Evidence of meeting #42 for Status of Women in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was changes.
A recording is available from Parliament.
10 a.m.
Bloc
Nicole Demers Bloc Laval, QC
You could tell us that there has been no great change or that, in your opinion, the change is not substantial, but in fact, you can hardly tell us anything at all.
Ms. Breton-Le Goff, do you know if changes were made in applications for subsidies?
10 a.m.
Associated Professor, Department of Law, Université du Québec à Montréal, As an Individual
10 a.m.
NDP
Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Madame Demers has reminded me about MATCH. Last week, MATCH International told us they had a funding proposal rejected by CIDA because women led the project. It was a region-wide agricultural proposal for organic gardening in the Caribbean, and, according to Ms. Bulger, they were specifically told that it would not be accepted because women were at the centre of this leadership farming proposal, because women can't lead such a proposal--
10 a.m.
Conservative
Lois Brown Conservative Newmarket—Aurora, ON
On a point of order, Madam Chair, I asked last week that this document be tabled with the clerk and that we see the specific reason--
10 a.m.
NDP
10 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
Just a second.
Ms. Mathyssen, a point of order has to be answered first. I'll listen to Ms. Brown and then I'll rule on her point of order.
10 a.m.
Conservative
Lois Brown Conservative Newmarket—Aurora, ON
Sorry, Madam Chair.
When the MATCH individual was here she made that allegation against the government, that the grant was not given because women were leading the project. I think that's a direct quote. I'd check the blues, but I think that's a direct quote. I asked that this project be tabled with the committee and also the rationale for why the project did not meet the criteria. Has that been tabled with the clerk?
10 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
I don't know if it has. MATCH International does not exist anymore, so she's not able to do that, but I will suggest, however--
10 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
May I rule on your point of order? You've given your point of order. You've given your reason for it.
10 a.m.
Conservative
Lois Brown Conservative Newmarket—Aurora, ON
Madam Chair, I think that the committee needs to be very circumspect on allegations that are made against the government when there is nothing that we can base that on. I would think that Ms. Mathyssen is repeating to this committee an allegation that has not been proven and is unfounded.
10 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
Thank you, Ms. Brown.
Now, I will allow Ms. Mathyssen to continue her questioning mainly because it is pertinent to what we're doing here, and it is acceptable for a member to ask any question they choose as long as it's pertinent to the topic.
Go ahead, Ms. Mathyssen.
10:05 a.m.
NDP
Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
Thank you, Madam Chair.
My question is, can you please provide the committee with all documentation surrounding this proposal, because I'm sure that there is interest in seeing it. Is that possible?
10:05 a.m.
Director General, Strategic Planning and Performance Reporting Directorate, Canadian International Development Agency
I can take that back to the department.
10:05 a.m.
NDP
10:05 a.m.
NDP
Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
I hope Ms. Gaëlle Breton-Le Goff can answer this. We heard last week that Canada has no benchmark for gender equality issues in Afghanistan. I'm mystified by that. Do you believe it's important that Canada have benchmarks for gender equality in Afghanistan and in other places around the world in terms of solid foreign policy?
10:05 a.m.
Associated Professor, Department of Law, Université du Québec à Montréal, As an Individual
Definitely, it's important for every program. There is this report--
Excuse me, I will speak in French. The Auditor General's report has made note of the difficulties that various departments and programs have in systematically including evaluation criteria to measure the degree to which the objectives of gender equity are being met.
As soon as Canada stands up on the international stage as a state that wants to defend equality between men and women or that wants to take gender specific issues into account, it is important to have criteria with which we can measure our progress and our achievements.
Now, with regard to Afghanistan as such, I cannot give you an answer; I have no specific knowledge on this matter.
10:05 a.m.
NDP
10:05 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
Sorry, Ms. Mathyssen. That's it.
I would like to now thank the witnesses for their presence. I'll ask us to just suspend for about a minute so we can get to the next phase. We're not going in camera, but we just need to move into the next phase, and we need to give the witnesses time to depart.
I'd like to call the meeting to order. There has been a question about the letter that was presented to the clerk by Ms. Simson.
While the clerk cannot distribute the letter because it is not yet translated into French, as the chair I could read the part of the letter...I understand that Ms. Simson has a motion she would like to present, which she told us about, and it relates to this. I spoke to Madame Boucher, who would like to hear the content of the letter. I can read it for you.
Ms. McLeod.
10:10 a.m.
Conservative
