Evidence of meeting #25 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 program.
A recording is available from Parliament.
3:55 p.m.
NDP
Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet NDP Hochelaga, QC
Good afternoon, ladies.
I will ask my questions in French. Ms. Côté, can you hear the simultaneous interpretation?
3:55 p.m.
First Vice-President, Canadian Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs
I wish. Sorry, just English.
3:55 p.m.
NDP
Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet NDP Hochelaga, QC
You have no translation? Well then, I guess I'll ask my question in English.
3:55 p.m.
An hon. member
They do have translation.
3:55 p.m.
NDP
Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet NDP Hochelaga, QC
Okay.
During your second annual campaign, which took place very recently, in March, you talked about pay equity. You also mentioned it earlier. What kind of progress do you think has been made so far in terms of pay equity for women in Canada?
3:55 p.m.
First Vice-President, Canadian Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs
To clarify, are you addressing me?
3:55 p.m.
NDP
Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet NDP Hochelaga, QC
Yes, I am.
Because of the campaign you had recently, what do you think has actually been accomplished as far as salary equity for women is concerned?
3:55 p.m.
First Vice-President, Canadian Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs
I don't have any specific numbers. I'm actually fairly new to the national board of BPW Canada.
I do know that one change that has happened is the awareness of the wage gap. Here in Saskatchewan, every time we brought it up with somebody new, they had no idea about it. Now that has started to spread to people who are not really involved in politics.
From my own experience, the change I've seen is the actual awareness of the wage gap.
3:55 p.m.
NDP
Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet NDP Hochelaga, QC
I assume that you are very well aware of the salary equity law in Quebec. Are you?
March 26th, 2012 / 3:55 p.m.
First Vice-President, Canadian Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs
I'm sorry, I'm not.
3:55 p.m.
NDP
Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet NDP Hochelaga, QC
There was a law passed in Quebec that equivalent work will get equal pay. We've been trying to pass that in Canada, as well. How do you think that would be advantageous to the status of women, economically speaking?
3:55 p.m.
First Vice-President, Canadian Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs
Actually, I think that is a fantastic program. I'm actually really happy Quebec is taking leadership on that and is being a role model. Everyone else can follow in their footsteps and implement the same program.
3:55 p.m.
NDP
Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet NDP Hochelaga, QC
Are there other economic difficulties you see for young women who are working?
3:55 p.m.
First Vice-President, Canadian Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs
As I briefly touched on with regard to the social skills among young women right now, I find that they are having issues negotiating a proper salary. It comes down to confidence, as well. Just in the last, say, 10 years that I've been involved with hiring and managing employees I have noticed that there is almost no negotiation for wages when they first start. And that will follow them throughout their careers. They start at a lower wage, and each time they get an increase, it's still lower than what a male counterpart would have. That follows them until they retire, pretty much.
3:55 p.m.
NDP
Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet NDP Hochelaga, QC
You mentioned also that the unemployment rate for young people, and that includes, obviously, young women, is a lot higher than it is for other people. In fact, it was mentioned today in the House that it's 14%, so it is a fair bit higher. Yet the government has decided not to reopen the centres for youth employment this year. Do you think centres like that could help young women learn how to, first of all, find a job, and second, give them skills, such as negotiating wages, as well?
3:55 p.m.
First Vice-President, Canadian Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs
Yes, I think that's a fantastic program, which we should have, and it's a shame that it's not going to be continued. I know that in Saskatoon, there are a few private organizations that try to do mentorship in that area, and they are very successful, although it is funded by large corporations. For example, potash is huge here, so they have quite a bit of money to start hiring in that area, especially in the aboriginal area.
3:55 p.m.
NDP
Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet NDP Hochelaga, QC
Would you say that just a website is sufficient for that kind of information?
3:55 p.m.
First Vice-President, Canadian Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs
Well, it's better than nothing, but it's always nice to have that hands-on help. Then again, it kind of boils down to the social skills and getting out there and talking to people, instead of being on the computer all day.
4 p.m.
NDP
Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet NDP Hochelaga, QC
That's okay, I can ask it in English.
You mentioned several things. You talked about nutrition, food security, and so on. You have a lot of experience internationally with those kinds of problems. In my own riding of Hochelaga,
there are food deserts, which
are the areas where people do not have easy access to good, affordable food. A mother, for example, with her two kids and a stroller, would have to walk a fair distance to get food that is decent for her kids. First of all, she has to be able to afford it.
Is there anything your group has done internationally that might help that kind of situation in Canada?
4 p.m.
Director, Community Engagement, Plan International Canada Inc.
Most of our work globally on food security is such that it's typically an emergency crisis. The Horn of Africa, for example, is the most recent crisis we have.
Agricultural skills, animal husbandry, basic agricultural skills, and having a local vegetable garden is typically how we make the system sustainable. In most of the work we do globally it's not so much going to market; it's actually providing your own food security within your community.
4 p.m.
NDP
Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet NDP Hochelaga, QC
Obviously, I don't think you'd have too many farms in Hochelaga, but there are some communal gardens, for example. You were saying that helping with basic food like that would help women and girls in general.
4 p.m.
Director, Community Engagement, Plan International Canada Inc.
Yes, it's definitely sustainable, which I think is important. One of the things that happens is that community gardens, typically run by women, tend to turn into profit centres, because they sell the excess—what they don't consume—in the marketplace. That can be everything from milk to vegetables and fruits to wheat.
Most of the work we do is around creating these sustainable solutions and building them out through almost micro-loan/micro-finance types of programs whereby they can actually grow excess food and then sell or trade it for a profit.
4 p.m.
NDP
The Chair NDP Irene Mathyssen
Thank you very much.
Now we'll go to Mr. Albas for seven minutes, please.