Evidence of meeting #20 for Status of Women in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was project.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet NDP Hochelaga, QC
Ladies, thank you for joining us today. I also want to thank you for all the work you are doing. It appears to be good work, and it is very appreciated.
I have not been sitting on this committee for very long. Considering your age, perhaps you have not been with Status of Women Canada for very long either.
Director General, Women's Program and Regional Operations Directorate, Status of Women Canada
That's nice of you to say.
NDP
Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet NDP Hochelaga, QC
In 2007, the committee produced a report titled “The Impacts of Funding and Program Changes at Status of Women Canada”.
Are you familiar with that report?
Director General, Women's Program and Regional Operations Directorate, Status of Women Canada
Yes, I am.
NDP
Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet NDP Hochelaga, QC
In that case, I don't think I need to go over the report recommendations. Could you tell us what came of those recommendations? Have they been implemented, five years after the fact?
Director General, Women's Program and Regional Operations Directorate, Status of Women Canada
Are you interested in any specific recommendation?
NDP
Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet NDP Hochelaga, QC
Generally speaking, have the recommendations been implemented? Have all, some or none of them been implemented?
Director General, Women's Program and Regional Operations Directorate, Status of Women Canada
I cannot give you an accurate answer without referring to a specific recommendation. I have a number of reports and recommendations on several topics we have handled in a way—
Director General, Women's Program and Regional Operations Directorate, Status of Women Canada
Yes, please.
NDP
Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet NDP Hochelaga, QC
For instance, it was recommended that Status of Women Canada reverse its decision to close 12 regional offices.
Director General, Women's Program and Regional Operations Directorate, Status of Women Canada
The information I gave you earlier makes it clear that we have service points in five Canadian cities.
NDP
Director General, Women's Program and Regional Operations Directorate, Status of Women Canada
They have not necessarily been reopened, as some of the service points were never closed.
NDP
Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet NDP Hochelaga, QC
Do you know whether the 12 service points that were closed are still closed?
Director General, Women's Program and Regional Operations Directorate, Status of Women Canada
Some offices were consolidated. For instance, in Vancouver, we had an office that was more of a service point. It was merged with the Edmonton office. We also had a service point in Quebec City that was merged with the one in Montreal. So there was some consolidation.
NDP
Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet NDP Hochelaga, QC
Another recommendation was that Status of Women maintain its Policy Research Fund to pay for independent policy research.
Director General, Women's Program and Regional Operations Directorate, Status of Women Canada
That is beyond my purview, as the Women's Program has nothing to do with policy. My colleague Sébastien Goupil could talk to you about policy research in more detail next week.
Director General, Women's Program and Regional Operations Directorate, Status of Women Canada
His name is Sébastien Goupil. I think he will be testifying before this committee on March 7.
NDP
Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet NDP Hochelaga, QC
Thank you.
It was also recommended that the funding through the Women's Program be made available only to non-profit organizations.
I don't think that is the case.
Director General, Women's Program and Regional Operations Directorate, Status of Women Canada
Virtually all of our funding goes to non-profit organizations. To my knowledge, over the last five or six years, only two projects provided funding to for-profit groups.
Director General, Women's Program and Regional Operations Directorate, Status of Women Canada
There were 2 out of nearly 500.