Evidence of meeting #36 for Status of Women in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was data.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Tilly O'Neill-Gordon Conservative Miramichi, NB
It sounds very good. Do you find that more and more people are coming out to be involved in those programs? There was a time when some parents would not step forward and admit that they needed help. How do you find it now? What do you think is the reason for them coming forward?
Assistant Deputy Minister, Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada
I think more are coming forward. In some programs, for instance, there are waiting lists for services now. I think it's because awareness raising has been working.
People are more willing to come forward in safe environments, and they see these community organizations as safe environments. These organizations often provide them with wraparound services, so they can see their parole officer in the same setting where they're bringing in their children for a health examination. Women have told us that this means a lot to them, because they don't like having to sometimes go to other services and bring a number of small children with them. When the services come to them, it makes them feel valued, and they can receive these services in what they consider to be a safe environment.
I think we're seeing more uptake of these programs.
Conservative
Senior Director General, Women's Program and Regional Operations Directorate, Status of Women Canada
In terms of that, our intervention point tends to be when they're just slightly older. For instance, we have some very interesting projects happening right now where their target populations are tweens. I don't know if there's a French expression for that.
A group in Montreal identified that a particularly high-risk moment in their lives for young girls is the transition from primary school to junior high, or in Quebec, from primaire to secondaire. They're doing some very interesting work to ensure that at this moment in their lives, where girls' self-esteem typically takes a big drop, they are equipped and accompanied to handle this transition well and not become victims of violence.
Our intersection point tends to be with slightly older children, with tweens, up to young women and to women, but still, there's much interesting work being done.
Conservative
Tilly O'Neill-Gordon Conservative Miramichi, NB
Yes, and all the way around at every level we're seeing a lot of advancement and a lot of great work being done. It's great to hear that.
The purpose of the Department of Justice is to ensure that the Canadian justice system is fair, accessible, and efficient, and it has taken great measures to ensure its objectives are met. Can you please explain the victims fund, the grants, and the contribution program through Justice Canada, which provides a more effective voice for victims in the justice system?
Director and Senior Counsel, Policy Centre for Victim Issues, Department of Justice
I'd be happy to answer that. The victims fund is one of the tools or instruments we have within the federal victims strategy. It's a grants and contributions program. It is, as I said, one of the tools we use to give victims a more effective voice in criminal justice and federal corrections.
In my presentation, I identified a number of the components within that fund that are particularly relevant to violence against women. We have $11.6 million available each year and that funding is provided for activities that will increase services for victims, increase training for people who provide services to victims, provide public legal education, and increase awareness of services or issues that are important for victims of crime.
NDP
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
Thank you to all of you for coming. You've been so gracious with your time.
I'll start with Justice and a clarification.
The economic cost of violence in Canada is $7.4 billion. Is that correct? I'm looking for just yes or no.
Senior Counsel and Coordinator, Children's Law and Family Violence Policy Unit, Department of Justice
Yes. That's the result of the study for 2012.
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
Thank you.
Ms. Elmslie, I'm looking for a number. What is PHAC spending on prevention of violence?
Assistant Deputy Minister, Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada
Under the federal family violence initiative per se, let me quickly check that number for you. I believe it's about $1.8 million a year specifically under the federal family violence initiative.
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
Thank you. So it's $1.8 million, and what is PHAC spending on research?
Assistant Deputy Minister, Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada
Do you mean in this area?
Assistant Deputy Minister, Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada
I don't have a specific number for you, but I can certainly get that for you. I would suggest that in addition to that, you might want to know what the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, which is one of our partners, is doing.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada
Recently we have been partnering with them on an initiative for boys and men that looks at violence.
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
I'm aware. If that could be tabled, that would be great. Thank you.
Ms. Savoie, what is Status of Women spending on prevention?
Senior Director General, Women's Program and Regional Operations Directorate, Status of Women Canada
As you are probably aware, in terms of grants and contributions funding, we spend about $19 million per year. Year over year if you look at our average, 50% of our budget typically goes to violence-related projects. We are nearly exclusively at the prevention end of the spectrum. That doesn't include, of course, some of the other investments we make, such as when we support the publication of—
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
Could you table with the committee exactly what Status of Women is spending on prevention? Also, what is Status of Women spending on research?
Senior Director General, Women's Program and Regional Operations Directorate, Status of Women Canada
I will have to get back to you with those figures as well. I was about to mention that we fund the statistical publication “Women in Canada”. We commission issue briefs. I will get that data to give you some sense of our investments on that side.
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
Thank you so much.
I will turn now to Statistics Canada. For how many years do we have continuous data with the same questions and variables?
Chief, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics , Statistics Canada
That's a good question. At Statistics Canada we measure family violence, violence against women, using two different data sources. We have the general social survey on victimization that includes specifically spousal violence and other types of violence, robbery, sexual assault, and physical assault. We have data going back to 1999. We do this every five years.
In addition, we have police records. We collect the data—and I don't want to get too technical. It's microdata that we extract from police services. We want to be able to understand characteristics around the incident, so it's data about the sex and age of the victim.
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
Would it be possible to table with the committee...? You said the data goes back to 1999?
Chief, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics , Statistics Canada
There are two datasets.
