Status of Women Committee on March 24th, 2026

[The Chair, Conservative, Marilyn Gladu]

I call this meeting to order.

Welcome to meeting number 30 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women.

Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format pursuant to the Standing Orders.

I'll make a few comments for the benefit of members and witnesses here today.

Please wait until I recognize you before speaking. For those on Zoom, you can click on the microphone icon to activate your mic, and please mute yourself when you're not speaking. For interpretation, you can choose at the bottom of your screen: floor, English or French. For those in the room, you can choose the same on your device. If you have any issues, please consult the clerk. If you want to speak, raise your hand. There's a "raise hand" function for those on Zoom. All comments should be addressed through the chair.

Thanks for your co-operation.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted by the committee on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, the committee will commence its study of abuse and financial vulnerability of senior women.

I would now like to welcome our first panel of witnesses.

From the Association québécoise de défense des droits des personnes retraitées et préretraitées, we have Pierre Lynch, president.

We also have, from the Fédération des femmes du Québec, Sylvie St-Amand, president, and Vé Mikaelian, mobilization coordinator.

Also, from HelpAge Canada, we have Dr. Rose Joudi, senior adviser, gender equity, diversity and inclusion.

Welcome.

We will begin with the witnesses' opening statements.

Mr. Lynch, you have the floor for five minutes.

[Pierre Lynch, President, Association québécoise de défense des droits des personnes retraitées et préretraitées]

Madam Chair, vice-chairs, committee members, I would first like to thank you for this opportunity to speak today as part of your study on the financial vulnerability of seniors and elder abuse.

Before I get to the heart of the matter, allow me to introduce the AQDR, the Association québécoise de défense des droits des personnes retraitées et préretraitées—the Quebec association for the defence of the rights of retired and pre-retired persons. We currently have 30,000 members across Quebec, spread across 35 local chapters, and our mission is to defend seniors, but above all, to highlight the living conditions of the most vulnerable. That's why this opportunity fits perfectly with our mission as an organization.

Today, I'm going to talk about the vulnerability of seniors in Quebec specifically, since that's the jurisdiction in which our organization operates. However, when we talk about basic federal benefits, the situation can be applied across the country.

Vulnerability among seniors takes many forms, but it is first and foremost financial, and this is true from every angle. When we talk about finances, we're talking about income. When people retire, a gap immediately opens up between two classes of seniors: those with a private pension plan and those without. Among those without, there is a particularly vulnerable group: people who have not contributed to the Quebec pension plan, or QPP. What does this mean in concrete terms? Simply put, these people have only old age security and the guaranteed income supplement, or GIS, to live on.

Specifically, in 2022, 38.4% of people aged 65 and over did not have a private pension income, representing 680,000 people in Quebec alone. In this group, six out of 10 are women living alone. This is a worrying observation because people in this situation face difficulties finding housing, especially in times of crisis. They struggle to afford adequate food. They no longer have the means to go out and participate in social activities, exacerbating their isolation and loneliness.

The concrete effect on health is that there is a gap of almost three years in healthy life expectancy at age 65 between the poorest 20% and the rest. One of the factors causing this situation is that the poverty thresholds in Canada are based on the market basket measure, or MBM. Therefore, the government sets the old age security and GIS levels based on the MBM. The problem with that threshold is that it's not high enough to live with dignity. Seniors are forced to make heartbreaking choices.

Therefore, I invite the committee to reflect on the poverty line and the MBM, given that inflation is significantly impacting, and will continue to significantly impact, basic necessities in the coming months, and even in the coming years.

I would also like to address the retirement age. In Canada, the legal retirement age is 65. This is a collective choice we have made, and we should all be able to benefit from it. However, the fact that benefits are only offered to seniors only when they reach the age of 70 or 75 seem inconsistent with this collective desire to be able to live with dignity in retirement.

In conclusion, I encourage the committee to examine the unequal downstream impacts and consider ways to better support vulnerable seniors. All short and long-term measures must be considered to reduce inequalities and prioritize assistance for the most vulnerable. It is a human duty of dignity and respect for our elders who have contributed, visibly or even behind the scenes, to building our modern, educated society, which is the envy of many nations around the world.

Thank you for your attention.

[The Chair, Conservative, Marilyn Gladu]

Thank you, Mr. Lynch.

Ms. St‑Amand and Ms. Mikaelian, you have the floor for five minutes.

[Vé Mikaelian, Mobilization Coordinator, Fédération des femmes du Québec]

Madam Chair, members of the committee, we thank you for giving us the opportunity to contribute to this study, which addresses a reality that is at once widespread, under-documented and deeply gendered.

To fully understand this reality, we have to start with a fundamental observation: the financial vulnerability of seniors is not an individual phenomenon. It is part of life trajectories marked by persistent economic inequalities related to the gendered division of labour, the precarious nature of jobs held by women and their overrepresentation in unpaid work, particularly care work or work that meets the needs of others. These inequalities are also intersected by other power dynamics, including racism and inequalities related to immigration status, which contribute to exacerbating the precarious position of some women throughout their lives.

[Sylvie St-Amand, President, Fédération des femmes du Québec]

In Quebec, the median after-tax income of seniors is about $30,900 per year, an amount barely above the threshold needed to live above the poverty line. This proximity means that a large number of older women exist in a very fragile balance, but this reality is not experienced in a uniform way. Women who live alone, who are racialized, immigrants or who have had discontinuous employment histories are particularly vulnerable to increased insecurity.

This insecurity is not limited to income. It has a direct impact on older women's ability to protect themselves from financial abuse. When a person has very limited financial margins, they are more vulnerable to pressure, manipulation and scams, and are less able to absorb the resulting financial losses.

In this regard, it is essential to recognize that social isolation is a key factor in vulnerability to financial abuse that is too often underestimated. This isolation is not just related to age, but results from structural barriers: loss of social networks, limited access to transportation, economic barriers to social participation and inadequate services.

[Vé Mikaelian]

This isolation has direct consequences. It reduces access to information, limits opportunities for support and creates situations where women are left alone to deal with the abuse they are experiencing. Financial abuse actually thrives precisely in these contexts where shame, dependence or fear prevent women from speaking out, and where some women may also face additional barriers, such as language or cultural barriers.

[Sylvie St-Amand]

Added to that is the digital divide, which exacerbates these dynamics. In a context where financial and administrative interactions increasingly rely on digital tools, many older women find themselves excluded or dependent because of a lack of adequate support. This makes them particularly vulnerable to fraud.

[Vé Mikaelian]

In this context, dependence on family members or third parties often becomes a matter of survival and is a central factor in vulnerability to abuse. Financial abuse often occurs within trusting relationships, making it very difficult to identify and report, especially for women who are already marginalized.

[Sylvie St-Amand]

In response to these findings, solutions must address the structural causes of vulnerability.

First, it is imperative to significantly strengthen federal income supports, taking into account the differentiated realities of women.

Second, it is necessary to recognize that fraud prevention cannot rely solely on information. People need support that is humane, accessible and tailored to their realities, including linguistic, cultural and technological realities.

[Vé Mikaelian]

Third, and just as crucially, it is imperative to invest in measures that break down isolation and empower older women. We must ensure a social safety net and local social services, which are best equipped to detect indicators of vulnerability. This will obviously require recurrent funding for women's centres and community organizations, which serve as safe spaces where women can gather, build connections and speak freely about their experiences. A woman who is not isolated is better able to recognize a problematic situation and ask for help.

[Sylvie St-Amand]

These spaces also play a key role in prevention, particularly by offering tailored training to develop digital skills.

Finally, the tools must be designed with the people concerned. Therefore, we recommend a participatory approach that directly involves older women in the design process.

[Vé Mikaelian]

In conclusion, financial abuse of older women cannot be reduced solely to a matter of fraud. It is part of a broader set of conditions—including precarious living situations, isolation and the digital divide—that must be addressed holistically while taking into account the structural inequalities that affect women differently.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Marilyn Gladu]

Thank you, ladies.

Dr. Joudi, you have the floor for five minutes.

[Rose Joudi, Senior Advisor, Gender Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, HelpAge Canada]

Thank you, Madam Chair and members of the committee, for the invitation to be here today.

At HelpAge Canada, our focus is on healthy aging, community well-being and preventing mistreatment of older adults across Canada. My remarks today are grounded in Canadian evidence and frontline community experience.

Through federally supported initiatives, including funding from Women and Gender Equality Canada, HelpAge Canada works alongside the community-based senior service sector, which plays a critical role in reducing isolation, addressing barriers to access and supporting low-income older women living alone by providing trusted local supports.

Older women are disproportionately affected by the conditions that increase vulnerability. As mentioned by [Technical difficulty—Editor] 36% of women aged 65 and older live alone, compared to 19% of men, and women represent 54% of the older adult population. Aging alone can increase risk when combined with financial insecurity and social isolation.

Today I'd like to highlight three interconnected issues that shape the abuse and financial vulnerability of older women in Canada.

First, abuse of older women remains significantly hidden and under-reported.

Abuse is estimated to affect 4% to 10% of older adults. However, the statistics are not disaggregated by sex, gender or ethnic background and exclude those who are 55-64 years old who identify as older adults. Therefore, the true rate is actually higher.

Older women may not identify their experiences as abuse due to fear, stigma or family breakdown. Harm often occurs within relationships of trust, most commonly involving family members. Older women face heightened vulnerability due to income insecurity, shorter work history, longer life expectancy, social isolation, gendered patterns of caregiving and financial dependence on the person causing harm. For older women, financial exploitation and coercive control are more common than physical violence, yet far less visible and harder to report.

Second, financial vulnerability is a central and gendered driver of risk.

The National Institute on Aging reported in its current survey that 24% of older women experience inadequate income, compared to 19% of men. Women are also more likely to report experiencing a poverty-level standard of living.

Financial insecurity does not exist in isolation. Women with inadequate income experience significantly worse outcomes across nearly every measure of well-being, such as social isolation and poorer physical and mental health. These conditions create environments where vulnerability increases and options for safety decrease.

Financial abuse and scams further compound these risks. Fraud targeting older people, including romance scams, continues to be on the rise. Older women living alone, experiencing isolation or facing digital or language barriers, may be particularly vulnerable. Community-based senior-serving organizations are a critical front line in preventing and responding to these issues. These organizations have already built trust and have provided outreach and education. They connect women to supports before the crisis occurs.

Third, ageism acts as a structural risk factor.

Women report higher rates of ageism than men, and gendered ageism often begins at 45 for women. This is seen through discrimination in employment and economic opportunity, contributing to financial insecurity later in life.

Women over 50 represent more than half of the long-term unemployed in Canada, contributing to a higher poverty risk among older women. When women are perceived as less capable, credible or economically valuable, their experiences may be overlooked or minimized. Ageism can influence how institutions respond, how families make decisions and whether older women feel empowered to seek help. Many older women do not want solutions that require leaving their homes or severing family relationships; they want safety while maintaining dignity, stability and connection.

Preventing abuse of older women requires addressing the economic and social conditions that create vulnerability long before harm occurs.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Marilyn Gladu]

Thank you.

We're going to start our first round with Ms. Cody for six minutes.

[Connie Cody, Conservative, Cambridge, ON]

Thank you, Chair.

I really appreciate the opportunity to have the witnesses here today to discuss what I feel is a really important issue that hasn't been properly addressed. In my riding, I'm hearing a lot about concerns and issues.

I'd like to share a letter I received from one of my community members. She typed it out because she has arthritis and her handwriting is very bad. I send out newsletters, and this was her response. She wrote, “I have never before had to use the food bank, but now it is the only way I can afford to eat and cover my rent each month. My pension is small, and if I could take in another $100 each month, I probably would not need the food bank. I feel I am being punished for staying home to raise my kids. Now I'm 75. I'm doing my best, but I feel really pressed these days.”

This isn't the only letter I've received about this. I receive numerous letters like this on a weekly basis.

My question is for Pierre Lynch.

When a senior woman becomes a widow, she often loses the GIS household threshold of $29,712 and is moved to the single threshold of $22,488. Is it your observation that a woman's rent, heating or property taxes drop by $7,000 a year the moment her husband passes away, or is this threshold simply out of touch with reality?

[Pierre Lynch]

No. You're really on the button with that.

That's exactly right. As soon as this situation arises for seniors—and even in other situations—earning an income of $22,000 or $23,000 a year is not enough to enable people to continue living with dignity. At some point, these people become the most vulnerable members of our society.

As I pointed out in my opening statement, at some point, these people need an additional income, especially in the case of those who have not contributed to the Quebec pension plan. The situation must be the same in other provinces, whether in Ontario, Alberta or British Columbia.

[Connie Cody, Conservative, Cambridge, ON]

Another way widowed senior women are disadvantaged by government policies is through the CPP survivor's pension. When a woman's partner passes away, she becomes eligible for the survivor's pension, but it can never exceed the maximum individual CPP payment. Effectively, a household could go from nearly $3,000 in CPP down to $1,500 when a spouse dies, and the government takes back the deceased partner's pension.

Do you see this as reasonable, especially when women often have lower individual CPP contributions due to time spent outside of the workforce, caring for children?

[Pierre Lynch]

This situation is truly unacceptable because, right now, these people are unable to retire in dignity. Many people contact our association to tell us that they are turning to food banks for additional help. In Quebec, about 25% of new individuals experiencing homelessness are seniors in this category. At some point, initiatives must be undertaken. Incomes have to be adjusted. For the most vulnerable individuals, we must target the financial assistance that's provided to them to enable them to live out their retirement in dignity, just like those whose retirement incomes are sufficient to meet their needs.

[Connie Cody, Conservative, Cambridge, ON]

I'd like to move to Rose Joudi for a question.

There are a lot of challenges that affect only women or have a much higher effect on women, such as leaving the workforce to care for children and women-related health issues, to name just a few.

What are some ways these women-specific challenges manifest themselves later in life and in retirement?

[Rose Joudi]

A lot of the issues we find women face in their younger years exacerbate as they grow older, as they prevent women from really achieving [Technical difficulty—Editor] support and resources as men do in later life. Whether it is their caregiving situation, looking after dependent children or family members, or maternity leave, for example, all of those seem to exacerbate [Technical difficulty—Editor] more in a secure place and living with dignity in later life.

[Connie Cody, Conservative, Cambridge, ON]

Thank you.

I'll go back to Pierre Lynch.

CMHC data show that the gap in core housing need between men and women widens as they age, hitting 14.6% for women over 75. Effectively, the government has ignored the age-gender dynamics in its national housing strategy. What things do you see that need to change to adequately address this?

[Pierre Lynch]

That's a good question.

Certainly, as women get older, they have much more difficulty finding adequate housing. Sometimes, they are forced to settle for substandard and inadequate housing because of their lack of financial income.

I always emphasize financial income because, if a person doesn't have the money to pay for things, at some point, they'll remain in the same situation and won't have the opportunity to enjoy a proper retirement.

It is clear that we need more community housing and housing that enables people to spend no more than 30% of their income on rent. Right now, based on market forces, this is not happening.

[The Chair, Conservative, Marilyn Gladu]

Thank you. I'm sorry to interrupt. That's the end of Ms. Cody's time.

Now we're going to Madame Ménard.

Go ahead for six minutes.

[Marie-Gabrielle Ménard, Liberal, Hochelaga—Rosemont-Est, QC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Witnesses, you are experts, and I thank you for making yourselves available.

I would like to begin by saying that your opening remarks touched me deeply. These are the kinds of conversations I have every week in the riding of Hochelaga—Rosemont‑Est. I am very concerned about the situation of older women, and I think this committee is, as well. In any case, the committee members in the room have been taking extensive notes since the beginning, so you can rest assured that we are very interested in the subject.

Of course, a committee also has a mandate to produce a report and recommendations. So we're really looking for potential solutions and opportunities for collaboration.

To begin, I want to focus on a term that you have all mentioned—namely, loneliness and isolation. Opening remarks are sometimes brief.

My first questions will be for you, the representatives of the Fédération des femmes du Québec. Can you shed more light on this and elaborate on the consequences and impacts, particularly financial ones, of the loneliness and isolation of older women?