Status of Women Committee on May 23rd, 2013

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Ms. Collinsworth, thank you kindly for your participation today.

I want to pick up on what my colleague Mr. Morin was saying regarding the challenge of making it easier for women to freely report their harasser. The witness who appeared before you said that many victims of sexual harassment at the RCMP were afraid to talk or complain.

In very large organizations with hierarchical structures, like the RCMP, it can be difficult to confide in someone without fear of reprisal. Perhaps some of those fears are imagined, but as you mentioned, there are genuine concerns in male-dominated workforces.

One solution that's been proposed to the committee is the creation of an independent oversight board. Victims could go to the board to report their harasser and describe what they've experienced without fearing reprisal from their superiors or worrying about losing their job.

What are your thoughts on that?

[Prof. Linda Collinsworth]

Perhaps in an ideal world that might be a good solution. The problem is that you cannot discipline an employee for an infraction if he does not know of what he is accused, so the identity of the individual who has reported can rarely be kept confidential.

I just don't know how it would work. We've thought about that. We've tried to think about how these things can get reported, but in terms of disciplining an employee for an infraction, they have to know who has accused them and what they've been accused of. How can they defend themselves if they don't know what the accusations are?

I don't know, maybe I've misunderstood your question.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

I fully understand what you're saying, but that's not quite what I was getting at. I didn't mean a place where people could make confidential reports. What I meant was an independent board that would take complaints in cases where the individual didn't want to report the behaviour to a superior. The board would then decide on the consequences. Earlier we talked about suspensions and other possible forms of discipline.

It's just an idea. It's not easy to explain in the short time we have. Basically, the board would conduct investigations. As things stand, the RCMP has a long history of problems across the entire organization, throughout the ranks. This approach would address the problem externally, from outside the RCMP structure, in order to deal with the real issue. At any rate, it's one suggestion.

I would also like to talk to you about your article, “In Harm's Way: Factors Related to Psychological Distress Following Sexual Harassment”. You did a lot of work on the myths surrounding rape. Could you briefly explain to us how, through your research, you were able to come to the conclusion that we need to work on dispelling those myths?

[The Chair, NDP, Lysane Blanchette-Lamothe]

You have a bit less than a minute, Madam Collinsworth, so a short answer, please.

[Prof. Linda Collinsworth]

I'm going to go back very briefly to your previous question and make a suggestion, if this is not already in place.

Women who have been sexually harassed and are afraid to report need to have multiple means to do so. If they're in a hierarchical organization where you're supposed to report to your superior officer anything that has happened, that is going to discourage women from complaining, so there needs to be multiple avenues. A person could use a hotline, or go to a superior officer, or go over that officer's head to somebody else. There needs to be multiple paths for a woman to complain.

[The Chair, NDP, Lysane Blanchette-Lamothe]

Thank you, Madam Collinsworth. I'm sorry but I need to stop you here. On behalf of the committee, I thank you very much for appearing before us.

With that, the meeting is adjourned.