Status of Women Committee on June 19th, 2018

[Kennedy Stewart, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

You're saying that you have to find 100 women to come forward, but really you're only 17 women short of having parity. Why is it 100? Why isn't it 20?

[Norma Dubé]

We're saying that we want 50% at least on the ballot so that our 16% has a chance of creeping up to something that will be a whole lot more appropriate. Our goal, our vision, is to make sure that we have at least 50% candidates by all parties.

[Kennedy Stewart, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Would anybody else care to jump in there?

[Dawn Wilson]

Yes, I'd like to jump in there.

Specifically, I think it's something New Brunswick and P.E.I. have looked at. I tend to agree. Island women are smart, they're qualified, they're capable, and I think they're ready to run for elected office, so I don't think that's....

We must acknowledge that there are internal barriers sometimes. We often hear women express a lack of confidence or a concern about qualifications. However, when we look at women's qualifications, they are often equally and sometimes more qualified than men for positions, so there is some work to do there.

The coalition tends to lean more towards structural and systemic change. We're working with political parties to address some of those barriers. We've identified that the nomination process is a barrier for women in P.E.I.

[Kennedy Stewart, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

What would you suggest we do?

[Dawn Wilson]

We often tell political parties to consider having 50% women and diverse people on their search committees as they're out recruiting women. We've talked about recruiting here as well. We tend to be friends with and have networks with those who are like us and look like us, so if you have an all-male search committee, it is more likely to come back with male names.

I also think it's important to recognize that P.E.I. is a small jurisdiction. I have a good friend who jokes that in Prince Edward Island people can tell your religious beliefs, your political affiliation, and your hockey team by your last name. It's a small area, and people think they know you before you're out there, so it's a bit a matter of overcoming that.

Also, I do think that we need to look at structural and systemic change. Parties have an important role to play there. In fact, parties can help buffer against some of the barriers that women face.

[Kennedy Stewart, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

I see your reluctance here to say the word “quota”. Quotas are used in over 100 countries. They seem to be some kind of a taboo word in Canada, for some reason. In British Columbia, the NDP uses a quota system. Why are we so scared to say the word “quota”, if we know it's demand and we know it's systemic?

[Dawn Wilson]

I think there's a reluctance within the Canadian context to talk about quotas. The PEI Coalition for Women In Government does not have a position on quotas. However, we have worked on a project called “equity in governance” around increasing women's representation on boards. We know from the research in other countries that the quickest and most efficient way to reach that level is through quotas, though I will say that we don't have a position on them.

What we do have a position on is proportional representation. We have presented to the federal committee on that.

[Kennedy Stewart, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

We do have a quota here, in cabinet. The Prime Minister has said famously that 50% of his cabinet will be women, and that's a quota. If the highest political official in the land can believe in quotas, I don't understand why we can't move more there. I value your testimony here today, but I would urge you to take another look at that. If it's not changing, we have to do something differently.

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

Thank you very much, Kennedy.

We're now going to move over to Eva Nassif for seven minutes.

[Eva Nassif, Liberal, Vimy, QC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you to all our participants for their presentations.

My questions are for Ms. Asselin and Ms. Gilbert.

As you know, I come from Laval. I am the first woman MP for the riding of Vimy.

In 2016, you received funds from Status of Women Canada, in collaboration with Groupe femmes, politique et démocratie, in which I had the opportunity to participate. In 2007, I received training which helped me a great deal in my political life.

You said that the goal of this project is to promote the emergence of a political culture that values the active participation of women throughout Quebec.

Could you simply talk to us about the results that have been achieved in the wake of this project?

[Sylvie Asselin]

The project you are talking about is Défi parité.

[Eva Nassif, Liberal, Vimy, QC]

Yes, you received this funding in 2016.

[Marjolaine Gilbert]

In 2016, we received funds from the Secrétariat à la Condition féminine. We carried out the survey and did the interviews. With that, we uncovered the nine elements that can potentially determine the climate that prevails in municipal councils.

For the moment, we are indeed working on the Défi parité file, and the goal is to achieve a proportion of 40% to 60% of men and of women. In this case the funds are coming from Status of Women Canada.

[Sylvie Asselin]

The length of the project Défi parité, for which we received a subsidy from the Groupe femmes, politique et démocratie, is three years. Within the framework of this project, we are expected to implement an egalitarian governance policy among RCMs, for example. In fact, we are actually working on that. Certain municipal councils have already passed resolutions. We are going to develop the policy on equality and include governance and women at the municipal level.

[Marjolaine Gilbert]

We have a reeve who is a woman, and the RCM must first put forward a resolution. The reeves are hard enough to convince, even if we tell them that we're going to help them develop the resolution and that we are subsidized by Status of Women Canada.

[Sylvie Asselin]

There was mention earlier of equal qualifications. That subject comes up often. When it comes to current elected officials, if we set up a balanced council, women have to be given the opportunity to be part of it. Défi parité aims to integrate women into a man's world. Indeed, municipal councils are, for the most part, made up of elected men. This means that it is necessary to advocate for including women in communication and decision-making. It is a long-term undertaking.

[Marjolaine Gilbert]

As a matter of fact, mayors have told us that they have asked women to run for office, but that they do not want to go through the election process. We are there to change that kind of thinking and to convince them to run. We also want to talk to women. We have to find ways to encourage young people of 35 and under to run for office.

[Eva Nassif, Liberal, Vimy, QC]

Exactly.

In practical terms, what do you do? Tools for women are lacking, and they are different from those provided to men.

What tools do you provide to women to convince them to get involved in politics?

[Sylvie Asselin]

The most effective tool is networking with women who have been elected, and peer experience. We do a lot of networking and activities where there are exchanges between women holding office and women who have been elected who come and share their experiences. They tell young women or older women that they do have their place in politics and that what they are going through is normal, and that is how things go, but that from now on, they must do things differently.

Our goal, by involving women who have been elected, is to encourage a sharing of knowledge and skills, as well as mentoring. This is done on an individual basis. Women who are elected give their time to mentor those who have been newly elected. On the eve of the 2017 election, we held training sessions to show women how a municipal election campaign is run. We talked to them about everything from knocking on doors to bingo cards, and so on.

We give them real tools based on their needs. However, after they are elected, they need to be accompanied to create a network with others. As we are part of an RCM, they are often alone in a council made up mostly of men. They have to find their social network. They have to talk about it. This is what we offer them, and it is important.

Subsidies are needed for our current programs. As was mentioned earlier, we do not have any funding. Therefore, we have to present projects to move things forward.

[Eva Nassif, Liberal, Vimy, QC]

Let me tell you about myself.

I have been actively involved in politics for over 10 years. I am a strong woman. I won two significant nominations, running against men and well-known people. I am strong. I decided to run for the third time in 2015, and I won.

In terms of recruiting women to run for nominations, what changes would you suggest to make this process more attractive for others? Personally, I didn't find it attractive, but I decided to go for it and to persevere. What would you suggest?

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

You have about 20 seconds. Go ahead.

[Sylvie Asselin]

Personally, I think that parties are very important at all levels. We lay the groundwork, but women need to know that they have a place within parties. Like you, women may run for a nomination, but if the nominations are made by the leaders, this is not an option. Sometimes, men are given priority over women. We need to give women the option of running for a nomination.

Society is ready to elect women. This year, in the riding of Louis-Hébert, Ms. Guilbault was elected in the provincial election with a big majority of the votes. She was young and pregnant.

This is a great accomplishment, and it's a sign that if we give people the choice of voting for a woman or a man, they will vote for the woman as often as for the man.

[Eva Nassif, Liberal, Vimy, QC]

There is no difference?

[Sylvie Asselin]

No, there is no difference.