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Results: 136 - 150 of 362
View Cathy McLeod Profile
CPC (BC)
Madam Chair, I started to talk about the Angel Street campaign. What was really poignant for me when I participated was that a husband and wife led the initiative. The husband talked frankly to all the school children and people who were at the ceremony to rename the street about his pattern and history of domestic violence. What was most uplifting was that he made changes through support, programs and services and was now a mentor. He was very willing to talk to the young students about how wrong and ashamed he was for what he had done and how he had made those changes. Those things that support—
View Élisabeth Brière Profile
Lib. (QC)
View Élisabeth Brière Profile
2021-03-25 22:32 [p.5325]
Madam Chair, I would first like to mention that I will be sharing my time with the member for Dorval—Lachine—LaSalle.
They were rays of sunshine, daughters, sisters, fantastic mothers. They were women. COVID-19 has had a disproportionate impact on women. During the pandemic, twice as many women as men lost their jobs. It is primarily women who work in essential services. They are working on the front lines and are exhausted.
The problem has become much more serious. Organizations on the ground have told us that the pandemic has deepened the isolation of women who are experiencing abusive and violent behaviour, that it has made it harder for women to leave their abusive spouses, and that it has increased factors associated with violence, such as alcohol consumption, financial insecurity and mental health problems. Lockdowns have meant less contact with friends and family, contributing to women's isolation and removing their social safety net.
In less than six weeks, seven femicides have occurred in Quebec. This problem is nothing new, but the crisis that has been raging for over a year has highlighted issues related to gender-based violence. The motion that was moved today was born of a concern that my colleagues and I have. The resulting discussion this evening is of vital importance. I thank everyone who has risen to speak.
We must speak out about the deaths of these women and about all victims of violence. We need to be aware of the problem. I am sure that I am not the only one here who feels uncomfortable walking or running at certain times or in certain places. Sometimes I even have to change my route when I am running because I feel as though I am being followed or because I need to avoid people who look threatening. Unfortunately, too many women can relate.
In Sherbrooke, a manifesto for the safety of women garnered 1,102 signatures. I want to commend Guylaine Cliche for this initiative. These situations are just one part of the problem.
For many, it is not even possible to be safe at home. That is unacceptable. Since the beginning of the crisis, I have been in contact with social workers in Sherbrooke to stay abreast of their reality and their needs. Organizations such as CALACS and l'Escale saw their requests for support increase and their work become more complicated. I saw the challenges they are facing: the lack of funding, the staffing shortage and the lack of volunteers. Needs are growing and the services are not keeping pace. That is why I am proud to have announced last September with my colleague Minister Bibeau, nearly $130,000 to support them. These organizations are a lifeline for women and victims, but we know that the work does not stop there and that more needs to be done.
This evening's discussion, initiated at the unanimous request of the House, is proof that awareness of this issue is growing. That is definitely a step in the right direction. I also want to say that the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights has been discussing this issue for two months now. Interesting ideas have emerged from that, such as including the notions of cyber-violence and former intimate partners in the definitions in the bill. These are potential solutions that came out of expert recommendations, and they offer hope. I am very much looking forward to continuing our work on this because it will help the women of Sherbrooke and of Canada.
The witnesses who appeared before the committee reminded us that few women turn to formal support resources and that many never report their situation. That may be because they are unaware of existing services, because of barriers to access or because they fear worsening violence after they report. These findings suggest that we have a lot of work to do to get rid of the stigma associated with gender-based violence. We need to be proactive. We need to work with teens on prevention and raise public awareness of this insidious form of violence.
Before closing, I want to share this message. We all have a role to play in combatting this type of violence. Anyone who is a victim of intimate partner violence or gender-based violence should talk to someone they trust and ask for help—
View Garnett Genuis Profile
CPC (AB)
Madam Chair, I thank my colleague for her important speech.
I would like to ask about the bystanders, people who may see things going on in their environment and may have some questions whether there is an abusive situation going on. One thing we can do as members of Parliament is to encourage people who are bystanders and who see situations around them that are problematic to be supportive of victims.
Does the member have any advice or suggestions for people who might be potential bystanders on how to intervene and how to support people in vulnerable situations?
View Élisabeth Brière Profile
Lib. (QC)
View Élisabeth Brière Profile
2021-03-25 22:38 [p.5326]
Madam Chair, I thank my colleague for his very important and relevant question.
I was a member of the board of directors for L'Escale, a shelter for women fleeing from violence. When we would go there in the evenings for our board meetings, we would see children doing their homework in the workers' offices. Their mothers were there to help and support them, happy despite it all, despite everything they had been through.
These are courageous women who are working together, joining forces and supporting each other. We should do the same to give them a hand, support them, be there and listen to them. We should be alert for early warning signs and encourage them to speak out to put an end to the inequality they suffer.
View Luc Berthold Profile
CPC (QC)
View Luc Berthold Profile
2021-03-25 23:02 [p.5330]
Madam Chair, I really wanted to speak tonight in this debate on violence against women because the fight to end violence against women is not just a women's issue.
I was moved by many of the testimonies I heard from my colleagues this evening. It is important that we make the fight to end violence against women a social issue, and we must ensure that everyone gets involved.
What prompted this debate, as we all remember, was the murder of not one, not two, not three, but seven women in Quebec in just over a month—seven women, mothers, who have left grieving children and loved ones behind. This kind of grief is difficult and unacceptable for a society like ours, which claims to be open and modern. Seven women were killed in just over a month, when the province normally averages about a dozen such murders a year, which is already far too many. To get the numbers out of the way, 160 women died as a result of violence in Canada in 2020, which is one woman killed every two and a half days. That is completely unacceptable.
I am sick and tired of this reality, which has only been aggravated by the pandemic. However, the pandemic did not cause this violence, which is present in so many men still today. It just exacerbated it.
After these events, today I called shelters back home to find out what was going on in the Mégantic—L'Érable region. I have been in regular contact with many of them for a long time. Since the beginning of the week, I have had a lot of questions about the people back home. When you live in a smaller community, word gets around when domestic violence occurs, and it is often blamed on a temporary fit of anger, emotion or whatever. Although surprising when they occur, these actions are then quickly forgotten because, unfortunately, far too many of us turn a blind eye.
I have been told that since the second wave of COVID-19 hit, the shelters are always full of women who have nowhere else to go. One of the shelters I contacted told me that it provides many services off-site because it does not have enough room. Incidents of violence are apparently becoming increasingly serious, and danger levels are rising. More cases are being reported to police, and I am told that action must be taken more quickly to get children to safety. I just cannot fathom it.
I cannot accept that a shelter that can usually accommodate people must turn them away for lack of room. Our office had to get involved with another shelter to help a woman who had problems with the system. I will not provide further details because our community is small, but it was a very difficult situation. I was also made aware of the difficulties posed by smart phones and social media, which some violent men use to monitor their partners 24 hours a day.
Obviously, these places want and ask for more money, but they especially want to see more prevention in schools, and not just starting at age 15 or 16. Even relationships among young people have the potential to be violent, and I was surprised to learn that similar behaviour can start at such a young age. We need to better educate our sons. Parents have a role to play. As a father, I have a role to play. Although my children are older, I want to do this for my grandchildren.
The legal process needs to be simplified. Enough with the lenient sentences that do not always reflect the severity of the crime committed. Sometimes, a thief will receive a harsher sentence than someone who assaults a woman, and this is completely unacceptable. Stakeholders are also calling for lawyers, judges, police officers, the directors of youth protection in Quebec, and the various stakeholders to work together. Greater awareness is needed.
I now want to talk to men and implore them to ask for help before hitting or controlling a woman. These men are not alone, and violence is not a solution. As men, we must always remember that love is not controlling and love is not violent. Love is supposed to be loving. We cannot confound the notion of domestic violence with love. Men do not express their love to women through violence.
If a man hears this message this evening, if he feels as though he is trapped in a straitjacket and he wants to talk, I would ask him to seek professional help or to call a friend but to please never again harm a woman.
View Julie Dabrusin Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Julie Dabrusin Profile
2021-03-25 23:13 [p.5331]
Madam Chair, I will be sharing my time with the member for Saanich—Gulf Islands, a strong voice for women in the House. I am happy to be sharing it.
Today we have been taking in this place about gender-based violence, and I want to speak a bit about the continuum. Women face aggression and disrespect throughout their lives in public and in private, and we need to stop condoning and accepting this behaviour. I have an example. I love to run. It brings me calm and joy. However, before I go on a run I have to think about certain things. Will there be enough people around? Will there be enough light? Will I have a phone? This is about all the ways that women's movements are constrained. We are made smaller.
I was reading a social media post by a runner. She was stopped by a man who insisted that she stop running and talk to him. It was a small thing. She wrote, “The little things that we've been socially conditioned to respond to ever so sweetly, that we are often too nice to challenge—these become the big things we can no longer ignore. Women do not exist to please men.” I do not have her name so I cannot credit her for that, but it has been shared many times. I want to thank her for this because all of these small things that are said and done to constrain women somehow say they are less.
I do not want to trivialize this debate. It is very important to highlight the women we have lost, in particularly the seven women in Quebec we lost recently, and the recent report about the devastating femicide numbers in our country. However, there is an atmosphere that builds toward an acceptability of deeper aggression by some people, and it is important to look at that.
The UN says that one in three women is subjected to unwanted sexual behaviour in public spaces. Frankly, if we ask women about this, we hear so many stories. We have heard some today.
When I was a young teen, grown men would make comments to me about my body and would even reach out to touch me, in subways, elevators or on a busy street. No one said anything. We need to stand up and stop this behaviour. When I say “we”, I am calling on men specifically to join us in taking action to stop this behaviour.
I also recognize I am a white cisgender woman, and the experiences of women are not all the same. I acknowledge that there are women who face greater risks and fears because of race, gender identity, disability and other factors. I am speaking about my own experience, and I know there are other voices that must be amplified if we are going to get this right.
When women are not seen as having equal value, when we are seen as being there only to support and satisfy the needs of the men in our world, that leads to greater violence down the road. The director of advocacy at YWCA Toronto said that to end intimate partner violence we can start at home by teaching men and boys to respect women. A similar point was brought home by the UN in its resource document, which says, “Start conversations about gender roles early on, and challenge the traditional features and characteristics assigned to men and women. Point out the stereotypes that children constantly encounter.... Talk about consent, bodily autonomy and accountability to boys and girls”. These are important pieces.
I have focused on public spaces, but some of the greatest dangers for women can be in private ones. The UN Secretary General referred to a shadow pandemic and said that some of the greatest threats to women and girls can come from their own homes.
I want to focus on the path forward: the friends and families of women experiencing violence. Let us listen to her story without judgment and help her to form an escape plan.
I have talked with women who run the local shelters in my community and they point out that some women fear going to shelters right now because they fear exposure to COVID. I want women to know that shelters are doing important work to help keep people safe from COVID. They are using PPE, cleaning and even running alternate sites to allow for greater spacing. Some federal funding has gone specifically to providing those resources to keep shelters safe during COVID. I want to thank the women who are running these operations for doing such an amazing job of keeping people safe in this difficult time.
In summary, let us teach our boys how to respect women and girls. Let us teach our kids about gender roles and stereotypes. Let us speak out against acts of aggression. Let us collect data about what is happening. Let us listen to women and, if needed, help them build an escape plan. Let us support our local shelters and advocacy, and let us take action against violence against women and girls.
View Kristina Michaud Profile
BQ (QC)
Madam Chair, it is always a pleasure to rise in the House on behalf of the Bloc Québécois and the people of Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, even though we would prefer it if the issue that brings us together here this evening simply did not exist.
I really wanted to take part in this evening's debate because it is more important now than ever. The pandemic has affected lots of people in lots of ways, especially the most vulnerable people. The pandemic has also exposed other problems. Unfortunately, it has shown us just how sick our society is.
In recent weeks, there have been seven femicides in Quebec. Seven women were killed by a violent partner—seven women in seven weeks. I want to express my deepest condolences to the family and friends of the victims and to the family and friends of the 160 women who were victims of femicide this past year.
Some people might hear the word “femicide” and wonder what new words they will think of next, but words say more than we think. We have to call things by their true names. Violence against women is real. This is a real epidemic.
Earlier this week, a well-known media personality in Quebec criticized people and the media for using expressions like “crime of passion” and “intimate partner violence”. He was right. What we are talking about is femicide.
As others before me have probably explained, femicide refers to the killing of a woman simply because she is a woman, regardless of the context. We are talking about a hate crime against women, perpetrated by men. This is still happening far too often in 2021. It happens to our sisters, our friends, our aunts, our mothers and our daughters. In Quebec, one out of three women will be a victim of domestic violence.
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this scourge. It is time to acknowledge the incredibly alarming rise in gender-based violence across the country. It is time to condemn gender-based violence in all its forms.
Just a few hours ago I learned about a woman in her 30s in Maria, in the Gaspé region, in my riding, who was hospitalized because her husband beat her on the head with a hammer. I repeat, she was beaten with a hammer. The victim apparently took advantage of the fact that her husband was working out in the garage and fled on foot to the hospital. The documents filed in court reveal that the acts of violence took place over a period of 17 years. The news is absolutely horrific. Every time we turn on the television, we hear about another tragedy like this one.
In the past few days we have seen that people seem to finally be waking up and wanting to do something tangible. I sincerely hope that this will encourage women who are victims of violence to leave and report their abuser. I hope that this shows that we want to do better and fight with them. Everyone has a role to play to improve the society we live in, not just elected members and governments. We can certainly do more and we must do better to help these women. As human beings we can do better to eliminate toxic masculinity and to educate our boys. We must show them that violence is never the solution.
Men must also have this conversation. I was glad to hear the Premier of Quebec, François Legault, say that there is nothing masculine or virile about lifting a hand against a woman. It is quite the opposite. It is sheer cowardice. The fact that a man, a premier, called out this problem is a good thing, but it does not solve everything. We need to keep repeating the message and driving it home to change the mentality.
I will come back to a concept I raised earlier. We use it more and more all the time, but we do not really know what it means.
Toxic masculinity is a concept that refers to the stereotypical image of a man, the well-known traditional stereotype that says a man must be socially dominant and virile, a synonym for insensitivity. Toxic masculinity is harmful not just to women, but also to men, who are drowning in contradictory messages.
According to the code of toxic masculinity, a man must not show emotion, cry, be afraid or break down. These gender stereotypes are sometimes instilled at school and can have serious consequences, like the ones we are seeing today.
How do we eliminate toxic masculinity? There are not many solutions. It starts with education, socialization and example setting. A boy who grows up with a violent father is highly likely to turn out the same way in spite of himself. Children who grow up in a violent setting are exposed to a type of learning where the traditional gender roles are deeply internalized. Not only do they sexualize the parental roles, but they ascribe powerlessness to the mother and strength, violence and power to the father. Unfortunately, it is a cycle. The child grows up with this association and develops toxic masculinity because they learn early on to associate certain behaviours with the sex of the individual.
The seven femicides over the past few weeks are a cruel reminder of the existence of physical violence, but violence comes in many forms, such as psychological, verbal, sexual and financial violence. These types of violence have serious consequences for women and their children.
Studies have shown that one of the main reasons women leave their violent partners is the knowledge that there is help for them and their children.
These resources exist, but they are in serious need of our help, of financial assistance from the federal government.
It is more important than ever for women to know that they are not alone if they decide to flee. They need to know that we will not fail them. Tonight's debate sends them a message, and it gives me hope to see men and women prepared to send the message and act.
I am not here to blame the government this evening. Sure, it should have done more, but we are all responsible in some way.
Violence against women is not a partisan issue. It is an issue that demands that we step up, join forces and work together, in spite of our differences of opinion on other issues. We owe it to all of these women who are suffering every day.
There are already a number of solutions on the table. We have talked about education, but what, specifically, can we do at this level of government to deal with this issue? Can we work on prevention? Can we support the organizations?
The pandemic has cut victims off from their social support systems and has isolated them, exacerbating the problem of domestic violence. We need to send a clear message to victims that they must not hesitate to call 911 and flee the situation. Even during curfew, the police are there to help victims. Where can they go? That is often a big fear. In Quebec, shelters are unfortunately underfunded, and the demand continues to grow.
A Radio-Canada article reported that the organization SOS Violence Conjugale has noticed a clear trend over the past three years. For a long time, the number of calls was stable, at around 25,000 per year. Over the past three years, it has risen, first to 29,000 and then to 33,000. This year it is around 40,000. There were 40,000 calls for help from women in Quebec. This increase in the number of calls for help comes at a time when there is a serious shortage of accommodation, whether it be emergency shelters, second-stage housing that takes in women after their stay in an emergency shelter, or affordable and safe housing for the future. In 30% of cases, SOS Violence Conjugale has to ask the person to call back later.
Despite the shortage of spaces, some organizations were recently refused the funding they need to run shelters or social housing projects. That is what happened to the Alliance des maisons d'hébergement de 2e étape pour femmes et enfants victimes de violence conjugale, or Alliance MH2, which submitted a project to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation as part of its federally funded rapid housing initiative. This project has been put on hold and is not considered a priority. There is no way to find out whether it will be a priority in the future. However, the situation is urgent. The refusal rate for housing applications at Alliance MH2 shelters in Montreal is 75%.
Unfortunately, many organizations that provide social housing for women have also had their projects put on hold. That is the case in Montérégie, the Eastern Townships and throughout Quebec. I am also thinking of women in regions like mine, in the Gaspé, where there are virtually no resources and everyone knows everyone else, so victims cannot see any way to report a violent spouse who is well liked by everyone outside the home. That situation is far from easy.
Fortunately, there are dedicated people in the region who are fighting for these women. I will take this opportunity to commend the work of the team at the L'Émergence and Mary Grace women's shelters in my riding. They help women who are victims of domestic violence and their children. These people have been fighting for years to ensure that women have access to a safe place where they can escape their abuser and provide a safe haven for their children.
For more than 30 years, these people have been working tirelessly to secure the necessary funding to ensure that the women in the Avignon RCM have shelter and housing, as well as high-quality counselling and support services. In fact, one project that just got off the ground is a thrift store whose purpose is to fund the organization but also help the women rejoin the workforce. It is an excellent initiative, but it proves that the financial needs are dire.
I am glad that the Government of Quebec says it is ready to invest more money and more resources if necessary, not just to help women, but also to provide more prevention and mental health resources to help men who have issues with violence and behavioural problems.
That is what we need, and the federal government needs to do its part too. It has to work with the Government of Quebec and the provincial and territorial governments to accelerate investment in shelters and transitional housing.
We have a lot of work to do, so let us get started.
View Jeremy Patzer Profile
CPC (SK)
Madam Speaker, the residents of Cypress Hills—Grasslands are very concerned about the rising rate of domestic violence here in Canada. As such, the petitioners are calling upon the federal government to amend subsection 8(2) of the Privacy Act to allow for disclosure of personal information to a third party for the purpose of implementing Clare's Law. The RCMP needs to have every tool at its disposal, and Clare's Law is another tool that it could use.
View Jeremy Patzer Profile
CPC (SK)
Madam Speaker, I have two petitions to present today.
In the first one, the petitioners are concerned about the rise in domestic violence and are calling on the government to make the necessary changes to the Privacy Act to allow the RCMP to fully use Clare's law, which would allow the disclosure of information to an intimate partner who may be at risk. This is just one of the many tools needed to combat domestic violence.
View Michelle Rempel Garner Profile
CPC (AB)
Mr. Speaker, earlier in question period, the Prime Minister said that it was not for politicians to make decisions on vaccines, but that seems to be exactly what he is doing.
The National Advisory Committee on Immunization said not to give the AstraZeneca vaccine to seniors, but his government ignored that advice. Now Pfizer, Canada's chief science officer and dozens of Canadian medical experts are advising not to delay the Pfizer doses by four months, but he is advising it anyway.
Is the government making political decisions on vaccine dosing because it is trying to cover up the vaccine shortage that it created?
View Patty Hajdu Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, within that question it appears that the member perhaps does not understand that the federal government does not provide health care directly to Canadians. In fact, what we do is provide support to the provinces and territories to deliver on their health care responsibilities.
Furthermore, NACI, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, is an independent organization comprised of scientists and researchers who study the evidence, who study the recommendations and then make recommendations of their own, which the provinces and territories can choose to follow.
View Michelle Rempel Garner Profile
CPC (AB)
Mr. Speaker, the minister is the Minister of Health and these organizations report into her. I know if I were in her role, I would be asking why there is conflicting advice on all these dosing decisions and vaccine delivery schedules. I think that is pretty important for Canadians to understand. Even the president of Pfizer said that the differences in these opinions could lead to vaccine hesitancy and concerns about taking the vaccines.
Why is the minister not doing her job and putting a structure in place that would actually provide clarify for Canadians?
View Patty Hajdu Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, perhaps the member does not realize that Health Canada's role is actually to approve a drug, or a vaccine in this case, based on the review of the science and evidence that the pharmaceutical company presents. NACI's role is to make recommendations about how best to use vaccines that come onto the market in Canada. That is exactly what it has done. They are the experts and scientists and this government believes in following the research and science as is determined by those experts.
View Michelle Rempel Garner Profile
CPC (AB)
That is very interesting, Mr. Speaker, because Pfizer, the company that would provide input into the review process said no dice on the four-month interval, that it did not think that was good. In fact, NACI did not even contact the drug manufacturer for data on the dosing interval.
I kind of think the minister perhaps is not doing her job here. There is a lot at stake. Canadians need clarity and certainty on this type of information so the government is not causing vaccine hesitancy. Why can the minister not do anything right?
View Patty Hajdu Profile
Lib. (ON)
Putting aside the personal attack, Mr. Speaker, it is very important for politicians to follow research, science and evidence, and that is exactly what is happening in her province through the special advisory committee and with Dr. Hinshaw. In fact, the Province of Alberta has accepted NACI's recommendations, and many others have. This is a decision that is best left with scientists, researchers and the doctors who will make those dosing decisions.
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