I call to order the 31st meeting of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women. We are continuing with our public hearings on cuts and changes to the mandate of the Status of Women Canada, as directed by the committee.
We have four groups with us today: the Association féminine d'éducation et d'action sociale, represented by Mariette Gilbert; Collectif Féminisme et Démocratie, represented by Jackie Steele; Regroupement provincial des maisons d'hébergement et de transition pour femmes victimes de violence conjugale, represented by Louise Riendeau; and the YWCA, represented by Paulette Senior.
We welcome you. You have five minutes maximum. Given time constraints, the buzzer will go off at four minutes and I will raise my hand to indicate that you have one minute left. We always want to ensure that committee members have adequate time for their questions as we proceed, so I will be keeping everybody close to the five minutes so that everyone has that opportunity.
We will start off with the Association féminine d'éducation et d'action sociale. Mariette Gilbert, would you like to lead off?