Evidence of meeting #47 for Status of Women in the 39th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was reports.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Liberal
Liberal
Maria Minna Liberal Beaches—East York, ON
It's the family income. They're farmers. Women are farmers.
National Women's Vice-President, National Farmers Union
We've had zero return from the marketplace, Joy.
Liberal
Maria Minna Liberal Beaches—East York, ON
She's just said she's a professional. She works.
Go ahead.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Joy Smith
We're running out of time. I'd like to give you a couple of minutes. I'm just asking you, please, the topic is women's economics. Could you relate that as well.
Liberal
Hedy Fry Liberal Vancouver Centre, BC
Excuse me, on a point of order, Madam Chair, please. If the chair is ruling that the issue of the Wheat Board and how it impacts on the economic viability of farmers is not relevant, I would like to say to the chair that she is out of order, because the economic viability not just of male farmers but of female farmers is extraordinarily important. I would like to get the answer, please, from Ms. Fyfe without someone trying to shut her down every time she speaks.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Joy Smith
Ms. Fry, what I am trying to say is relate it to the socio-economics, the topic we're talking about. You can speak on the Wheat Board, of course you can, but let's connect it instead of making it a political platform.
National Women's Vice-President, National Farmers Union
The connection that I would make, Joy and Hedy and Nicole, is that the power in the marketplace comes from collective activity. We've seen that in the corporatization of the industry. We've seen that in the concentration of the grain handling industry. If it works for corporations and grain handlers to work collectively and to work in an organized fashion, it works for farmers too. The Canadian Wheat Board and supply management is the farmers' initiative to organize themselves collectively in the marketplace and get the best possible return.
Yes, there are occasional spikes in grain prices, and depending on where you live--proximity to the American border--that does play a factor. But the fact that 86% of those farmers who voted want a board, or some version of it, that gives them the best return, that goes right to the heart of the economic viability of those western rural families.
Conservative
Patricia Davidson Conservative Sarnia—Lambton, ON
Thank you very much, Madam Chairman.
Thank you to the three presenters. I certainly have enjoyed your presentations this afternoon. I think we've heard a lot of different issues, and a lot of questions have come to my mind.
I have questions for each of you. I'm not sure how much time we'll have to get through them, but I'm going to start first with Madam Spencer, please.
You talked about the education and the language training and the barriers that are there, and the fact that there's such limited access to post-secondary education. In your presentation, you said that if there happens to be a family breakdown, lots of times the women are not able to speak the language, and they don't know what to access. We've heard about all their problems from everybody.
My question to you would be, can ethnic beliefs and customs play a part in this that we need to be aware of when we're looking at solutions?
Former President, Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants
I would hate to go down that road, because what we're going to do is compartmentalize certain groups of people. I think we have to look at the whole picture as it relates to women having access to some of the services, etc., that are there.
Conservative
Patricia Davidson Conservative Sarnia—Lambton, ON
So for example, if we can come to a solution that we feel will work across the board, if you want to call it that, or for everyone, aren't there different things we need to be sensitive to?
Former President, Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants
If you're looking at a policy level, what you're putting in place is a policy or a program or an initiative that will address barriers to languages, to training, to access to services, etc., but as that rolls out at the community level, then we'll have to take into consideration serving a particular cultural group that needs a particular time for prayer, as an example. We have to be cognizant of that and allow that to happen.
Conservative
Patricia Davidson Conservative Sarnia—Lambton, ON
So our policy can be broader implementation, but it will have to be more specific?
Conservative
Executive Director and Project Manager, National Organization of Immigrant and Visible Minority Women of Canada
I would say that the policy must work across the board, but we must be cognizant of women's other roles, which are their caregiving and nurturing roles.
Executive Director and Project Manager, National Organization of Immigrant and Visible Minority Women of Canada
I would stress that, much more than anything, that's cultural or traditional. Women's rights are human rights, you know.
Executive Director and Project Manager, National Organization of Immigrant and Visible Minority Women of Canada
Therefore, I wouldn't draw any distinction.
Conservative
Patricia Davidson Conservative Sarnia—Lambton, ON
Okay. I'm not trying to draw a distinction; I'm trying to ask if there is a sensitivity that will help make this better across the board. I think Ms. Spencer has answered that to my satisfaction.
Executive Director and Project Manager, National Organization of Immigrant and Visible Minority Women of Canada
Yes. I don't think you would like to hear my answer particularly, because I would speak from a point of view that might not be acceptable to you.