Members of Parliament, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for giving us the privilege of speaking today to tell you about our worries and concerns regarding the fate of women whose rights have been horrifically violated.
My name is Marie Malavoy and I am the chair of the Comité des femmes du Cercle des ex-parlementaires du Québec. With me is David Payne, a member of the Comité sur le parlementarisme et la démocratie.
Since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan, our committee has been concerned about the fate of Afghan women, particularly women who were members of parliament and ministers. Like women associated with the judicial system, they are in grave danger of abuse or death. Unfortunately, recent events, such as the assassination of a former member of parliament, confirm our fears. Video documents we are able to view, shared by contacts on the ground, add intolerable images to the situation.
The members of our committee, who are former members of the National Assembly of Quebec, feel solidarity with the fate of who Afghan women who did the same job as us and are suffering the tragic consequences today. We firmly believe that the denial of their rights is a step backward for all humanity.
We have engaged in a number of actions since the summer of 2021. We had an opinion letter published in Le Devoir entitled "S.O.S. pour les Afghanes"; we have held several virtual meetings with Canadian former parliamentarians; we have met with the Minister of Immigration of Quebec; and we have also spoken with people who are very familiar with what is happening on the ground, including my colleague David, who have provided us with invaluable information.
Through the Afghan Women's Centre of Montreal, we have received a letter signed by 49 members of the Afghan Women's Network; the following is an excerpt from that letter:
[Translation] This letter speaks of the enormous pain and suffering and the enormous challenge faced by Afghan women ... who have fought for [human] rights. This letter is a bitter tale of how our lives have been stolen, and if we are not rescued from the black prison, it will all be buried with us.
We also have a list of women judges, prosecutors and lawyers who are at risk of reprisals, with their contact information, and the same for some former parliamentarians inside Afghanistan or in exile. For security reasons, however, we cannot share this information publicly.
We acknowledge that Canada has committed to taking in 40,000 refugees and has admitted about 20,000 to date, but we are particularly concerned about the desperate situation of women and we believe that action must be taken on a range of fronts.
First, the Criminal Code provisions relating to financing of terrorist activities must be urgently amended, as discussed in the "Calls to Action" that came out of the symposium organized by Afghan/Canadian Women and held in September 2022. This barrier must be taken down.
Second, on-site consular services in Afghanistan and bordering countries that admit refugees must be restored, because we cannot do anything if we are not there. At present, the only contact for people who are trying to come to Canada is by filling out a form. There has to be direct interaction with someone.
It is also important to simplify the mechanisms put in place by Canada, because they are not organized and efficient. Admission procedures are very complex and poorly suited to an emergency situation, while some countries are building bridges with groups that are helping people in the greatest danger. That is the case for France, Pakistan and Qatar, for example.
In addition, the rules that allow women who are inside Afghanistan to apply must be reinstated. We do not understand why this change was made, but the result is a serious injustice, depriving the women who most need safety of hope.
As well, specific information concerning applications that have been made must be provided so that progress can be monitored. Even our contacts in the Afghan government in exile are unable to find out how many applications have been received, approved or denied, and how many are waiting. Without that information, no effective action is possible.
There also needs to be an advisory committee established that includes people who are very familiar with the situation on the ground and with the active information networks, to keep the Canadian government informed.
In conclusion, we are offering to work with any body that would like to benefit from our information, and we hope that we will be able to work with Afghan women in the fight for a free and fair world.
Thank you.