I'll make my presentation in French. I think it will be easier for me and faster.
I wish to thank members of your committee for this opportunity to testify before you today. I wish to say that your work is very important for the status of women in Canada. Canada is a role model on the subject of the status of women in the world.
I have read part of the testimony you heard recently on gender-based budgets. It appears to me that little has changed since November 2005, when I, along with two of my colleagues, spoke to you about GBAs, gender-based analyses. Status of Women Canada, since last July, has expressed openness to the issue of GBAs. I am delighted about this. I am not an expert on gender-based budgets, although I understand what purpose they serve and how we establish them.
I wish to remind members of the committee of what everyone already knows. Since 1982, Canada has been a signatory of the CEDAW, convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women. This country has signed other documents to protect fundamental rights. Canada entrenched the Charter of Rights in its Constitution. Among protected fundamental rights are equality rights, and equality between men and women. It is certainly a fundamental value within Canadian society. The Canadian government, therefore, has made legal commitments with respect to equality for all Canadians.
By systematically refusing to undertake gender-based analysis and adopting gender-based budgets, the Canadian government is breaking its own commitments. Since 1978, Canada has been trying to incorporate GBAs, which is a form of management. Since the 1995 World Conference on Women held in Beijing, Canada has made firm commitments. However, after 13 years, results are late in coming. This is why in our 2005 report, we recommended legislation obliging departments and agencies to adopt GBAs, and set specific targets.
In closing, I wish to mention that Laval University will host the international women of the Francophonie conference next September. The theme is funding women's equality within francophone countries. It is rather paradoxical that women from the countries of the Francophonie will be meeting in Quebec City in September to talk about GBAs, gender-based budgets, and funding mechanisms involving the status of women in Canada; our country is seen as a model, and yet we are moving backwards. It is troubling to see that Canada is regressing in this area. That is exactly why your work is so important at this point in time.
Thank you.