Evidence of meeting #59 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 language.
A recording is available from Parliament.
March 3rd, 2011 / 12:20 p.m.
Director General, Stabilization and Reconstruction Task Force Secretariat, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Several ministers deal with these issues. It would depend on the forum where these ministers were presenting.
12:20 p.m.
Bloc
12:20 p.m.
Director General, Stabilization and Reconstruction Task Force Secretariat, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
I know that...
12:20 p.m.
Bloc
Luc Desnoyers Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
The speeches come from the department, from the Department of Foreign Affairs. Right?
12:20 p.m.
Director General, Stabilization and Reconstruction Task Force Secretariat, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
You are quite right, and the speeches that we prepare...
12:20 p.m.
Bloc
12:20 p.m.
Director General, Stabilization and Reconstruction Task Force Secretariat, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
In my opinion, the speeches prepared by my team for the minister and his counterparts still include those terms. As I said, Minister Oda and Minister Kent used those words a few months ago.
12:20 p.m.
Bloc
Luc Desnoyers Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Would it be possible to obtain the speeches that you prepared and that include these words?
12:20 p.m.
Director General, Stabilization and Reconstruction Task Force Secretariat, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
They are on the Internet and we would be delighted to send them to you.
12:20 p.m.
Director General, Stabilization and Reconstruction Task Force Secretariat, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Absolutely.
12:20 p.m.
Bloc
Luc Desnoyers Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Ms. Golberg, you referred to an action plan for the department. Did this action plan involve significant changes to the language used in various locations where the department is involved? Earlier, I referred to the Congo, Burundi and Rwanda.
I think that you will agree with me if I were to say that words are important when they are meaningful, when they really mean something, and are not just empty words.
Would you agree with me on that?
12:20 p.m.
Director General, Stabilization and Reconstruction Task Force Secretariat, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
The action plan really tries to guide the definition of Canada's policy and strategic orientation on issues pertaining to women and security. It is really based on three things...
12:20 p.m.
Bloc
Luc Desnoyers Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Would you agree that the word “impunity” is a meaningful word when it is used? By using the word, we are saying that we are going to ensure that someone will pay for something that has been done; we are not saying that we are going to prevent sexual violence.
Do you think that there is a difference between these two expressions?
12:20 p.m.
Director General, Stabilization and Reconstruction Task Force Secretariat, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
I think that both expressions are important and we use them in our speeches. This is important because we are trying to prevent activities of that kind and because Canada also wants to ensure that people who rape women are prosecuted. So continuity is very important.
12:20 p.m.
Bloc
12:20 p.m.
Director General, Stabilization and Reconstruction Task Force Secretariat, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
In my opinion, these words are used at the United Nations and in the speeches. As Mr. Angell said, Minister Cannon used...
12:20 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
Thank you.
I would encourage witnesses to please keep their comments short.
Thank you.
Ms. Mathyssen.
12:20 p.m.
NDP
Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
Thank you, Madam Chair.
The Auditor General was very critical of DFAIT and the application of gender-based analysis when designing government policy. Did the department perform gender-based analysis on the change from “gender equality” to “equality between men and women”? If so, is there documentation that we can see on that GBA?
12:25 p.m.
Director General, International Organizations, Human Rights and Democracy Bureau, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Madam Chair, we've argued that there is no change, with respect. We do have three excellent analysts in the human rights policy and governance division who routinely do provide policy guidance to ensure that Canada is in fulfillment of its convention obligations. We also have individuals at our permanent mission in New York who also have expertise in this area. So the issue of analyzing the implications of Canadian actions with regard to our delivery on our commitments happens as a matter of course.
Whether there was analysis on this occasion, I don't know. I wasn't responsible for human rights at the time, Madam Chairman, but as a matter of ongoing practice, we do look very closely at ensuring that we follow up on our commitments and conventions with regard to women and gender.
12:25 p.m.
NDP
Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
But GBA is an absolute requirement. Departments are required to do GBA, so it's not a matter of someone externally looking at changes in language or the impact of language. It's a matter of the department looking specifically within itself at the policies that it's putting forward.
I'm wondering. Is there any documentation that exists to show that GBA was performed when the department was designing the policy in regard to the change from “gender equality” to “equality between men and women”?
12:25 p.m.
Director General, International Organizations, Human Rights and Democracy Bureau, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Madam Chairman, again, we're arguing that there was no change in policy. We do have three individuals in the human rights division. We have individuals in the legal bureau and individuals in New York who do the gender-based analysis.
12:25 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
But I think she asked, and as chair, I would ask you the same, will you table any gender-based analysis documents that were done there?
12:25 p.m.
Director General, International Organizations, Human Rights and Democracy Bureau, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Madam Chairman, I'll have to ascertain whether any such documentation exists. I've never seen it. I don't know whether there was discussion or an analysis on paper. I wasn't responsible for human rights at the time, Madam.