Status of Women committee  It needs to be a 10-year national action plan, because, again, it is about addressing systemic barriers and making structural change, which takes a long time. We need to see the ongoing momentum of this work over a number of years and potentially over a number of different governments.

Status of Women committee  I can briefly jump in about Clare's Law just to say that, yes, we are familiar with Clare's Law. I would sort of echo the point that I made earlier around Clare's Law being one tool that may provide support for some survivors, but for it to be effective, it really needs to have resourcing available for the training that would need to happen as well as enough resources for people who are experiencing violence to access legal support if necessary.

Status of Women committee  Thank you. I think part of it is ensuring that community-based sexual assault centres that specialize in providing support to survivors have the flexible core funding they need to provide those services. We also need to continue to address issues within the criminal justice system and its handling of, specifically, sexual assault investigations, as well as support alternative options for justice around transformative justice, which we're starting to see as offering some important work in that area.

Status of Women committee  Sure, I can try that question. I think that it's so important, as you're saying, to break barriers about speaking out and to let people know that it is safe to speak out. In order to do that, we have to make sure that there are the supports available so that they can get them when they take the courageous step of speaking out.

Status of Women committee  I think that it is a really complex issue that continues to need further research. I know that another committee is currently conducting sessions on that issue. One thing we know, when we're talking about issues related to sex work, is that there is a need to make sure that recommendations are informed by the people who are working in that industry and those who are supporting them.

Status of Women committee  Thank you very much. Some of these initiatives related to making changes in the Criminal Code and implementing various legislation are potentially important tools that can provide supports to some survivors. Certainly we're looking forward to seeing some of the work that's taking place in Quebec around the specialized sexual violence courts.

Status of Women committee  Thank you very much for that question. Yes, I was talking about the challenges and issues around funding for shelters and transition houses as well as for community-based sexual assault centres. I would add to that the many other grassroots organizations and networks that are providing support to survivors of gender-based violence across the country.

Status of Women committee  I think the implementation of the national action plan is a really important step in addressing the disparities in funding. A lot of the funding that goes toward these organizations does come from provincial and territorial governments. We recognize that, but there are vast inconsistencies across the country in terms of how provincial and territorial governments administer that funding.

Status of Women committee  Great. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you to the committee for this opportunity to speak with you today. My name is Erin Whitmore. I am the executive director of the Ending Violence Association of Canada. The Ending Violence Association of Canada is a national organization that brings together provincial and territorial gender-based violence networks and organizations from across the country to identify and implement the systemic changes necessary to end gender-based violence.