Evidence of meeting #7 for Afghanistan in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was taliban.
A video is available from Parliament.
9:20 p.m.
Conservative
Kerry-Lynne Findlay Conservative South Surrey—White Rock, BC
Thank you.
Mr. Dilsoz, how many Afghan refugees have arrived in the Vancouver area since the return of the Taliban in Afghanistan?
9:20 p.m.
Director, Afghan Community Vancouver
In terms of those I have met with, around 400 or 500.
9:20 p.m.
Conservative
Kerry-Lynne Findlay Conservative South Surrey—White Rock, BC
What types of supports does your organization provide them?
9:20 p.m.
Director, Afghan Community Vancouver
We provide shelter for them, and we also communicate with them culturally in order to introduce them to Canadian culture. Also, we work with their kids' schooling and we invite them to our events, so they are coming to our events in order to get introduced to the Afghan Canadians here in Vancouver.
9:20 p.m.
Conservative
Kerry-Lynne Findlay Conservative South Surrey—White Rock, BC
Can you just tell me, do you have capacity for more, capacity to help more Afghan refugees?
9:20 p.m.
Director, Afghan Community Vancouver
We have some volunteers who want to work with us, but still, we need some support from the government, as I mentioned in my statement. We need support from the government to help us.
9:20 p.m.
Conservative
9:20 p.m.
Founder and Executive Director, Women Leaders of Tomorrow
If I may add to that, yes, there are so many volunteers who would love to raise the capacity and to welcome new Afghan refugees.
9:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
Thank you very much, Ms. Findlay.
We will go to Ms. Damoff for three minutes.
Please go ahead.
9:20 p.m.
Liberal
Pam Damoff Liberal Oakville North—Burlington, ON
Thank you so much, Chair.
Ms. Frogh, you talked about how women can't leave the home without being accompanied by a male, and about the number of Afghan women who are currently widowed. We also know that Afghanistan has one of the highest rates in the world of people who are living with disabilities. Those women may actually have a male living in the house but are unable to go out because that spouse is living with a disability. How could Canada get those women out of the country?
The second part would be, if we can't get them out of the country, how can Canada...? What specific options could you give us to be able to support those women and their families? Because they can no longer work, and they may not be able to leave the country.
9:20 p.m.
Founder, Women & Peace Studies Organization – Afghanistan
Thank you.
This is a point that I'm working on every day. We have 40 million Afghans left behind, and all of them will not be evacuated, so we need to find ways to help them. One of those is that Canada needs to have a plan on how to engage with Afghanistan. One is of course the evacuation and the emigration of refugees, but at the same time, it's also about how Canada continues its engagement.
I propose a female special envoy from Canada. I request that you, the government, work on a female envoy for Afghanistan who actually starts engaging with the Taliban and starts discussions on how to get support to these women. Yes, the joblessness is challenging, and of course the humanitarian crisis is there, but also, the women's organizations are active in the country despite all the challenges, so there is a need for continued funding for them, resources for them.
9:20 p.m.
Liberal
Pam Damoff Liberal Oakville North—Burlington, ON
Can I ask you something, though? On our previous panel—I don't know if you were watching or not—one of the witnesses said that we should absolutely not be engaging with the Taliban, because it legitimizes them.
9:20 p.m.
Founder, Women & Peace Studies Organization – Afghanistan
Because I work with so many women on the ground and I see that millions of Afghans are actually starving, it is my continued advocacy that we need to engage with the Taliban, but that does not mean recognition.
There is a need for tight criteria attached to our engagement. That engagement should mean public diplomacy and putting pressure. It should also mean supporting national and international organizations.
9:20 p.m.
Liberal
Pam Damoff Liberal Oakville North—Burlington, ON
Is there any way to get these women out of Afghanistan, though?
I have only 15 seconds left.
9:20 p.m.
Founder, Women & Peace Studies Organization – Afghanistan
Yes, there is. You need to work with third parties and other women's organizations that have actually started working—
9:25 p.m.
Liberal
Pam Damoff Liberal Oakville North—Burlington, ON
If they can't leave without a male, how do we get them out?
9:25 p.m.
Founder, Women & Peace Studies Organization – Afghanistan
We will find ways. We have to find ways.
9:25 p.m.
Liberal
Pam Damoff Liberal Oakville North—Burlington, ON
Thank you for all your work.
Thank you to all the witnesses.
9:25 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sukh Dhaliwal
Thank you, Ms. Damoff.
We will go to Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe for 90 seconds, please.
9:25 p.m.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
Ninety seconds is very little time.
I want to thank the witnesses for being with us.
I will give the closing remarks, in order, to Ms. Rezayee, Ms. Frogh and Mr. Dilsoz.
What is your top priority? You each have 30 seconds.
9:25 p.m.
Founder and Executive Director, Women Leaders of Tomorrow
I want to add to Ms. Frogh's point about engaging with the Taliban. This is the time when Canada needs to listen to Afghans, because we know what works and what doesn't work in Afghanistan. The western countries and the NGOs collapsed in Afghanistan because they didn't work with the Afghans. We need to work with the Afghans if you want support.
To answer Mr. Brunelle-Duceppe's question, the number one priority is visas for our female athletes and study permits for our students.