Status of Women Committee on April 2nd, 2019

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

And thank you to you. You are incredible. You've shown courage. This is highly emotional, and I truly think that there isn't a woman on the planet who hasn't been inappropriately harassed. It's just a reality, and it seems so ingrained in our society. We have to address it. We have to end it.

I wonder—and each of you is certainly welcome to respond—how we can raise awareness and how we can address this. As recently as within the last few weeks or days, we've heard that women are unreliable. They are emotional. They are hysterical. They're not team players. You can't rely on what they have to say when they raise issues.

How do we face that head-on? Quite honestly, that drives women out of the political arena. It drives them out of professional jobs. What is your advice to us?

[Corina Picui]

With regard to harassment and stuff, different types of women will experience that type of harassment in very different ways. I think that speaking with individuals within those communities and having better understanding as to where they're likely to experience harassment.... Poorer women or women who don't have a lot of money are more likely to experience workplace harassment. Where they don't have the capacity to say anything and where they work in lower-paid jobs, they're more likely to be abused, and there's a lot more pressure and a disincentive to speak out because their children's food relies on their ability to stay employed as a maid, for example.

I think that making sure we have communication with all types of women and speak to them is a really important way in which we can stop these kinds of narratives and stop harassment. Perhaps at the more elite level there are narratives surrounding women. I think it just has to do with us promoting women in general. Programs like Daughters of the Vote are incredible. Even watching the movie Captain Marvel was a really awesome thing; she was this very strong woman, and her emotions were strong. I know that might sound silly, but the ways in which we project traditional narratives are also very important.

[Charlotte Scott-Frater]

I think one really critical thing that can happen is that we collectively need to move away from “comeback” narratives in which, for a powerful man who is accused of harassment and assault, the question becomes whether, first of all, these women are ruining his life. Second, after a “suitable” period of time, he has clearly repented and he should be allowed back into society. That is not survivor-focused language. That is not language that validates the incredible courage it takes to come forward about men who are in power. I think that one way we can make the culture better is to move away from language like that.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

One of the things you've all touched on is the reality of poverty and how poverty impacts women. We need a national housing strategy. If women didn't have to worry about housing themselves and their children, would they be more able to defend against what is unacceptable in terms of social harassment?

[Corina Picui]

I guess it's just the ways in which we do house them. I know that women experiencing homelessness do not like to go to shelters because they're likely to experience abuse or theft or to get sick when they get there. I think that, again, it has to do with the communication with these groups. Housing is obviously a really important aspect and the fact that housing is such an important part of safety is obviously very important, but the way we approach housing has to be in communication and in conjunction with these women.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Thank you.

Do I still have a little bit of time?

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

I'll give you 20 seconds.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Corina, you talked about indigenous families. One of the realities is—and others have mentioned it—that families get pulled apart when there is poverty and violence and difficulty. Do we need to have a support system in place to keep families together so that they can maintain language and thrive as a family?

[Corina Picui]

Yes, but the thing is that it's the Canadian government in many cases removing families, in a form of genocide. I think it has less to do with creating support systems. It's to stop stealing children away from their families.

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

Excellent.

This has been absolutely fantastic. We have a little bit of time left, so I'm now going to extend this to everybody out there as well. If you're one of the Daughters of the Vote, it's time to reverse the tables and ask questions of us.

I have not advised any of the MPs that that's what we're doing.

Bob, go ahead.

[Bob Bratina, Liberal, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

I never had a question, so can I get one?

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

Golly gee, Bob. I can let you have a question too.

After Bob's question, though, we're going to allow you guys to ask us questions. We don't have a lot of time, so we're going to have to keep it really succinct. Bob can have his question, and then you will have the opportunity to ask us. Anybody, just put your hand up and we'll call upon you.

Go ahead, Bob.

[Bob Bratina, Liberal, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

My wife of 53 years was a teacher, and one of the joys of my life is when former students come up to her and say, “Thank you. You've set me on a path of success” and so on.

Can all of you quickly point to a person, a mentor, a teacher or someone? Obviously, you're different from the average. You're here as Daughters of the Vote. Is there someone who set you on this path?

[Eugénie Veilleux]

I've had very good teachers, but I don't know whether one teacher in particular set me on this path. It's really my initiative. I can think of some teachers who helped me develop an interest in politics and law.

[Claire Belliveau]

I live in Nova Scotia, so I have to credit Tim Halman, MLA for Dartmouth-East. He was the one who took a chance on me and gave me my start in politics. Once again, I also credit the strong women of the PC party of Nova Scotia.

[Charlotte Scott-Frater]

I'm really glad you asked this question, because that person for me is actually in the room. My mom is here. She taught me so much. She is the person who makes it possible for me to sit before you today, for any number of reasons. Actually, you're going to be hearing from her. She's testifying before you later this week. I come by it honestly.

[Corina Picui]

On a personal note, there is a teacher I had in grade eight. Her name was Faziah Gamaz, and she was the one who forced me to go into IB. I was really scared of school, but she helped me fill out my application at the last minute. I used to mark tests with her during lunch because I didn't have friends because I was so dorky. She was always there for me.

On a more academic level, there's a professor at my university, UBC, called Professor Jurkevics. She is the most intelligent and most qualified woman I have ever met, and she makes me believe in women so strongly when I am sitting in that lecture. She probably doesn't remember my name, but if you are watching this, Professor Jurkevics, please be my adviser next term if I make it into the honours program.

[Bob Bratina, Liberal, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

Madam Chair, I would ask all of our young ladies, Daughters of the Vote, to become mentors themselves.

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

Corina, what we should do.... All of the testimony ends up getting posted, so that's something that will be fantastic to send to your professor.

This has been great. Actually, if you want to have a mentor, it's Kenza here. She's fantastic. She has actually already started a list of different people who have questions. It's time to reverse it. It looks like we have seven questions, and we have only a few minutes.

Eugénie, the floor is yours.

[Eugénie Veilleux]

Thank you very much.

First, I just want to know how many people here in the room speak French.

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

It's a work in progress.

[Eugénie Veilleux]

I was just curious. That's all right, thank you.

Then my question was this: How do all of you perceive the parity? I know Justin Trudeau is very much into parity and having the same number of women and men in Parliament and in the committees, and they're working on that.

I wanted to know your opinions on that. How do you think it ended up?

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

Let's keep this really succinct. Let's go to an individual from each party.

Go ahead, Terry. Then we'll go to Irene, and then Kellie.

[Terry Duguid, Liberal, Winnipeg South, MB]

I think our Prime Minister's was the first government in Canada that implemented gender parity at the cabinet level. We have many competent women. There were many competent women to choose from. There were also many competent men to choose from, probably an over-supply of the latter.

It's not just men and women. My belief is that cabinet, Parliament itself, should reflect the diversity of the nation. We have a long way to go, as you've pointed out. Only 27% of the members of the House of Commons are women. In my view, the Parliament of Canada could be more diverse as well.

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

Excellent.

We're going to move over to Irene to answer.