks of life came forward with their experiences of sexual violence. Many of us saw friends and celebrities identifying themselves as survivors of sexual violence. Soon after that came #MeToo, #TimesUp, and before that there was #BeenRapedNeverReported.
Minister, can you speak specifically to how Canada has reacted and taken positive steps to end this terrible form of gender-based violence and to end gender-based violence in all forms?
View Maryam Monsef Profile
Lib. (ON)
Thank you, MP Hutchings. It's truly a privilege to get to work with you on this file, as well as the connectivity file.
I'm always mindful, when we're talking about sexual violence, if the room is filled with more than three women, chances are somebody in the room has experienced sexual violence. I recognize that.
To those who are listening, if you are experiencing sexual violence or domestic violence, know that you are not alone. Know that there are thousands of organizations across the country whose doors are open. Talk to someone you trust. Reach out to them. They'll make sure that you and your loved ones are safe, even during this pandemic.
As you mentioned, MP Hutchings, it takes a certain level of courage to say “me too”. It takes a certain level of courage to put yourself out there with the stigma and the vulnerability that unfortunately comes with that kind of disclosure, but what those silence-breakers did was give courage to other survivors, and it give courage to decision-makers to accelerate the pace of change.
We were able to review tens of thousands of unfounded cases of sexual assault, where those few who actually came forward to report but weren't believed had the opportunity to have their cases reassessed. We were able to hear from front lines that every time one of these hashtags comes out, the demand for their services goes up. We were able to deploy dollars very quickly so that they could keep their doors open, keep their institutions and organizations safe and keep their staff paid.
We were also able to work with our partners to develop a framework for safety on campuses. You know, 41% of sexual assault cases in Canada are reported by those in post-secondary institutions. We also heard from men and boys who want to, and can, play a really important role in not just being a bystander, but addressing some of the harmful attitudes and behaviours that lead to rape and sexual assault and the trauma that follows. We've been able to work with dozens of organizations across the country, not only working to heal men, but also supporting men who are working with other men to address those problematic attitudes.
The issues of sexual violence and gender-based violence will not be solved easily. It will take generations of work, and that's the kind of work that I know this committee and this Parliament, and of course our government, are committed to continuing.
View Andréanne Larouche Profile
BQ (QC)
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I'd like to come back to the gender-based violence issue. The 2020-21 main estimates provide transfer payments of approximately $13.5 million for Women and Gender Equality Canada's gender-based violence program.
What types of projects would be likely to receive grants and contributions under the gender-based violence program?
Nancy Gardiner
View Nancy Gardiner Profile
Nancy Gardiner
2020-11-24 12:45
In terms of the federal strategy on gender-based violence that we have under way right now, we are funding about 60 projects in the department for just over $50 million. These projects are actually working towards providing the supports and pieces that need to be in place to end gender-based violence in Canada and to support individuals. I have a number of projects at my fingertips, but I will name just a couple.
The project at the YWCA in Montreal is one example. It involves looking at some of the models available to support individuals coming into Canada and the services available to newly arrived immigrants who are survivors of gender-based violence. There are a couple of other examples. In Ontario, the Family Transition Place in Orangeville provides support for rural responses, promising practices to support survivors and their families. Another project I would highlight is one through the DisAbled Women's Network Canada. It looks at evaluating peer support of promising practices for women with disabilities who have experienced violence.
As I said, a number of these projects that are under way look at approaches that can be piloted and what we can learn from those projects so we can implement programming across the country.
We're in the very initial stages of this initiative, the wage portion of the federal strategy on gender-based violence. A lot of these projects have just started within the last year and they're multi-year projects. There are three or four projects really looking at a longer-term analysis, the results of which could inform our future programming
View Andréanne Larouche Profile
BQ (QC)
All right.
How will the department allocate and distribute resources from the gender-based violence program?
What commitments can the department make to evaluating projects and programs included in the program?
Nancy Gardiner
View Nancy Gardiner Profile
Nancy Gardiner
2020-11-24 12:47
That's an excellent question. We have programming, as you know. We have the gender-based violence program. We have the women's program capacity-building fund. Through a number of other programs, we're supporting about 650 projects across Canada, distributed across the country, depending on which organizations apply and depending on the needs in certain parts of Canada.
Often when we have a call-for-proposals process, we look at what applications are coming in and we determine whether there are gaps. In some cases if we didn't see projects in Atlantic Canada or in our territories, we would work with stakeholders on the ground to determine whether there were initiatives that they felt needed to be supported and see how we could actually help them ensure that some of these projects were submitted for application and review. We just want to make sure there is no part of the country that does not have the support and programming required, which is why we pay particular attention to that type of distribution.
Earlier, with regard to the national action plan on gender-based violence, the minister mentioned working very closely with the provinces and territories. That has been very key for us. We have excellent working relationships with our provincial and territorial colleagues across the country on not only gender-based violence programming but all programming that supports women. We're often in close contact with them when we have a call-for-proposals process to ensure that proposals coming in are in line with some of the projects they've seen or with the needs they've seen in their province or territory.
View Andréanne Larouche Profile
BQ (QC)
Those folks are better versed in what is happening on their turf. For example, Quebec's needs are not the same as British Columbia's. Regional differences became apparent during the crisis.
If I understand correctly, the department intends to take into account these partnerships with Quebec and the provinces and be more attentive to what is happening on the ground for the future and for this action plan.
Nancy Gardiner
View Nancy Gardiner Profile
Nancy Gardiner
2020-11-24 12:50
Absolutely. For the COVID response, with the original amount that I talked about for shelters and sexual assault centres and other organizations assisting women fleeing violence, we worked in partnership with the Province of Quebec and provided support to the Province of Quebec for that government to provide support to the organizations on the ground. As you said, knowing exactly what was happening was really critical for us, and working with the province was great.
View Lindsay Mathyssen Profile
NDP (ON)
Thank you, Madam Chair.
We heard from the minister, with regard to the gender-based violence action plan, that there are many consultations still taking place and that she will be coming up with a plan. There weren't any concrete dates, and I think many of the questions were actually about specific deadlines.
Have you been given any expectations from the minister about those specific delivery dates or deadlines?
Nancy Gardiner
View Nancy Gardiner Profile
Nancy Gardiner
2020-11-24 12:51
As the minister pointed out and Danielle referenced earlier, we are in the process right now of looking at, working on and participating in a number of engagements across the country. The Speech from the Throne reiterated the need to have a national action plan for gender-based violence. We are continuing that work, and that work will inform us as to the pieces that absolutely must be included in a national action plan.
View Lindsay Mathyssen Profile
NDP (ON)
This has been going on for a number of years now. Do you have any sense of a potential closing date by which we could actually expect an action plan to be announced, a specific date?
Nancy Gardiner
View Nancy Gardiner Profile
Nancy Gardiner
2020-11-24 12:52
I don't have a specific date, but I can tell you that the national action plan is something that was reiterated in the Speech from the Throne.
We do have a federal gender-based violence strategy, and I'm going to turn to Danielle to highlight some pieces of that. We're building on the federal strategy, informing a national action plan and working with the provinces and territories—because that's a really key part of the national action plan—as well as with our indigenous partners.
Danielle.
Danielle Bélanger
View Danielle Bélanger Profile
Danielle Bélanger
2020-11-24 12:53
Thank you for that, Nancy.
The national action plan was reiterated recently, but on the federal strategy we have been working for a few years now. In 2017-18, there was an investment and a commitment of $200 million over five years and $40 million ongoing. We're working with key departments, federal departments, including the Public Health Agency, Public Safety, Immigration and Refugees Canada and the RCMP, and we're starting to see some early results.
We do have a GBV federal strategy annual report. We have already released two annual reports and we have a third coming up that will demonstrate some of those accomplishments to date.
As we mentioned earlier, engagements are happening across the country because we know there are many recommendations for an integrated national action plan with our provinces and territories. That is something we're working on in parallel with the federal strategy. That is going to be happening over the course of the coming months.
Thanks.
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