Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you for joining us today. I also want to thank all of the women who came here to share their stories with the committee.
The Standing Committee on the Status of Women held consultations on this issue. It became apparent that we were dealing with a very complex subject. Perceptions and viewpoints vary widely. Some argued that the Indian Act was a colonialist act and not the right solution. Others maintained that resorting to provincial legislation was not the right option either. Still other maintained that this issue should be addressed by First Nations themselves. Some women told us that turning this issue over to First Nations would be tantamount to giving powers to chiefs who, in their opinion, may not necessarily have any intention of ruling favourably toward women. Moreover, I read in the October 3 issue of Le Devoir that several band chiefs were reluctant to grant more power to women.
I agree that this is a very complex issue. No doubt you realize that too. However, will this option truly serve to defend women's rights or will it merely appease everyone? What measures are being proposed by the government?