Mr. Speaker, on November 7, 2008, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women issued a report that was extremely critical of the Canadian government's record on women's rights.
The UN committee was so concerned about the failure of the government to investigate the cases of missing and murdered aboriginal women and the low rates of social assistance that it wants Canada to report back within one year.
The committee was also concerned about women's insufficient access to legal aid, affordable housing, child care spaces, and shelters. The committee was concerned as well about the poor representation of women in public life, inequality in the labour market for visible minorities, mistreatment of women prisoners, the cancellation of the court challenges program, and the elimination of funding for advocacy for women's organizations.
Canada has an international obligation to address women's human rights in Canada, as well as an obligation to women in Canada to address the concerns of the committee.
The government needs to take immediate action to advance women's rights in Canada.