Evidence of meeting #47 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 survey.
A video is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Roxanne James Conservative Scarborough Centre, ON
I'm most interested in the one about preventing harassment, because hopefully sexual harassment would be included in those responses.
Could you tell me if there's been any trend with the percentages getting better, where employees feel that the departments support them and provide the proper mechanisms in place, or are the trends getting worse?
Director, Special Surveys, Statistics Canada
I don't have that in front of me. We could pull that information for you, and for the committee, and provide it to you very shortly.
Conservative
Roxanne James Conservative Scarborough Centre, ON
Thank you.
Could I ask the clerk to make sure that we do obtain that information? Thank you.
Another question I have is really a point of clarification. One of the answers that someone could tick off to a question was “Individuals for whom I have custodial responsibility”.
Could you explain what that actually means and what type of employee that would pertain to?
Director, Special Surveys, Statistics Canada
It doesn't apply to most employees of the federal public service, but if you worked, for example, at correctional services and you were the custodian for the prisoners within the facility, then you might experience some harassment from those for whom you are the custodian. That's the sort of employee who might be able to respond yes or no to that. Many people would say it's not applicable to them.
Conservative
Roxanne James Conservative Scarborough Centre, ON
I was curious to have an example of that, because I was trying to think of where that might apply. In the example you've given, you could see how there may be some sort of harassment in that particular situation, so that number does not surprise me at all.
I apologize if this next question has been asked--
NDP
Conservative
Roxanne James Conservative Scarborough Centre, ON
One minute? Okay.
Very quickly, of the 29% who perceived that there was harassment—I think I heard you talk about this—did you say that there was no clear split between gender on that particular answer, or is that something, again, that you can tell us? For instance, in terms of those who responded, were 25% female, 14% male...?
Director, Special Surveys, Statistics Canada
I did bring that with me. I haven't stated it yet. The split was 31% for women and 25% for men.
Conservative
Roxanne James Conservative Scarborough Centre, ON
I'm actually surprised that the numbers are relatively even there. Thank you for that.
Very quickly, when we talk about harassment, I see your definition. I sometimes have difficulty with this, because one person may perceive harassment whereas another individual does not perceive it as harassment, and so forth. For me, I have very thick skin. Something that my colleague may perceive as being offensive would just roll off my back.
When we do statistical information and surveys like this, how do we determine whether it may be a real issue for someone but trivial to someone else?
NDP
The Chair NDP Marie-Claude Morin
Thank you. That brings our meeting today to a close.
A few members of the committee asked you for some information in writing. Madam Clerk will follow up with you on that.
Thank you kindly for joining us today, and enjoy the rest of your day.
NDP
The Chair NDP Marie-Claude Morin
We will now proceed with committee business. So I will suspend the meeting for a few minutes.
Ms. James, did you have a question?
Conservative
Roxanne James Conservative Scarborough Centre, ON
I only wanted to make sure that we were going in camera for committee business.
NDP
The Chair NDP Marie-Claude Morin
Yes, that is why I am suspending the meeting.
[The committee continued in camera]