Status of Women Committee on Nov. 26th, 2007

[Maria Minna, Liberal, Beaches—East York, ON]

In other words, the project itself cannot be.... Just to be clear, because this is very important to me and to all of us, I think, none of the money that is given by the Government of Canada can go to research that leads to advocacy, to lobbying. That's what you're telling me.

Let's say I'm an NGO and I come for a research project. I know there's a problem in the field of, let's say, aboriginal women or immigrant women, and I want to do a research project that will prove certain disadvantages that the community has. Then I will use that information to advocate on their behalf.

[Clare Beckton]

It's hard to say in the abstract, because I think a lot would be determined on how the project is structured and how the organization intends to....

On the web we have the specific criteria for each of the projects.

[Maria Minna, Liberal, Beaches—East York, ON]

I beg to differ, though, Madam Beckton. It's not that difficult. You're saying here in your statement that you do fund lobbying activities. Well, you've just kind of said to me, no. So do we or do we not fund research that leads to advocacy, and that advocacy can be done by that organization?

I'm not delivering anything to an individual woman. What I'm doing is research to change the condition and the environment, and with that research, I will do advocacy, and some of the money will be used for that. Some of the money I receive will be used for that, to advocate on behalf of women.

Is that allowed or not under the current criteria?

[Clare Beckton]

I'll just make it clear that I did not say that we funded lobbying. I just want to make it crystal clear that lobbying organizations can still seek funding if their projects meet the criteria.

I believe, hypothetically, the project you're describing would not meet the criteria.

[Maria Minna, Liberal, Beaches—East York, ON]

All right. So the criteria, then, have not changed, and in fact advocacy is not part of the criteria.

[Clare Beckton]

But the project that had been funded by the National Association of Women and the Law last year likely would have been eligible for about 75% of the funding if they had applied for a similar project this year.

[Maria Minna, Liberal, Beaches—East York, ON]

If they had not used any of the money to advocate on behalf of women.

[Clare Beckton]

Yes.

[Maria Minna, Liberal, Beaches—East York, ON]

Okay. So actually nothing has changed.

Do I still have time, Madam Chair?

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

You do.

[Maria Minna, Liberal, Beaches—East York, ON]

Okay. I'll ask two questions, and then we'll see.

With respect to the Women's Community Fund and the Women's Partnership Fund, could you give me a clearer explanation of what exactly the criteria are for those funds, who qualifies, and maybe some examples of who's qualified thus far? Have any for-profit organizations, for instance, been qualified? If so, which are they?

As well, I know that as a result of human resources changing and cutbacks on staff, the staff person who was responsible for international issues was our representative at the UN, at UNIFEM, and at a lot of the ones that you have actually mentioned here in our international situation.

When I was in Uganda with Minister Guergis at an international meeting, the person who was travelling with us from the department did not have the expertise or the background because the person responsible for that had been let go, that position had been shut down. Do we have a position now that represents your department and Canada on women's issues at the international level?

There are two questions there.

[Clare Beckton]

There seem to be several broad questions.

Certainly, in terms of the community fund, it is aimed at providing funds to groups where they are providing a direct benefit to women. There are a series of criteria, which we have set out on our website. You have to be an incorporated body, for example, as we don't fund unincorporated bodies. You have to meet the particular criteria, which are now very broad in this second call. We talk about funding for a broad variety—women's economic security and prosperity; women's health; women's safety; and the elimination of all forms of violence and discrimination against women. So it has to fall within the parameters, which are very broad now.

On the website we have set out all of the requirements around budgeting. You have to have a certain percentage of funding provided by another organization. Generally we fund up to about 60% for an organization.

With the community fund, we now have two calls a year. These enable us to ensure there's equity in the way the funds are dispensed. People now have the opportunity of knowing when they can apply, when the cut-off date is, and we can look at the projects and compare them to ensure that they are in fact in compliance with the terms and conditions.

We have funded a variety of projects that range across the spectrum—helping immigrant women integrate into the workforce, helping poor women in Saint John, New Brunswick, for example, to be able to have pre-employment skills. These are community-based fund projects.

The partnership—

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Sorry to interrupt, Ms. Beckton, but I have to be fair to all committee members.

[Clare Beckton]

Can I just quickly answer her question about the international level?

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Sure.

[Clare Beckton]

The person who went to the Commonwealth summit was very knowledgeable about the Commonwealth—

[Maria Minna, Liberal, Beaches—East York, ON]

[Inaudible--Editor]...overstressed?

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

We can get to that argument later.

Thank you.

We go now to Madame Deschamps.

[Johanne Deschamps, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I would first like to welcome you. I believe this is the first time you have appeared at the Standing Committee on the Status of Women. For our own information, given that you have recently been appointed coordinator of Status of Women Canada, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background? Tell us where you come from and how you came to hold your current position.

[Clare Beckton]

With pleasure, Madame Deschamps, I can talk to the committee about my background.

I grew up in Saskatchewan, but I've lived all over this country, so I'm a real Canadian.

I received my training in law. I taught law at Dalhousie for nine years, and wrote extensively and presented at various conferences and in speaking engagements.

I was then asked to come to the Department of Justice to coordinate all of the federal legislation and bring it into line with section 15, the equality guarantees under the charter. So I spent four years working on charter and human rights issues, including the Human Rights Act, and the first interpretations of section 15 and what the equality guarantees meant.

Then I held progressively different positions through the Department of Justice, as head counsel for the RCMP, for Fisheries, for Human Resources Development Canada, and ultimately as the assistant deputy attorney general for Aboriginal Affairs. Then I took a year to go to Harvard to pursue a master's degree in public administration, and then worked on a multi-sectoral aboriginal leadership project.

I was absolutely thrilled to be asked to take on the position of

coordinator at Status of Women Canada. It is very important work and I am very pleased to hold that position now.

[Johanne Deschamps, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

How long have you held this position?

[Clare Beckton]

Since April 2007.

[Johanne Deschamps, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

I have another somewhat more technical question for you. After the changes that were made to the Women's Program, the WP, could you send us the project applications that have been submitted to you, and tell us which have been accepted and which have been rejected? Is it also possible to know why?

[Clare Beckton]

During this last round—and I'm assuming you're talking about the last call, which was the first one under the new terms and conditions this year—we accepted 60 applications for projects to the tune of about $8 million over three years. They will have an impact, directly and indirectly, on approximately 260,000 women.

There's a wide range of projects. For example, in British Columbia they are working with the sex trade workers in lower east side Vancouver. We have projects that are helping immigrant women to integrate. We have projects with the Y, some of which deal with young girls and trying to help them understand how to be self-confident and to say no in the context of abusive relationships.

There are approximately 60. We can give the committee a list of them, if you wish.

[Johanne Deschamps, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Sixty projects have been accepted?