Status of Women Committee on April 7th, 2014

[Linda Savoie]

Thank you for that question.

You're correct that we had few aboriginal projects among the 27 that were approved under that call. In the same year though we had done significantly better with the spring call where we had a large number of aboriginal projects. I'm sorry I don't have that data with me to give you the exact number but I could certainly have that follow.

We tend to look at our statistics over the course of the year, as well as over the course of three years, but definitely it was an indication for us that we need outreach to the aboriginal communities to identify the obstacles to participation in this call.

We have a small but mighty group of three people within our national office who are dedicated to this issue, and who have engaged with aboriginal stakeholders to identify what may be the less appropriate cultural approaches we've been using. We're also very conscious that sometimes our timelines are not appropriate for the aboriginal groups and that's also something that we have been discussing with them and that we are keen on improving in future calls.

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill, MB]

I appreciate that and also the opportunity to glean from that call to which you referred, so would you share that information with the committee? I certainly know from our side that we would like to see more than three people within Status of Women—I'm sure they're working very hard—to look at how to make Status of Women funding more available to indigenous women who we know, on almost every indicator, are particularly marginalized.

Moving to the stated priority of women's representation on corporate boards, in Canada's 2012 budget we heard of the creation of a corporate board task force meant to operate through Status of Women. It was aimed at getting more women on corporate boards.

I wonder if you could report to us on the status of that task force. Has there been tracking of its success, and what benchmarks have been put in place to ensure it is achieving its goals?

[Sébastien Goupil, Director General, Policy and External Relations, Status of Women Canada]

The advisory council has met on a number of occasions and has produced recommendations that are currently being examined, so there is nothing I can report further at this point.

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill, MB]

Do you know what timeline we're looking at, when these recommendations will be...?

[Sébastien Goupil]

No, but I would say it's a question of weeks or months. Lots of different stakeholders are involved in the conversations. I don't have a definite timeframe on that.

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill, MB]

Okay, we certainly hope to see progress on that front as soon as possible.

Moving to our guests, Mr. Gartke and Ms. Hawa, you've certainly outlined a number of very positive examples of Canadian women entrepreneurs who have been able to access foreign markets through your help, which is undeniably a very important piece of generating wealth in our own country.

But I'm also wondering about DFATD's work in ensuring that Canada's trade and business direction is benefiting women, not just here at home but also abroad. The reason I raise this is that there have been concerns around how international investments that have been supported, say, by Export Development Canada or through logistical supports at our embassies, have had a negative impact on women. I'm referring to examples in the extractive sector that have been rather public and are not good news stories for Canada by any stretch and serve to tarnish our reputation as well as exploiting women around the world.

[John Gartke]

Thank you very much for the question.

In terms of what the government is doing for women abroad, as former CIDA—and we are now a new department, the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development—I think you will see policies and alignment that take into account foreign policy, international trade promotion and policy, and development issues. I think you will start to see them come into a single plane where they will be weighed and better balanced.

Another angle that you were perhaps trying to get at as well, which I think is really important, is where again the trade development synergies are assisting women exporters in developing countries. There is an organization in Canada, the Trade Facilitation Office, that works with CIDA, working with women entrepreneurs in developing countries to explore the potential or the benefits of exporting and the how-to of exporting to Canada.

But to come back to the extractive portion, indeed some thought is being given to the new department on how we will better align the development interests. Maternal and child health care is an important initiative, and the extractive industries are another. I think you will see some policy coherence in this moving forward, as a result of the amalgamation that was announced last year.

[The Chair, NDP, Hélène LeBlanc]

Thank you very much.

Ms. O'Neill Gordon, your turn for seven minutes.

[Tilly O'Neill-Gordon, Conservative, Miramichi, NB]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I want to thank all of the witnesses today for bringing us such valuable information. For as you know, as MPs, as community-minded people, we certainly are being approached lots of times by women's groups, and we try very much to help them, get them sent in the right direction toward things that are out there and available to them.

This is for Mr. Gartke. You mentioned the LinkedIn group. I know it's a very important aspect in our style of life today and that lots of information is provided with that link. I'm wondering, as a result of going to the link and furthering along with it, if there are real sessions that women can go to. Do they meet other women? Is there a process that they follow where they have a real, hands-on....? Or is it all just what they learn from LinkedIn? Is there someone there to lead them along the way in the process?

[John Gartke]

Thanks very much for the question.

As we prepare for two or three of the larger events—there's the WEConnect event that takes place every fall in Toronto, and the WBENC trade show and conference takes place in June in Philadelphia—we're in touch with people who have signed up and registered to go. It gives us an opportunity to provide them with, as I mentioned in the introductory remarks, an opportunity for some one-on-group training through webinars.

So we will organize an online session for those registered delegates to the WEConnect or WBENC conference who are looking for the how-to, the 30-second elevator pitch of “here's why my company is great, and here's why you want to buy from me”, that sort of thing, or the nuts and bolts of exporting, trade finance. Those are the types of things we can provide to them in preparation for those key events.

Our regional offices also play an important role in reaching out to new clients, those who are, what I would say, near to export-ready, to apprise them of the existence of the trade commissioner service, and to remind them that, if and when they are looking to expand their markets beyond Canada, there's a free resource they can count on for some of the market information gaps that might exist for that particular client.

Zoe, do you want to supplement?

[Zoe Hawa]

Yes. If I can just add to John's already great comments, what the LinkedIn group does is it tries to share information. As well, it's a two-way conversation, and we try to make sure that feeling is obvious within the group, the fact of sharing information, sharing comments or requests. What we do with a request is we take it in, and as part of the trade commissioner service, we vet it. If they are potential clients for the trade commissioner service, we make sure to move them toward either the regional office or the specific geographic...if they are looking for a specific market.

If they're very new to exporting or if they are a very new business, then we make sure that Industry Canada is involved, because that's not our mandate. Our mandate is very much focused on the exporting.

In terms of how the LinkedIn group is run, we post a lot of information. We post a lot of great information in terms of how to export, anything we find interesting. We also track the kind of information that is getting hits, that is getting a response, so we have a way of trying to gauge what is of interest to the members there and how we can keep that momentum going. It's been only two years, and we do have a plan in terms of how we can become more strategic with the content and also provide the members who are already there and growing with the kind of specific information they're looking for.

[Tilly O'Neill-Gordon, Conservative, Miramichi, NB]

It certainly sounds like a great program. I'm going to get you to repeat where you said the next session is, and when.

[Zoe Hawa]

Do you mean the LinkedIn group?

[Tilly O'Neill-Gordon, Conservative, Miramichi, NB]

Yes.

[Zoe Hawa]

The LinkedIn group is on all the time, and we highly recommend that everyone here become a member of that group. We post information, but we also post events and something called the “manager's choice”.

So for instance, we have two very large events that are coming up. The first is the WBENC trade mission, and that is at the end of June. Through the LinkedIn group we will be trying to get the people who are interested in going to the trade mission or interested in learning more about the trade mission onto a webinar. The LinkedIn group is a vehicle, a channel for us to talk about the initiatives that are important for women in exporting as well as to receive requests from women entrepreneurs. We also let them know about other initiatives, such as the WBENC or our WEConnect conference that is coming up in November.

[Tilly O'Neill-Gordon, Conservative, Miramichi, NB]

Is this one in November as well?

[Zoe Hawa]

Yes.

[Tilly O'Neill-Gordon, Conservative, Miramichi, NB]

November and June, you said.

[Zoe Hawa]

Yes.

[Tilly O'Neill-Gordon, Conservative, Miramichi, NB]

As you said, this is proof of it. International trade is certainly becoming a key means for entrepreneurs to become involved and get business started. With respect to increasing options for Canadian women, what do you feel was lacking in the international trade community that your organization now provides to all?

[Zoe Hawa]

It's very much a one-stop resource for all women entrepreneurs. So for anybody who is interested in exporting, ready to export, or is actively exporting, we have all of that information. We have funding programs. We have the contacts that you need, depending on where you are across Canada and if you don't know where to go. We also have the channels where we're trying to engage you with other partners, other women entrepreneurs, as well as trying to grow that database for you, saying, “Here's a good initiative”—for instance, the Industry Canada initiative—“why don't you go there?” and “This is a great way for you to promote.” For us, we find, we are the resource for you.

[The Chair, NDP, Hélène LeBlanc]

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Ms. Duncan, over to you for seven minutes.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Thank you, Madame Chair.

Thank you to all of you. It's nice to have you back.

Ms. Savoie, I'm going to pick up on two things you talked about. You talked about pay equity and data.

The gender wage gap hits the Canadian economy at the macroscale and our families at the microscale. I'm wondering if you can provide an update on what recommendations of the 2004 pay equity task force have been acted upon? For example, how many recommendations were there, and how many have had action?

[Linda Savoie]

I'm afraid that I wouldn't be able to speak to that offhand.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Okay, that's fair enough. Could I ask that you table with the committee each of the recommendations, and whether the action's been completed, it's in process, or it's not been acted upon, please?

Could I ask how Canada compares internationally on pay equity?