Status of Women Committee on Feb. 23rd, 2017

[The Chair, Conservative, Marilyn Gladu]

I call the meeting to order.

Good morning, colleagues.

How exciting: we are going to be considering our first bill in committee.

We have with us our legislative clerk, Justin Vaive. We appreciate his help.

We also want to welcome our colleague Sven Spengemann, who has brought forward his bill on gender equality week.

We'll begin with comments from Mr. Spengemann and then go into a round of questioning.

You have 10 minutes. You may begin.

[Sven Spengemann, Liberal, Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON]

Madam Chair and distinguished members of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women, I thank you for this opportunity to speak on my private member's bill, Bill C-309, an act to establish Gender Equality Week.

It's a great honour for me to appear before you today, not only in my capacity as the member of Parliament for Mississauga—Lakeshore, but also because, in my view, this is a real opportunity to have a profoundly positive impact on Canadian society.

Before elaborating, Madam Chair, I would like to take a moment to thank my team here in Ottawa and in my constituency for their dedicated work in bringing this bill to where it is today.

Adrian Zita-Bennett is my executive and legislative assistant, and he did much of the heavy lifting on the consultation and the development of the text of this bill. My amazing team in the constituency office—Dulce Santos, Hanan Harb, Leslie Peres, and Kyra Brennan—engaged our community in Mississauga—Lakeshore and supported us each step of the way.

Madam Chair, I would also like to thank Strength in Stories, which is a grassroots organization that helped to inspire this bill, and particularly its co-founder, Rachelle Bergen.

In addition, local and national stakeholders such as non-profit organizations, women's shelters, and all levels of government provided feedback that was critical in developing the preambular paragraphs of this bill.

My team and I felt that making frank and compelling mention of the full scope of gender-based inequalities that persist in Canada was an essential step to ensure that gender equality week will be effective in delivering two things: national engagement and prospective solutions.

The reason for this, Madam Chair, is simple. Solving any given problem first requires full recognition of the existence of the problem and of its scope. We need to be able to call problems by their names and be frank and open when tackling the challenges that we continue to face.

I am sure the members of this committee are not at all surprised to hear stakeholders tell them we still have a lot of work to do to create a more gender-equality-based society. I would like to cite some facts that reinforce that perception.

In the Global Gender Report it has published every year since 2006, the World Economic Forum reveals the scope of existing gender gaps and the efforts being made to close them, particularly in the fields of health, education, economic participation, economic prospects, and political empowerment. According to the 2016 report, which the forum published last October, Canada ranks 35th out of 144 countries, between Luxembourg and Cape Verde, but 1st in North America.

Madam Chair and distinguished members of the committee, we, as Canadians, must also acknowledge that the wage gap between men and women undermines our economy and the global economy. People around the world increasingly recognize that gender inequality is a major stumbling block.

According to a report the Royal Bank published in 2005, the lost income potential of Canadian women due to the wage gap is about $126 billion a year. A report published by the UBS financial services corporation last October states that global economic performance would rise by £10 billion if the wage gap between men and women were closed. Similarly, according to a report issued by the McKinsey Global Institute in September 2015, promoting gender equality would add £12 billion to global GDP by 2025.

Gender equality week can work to achieve what more and more international organizations and governments around the world are advocating: that the elimination of gender gaps will lead to strong and lasting economic benefits. As a 2013 International Monetary Fund report on women's participation in the global labour market put it, “The challenges of growth, job creation, and inclusion are closely intertwined.”

Here in Canada, gender-based inequalities have become ingrained in the fabric of our society, and if we do not address them directly, they will continue to persist.

Canadians of minority gender identity and expression are often faced with these challenges in an even more profound manner, and on the predicament of indigenous Canadians, Madam Chair, a 2015 RCMP report outlines that indigenous women make up just over 4% of our population and yet account for 16% of female homicides and 11% of missing Canadian women.

The acknowledgement of these outcomes goes far beyond partisan affiliation. All of us bear some responsibility in a society that categorically and systematically treats and values genders differently.

In short, if we truly seek to address these challenges, a pivotal first step is to recognize them frankly and understand them fully.

Second, the federal government cannot solve these problems by itself. Gender equality requires awareness and engagement on the part of all Canadians. To be clear, I'm very proud of the leadership of our Prime Minister and the federal government, who are working to address systemic gender-based gaps that have shaped Canada since Confederation.

The Prime Minister has achieved gender parity in cabinet for the first time in the history of Canada. Also for the first time, he appointed a woman as Leader of the Government in the House and a female minister who will focus exclusively on gender equality issues.

The Canadian government has launched an inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women, and the Minister of Status of Women is developing a national strategy to combat gender-based violence. The government has also begun to implement the gender-based analysis plus tool, or GBA+, in all federal government organizations to ensure the aspects of this issue are taken into consideration in all government programs, policies, and statutes.

The Canadian government has tabled Bill C-16, currently being debated in the Senate, which protects Canadians who belong to minority groups distinguished by gender identity or gender expression by adding gender identity and gender expression to the list of prohibited grounds of discrimination as defined in the Canadian Human Rights Act.

In early December 2016, the Governor of the Bank of Canada, the Minister of Finance, and the Minister of Status of Women announced that Viola Desmond, a Nova Scotian businesswoman and civil rights champion, will be the first woman to appear on a Canadian bank note.

Internationally, Canada has done its share as part of the UN Commission on the Status of Women and vigorously supports the HeForShe solidarity campaign launched by that organization.

Once again, I tip my hat to the leadership of our Prime Minister and the Canadian government in promoting gender equality.

But, Madam Chair, this is a cause on which all Canadians must lead. This is the thrust of the bill before you today. Government cannot do this work alone, and the mere passing of legislation without public recognition of and engagement with the challenges we face will be insufficient.

You may rightly wonder what exactly an annual gender equality week might look like. Each year across the 338 federal ridings in our country, gender equality week can inspire girls, boys, men, women, and those of minority gender identity and expression to take part in a dialogue to establish a more inclusive society. If we work together, Madam Chair, we can find solutions.

As parliamentarians we can use this designated week to deepen relationships and collaborate with our community leaders and advocacy groups. This work could take the form of community town halls and debates, research proposals, television and social media reports, fundraising initiatives, marches, arts and music, and other forms of advocacy. Through its emphasis on fostering local community-based dialogue on gender equality, we can also serve to strengthen current federal initiatives and communities across our country.

In my riding of Mississauga—Lakeshore, young people as well as seniors have participated in the development of the bill that is before you today. Members of our youth council have specifically expressed concern about the difficulties faced by women in entering and excelling in the workforce. Leaders in our community of seniors could play a big part in an annual gender equality week. They have seen first-hand how attitudes and policies have and have not changed with respect to gender equality, and their input would be critical to eliminating gender-based disparities, including poverty, for the next generation and beyond.

Madam Chair, our great country is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. Canada has achieved so much since Confederation, yet on the issue of gender equality and equity, there's still so much more to achieve.

Bill C-309, An Act to establish Gender Equality Week, is an effort to raise collective awareness of existing gender-based inequality and to work toward the establishment of a more inclusive society.

We need to be able to identify problems in a frank manner and understand that governments cannot solve the issues alone. This is an effort on which we must all lead, and we have before us an opportunity to achieve real progress in our communities and across our country.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I look forward to the committee's questions.

[The Chair, Conservative, Marilyn Gladu]

Thank you very much.

We'll begin our first round of questioning with my colleague Mr. Serré.

[Marc Serré, Liberal, Nickel Belt, ON]

I will be switching my time with Mr. Fraser. Thank you.

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

Thank you very much, Mr. Spengemann, for appearing today, but more importantly, for putting forward this interesting and exciting private member's bill.

One of the things that I found in my experience on this committee, although there are some notable exceptions, is that it's striking how few men and little men are engaged in the discussion of gender equality. I see a huge opportunity for men to take a leadership role in partnership with the women who have been championing gender equality for their careers.

Can you perhaps elaborate on how having a gender equality week can help provide a platform to engage men and boys in championing equality, as well as potentially educating young men and boys in the importance of their role in promoting equality in Canadian society?

[Sven Spengemann, Liberal, Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON]

Thank you very much for the question. Thank you for your support of this bill at first and second reading.

It is absolutely critical. Not only can governments not do it alone, but women can't do it alone. Men have to stand by the side of women on each aspect of this very complex issue that we have before us. It does go all the way back to elementary school education.

When I was first approached by one of the co-inspirators of the bill, the question was whether we could do something in the field of education to put gender equality week into primary and secondary school programming. That was a provincial issue, so I wasn't able to address it directly as a federal member of Parliament.

The discussion then evolved to creating this project before you, gender equality week. By declaring this week, we can indeed inspire. We can't prescribe it, but we can certainly inspire education to come online during that one week and make sure that all the way from the elementary level onwards, there are projects and focused discussions during that week on the issue of gender equality. Starting at a young age is very important.

There are other challenges. I alluded in my discussion to economic opportunity. I think that in itself is an opportunity to bring men into the discussion in a substantively focused way. The financial industry itself is male dominated. Recognizing the economic opportunity to create pay equity, for example, globally in the trillions of dollars, really is one vehicle by which to broaden the conversation to bring men to the table.

Those are just two aspects. There are many others.

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

Okay. Excellent.

I noticed in the preamble of the bill and during your remarks this morning as well that you focused a little bit on different sectors of Canadian society—for an example, indigenous women. Could you explain how the intersectional nature of gender inequality could be remedied with the celebration of a gender equality week?

[Sven Spengemann, Liberal, Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON]

I'm not sure. It's very aspirational to talk about remedies right away, but I think what you're pointing to is really the opportunity to raise awareness, not just on the part of men and boys, but to the raise awareness of non-indigenous Canadians of the plight of our indigenous populations, specifically indigenous women. Some of that is making its way into curricula, into education. Again, education is the starting point. This measure will also raise awareness more broadly across society that there are groups of women—indigenous women being one of them, new Canadians of insular ethnic cultural minorities being another, and a third group, women seniors, being another—who are even more profoundly affected by gender inequality than women at large.

I think it's very important to really drill down into the details and develop some very concrete solutions for these sub-problems. I think the GBA+ initiative, the gender-based analysis that is now practised in the federal government, is a very important step towards that goal.

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

One of the other items you mentioned that resonates very well with me is the fact that Viola Desmond will be featured on the $10 bill. Just by coincidence, the incident that gave rise to her becoming a human rights icon in Canada took place in my hometown in New Glasgow.

One of the things that I think is important but perhaps understated is the fact that symbolic gestures by a federal government or by members of society can lead to positive social change. Can you perhaps explain how either a gender equality week or initiatives like putting a Canadian woman on currency can actually lead to a shift in attitudes over time in Canadian society?

[Sven Spengemann, Liberal, Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON]

Symbolism matters deeply. It's symbolism combined with action, really, that will provide the solutions. It should be habitual that we see leading women on our Canadian symbols, and putting the first Canadian woman on a banknote is a very good start. It was absolutely well overdue but necessary, in a very deep sense, in order to make progress.

But it's not just symbolism; it's more than that. This is where the 338 federal ridings come into play. This is really an opportunity for all of us around the table and all our colleagues in the House of Commons to look at our constituencies to see what symbols we have, historically and locally, and what symbols we can still create, and then combine that with really concrete pathways to action. As I said in my remarks, it may involve a protest, or it may result in research by graduate students on some of the data gaps that we have being profiled during gender equality week.

I think that's another very important aspect of this bill that I didn't touch upon in my opening remarks. We are missing some data, especially on the populations of minority women who are facing specific challenges.

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

I have one final question as we wrap up here.

The region that I represent is characterized by small towns and rural communities. Equality initiatives tend to benefit from the size of a population in a big urban centre.

What can small communities do to help celebrate gender equality during the week, assuming that this bill becomes law?

[Sven Spengemann, Liberal, Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON]

Again, it's up to us as federal parliamentarians to take some initiative to work with our organizers and our community leaders in small communities to see what can be done, and what can be done physically. Social media are a great tool, but this is not limited to social media. Even small communities now have reach through various channels of communication and through Parliament itself and our provincial legislatures to be profiled more broadly and nationally. I think that type of work is very important to ensuring that there isn't going to be a rural/urban divide on the issue of gender equality.

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

Excellent. Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Conservative, Marilyn Gladu]

We'll go to my colleague Ms. Vecchio for seven minutes.

[Karen Vecchio, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

Thanks very much.

Thank you very much for this bill. I will be supporting this bill, but there are a few things I want to get some data and information on.

In the preamble on page 1, in lines 24 through 29, you indicate:

Whereas the effects of poverty and vulnerability are exacerbated by limited access for women and their families to affordable housing,...

Can you give me data on that? I recognize it is an issue, and they're dealing with different issues, but what exactly are you referring to as limited access?

[Sven Spengemann, Liberal, Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON]

Thank you very much for that question, Ms. Vecchio, and thank you also for your support for this bill at first and second reading.

As you can appreciate, a private member's bill is not an opportunity to do exhaustive research. Data is very important, and we've really very carefully developed a preamble that is supported by data but that also doesn't become too statistically driven. It's open for interpretation and open for emphasis, again, in our various ridings, depending on what initiatives we would like to pursue during gender equality week.

This information actually came to us from Women's College Hospital. I can certainly provide the exact written feedback from that group to the committee if that would be helpful. The focus there was primarily, but not exclusively, access to mental health services.

[Karen Vecchio, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

Absolutely. Would we find the same access...?

Yes, send that our way; that would be wonderful.

I want to go on to page 2, lines 8 and 9:

Whereas Canadian women face barriers in pursuing and completing post-secondary education....

The testimony we heard through our study was that 61% of post-secondary graduates in Canada are women. It was also that we are seeing increasing levels of people doing master's and Ph.D. degrees as well.

What are these barriers that you're mentioning? We see that statistics do not support that, so can you please provide the data or the research that you have on that?

[Sven Spengemann, Liberal, Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON]

Absolutely.

There are two aspects to it. First of all, this preamble paragraph is really aimed at the STEM field, and I think there is strong data out there to support that. The other aspect was that this was a preambular paragraph that captured comments from our indigenous women. Access to and being able to complete post-secondary education is a particular aspect in the north. In the preamble, we chose not to narrow it to indigenous women to make sure that we captured the STEM side of it as well, but it really pivots to both STEM and indigenous communities in the far north. There the problem in particular is completion of post-secondary education.

[Karen Vecchio, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

You mean for indigenous women specifically. Okay.

On page 2, lines 18 through 23 talk about obstacles in that women are not being recognized for their prior work when they come here as newcomers.

Is there data showing that newcomer men have better access than newcomer women do? Is that what you were getting at?

[Sven Spengemann, Liberal, Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON]

No, it's not.

Thank you for that question; it's very important. We didn't want to line this up as always a disparity vis-à-vis men.

Yes, the discussion is about inequality, but these are simply net obstacles that Canadian women immigrants face when it comes to the professions. We recognize that this is a provincial problem in many respects, because these accrediting bodies are self-regulatory, but the obstacle exists, and we're reaching out broadly to Canadians, so we did want to include it in the preamble.

[Karen Vecchio, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

Okay.

On page 2, lines 27 to 30, it states:

Whereas Canadian women are underrepresented as participants and leaders in sports and physical activities, which affects their health and sense of social inclusion

I recognize that this can be a barrier many times in the choices of young girls, but how does this under-representation of women in sports and physical activities affect the health and social inclusion of women? Can you give me a little bit more insight on that, please?

[Sven Spengemann, Liberal, Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON]

Yes. What you're pointing to came in part from the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity. Leadership positions in sport are an issue in particular, and we can certainly provide the information that we received from that organization.

[Karen Vecchio, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

Can you also show data, because I think we have seen such an increase in women's participation, whether it's our World Cup soccer teams or all of those things? We've seen a huge increase women's participation in sport. I know that we have seen greater access for women when it comes to opportunities for them to take part in NCAA sports as well.

We have many Canadian athletes who are going down to the United States to play sports because of the fact that you don't get the same granting as you do in Canada. There are things there....

I am just trying to look at the data. Maybe it's because my family is so focused on sports that I see we don't have those issues.

[Sven Spengemann, Liberal, Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON]

I appreciate that, and we all recognize the tremendous outcomes and achievements by our Canadian women athletes. There's no question about that.

Going back to Mr. Fraser's comment, there is a rural/urban divide in access to sport. There's also a poverty-related gap that may be specifically disproportionate for women who are heads of single-parent households, and I think ensuring that young girls in those households have full access is part of the issue there, but we'll certainly provide clarification.

[Karen Vecchio, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

That would be wonderful.

If you don't mind, I wouldn't mind going back to page 1, lines 19 through 23.

I'm just looking at lines 19 through 23 and comparing them to lines 15 through 23. You have those intersecting.

I could see these two being more merged in the preamble. Could you tell me why those two thoughts are separated?