Mr. Speaker, I rise to participate in this important debate on Motion No. 504 that is before the House today. My colleague's motion reads as follows:
That the Standing Committee on the Status of Women be instructed to undertake a study on the subject of best practices in education and social programs in Canada that prevent violence against women, and report its findings to the House within one year of the study's initiation.
I intend to support this motion because it would provide the Standing Committee on the Status of Women with a valuable opportunity to review and share with all Canadians some of the best practices in education and social programming to help prevent gender-based violence in Canada.
Ending violence against women and girls continues to be a priority for our government as part of our ongoing efforts to make communities safer for all Canadians. For example, we have invested more than $69 million through the Status of Women Canada, since 2007, in projects specifically designed to end violence against women and girls. These projects are helping to address violence in rural and remote communities, in post-secondary campus communities, and in high-risk neighbourhoods. They are responding to violence against women and girls in the name of so-called honour, engaging men and boys to help reduce violence, and working to prevent the trafficking of women and girls through community planning.
Last fall, we had a call for proposals, through Status of Women Canada, for projects that are helping communities engage youth in preventing or eliminating cyberviolence and sexual violence against young women and girls. One of the projects supported by this call is in my riding of London North Centre. This two-year project is helping the London Abused Women's Centre to engage partners in identifying effective strategies for responding to cyberbullying, Internet luring, and cyberstalking against young women and girls. All of these projects, supported by Status of Women Canada, recognize the benefits of working with skilled partners, organizations with the capacity to identify needs at the community level, and develop the tools and resources to meet those needs.
In addition to supporting the women's program at Status of Women Canada with record levels of funding, our government has also taken a number of further important actions to help end gender-based violence. In terms of legislative actions, we passed the Safe Streets and Communities Act to improve the safety of all Canadians. We launched the national action plan to combat human trafficking, and we increased penalties for violent crimes. Just a few weeks ago, our government announced the victims bill of rights, a significant piece of legislation that will create clear statutory rights at the federal level for victims of crime, for the first time in Canadian history. I was proud that members of the London community were at these announcements.
Through economic action plan 2014, the Government of Canada will invest an additional $25 million over five years to reduce violence against aboriginal women and girls, putting money into concrete resources. This plan builds on the results, best practices, and lessons learned from the earlier $25-million investment announced in budget 2010, which will improve the law enforcement and justice responses.
Earlier this year, our government launched the national anti-cyberbullying campaign known as “Stop Hating Online”. It is focused on both parents and youth and is designed to raise awareness of the harmful impact that cyberbullying has, especially when behaviour amounts to criminal activity. We also introduced legislation to give police and prosecutors new tools to address cyberbullying.
All of these actions demonstrate that our government is maintaining a clear focus on eliminating violence against women and girls. We do so, not just because it is the right thing to do, but because it will help remove another obstacle to equality in Canada. We also believe in addressing the issue of violence against women and girls globally. For example, Canada is working very hard with our international partners to end child, early, and forced marriage, wherever it occurs. I am also proud of our government's decision to bestow honorary citizenship upon Malala, who courageously risked her life to promote education for girls and young women everywhere.
All of these measures are very important. They demonstrate that by working together, we can reduce and prevent violence against women and girls. However, at the end of the day, it is not up to any one government or person or community organization alone to achieve this goal. It is up to all of us, those of us in public life, and all Canadians. We all must be a part of the solution because we know the terrible toll that gender-based violence has on individuals, families, and communities.
As we debate this motion here today, let us keep in mind how often women and girls are tragically denied the peace, safety, and comfort of a day without violence or just the threat of violence, which can be just as damaging.
They are the reason we are here to participate in this debate today, and they are the reason I will be supporting this motion.