Thank you.
I too want to thank you for being here today. I have lots of questions, but to begin, I'm just going to pursue two lines of questioning.
It is, as we're listening here, a very complicated matter and there are many layers of issues. But there seem to be a number of systemic barriers for women's success in non-traditional trades, and there are two on which I want to focus.
I think it was you, Ms. Guay, who said that a number of men refused to hire women in work teams, in work situations, because of bias, prejudice, and failure to follow through, because they believe women won't stay with the job because of the challenges of families, child care, and whatever. My colleague talked about the lack of flexible child care, let alone any child care for many, and having to pay a dollar a minute when you're late for your child. Is that part of the challenge to all of you?
In terms of my other line of questioning, two of you raised the issue of punishment for harassment in the workplace, that there must be a way of dealing with it through some kind of punitive action. Some years ago I managed a program of women in non-traditional trades, and the stories of harassment were horrendous. I'll always remember an electrical apprentice coming into the office crying because of the acronym that was used to match different wires, colour-code the wires to the instrument, and it was pretty vulgar. That was just one manifestation of the harassment in that workplace.
So I see the family challenges and the harassment challenges as two really significant barriers for women's success in this area, and I'd like any one of the three of you to comment on it.