Evidence of meeting #55 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 aboriginal.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Joy Smith Conservative Kildonan—St. Paul, MB
I think aboriginal women are very proud people and I think aboriginal people are very proud.
I think very strongly that this government really supports that in a big way, and I look forward to hearing more from you and of the leadership you're taking with aboriginal women.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Thank you very much.
Because we have to do some committee business, I can only allow one last question, and I understand the two of you are going to share the question, Ms. Minna.
Liberal
Maria Minna Liberal Beaches—East York, ON
Yes. I'm taking Mr. Pearson's time, since he had to leave.
I have more of a comment, and maybe a question at the end of it. I couldn't help but comment and notice the irony of what's happening here today, and I guess it's been happening for a....
Ms. Purdon, something you mentioned earlier...you talked about the window you have, and then you talked about the research you did, that the local office helped you with the next phases. That allowed you to meet with each other, advocate, talk to, and inform women and be here today.
The irony of all this is that none of that, under the current system--the research and the advocacy--would be allowed. So a year from now or two years from now....
Yes. I'm sorry, I—
Liberal
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Ms. Smith, she has the floor. Your point of order, in terms of advocacy and equality that has been removed from the Status of Women, is correct.
Ms. Minna, continue.
Liberal
Maria Minna Liberal Beaches—East York, ON
I'm sorry, that's what it says in the rules. In fact, an organization I was talking to only last week had their project refused because the research had a small component of advocacy. So I'm saying that even our work to help women in the next two or three years will suffer, because we won't have you and the kind of information you're able to give us. I thought I'd make that comment, and maybe you can add to that.
My colleague, I know, has another question. Maybe she can piggyback and then maybe you can comment for both of us.
Liberal
Anita Neville Liberal Winnipeg South Centre, MB
My question is on a different tack altogether.
I was listening to your comments, Ms. Purdon, and you may be aware that this committee studied the whole issue of maternity benefits for self-employed women a couple of years ago. Quite clearly, that would have to be extended to rural women, not only self-employed women. So it simply got me thinking.
Ms. Gabriel, I was struck by your comment, and I would like a response. You said that even extremely well-educated women face racist barriers. Does it affect their economic well-being? It affects their personal well-being, clearly. Could you say a little more on that?
President, Quebec Native Women's Association
There are cases of women who do have PhDs, masters' degrees, who cannot find work, or who have to resort to work that's not even in the field they've studied, because of racism and sexual discrimination. They can't find work in their communities because chiefs feel threatened by their education. They go outside to the urban areas and are thought of as getting their education because they're aboriginal; they got their degree, not because they earned it but because they're aboriginal. These are some of the problems that educated women face.
It's not all and it's not.... I don't know the percentage, but this problem does exist.
Liberal
Anita Neville Liberal Winnipeg South Centre, MB
And it exists, I take it, when there are employment opportunities, certainly, or are there, in aboriginal organizations in communities? Does it apply both in the aboriginal community and the non-aboriginal community?
President, Quebec Native Women's Association
It applies to both, but from a different kind of perspective, a different attitude.
Liberal
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Thank you very much.
I'd like to thank you all for coming. You've given us an excellent presentation. You have destroyed all the myths that we had in our heads about rural women staying at home and wanting to do child care themselves, or whatever we had, and you brought us to light about women who are very strong. Mother Earth used to be the aboriginal women's role. You've challenged us. You have challenged us to ask, with all this wealth that is in the country, why are people still poor?
As we look at the economic study of women, we will take your challenges into consideration. As a collective, we all want to work toward a similar goal. Whether we come from different philosophies, nobody likes poverty. I don't think anybody here would like to have poverty as a flag for Canada.
So we thank you. I'd like to give you a minute each to wrap up. We'll start off with Ms. Gabriel. Would you like to start off? No? You're tired, so we'll start with Ms. Martz.
As an Individual
I think there are probably two things I would really encourage you to have a look at here. In addition to the whole discussion around economic security, which I think is quite critical, I do think that some type of workable child care policy does intertwine with most of these discussions. If women can't get affordable child care, they can't move into working and making a decent income in order to support themselves and their families as well.
The other thing that I think is really important is that we take some time to bring back and revitalize the whole discussion around a rural policy. We need to do something in rural Canada that's not based only on economics. We need to decide what kind of rural Canada we want to have in this country in a very deliberate fashion. Hopefully, it will include farm families, rural communities, and all of those wonderful things that have developed a rural culture over the past century or so.
Coordinator, Rural Women Take Action on Poverty Committee
I would like to emphasize that there is increasing poverty for women in rural communities, and many feel their solution is to leave their rural community. The huge gaps and holes in the social security network, which is no longer a network, are causing incredible barriers for women who are poor, either chronically poor or situationally poor. It's very difficult for them to get out of poverty and to use the good skills and abilities they have for the benefit of their families and communities. It's a net loss to our communities.
I echo the need for a rural policy and the need for gender and place analysis in federal policy-making that really consults carefully with women and rural people about policies, so we can ensure that policies don't further depopulate and disadvantage both women and rural communities.
President, Quebec Native Women's Association
The movement in most aboriginal communities is nation-building. Nation-building cannot be conducted without good governance. Good governance cannot happen until there is gender equity in the decision-making processes.
The high rates of violence in our communities prevent people from investing in their communities, so many people resort to what are considered illegal activities. I would like to see these issues addressed.
They need to be addressed, because we need to get out of the oppression we have lived for hundreds of years. We are tired of it. We need some answers. We need real will from all people to help us become true and positive contributors to society, and in a country that is based upon the resources of the territories of aboriginal people. We are contributors to Canadian society and its wealth, and we want to continue to live in peaceful coexistence with Canadians.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Thank you very much.
I'd like to suspend the meeting for one minute. We have some business that I need the committee's input on.
So we'll have a one-minute suspension.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Committee members, I'd like to call the meeting to order. I have a couple of things that we need to discuss.
We had asked Minister Oda to appear, but Minister Oda is going to be at the ways and means committee in the House next Wednesday, the committee of the whole. She'll be dealing with votes 110 and 115, so Status of Women Canada is going to be referred there.
Would the committee still like the minister to appear before this committee, because we no longer have the mandate to study the estimates?
Yes, Ms. Minna.