Foreign Affairs Committee on March 9th, 2023

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

Welcome to meeting 53 of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development.

Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format, pursuant to the House order of June 23, 2022. Members are attending in person in the room as well as remotely using the Zoom application.

I would like to make a few comments for the benefit of the members and witnesses.

Please wait until I recognize you by name before you speak. For those participating by video conference, click on the microphone icon to activate your mike, and please mute yourselves when you are not speaking. Interpretation for those on Zoom is at the bottom of your screen, and you have a choice of floor, English or French. For those in the room, you can use the earpiece and select the desired channel.

In accordance with our routine motion, as is our practice, I am informing the committee members that all witnesses have completed the required connection tests in advance of our meeting.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted by the committee on Monday, June 20, 2022, the committee resumes its study of the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women globally.

It is now my great pleasure to welcome, from the National Women's Civic Association, Ms. Maria Cristina Rodriguez Garcia, who is a research consultant with the organization. She is joining us by video conference.

Also, we have here present before us today, from Oxfam Canada, Ms. Lauren Ravon, executive director; and Ms Béatrice Vaugrante, executive director of Oxfam-Québec.

Each witness will be provided a maximum of five minutes for their remarks, after which we will proceed to a round of questions by the members.

For all the witnesses, once you have only 30 seconds remaining, either for your opening remarks or for the follow-up questions, I will signal you. I would appreciate it if you could try to wrap things up within 20 or 30 seconds once you see the sign.

Each of the witnesses will have five minutes for opening remarks. First we will go to Ms. Garcia.

Ms. Garcia, you have five minutes.

[Dr. Maria Cristina Rodriguez Garcia, Research Consultant, Political Narratives and Women's Affairs, National Women's Civic Association]

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you for the honour of speaking to the committee.

I'm a researcher and consultant on political narratives and women's affairs. I have conducted national studies in my country about sexual harassment and international statements for the human rights systems, and I have worked at the local and national level as a woman rights defender for 10 years.

I represent the National Women's Civic Association, an organization that has almost 50 years of working for an integral development of women to promote their public participation in Mexico and internationally, and holds consultative status in the United Nations.

I will be speaking about three matters. First, I will talk about an analysis and evaluation of the framing at the edges of sexual health and reproductive rights. Second, I want to talk about what we are not talking about that was recently discovered about sexual violence and sexual and reproductive rights. Finally, I will provide some recommendations for this study based in our local and international experience.

The first point is the evolution of the framing at the edges of sexual and health reproductive rights. The sexual and health reproductive rights are based on the idea that sexuality is a fundamental aspect of human development. The framing supporting sexual health and reproductive rights relies on three keywords: access, decision and enjoyment. These three aspects are oriented towards gaining control, autonomy and a life without violence. But which are the indicators that we usually listen to in the local application of policies, programs and international statements?

First, we have indicators that focus on specific behaviours. Some examples include the use of a condom or contraception, access to abortion, and data about sexual life. This data is necessary but it has concerning limitations. As much as we need clarity in the policies and programs, we know that this conduct does not happen in isolation. Sexual health and reproductive rights place most of the measures in the genital aspect of sex. However, reality shows us that sexuality is much more than the use of genitals and includes aspects like affectivity, desire of transcendence, bonding and past experiences of trauma and abuse.

Furthermore, all this conduct happens in different stages of life, so we must not isolate conduct as if it doesn't matter when, how or why this conduct happens. In my experience in working with children and teenagers to prevent teenage pregnancy and listening to the framing of different countries and developing public policies, this focus placed solely in the sexual act overlooks the cultural expectations, emotional pressures and lack of education in recognizing healthy relationships, among other factors that hinder individuals' capacity to make choices that have a long-term effect on their well-being. For instance, neither the use of a condom nor the access to contraception prevents a woman from entering into a life of violence. This kind of autonomy that it puts forwards looks like indifference. It implies the message that we don't care who you are or what's happening to you, as long as you use a condom.

Second, about the framing, sexual health and reproductive rights focus on the internal factors: desire, consent, autonomy and identity. Without diminishing their importance, we must acknowledge that this is just at the surface. All of these factors must be seen through the glasses of cultural structures and dynamics of power, including customs, beliefs and stereotypes. We talk about control, autonomy and empowerment on a superficial level, without deepening our understanding of internal and external constraints to freedom. For example, a woman can give consent to her sexual exploitation in spite of doing that to her own detriment.

There is an extensive need for talking in the circle of reproductive rights about affectivity, healthy relationships and peaceful resolution of conflict. This is part of sexuality too, and these are the aspects of sexuality that help people make good decisions about sexuality.

Lastly, a focus on the result rather than the human process makes us not see which other unmet needs we need to face. For instance, there are the unmet needs of contraception, but what is the real need that is being overlooked? For example, if we dive into social media, we find thousands of testimonies from women using contraception who are disappointed. They are scared of how it changes their bodies and overall well-being, and they remain uneducated about the way their bodies work, as the study shows.

These reflections lead to the second point of this presentation.

What are we not talking about? We're not talking about trauma and fragmentation. Based on the history of survivors of sexual violence and sexual exploitation, we know that many women are born into already vulnerable conditions that can lead to a series of biased choices, which, in turn, ultimately lead to their sexual exploitation. Society fragments women. That is, it produces a separation between their bodies and minds, and then creates industries that exploit their brokenness. We have to include that in the sexual reproduction rights studies.

In summary, women don't have all the knowledge or tools. They are experiencing a lot of fragmentation, disassociation and trauma throughout their lives. We are saying they have sexual reproduction rights because they have a condom in their pocket. We need to face the fragmentation associated with their trauma and the circle of implication this generates, and link that to their vulnerability.

Do I have a little more time?

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

No, you don't. You're a minute and a half over. Can you wrap it up? There will be opportunities for questions.

[Dr. Maria Cristina Rodriguez Garcia]

Okay, thank you very much.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

Thank you, Ms. Garcia. We're very grateful.

We next go to Oxfam-Québec.

Madame Vaugrante, you have five minutes.

[Béatrice Vaugrante, Executive Director, Oxfam-Québec, Oxfam Canada]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you for inviting me and for putting the topic of sexual and reproductive health and rights on your committee's agenda.

Oxfam-Québec and Oxfam Canada are members of the Oxfam confederation, whose mission is to fight inequality to end poverty, particularly through the power of women, for sustainable solutions.

We believe that reproductive justice is linked to social justice and that gender justice cannot be achieved without bodily autonomy and sexual and reproductive rights. The numbers speak for themselves: 7 million women are hospitalized every year owing to unsafe abortion, and far too many die.

According to the World Health Organization, complications from pregnancy and childbirth are a leading cause of death for young girls. Teen pregnancy carries a higher risk than adult pregnancy. It has a significant impact on their lives, future, education and autonomy.

Oxfam-Québec and Oxfam Canada are conducting two major projects on sexual and reproductive health and rights, which are taking place in different regions of the world. Funding from Global Affairs Canada and our donors enables our organizations to implement these projects, which focus on adolescent girls and young women, especially those who are most marginalized, under the leadership of those who are on the frontline.

There are many barriers to the realization of sexual and reproductive rights, but it is discrimination against women and marginalized groups that underlies these problems. Ensuring sexual and reproductive rights is a critical pathway to not only making women's rights tangible, but also enabling women to build resilient communities and economic autonomy and to participate in crisis and conflict resolution.

In the wake of a pandemic that has exacerbated inequalities, and in a global context weakened by “polycrises” and more restrictive laws for sexual and reproductive rights, this area is increasingly less of a budgetary priority for governments and donors, even though it is among the critical solutions.

Without a collective effort, we will continue to see access to sexual and reproductive health services and rights increasingly impeded, if not impossible, leading to an increase in unwanted pregnancies, deaths, unsafe abortions, cases of gender-based violence, and impacts on the physical and mental health and education of girls and young women.

Oxfam-Québec has begun implementation of power to choose, a seven-year program for reproductive and sexual rights that is supported by partners such as the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada. The program has a component in Quebec and relies on partnerships with local organizations based in Honduras, Ghana, Bolivia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Jordan, Lebanon and the occupied Palestinian territories.

Through the Her Future, Her Choice project, Oxfam Canada and its partners work to advance comprehensive approaches to sexual and reproductive rights in Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia.

Both projects respond to gender inequality and women's rights violations by directly addressing barriers that hinder access to sexual and reproductive rights in program communities and fragile, restrained civic spaces. These barriers include harmful social norms, traditional practices, taboos about gender and sexuality, lack of access to sexual and reproductive health information and education services, and a lack of meaningful decision-making power for adolescent girls and young women regarding their own health and sexuality.

Canada has made significant contributions to support sexual health and reproductive rights internationally. We must continue to be a leader among donor countries. The government should remain dedicated to ensuring that it meets its $700-million commitment for sexual and reproductive health, with a focus on the neglected areas, and to tracking its investments. As it stands, the government will need to aggressively scale up funding in these areas to meet the target by the 2024 deadline.

This investment should also cover the strengthening of universal health coverage to ensure continuity of sexual and reproductive health services, particularly in the context of health emergencies and crises, which, as we know, are increasing. It should also support and include local youth and women's organizations, as well as LGBTQ+ organizations, in decision-making spaces to ensure effective and sustainable mobilization, even in small civic spaces.

Canada must fund transformative gender programs and intersectional research related to the health of adolescents, women and people of diverse backgrounds with flexible, long-term budgeting.

Thank you for listening. We will be happy to answer your questions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

Thank you very much.

We will now go to the members for questions.

We'll go first to Mrs. Kramp-Neuman for six minutes.

[Shelby Kramp-Neuman, Conservative, Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON]

Thank you.

Thank you to all the witnesses for being here today. Gracias to the witness who's here virtually.

My first question today will be posed to Dr. Maria Cristina Rodriguez Garcia.

In the past, as we're all aware, billions of dollars were allocated for maternal, newborn and child health, as well as sexual and reproductive health and rights, including under the Muskoka initiative. Certainly, while applauding and celebrating our Prime Minister Harper's record on maternal and child health, what impact do you feel Canada is having on policy or funding decisions in relation to sexual and reproductive health and rights in your country?

[Dr. Maria Cristina Rodriguez Garcia]

Thank you very much for that interesting question.

I think Canada can extend the scope of what essential health and reproductive rights are. You can do that by enlarging the concept, the framing at the edges of what planned sexuality means. At some point, what can be done, what can be included in your study or policies, is indicators. I think we can create indicators. Canada is a country that, as you mentioned, has given a lot to development in other countries.

Some indicators can be appointed to evaluate the emotional, social and cultural contexts where the child, teenager or adult faces decisions about sexuality. They can analyze the experience of trauma, violence, disassociation and unhealthy attachments and the relationship with sexual and reproductive decisions. They can support research and unfold the criteria that young people are using to make decisions about sexuality, which may include indicators related to affectivity and emotional well-being. They could analyze whether the services and programs that countries offer are related to integral services of health and development.

I think if Canada proposed to extend the scope to a better vision of sexuality, an integral vision of sexuality, it could do a lot for countries like mine, which are facing a lot of machismo and the wounds in femininity and masculinity at a structural level.

Thank you very much.

[Shelby Kramp-Neuman, Conservative, Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON]

Thank you.

You mentioned during the second point of your testimony what we are not talking about, and that's sexual violence, sexual expectation and sexual exploitation. Could you speak to the most effective ways of...? What kinds of advocacy and influence are you having with adolescents, and what kinds of mediums are you engaging in to get the message across?

[Dr. Maria Cristina Rodriguez Garcia]

I'm sorry. Could you repeat the question, please? Thank you.

[Shelby Kramp-Neuman, Conservative, Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON]

I was speaking about sexual violence, sexual exploitation and sexual expectations. My question is this: How are you having dialogue and getting informed information from the adolescents, and how are you influencing them? Is it through social media? Are you getting conversations directly from adolescents?

[Dr. Maria Cristina Rodriguez Garcia]

I have been working, over the last years, at the local and national level with the government for the implementation of programs to achieve the aim of developing an agenda for children, teenagers and women. The way that we work and have worked is developing a diagnosis in person with all the teenagers and children. I go to the cities. I travel around the country talking and collecting data about how children and teenagers feel about all the topics related to human rights, but in the last year especially related to sexual and reproductive rights.

In that way, we collect information. We construct an agenda that is then socialized with political actors at all levels. It's followed by many processes of evaluation of these policies that include the agenda.

[Shelby Kramp-Neuman, Conservative, Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON]

Thank you.

How am I for time, Mr. Chair?

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

You have 20 seconds remaining.

[Shelby Kramp-Neuman, Conservative, Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON]

Okay, then I'll pass it on, thanks.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ali Ehsassi]

Thank you very much, Mrs. Neuman.

We now go to Ms. Bendayan.

You have six minutes.

[Rachel Bendayan, Liberal, Outremont, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Allow me to begin by thanking all of the witnesses. We are but 24 hours after International Women's Day. We are very grateful for the work that you do, both Oxfam-Québec and you, Dr. Rodriguez Garcia, on the ground in order to support women around the world.

I would like to start with you, Doctor. Can you give us a sense of whether or not you see any organized backlash against the provision of sexual and reproductive health resources to women, either in Mexico or in the research that you've done around the world?

[Dr. Maria Cristina Rodriguez Garcia]

I'm sorry. Can you repeat the last part of the question?

[Rachel Bendayan, Liberal, Outremont, QC]

Yes, I apologize if there are any technical difficulties. I hope you can hear me now.

I'm concerned about, obviously, the backsliding that we have seen in the sexual and reproductive rights of women being protected around the world. I'm wondering if you have seen any organized backlash against the provision of those resources to women on the ground, either in Mexico or around the world.

[Dr. Maria Cristina Rodriguez Garcia]

Thank you very much.

Yes, we are facing a lot of polarization and radicalization in all of the public spaces, including the digital one. There are organizations that have led in a radical and opposite way. We have people who talk about ideology, visions and political views that are opposed to each other. They speak with a narrative that talks about the war between them. These organizations are creating an aggressive environment to dialogue and proposing constructive solutions.

Yes, there are organizations that have been increasing their narratives about war and fighting, and all these narratives that use the language of war. This is what has been provoking us, so we are not able to give solutions and to promote better regulations about sexuality and human rights, including democratic things.

Did I answer your question?

[Rachel Bendayan, Liberal, Outremont, QC]

Yes. Thank you, Doctor.

Mr. Chair, I hope you won't take away any of my time because of these technical problems.

Oxfam witnesses, thank you for being with us and for making the trip from Montreal. I would like to ask you a similar question. In your opening remarks, you raised the issue of discrimination against women. Do you see this opposition to women's rights in the countries where you work?

[Lauren Ravon, Executive Director, Oxfam Canada]

Thank you for the question.

I think we all know that progress on women's rights isn't linear. When you make advances, it often comes with a backlash. At Oxfam, I'd say that, to some extent, the countries where we're seeing the strongest backlash are also those where feminist movements have been built up and supported and have been making progress on women's rights. That's what often has that counterpoint of backlash. Since the emboldening of anti-rights, anti-choice actors because of what has happened across the border in the States with the reversal of Roe v. Wade, I think we have seen a trickle effect across the world in terms of pushing back on some hard-won gains.

When we talk about backlash, it's not only the big picture in terms of pushing back on women's rights. It can be anything, like, at the school district level, a schoolteacher not letting a young girl come back to the classroom because either she got pregnant or it's known in the community that she had an abortion. There are backlashes at every single level, from the household up to the policy level.

[Rachel Bendayan, Liberal, Outremont, QC]

Thank you for that explanation.

When you refer to the emboldening of this movement following the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, do you feel that at a financial level? Do you see or feel that this movement has increased funding since then?

[Lauren Ravon]

There are definitely funding flows pushing back against women's rights. It's a very organized movement, that's for sure. If we look at the Canadian context, a country like Canada coming out and saying we're going to be funding sexual and reproductive health and rights, including areas like access to contraception, safe abortion and sex education for young people, we see that it's extremely powerful. I think if we're looking forward, it's a matter of combining money and voice. Most donor countries are not making these investments anymore. Canada has a role to play, not only in making these investments but also in showing up in diplomatic spaces and speaking out on these issues.

We believe in the importance of the funding going to women's rights organizations on the ground. When you're a women's rights organization and you hear a government official stand up in a UN space, in their Parliament, in defence of women's rights, talking about the power of women's rights organizations, speaking up in defence of women's right to choose, it's incredibly powerful in helping you continue your struggle day to day.