Status of Women Committee on Nov. 19th, 2018

[Kathy AuCoin]

That's a good question.

Currently, under another project within Statistics Canada being funded by the Public Health Agency, we are looking at collecting administrative data for community services, which would feed into the social work, into the welfare system, and whether there is a suspicion of child abuse. We are exploring how to collect that information, but it's very preliminary as we explore if it is viable.

[Sonia Sidhu]

Thank you.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Pam Damoff]

Go ahead, Marc.

I actually have a couple of really quick questions when we're done.

[Marc Serré, Liberal, Nickel Belt, ON]

When you say it is a snapshot of that one day, wouldn't it be better to ask the shelters for a snapshot of the last 12 months? In that one day, it's hard to get some true data to sink our teeth in. What would be needed of—

[Kathy AuCoin]

Again, my understanding, working with survey managers, is that resources are limited. Their priority is to focus on the women and children coming in. They are not the collectors of data.

We work closely with the associations to try to figure out how to collect the information without putting a burden on them, and I believe their resources are stretched.

It's a very valid question, but they're able to manage the snapshot day, and some even have difficulty providing us that information.

[Marc Serré, Liberal, Nickel Belt, ON]

Do you have any recommendations as regards co-operation with provinces and municipalities?

What can they do to help the federal government with data collection? Do you have any recommendations for the committee? You don't have to provide them today.

[Yvan Clermont]

Collecting data in a systematic and consistent way is a very big job, administratively speaking. With their limited resources, transition homes, or shelters, can't exactly afford the IT systems necessary to collect data. In my view, aggregate surveys, when supplemented by the National Household Survey, can reveal a tremendous amount of information.

The results of the new survey, administered on a specific date, as well as the Survey of Safety in Public and Private Spaces will deliver a huge quantity of information. From there, we'll be better positioned to identify any data deficiencies and make recommendations accordingly. It's tough for us to say right now. Nevertheless, I would advise against any data collection systems where every single person walking into a shelter would be surveyed. That's how correctional services operates. Even though the organization is funded, staff have trouble getting the job done.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Pam Damoff]

I've let both sides go over quite a bit. If the committee would indulge me, with just a few minutes left, I would like to ask a couple of questions.

Do you collect data on same-sex partners and issues with shelters when it's a same-sex relationship? You talked briefly about trans people, but we've talked very little about intimate-partner violence in same-sex relationships.

[Kathy AuCoin]

I'm going to have to go back to see exactly how it was asked in the redesign, and I will get it back to you, but we do have data from the GSS as well as the new survey looking at the higher prevalence of intimate-partner victimization in same-sex relationships. We have a lot of that data. My concern is whether I'm going to get the data that I think you're getting at.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Pam Damoff]

Do you have any questions that relate to pets? I understand from speaking to shelters that often women don't leave an abusive relationship because most shelters do not take pets. Is there anything in your data that looks at whether they accept pets, or whether women are staying because of the pets?

[Kathy AuCoin]

I am pretty certain not. I can look back at our consultation and whether it came up. Again, we spent 12 months in discussion. I can report on whether that was an issue.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Pam Damoff]

I have a last question. The stats we have are on violent crimes that have been reported to the police, but we know those numbers are extremely low. Also, certain communities—for example, indigenous women—are very hesitant to report crime to the police. Is that balanced in any way to try to come up with statistics that reflect the reality?

[Kathy AuCoin]

I can send you.... From our last general social survey, we know that only 30% of victims of spousal violence, intimate-partner violence, will report to police. For indigenous women, I think it's about 33%. We have those rates, and I can share that with the committee.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Pam Damoff]

Do you have any stats on how many women who are not able to access shelters end up in prison? Quite often when women have to leave a shelter or an abusive relationship, they end up committing a crime out of poverty. Do you have any data on the correlation between shelters and corrections?

[Kathy AuCoin]

It's an excellent question, and we don't have that information. We would like to explore looking at women who are in a violent relationship and whether we could.... For example, in child maltreatment, did something happen early on and follow that pathway? The intersectionality of what happened at a young age and continued, with the victim ending up perhaps in a correctional facility because of a life of abuse, has to be explored, but currently we don't have it.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Pam Damoff]

I want to thank you very much for your testimony. We look forward to the reports you have coming out, but it's been very helpful to all of us to have you here today.

I want to remind members that draft recommendations for the study on barriers facing women in politics are due this Wednesday, November 21. We have no meeting this Wednesday because of the fall economic statement. On Monday, November 26, we'll be meeting in camera to start consideration of the draft report for the study on barriers facing women in politics.

With that, we are adjourned.