Evidence of meeting #45 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 programs.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:50 p.m.
NDP
The Chair NDP Hélène LeBlanc
So it's a cooperative thing at the same level.
Thank you, Ms. Bateman.
Madam Smith, thank you.
Ms. Freeman, you have the floor for seven minutes.
12:50 p.m.
NDP
Mylène Freeman NDP Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC
I'm going to continue with Claudette Dumont-Smith.
You spoke about first nations education as being key to ending violence against aboriginal women. There's a huge discrepancy in funding. I think first nations schools are funded at about a third of regular schools. Can you explain how this gap came about? What is causing this?
12:50 p.m.
Executive Director, Native Women's Association of Canada
Wow, well....
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Joyce Bateman Conservative Winnipeg South Centre, MB
Please, Madam Chair, it would be very important that I be able to clarify something.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Joyce Bateman Conservative Winnipeg South Centre, MB
That is not the case.
We don't assess a child. The community I represented had 25% aboriginal students, 25% new Canadians, and we never made funding decisions based on who that child was. We made funding decisions based on a child requiring education. I take exception to those comments.
12:50 p.m.
NDP
Mylène Freeman NDP Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC
Ms. Bateman, I apologize, but overall it's statistically shown that first nations education funded by the federal government is at a third of what provincial schools overall offer their children. Unfortunately I don't have tonnes of reports in front of me, but it is recognized as a statistic. Unfortunately your specific example does not apply to the entire country.
12:50 p.m.
NDP
The Chair NDP Hélène LeBlanc
Thank you very much for the clarification, Ms. Freeman.
Could you address your question regarding best practices, please? Thank you.
12:50 p.m.
NDP
Mylène Freeman NDP Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC
What's causing this gap? Where is this coming from?
12:50 p.m.
Executive Director, Native Women's Association of Canada
I think it began in the 1970s when aboriginal people wanted to have schools on the reserves and to control their education systems. I think that was put in place. I think that the funding was never matched by provincial funding.
You're right, the funding for schools on reserve is.... The schools are much less funded. That's a fact; that's the way it is.
Talking about violence against women and domestic violence, I know about the fourth R program, because I was part of that group way back. We don't have that in first nations communities. The system is different, either the community runs the education system or Indian Affairs funds it but not at a level equal to that of the provinces, so we have to look at a lot of gaps. There's no equity.
12:55 p.m.
NDP
Mylène Freeman NDP Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC
Yes.
Can you speak to the importance of evidence-based policy, making sure we have comprehensive data that informs how we make policy. Does that make a huge difference in your experience?
12:55 p.m.
Executive Director, Native Women's Association of Canada
I think we do need more evidence because I don't know who's doing research in the aboriginal communities. We're getting piecemeal data. We do need more evidence-based data, more research to be up to date, I think. We're relying on sources that I don't think are comprehensive.
The short answer would be, yes, we do need more.
12:55 p.m.
NDP
Mylène Freeman NDP Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC
Do bills like S-2 make a difference when the funding for housing needs doesn't follow, and where communities have not been able to settle their land claims, and therefore, do not have the physical space they need.
Does it make a difference in that case, or is it just a piece of the puzzle?
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
Joan Crockatt Conservative Calgary Centre, AB
Madame Chair, I have to ask for a point of order here, please.
I appreciate that Madame Freeman is new on the committee. When she mischaracterizes a bill like S-2, and it's going on the record, I think we have to clarify the fact that Bill S-2 enables women to be able to stay in their homes who are in a matrimonial relationship where they are the object of violence. It has nothing to do with the funding arrangement that she....
12:55 p.m.
NDP
Mylène Freeman NDP Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC
Could you not cut into my time, please?
This isn't a point of order. This is interrupting me and my questioning because you don't agree with my—
12:55 p.m.
NDP
Mylène Freeman NDP Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC
No, it's to question accuracy in the questioning to the witness.
12:55 p.m.
NDP
The Chair NDP Hélène LeBlanc
Order, please.
Thank you, Ms. Crockatt. Please let the member finish before having the back and forth. It's too difficult for me.
Time stops when we have a point of order, so it doesn't affect your time.
Thank you for the clarification.
Ms. Freeman, would you like to direct your question about best practice, and how housing can help?
12:55 p.m.
NDP
Mylène Freeman NDP Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC
Sitting down and treating the communities seriously and having the funding following, how important is that in making sure that we address violence against women?
February 5th, 2015 / 12:55 p.m.
Executive Director, Native Women's Association of Canada
It is very important, and housing is a very big problem in aboriginal communities. It is broadcast widely across all the news channels and the media. There is overcrowding. In terms of matrimonial.... Communities are small. Everybody knows one another.
If you take out the man and the woman gets the house, where does the man go? Everyone is contained in a small community. There are no shelters for the women. It's problem after problem.
That's why NWAC is calling for a national public inquiry. It is calling for all levels of government and NAOs to sit down together and to start to look at these problems, because we're just bouncing them around and looking at them though one lens. That's not what is needed.
Putting in things like Bill S-2 may do a little bit of good, or it may not.
12:55 p.m.
Executive Director, Native Women's Association of Canada
The judges and lawyers are not even familiar with aboriginal culture. That's a whole other issue. Are they trained in aboriginal culture?
These are all little pieces that are being put forward in good faith, but I don't think it's enough.
12:55 p.m.
NDP