Evidence of meeting #39 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 family.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Carmela Hutchison  President, DisAbled Women's Network of Canada
Alia Hogben  Executive Director, Canadian Council of Muslim Women
Beba Svigir  Chief Executive Officer, Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association
Rekha Gadhia  Manager, Family Services Department, Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association
Bonnie L. Brayton  National Executive Director, DisAbled Women's Network of Canada

9:25 a.m.

Conservative

Susan Truppe Conservative London North Centre, ON

That's great, thank you.

9:25 a.m.

National Executive Director, DisAbled Women's Network of Canada

9:25 a.m.

NDP

The Chair NDP Hélène LeBlanc

Merci beaucoup, Ms. Brayton and Ms. Hutchison. We'll make sure the brief is translated and distributed to members. We couldn't distribute it at this moment because it has to be in both official languages. We'll make sure the members are aware of the recommendations you put in the brief. Thank you very much.

Now, Ms. Ashton, you have seven minutes.

9:25 a.m.

NDP

Niki Ashton NDP Churchill, MB

Thank you very much.

Thank you to all of our witnesses for presenting today, and thank you for sharing very important feedback.

I'd like to begin with Ms. Brayton and Ms. Hutchison, from DAWN. Thank you very much for really expanding our committee's understanding of the barriers that disabled women face. While we've heard from other witnesses in this study around the importance of the intersectional understanding of violence against women, hearing from you directly is obviously very important as well.

One of the recurring themes in the presentations we're hearing is the need to address systemic barriers and looking at the need for comprehensive and systemic answers. One of the pieces that's been called for increasingly by many voices in the violence against women community is the need for a national action plan to address violence against women that also understands the barriers that disabled women face.

Would you support the call for a national action plan to address violence against women?

9:30 a.m.

President, DisAbled Women's Network of Canada

Carmela Hutchison

Yes, absolutely. I think the other thing that really needs to be built into that plan—because it's a theme we have talked about amongst all of us—is the importance of funding for intersectional inclusion. Intersectional practice is looking at women's experience. The term originated in the black feminist community to address race, poverty, and violence against them, and it's the intersection of those barriers. Over time women have come together and researched this issue, and there has been a more fulsome discussion of inclusion. Our colleagues both here and in Calgary have talked about the fact that they had only $300 for a workshop. We tried to do a workshop in Calgary for which we had a similar budget and we could not have interpreters for deaf people because those cost $1,500 for the three hours we were planning and needed to be booked three months in advance.

The need for staff support just cannot be underscored. The need for staff assistance for our executive director is huge as well. We also know, even with regard to shelters, that one woman actually left a shelter early because she didn't have access to halal foods. So that intersectional budgeting is extremely important and must be built into the funding envelopes.

9:30 a.m.

NDP

Niki Ashton NDP Churchill, MB

Thank you.

Last week we heard from West Coast LEAF, which talked about a report they were involved with—and I believe you were as well—called “Able Mothers: The intersection of parenting, disability and the law”. We had an opportunity to hear briefly about the crippling lack of legal aid available to women living with disabilities. Obviously the responsibility for legal aid has been downloaded to the provinces, but do you see a federal role in this area specifically around accessing legal services for women with disabilities?

9:30 a.m.

National Executive Director, DisAbled Women's Network of Canada

Bonnie L. Brayton

One of the most critical things we need to understand is that women with disabilities are not even disclosing.

I think really, Niki, that your question is important, but one of the things that DAWN Canada is doing for the 16 days to end violence against women is a campaign called “We can tell and we will tell”. That's because many women with disabilities do not disclose or do not understand that what's happening to them is abuse, because they have been abused so much in so many different ways that it simply feels as though that's the way it's supposed to be.

Having said that, I totally agree with you and I would certainly say, based on the work that DAWN has been doing and as part of the national action committee on access to family justice, I can confirm that in terms of what we know is going on in the family court systems that something like, I believe, 80% of people in the family court system are self-represented litigants. Among those, perhaps 1% or 2% are people with disabilities. We are not represented in the court system. We are not supported.

One of the important pieces of work DAWN Canada did—and it's available on our website—was our recommendations on the victims of crime bill. We worked with Sue O'Sullivan very closely on all of that work with respect to recommendations for how to support people with disabilities in the justice system. It becomes extremely important in this conversation around violence against women with disabilities to understand that this is an absolutely critical issue. It is an enormous gap. Women with disabilities are not making it to the court systems, and when they do they experience all kinds of different discrimination. The D.A.I.decision that Carmela refers to is very specific to a woman with an intellectual disability who had been questioned on her ability to know the difference between the truth and a lie.

9:30 a.m.

NDP

Niki Ashton NDP Churchill, MB

Thank you very much, Ms. Brayton.

Just in my remaining time, I'd like to turn to you, Ms. Hogben. Thank you very much for your presentation as well.

In recent months there's been a lot of talk about forced marriage. There was a conversation that you referred to, and in fact there is a government bill before us. I'm wondering if you could reiterate some of the messages that you brought forward, particularly on the racialized and targeted tone of these conversations, and whether you could share your thoughts on behalf of your organization on that front.

9:30 a.m.

Executive Director, Canadian Council of Muslim Women

Alia Hogben

Just on forced marriages...?

Well, I'm going to be presenting next week to the Senate committee on zero tolerance, as they're calling it. We're very upset, very disturbed. It's very discriminatory, but we'll talk about that another time. It's how the government is dealing with such an issue. It doesn't help to be discriminated against doubly or triply.

However, with regard to forced marriages, that's been going on for quite some time, and as I mention in my paper, I don't think it's happening only with immigrants. I think that's what our concern is. We are concerned about forced marriages, just as we are concerned about early age marriages, and just as we are concerned about domestic violence. But to single out forced marriages, what is happening is that it's not such a huge problem, but that's not to say even one isn't too many.

We've been working with SALCO for the past four or five years, and we've looked at other models, like the one in Britain, which has criminalized it now. They have a fabulous network in other countries where these young women are being taken. We've been presenting to the federal government that what they need to do is to build links with countries where these girls might be taken. The British model is mostly with Pakistan, where they have a very good system protocol. I think it's one of the Norwegian or Scandinavian countries—I don't know which one it is—which also has a very good protocol with the other countries. Canada could do that to protect girls being taken from here. We would also suggest that raising the age of marriage might help, but child welfare needs to be involved.

There was an incident about five or six years ago of a younger girl under 16, and all of us got together and brought the girl back from where she had been taken. There's a lot that needs to be done, but again, I think we should make sure that we don't keep focusing only on immigrants. It's happening here. I think we should universalize all this. Don't pick on one group, please.

9:35 a.m.

NDP

The Chair NDP Hélène LeBlanc

Thank you very much for your answers.

Ms. O'Neill Gordon, you have seven minutes.

9:35 a.m.

Conservative

Tilly O'Neill-Gordon Conservative Miramichi, NB

Thank you, Madam Chair. I want to welcome all the witnesses here today. Thank you for your words of advice, which provide lots of food for thought as we work on this study at the status of women committee.

My first question is for Bonnie Brayton. You mentioned earlier when answering another question that you had just received notification that a Status of Women project was recognized as a best practice. I was wondering what was the name of the organization.

December 2nd, 2014 / 9:35 a.m.

National Executive Director, DisAbled Women's Network of Canada

Bonnie L. Brayton

Handicap International, it's the name of the organization that's recognized our work.

9:35 a.m.

Conservative

Tilly O'Neill-Gordon Conservative Miramichi, NB

Is that the one that's recognized right across Canada?

9:35 a.m.

National Executive Director, DisAbled Women's Network of Canada

Bonnie L. Brayton

We're a national organization and Handicap International is an international development agency focused on people with disabilities. They have recognized our program, the one that we're currently funded for through Status of Women Canada, as one of the most promising best practices globally.

9:35 a.m.

Conservative

Tilly O'Neill-Gordon Conservative Miramichi, NB

Oh, that's nice. How much funding did you receive?

9:35 a.m.

National Executive Director, DisAbled Women's Network of Canada

Bonnie L. Brayton

A little over $500,000.

9:35 a.m.

Conservative

Tilly O'Neill-Gordon Conservative Miramichi, NB

$500,000...?

9:35 a.m.

National Executive Director, DisAbled Women's Network of Canada

Bonnie L. Brayton

Yes, it was one of the most well-funded projects for last year from Minister Leitch. She committed that funding because she understood that what we needed to do was to go across the country to understand what those different intersections are for women with disabilities. It allowed us to do this, as I said, in the 13 provinces and territories across the country. It was a significant investment by her, and we're very grateful. In fact, the project goes through to December of next year, and based on some of the feedback that we're getting, we're speaking with her about the possibility of an expansion of the project because it is going so well.

9:35 a.m.

Conservative

Tilly O'Neill-Gordon Conservative Miramichi, NB

Yes, our minister has a great understanding of the need and would certainly—

9:35 a.m.

National Executive Director, DisAbled Women's Network of Canada

Bonnie L. Brayton

Yes, she's been tremendous.

9:35 a.m.

Conservative

Tilly O'Neill-Gordon Conservative Miramichi, NB

Yes, that's great to hear.

My next question is for the Calgary Immigrant Women's Association. In the course of the conversation you mentioned it and I was just wondering, does the hidden violence, immigrant girls being abused by parents, continue today?

9:35 a.m.

Manager, Family Services Department, Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association

Rekha Gadhia

Yes. As I mentioned earlier in the speech, in some of the families, some cultural traditions, there are issues that we see. For example, the mothers feel it is just from a protection standpoint. The culture was very different in their own home country, and here, they feel that the girls are very much immediately exposed to a very different culture. The girl is just trying to be part of the school, part of the cool group. The parents, specifically the mothers, being at home, being more protective, feel that the girls no longer belong to their own culture. We have seen cases in our counselling of that from the parents. Sometimes, it's because the mother is at home and is more concerned about the security of the girl. That is where we see some cases. Yes, in our parenting programs we do come across some cases like that.

9:40 a.m.

Chief Executive Officer, Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association

Beba Svigir

I'll just add that we typically see one component of a huge misunderstanding and lack of preparedness for women with families when they come to Canada.

There is a very fine line between the opportunity that Canada provides for them, to come and provide a better future for their children, opportunities for education, and to reach their goals and dreams anywhere in the world they want. The problem is that sometimes immigrant parents have a problem understanding and anticipating that when they come to Canada, there will be no distinction between that family life and particular requirements that parents might have in terms of preserving their original culture to the extent that they would like to. Children integrate faster. Children become Canadians faster than parents do, and that's when the discrepancy between parents and youth come in.

9:40 a.m.

Conservative

Tilly O'Neill-Gordon Conservative Miramichi, NB

Yes, and that makes a lot of sense.

9:40 a.m.

Chief Executive Officer, Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association

Beba Svigir

And that triggers family violence.