Evidence of meeting #43 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 work.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Hedy Fry Liberal Vancouver Centre, BC
Okay, well then I wanted to ask what you think. Are you familiar with the government's new legislation, the zero tolerance for barbaric cultural practices act? What do you feel about that particular piece of legislation?
Do you think it would harm your relationship with multicultural communities? Do you think they would find it to be discriminatory? If so, what do you think about it, and what would you like to see changed in it?
Executive Director, Co-Chair VAW Forum, KW Counselling Services
I don't know if I have a specific opinion on that. I can talk about the process we use to engage our multicultural community.
We have several components. We have a committee of 30 leaders from various multicultural communities that meet with each other and with us and with other community resources on a monthly basis.
We also make our space available to various fledgling, emergent multicultural groups. We offer them space and reception and a voice mailbox and an address and so on, so they can emerge to maturity as local communities. We also have this very fixed, set, leadership curriculum that we engage leaders from the multicultural community in.
I don't have a specific answer to that question. We have a continuous conversation, and we try to be curious so we can better understand the perspectives and the understanding, the values, the challenges of the multicultural community.
Liberal
Hedy Fry Liberal Vancouver Centre, BC
We know that many of these so-called barbaric practices are already in the Criminal Code.
In my part of the world, British Columbia, there has been push-back from the ethnocultural communities about this. They feel that the term “barbaric” is quite insulting to them, given that most of them, when they come to Canada, recognize they have to obey the rule of law. While there will always be an exception to rule of law in any community on anything by people who want to break the law, the point is that they have a real problem with the fact that they are being shown as newcomers and they believe this could cause discrimination by the rest of society against them.
I didn't know whether you had been hearing that from your community because we have been hearing it in this community.
Ms. Wright, can you talk more about the CEDAW plan with regard to violence against women? Are you implying that Canada is not complying with CEDAW?
Executive Director, St. John's Status of Women's Council Women's Centre
Yes, we were one of the first countries to sign on to and to have done CEDAW, and I don't think that we are doing everything we can—certainly all reasonable measures, including legislation—to ensure the full potential of women in this country.
I think things could change if we could refocus the way in which we look at anti-violence work to a human rights perspective. I know I'm not the first person in the world to say that women's rights are human rights, but they are, and we're not using a human rights lens in our anti-violence work. I think if we did, that would refocus and reshift in a really important way.
I see that as one of the key elements we need to do moving forward in order to get at root causes. Best practice is everywhere. We have so much best practice. Organizations are doing fantastic work, including our own, but we need to get at root causes in order for that best practice to flow. If not, we're just managing it.
Liberal
Hedy Fry Liberal Vancouver Centre, BC
As you know, Canada used to lead the best practices when we first signed on to CEDAW way back. I was the minister at the time.
I think one of the things we are hearing now from the Organization of American States human rights group and from the United Nations is that they're asking us to look at the specific issue of missing and murdered aboriginal women, who form only 4% of the community but who have 11 times that amount of violence levelled at them in different ways. Do you have anything to say about that particular issue with regard to violence?
Executive Director, St. John's Status of Women's Council Women's Centre
I think we definitely need an inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women, and I think that inquiry needs to be led by indigenous women leaders. I think it's very important that another inquiry is not created and downloaded on them. I think it needs to be developed by and led by the wonderful and strong indigenous women in this country, because they have the knowledge.
If that happens, then we'll start to see some change. I think it's definitely a human rights issue that we have not had an inquiry into those horrific deaths, well over 1,200 of them, and that's just what's documented.
Liberal
Hedy Fry Liberal Vancouver Centre, BC
I just wanted to say that the long-form census used to give us an ability to track violence against women, and that was how we came up with the idea way back in the 1990s. I must admit that it was under Mr. Mulroney's government at the time that everyone began to say we didn't realize that the violence against women was so endemic. That began the work—which we picked up when we formed government—to look at the issue of violence against women.
But for me the issue of violence against indigenous women is specific. There are specific root causes that are not to be buried within the whole scenario of violence against women. Do you agree with that?
Executive Director, St. John's Status of Women's Council Women's Centre
I agree.
NDP
The Chair NDP Hélène LeBlanc
Thank you very much, Ms. Fry.
Mr. Barlow, please, you have five minutes.
Conservative
John Barlow Conservative Macleod, AB
Thank you, Madam Chair.
First, I have a really quick comment for Ms. Wright. I was doing some research. Your website did say that you were funded by Status of Women and Health Canada, so could you check that out, get back to us, and let us know if that's right or wrong? I just want to make sure that we're right as well.
Executive Director, St. John's Status of Women's Council Women's Centre
We're funded by the provincial status of women office, the Women's Policy Office, with $120,000 a year. We don't have federal health care money. In fact, when we first opened and expanded into Marguerite's Place with our housing, at that point there might have been some federal health care dollars, but it's not ongoing.
Conservative
Executive Director, St. John's Status of Women's Council Women's Centre
I will absolutely do that.
January 29th, 2015 / 12:10 p.m.
Conservative
John Barlow Conservative Macleod, AB
Thank you. I appreciate that.
For Ms. Plante, first, yesterday or the other day we heard from Dr. Katz about really changing how we look at violence against women. Being, as you can see, the only man on the committee is.... Changing it from violence against women, men inflicting violence against women, changing that narrative.... You talked about your Pacifix program and how you deal with men. I have two questions on that. Can you tell me how you identify the families who are going to be part of that program? What do you do specifically in terms of involving the men as part of that program?
Executive Assistant, Carrefour pour Elle
That's a very good question.
Generally speaking, families are not recruited as such. Women first participate in a support group. Afterwards, we ask them whether they want to participate in the PACIFIX program. It's important to point out that, in most cases, the women are separated. So their spouse is no longer in the picture.
If they are still with their spouse, we give the men an opportunity to participate in the PACIFIX program. However, they must fulfill one condition to be able to enrol in the PACIFIX program; they must agree to receive counselling at the Montreal organization Entraide pour Hommes. This is a 25-week counselling program on violent behaviours. After that, if they want—they must do so voluntarily—they can participate in the PACIFIX program. That explains the imbalance.
More women participate in the support group and in the PACIFIX program than men do in the PACIFIX program alone. However, it's worth the while when they do agree to participate. For instance, six men took part in the program last year. Four of them completed it, and the family is still together. That's a nice success story.
Unfortunately, that changes from year to year. Only one man has agreed to participate in the current program. I would say there is room for improvement in that area.
When it comes to domestic violence, I would say that most women who use the services of Carrefour pour Elle end up going through a separation or divorce process. This is still a very good program for those who stay with their spouse and want to try the PACIFIX program. That's a very innovative program in Quebec.
Conservative
John Barlow Conservative Macleod, AB
Thank you.
I think it's important to break this cycle. The children learn that mentality and those activities. If you can get the husband and the family stays together, hopefully the child can learn the positives of that as well. I'd really like to learn more about Pacifix as we move forward.
In regard to my next question, Ms. Josling, you mentioned this and glossed over it a bit, and I'd like to talk a little more about it. You talked about the 10,000 individuals and families who have gone through your walk-in clinic program, and you touched on the fact that the walk-in program has been much more successful, maybe, than traditional counselling. Can you explain that a little more? What is it about walk-in clinics that seems to be more effective?
Executive Director, Co-Chair VAW Forum, KW Counselling Services
Yes, absolutely.
When we launched the walk-in counselling clinic, we had about 981 people on a waiting list for service. We were really in quite a crisis. We were no longer even able to return calls, we were so overwhelmed.
The walk-in was chosen for a number of reasons. We were seeing a lot of no-shows in appointments, and of course you can't be a no-show at a walk-in clinic. We also knew clinically that if you see people in their moment of need, you capitalize on what the literature calls “readiness to change”, and that improves clinical outcomes.
We also had the hunch that it was simply culturally relevant. We're in a community now where everything is drive-through and immediate. You know, for me, it has to be a crisis before I book my hair appointment.
Executive Director, Co-Chair VAW Forum, KW Counselling Services
We were taking all of that bumph and that difficulty out of service. That was why we chose the walk-in. We didn't expect that a quarter of our visitors would be women who experience abuse, but that is what emerged. We were delighted to see these very positive clinical outcomes. We also looked at cost-effectiveness in looking at things like emergency department visits, lost days of work, and resource utilization. We've now conducted two studies. I don't know if that answers your question.
NDP
The Chair NDP Hélène LeBlanc
We're over time, two minutes over time.
Madam Sellah, please.
You have five minutes.
NDP
Djaouida Sellah NDP Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I want to thank our guests for taking the time to share their experiences with us. Their testimony is very valuable to us. I would like to begin by congratulating Ms. Plante, of course. I am using this opportunity because she works in my region.
Ms. Plante, you are not only doing a great job, but you are doing it across a large region like Montérégie. As you pointed out, you could do more with some help.
In 2014, you housed over 100 women and 90 children. Statistics Canada indicates that, in 2013, 7 out of 10 victims of violence were women. The figures remain as alarming from year to year.
Can you explain to us why these figures have remained stable? Are violence prevention programs effective? What types of difficulties is Carrefour pour Elle facing as a non-profit organization? In addition to the PACIFIX program, what else can the federal government do to help you?
Executive Assistant, Carrefour pour Elle
Thank you for your questions, Mrs. Sellah. You said many things.
Funding is the most important issue for a community organization like ours. We need to have more workers on the ground. I think our internal services work well. We have been providing housing for 40 years, but I think it would be extremely helpful if we had more workers who could raise awareness in various communities across the region.
That said, media campaigns aimed at the general public should continue to be conducted. We can work with young people. Other community organizations are involved in elementary schools, and that is also a wonderful initiative. We must start teaching children about equality, respect and anger management from a very young age.
Our efforts are geared towards girls and women, but many of my colleagues do a great job on the ground with children. I would suggest you invite them to appear before you during this study.
That being said, we need funding, collaboration and time to join forces. We are trying to take some time to come together. As I said, at Carrefour pour Elle, half of my time goes to awareness-raising activities and the other half to collaboration. I am the only person from my team who does this work. We definitely need a helping hand.
Much is being done across Quebec to help women. My colleagues from Newfoundland said that social policies should be put forward to support social housing, access to child care, as well as increased social assistance and funding for community organizations.
I think that we, the people who work for community organizations, are very creative, flexible and innovative. So innovation must be encouraged. We also have considerable expertise. We have been involved in feminist intervention for 40 years, and I think we have been doing a good job. Unfortunately, we lack resources. There is a lack of resources for women with mental health problems. There is a lack of supportive housing facilities. The federal government could help us establish these resources.
This is not simply an issue of funding for existing community organizations. We need more to be able to help female victims. I am mainly thinking of women at risk of homelessness, and women with or without children who have mental health issues. It would be a good idea to think about creating resources to help break the cycle of violence. We are looking at those women's life trajectories. They are sometime exposed to violence during their childhood, adolescence, adulthood and even in their old age. We must break this cycle, but we have to provide them with tools to improve their living conditions in order to put an end to violence.