Evidence of meeting #144 for Foreign Affairs and International Development in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was work.
A video is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Maryam Monsef Liberal Peterborough—Kawartha, ON
I've met with colleagues from the United Arab Emirates—
Conservative
Liberal
Maryam Monsef Liberal Peterborough—Kawartha, ON
—over the past few days. I've met with folks from Palestine. I've met with the international co-operation body made up of over 50 Muslim countries that are saying that they need more Canada and are very much happy to be part of the work that we're doing—
Conservative
Liberal
Maryam Monsef Liberal Peterborough—Kawartha, ON
We hosted them for an Iftar in New York last week, and we had good conversations on the hate that happens on social media, the political rhetoric that tends to intensify that hate, and some work that we can do with their women entrepreneurs through our development dollars. I can assure you that we're there.
Do we have opportunities to do more? Absolutely, and I really hope that you'll step up and help us.
Liberal
Liberal
Anita Vandenbeld Liberal Ottawa West—Nepean, ON
Thank you.
Thank you very much, Minister, for being here. Thank you for all the work you are doing.
I'm very happy you mentioned sexual health and reproductive rights in your opening remarks. This is something we know: There is retrenchment on this, and backsliding, south of the border and in many countries around the world, in the last few years.
I'm reminded of when I was working, in 2010, during the Harper government, on a global project on women's rights. I had regional centres on different continents. The head of the sub-Saharan Africa program who was working with me—her name was also Maryam, by chance—looked at me one day and said, “Anita, Canadians are hypocrites.”
I was stunned, and more than a little embarrassed. I said, “Why would you say that?”
She said, “It's because I studied at McGill, and I know that Canadian women have reproductive rights, but with your government”—this was the Harper government—“you don't believe that we African women deserve the same thing.”
In her hometown, there had been a clinic for 40 years, funded by CIDA. It was a Canadian clinic. Overnight, with no warning, that clinic was closed, for the sole reason that they provided abortion, as one of the options they gave to women, on reproductive rights.
That was probably the first moment I realized that if I was really going to make a difference in the world, I needed to come back to Canada and run. I did run, in the 2011 election, because I realized that our global reputation regarding what we espouse, in terms of where Canada was on rights, was being undermined.
In the nine years that have intervened since that time, and particularly since we came to power in 2015, what have we done to change that situation, so that Canadians are no longer viewed by the world's women as hypocrites?
Liberal
Maryam Monsef Liberal Peterborough—Kawartha, ON
I'm glad you ran. My experience entering politics also happened because things weren't happening, and Canada could be better.
A few things have changed. Our approach to ensuring that sexual rights, health rights and reproductive rights are protected, and exist in the international communities where we work, is different from what existed over the past decade, because of three things: it is evidence-based, comprehensive and, because of those two things, more effective.
This is not just about making sure we do the right thing, and that she has the dignity to be able to choose when, with whom, if she has children and how many she has. We're also investing in things like contraception. For every dollar invested in contraception, we are able to save $2.20.
These investments, when done strategically, based on evidence, and when they focus on what she really needs on the ground, happen to pay dividends, both financially and for her.
Liberal
Anita Vandenbeld Liberal Ottawa West—Nepean, ON
One of the things that we know from this committee is that sexual violence is used as a weapon. In this particular country—this was in Mali, in the rural area she was from—she told me that many of the women who were accessing these clinics were there because they had been gang-raped by warlords. Some of them were teenagers, and they were being denied their reproductive rights, because of that previous government policy.
We have just completed a study on women human rights defenders in the subcommittee on international human rights. We know that those who fight for the rights of women to live in peace, and to prosper in their countries—those very defenders are also targeted, often violently, through sexual violence, but also by states, through imprisonment and disappearances.
What are we doing, as part of our international policy, to support those human rights defenders? I'm hoping, of course, that when our committee report comes out shortly, you'll have a chance to look at some of the recommendations of our committee as well.
Liberal
Maryam Monsef Liberal Peterborough—Kawartha, ON
I very much look forward to that report.
Yesterday was peacekeepers' day. Peacekeeping is a proud Canadian tradition. It takes a really special person to decide they're going to give up the security and stability of their own home, go abroad and help bring some peace or, at the very least, help conflict resolution between people, often in a very volatile situation. That work comes with trauma—significant trauma. It also places them in grave danger.
Liberal
Maryam Monsef Liberal Peterborough—Kawartha, ON
Some of the work we've been doing with our peacekeepers is to provide that training so that they know how to take care of themselves, but also, so that they know how to intervene in those situations.
The Elsie initiative is a really good example of how we're stepping up, along with other partners around the world, to do this right, to ensure that there are also more women choosing to be in these roles. I'm happy to talk more with you about this, but I'm running out of time.
Liberal
NDP
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Thank you.
Thanks again, Minister. I look forward to talking with your officials in the next hour.
Madame Minister, in follow-up to my colleague's question, I'm a little stunned at the response. One of the named sources that have castigated Canada for failing to deliver its fair share of aid is the OECD. In the development co-operation review of 2018, the OECD severely criticized Canada for the drop in percentage of GNI of aid. Have you provided a response to their concerns, and if so, could you provide that to the committee?
Liberal
Maryam Monsef Liberal Peterborough—Kawartha, ON
Linda, many thanks for your advocacy on this front.
The OECD is a partner with whom we welcome collaboration on a range of things. Have we provided them with a response? I'm not sure. Let me follow up.
However, in terms of increased spending, Canada's ODA has gone up by 8%. The way that adds up, where we were in 2016 was at $5.64 billion, and we are at $6 billion now. This is also due to the fact that we are investing differently.
We've established FinDev. Other countries had similar instruments to leverage financing; Canada didn't. We have that now and it has $300 million invested in it.
The ODA-to-GNI ratio has increased by 0.28%. It has gone up from what it was the year before. We are also investing differently and providing leadership that others are following—
NDP
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
I have some questions about that, which perhaps I could ask you.
If you have responded to the OECD, I would appreciate you providing that to us. It's an issue of concern raised by every development organization in Canada.
A concern that has been expressed to me is that the department, to its credit, did consult with Canadian civil society on how it plans to deliver the action items under the feminist international assistance policy, but there has been no response. They're wondering when they can expect the guidance.
There was another independent review by the Canadian International Development Platform. They also had the same criticism: When can we expect that there will be some level of guidance?
Where the concern really exists is less so in the organizations that are interested in delivering increased assistance to women, the ones that historically have delivered assistance in things such as sanitation, agriculture and water. When can Canadian civil society expect to finally receive that guidance?
Liberal
Maryam Monsef Liberal Peterborough—Kawartha, ON
I know our team has been hard at work. We unveiled part of it in Washington in April, the feminist international humanitarian piece. That has been unveiled, and the rest is coming shortly.
I do want to pay particular attention to the time and the hard work of our stakeholders who helped shape the policy as a whole. We couldn't have done it without them.
NDP
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Thanks. We look forward to getting that guidance.
We're currently reviewing how Canada could support democratic governance, and we're hoping that before Parliament closes we might have some type of recommendations to you. I noted in your feminist international assistance policy that one of your action items is actually on that. There has been some disagreement about whether they relate to the SDGs.
I notice in your report that your policy specifically addresses SDG 16. Can you advise me whether it's your understanding that SDG 16 also includes support for democratic governance; and if so, do you intend to move forward to provide more assistance in that area?
Liberal
Maryam Monsef Liberal Peterborough—Kawartha, ON
Having lived in a non-democratic nation and then being here, I appreciate that democracy is a gift. Here in Canada, we benefit from a healthy democracy. We are working, for example, with the interventions we recently made in the Ukraine, to help ensure that greater stability is driven by a stronger set of institutions that protect democracy.
Yes, you're absolutely right; the feminist international assistance policy does commit Canada to supporting democracy through international development initiatives such as those that help to increase the political participation of women, including young and marginalized women.
We're also working with governments to ensure that their level of engagement with women and girls includes meaningful participation in decision-making processes. We're also investing in advocacy and programming to address discriminatory laws that prevent women and marginalized individuals from realizing their full economic, social and political rights.
NDP
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Madam Minister, I want to follow up on what my colleague asked about with respect to the SRHR. There is concern expressed that we don't know yet if the government's committed to going beyond the three-year pilot. Is there an intention going forward to give long-term commitment to the SRHR?
Liberal
Maryam Monsef Liberal Peterborough—Kawartha, ON
We are always going to stand up for women's sexual rights, health and reproductive rights at home and around the world. We did make a commitment in 2016 of $650 million over three years to do this work, and we are actively working with partners, including those who help shape our feminist international assistance policy, to come up with a smarter, more sustainable and long-term approach to this work. There's more to come.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Michael Levitt
Thank you very much.
We shall now move to a guest with us in committee today, MP Ludwig, please.
Liberal
Karen Ludwig Liberal New Brunswick Southwest, NB
Thank you.
Thank you, Minister, for being here today. There's an expression that I like to use that “You cannot be what you cannot see”, and I think it's invaluable to see a strong and articulate woman in an international development lead role. When you're travelling around the world, women see you as a beacon of hope. Thank you for that.
