Thank you.
Doreen.
Evidence of meeting #60 for Status of Women in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was irving.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #60 for Status of Women in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was irving.
A recording is available from Parliament.
9:30 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Women Unlimited Association
Absolutely, yes. Retention is a critical issue for women in these fields. If they do have to leave the workplace for a period of time, they are at a significant disadvantage for their economic equality and prosperity.
9:30 a.m.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
At the beginning of the session, we had the issue around adopting a policy for government to make appointments in crown corporations to ensure that we have equal representation from women in these important positions. Would you say, then, that we really need to have an equity mandate within government appointments across all sectors so that we can see that increase in representation? I come from British Columbia. At one point in government, we did have this policy in place to increase the numbers of women in terms of crown corporation representation.
On that question, Louise, is this a policy that we should have our federal government adopt?
9:30 a.m.
Corporate Director, Réseau des Femmes d'affaires du Québec
Yes, the federal government should adopt that kind of policy.
Like British Columbia, Quebec adopted a policy in 2006 to ensure that women make up 50% of boards of directors of major crown corporations. I myself am currently a board member of Quebec's automobile insurance corporation, the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec. Even though the quota was established, I am proud to serve. We women make up a sufficient critical mass to get across our point of view on the board. I would support such an initiative.
9:30 a.m.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Thank you.
I'm going to ask this question of Catherine. You mentioned the challenges at the moment with representation and the targets with the Canada research chairs program. Specifically related to that, what do you think needs to be done to see a change in approach and, most importantly, outcome?
9:30 a.m.
Chairholder and Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ottawa, NSERC Chair for Women in Science and Engineering
What happens in universities is that a lot goes on at the lower levels, department by department, discipline by discipline. The Canada research chairs has been a good program to encourage a different way of appointing professors, in particular in new fields, emerging fields, and interdisciplinary fields, where women are prevalent, or are often in those fields—not necessarily prevalent.
I don't know that we need to enforce those quotas completely. I'm still on the fence on some of that. But for sure, if encouraging universities to do it does not work, then something more encouraging needs to be done, or as has been done, to say that you're just not going to get the funding.
The problem, though, still is—
9:30 a.m.
Chairholder and Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ottawa, NSERC Chair for Women in Science and Engineering
—that in order to get down into the trenches, you need leadership.
9:30 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Marilyn Gladu
That's the end of the time for that.
We'll go now to Ms. Damoff for seven minutes.
May 9th, 2017 / 9:30 a.m.
Liberal
Pam Damoff Liberal Oakville North—Burlington, ON
Thank you very much.
I want to thank all three of you for all you're doing to encourage women to get into more non-traditional careers.
I was fascinated by the procurement suggestion with our infrastructure building, Doreen. I'm wondering if you can expand on that a little bit and also comment on whether you think it would have changed with Irving Shipbuilding without that requirement. Do we need government intervention in order to see that change, or will it happen organically?
9:35 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Women Unlimited Association
Thank you for your question.
I believe deeply, I really do, that we need diversity targets. I really do. The success we've seen over the years with projects in these fields, where women are so significantly under-represented.... If targets and diversity plans are not put in place, then it doesn't happen and women continue to be under-represented.
I guess I don't see these as social issues. I see these very clearly as economic issues. I believe that we need to be at those economic tables and that there need to be diversity targets. It needs to be part of procurement, as we have seen through our work with the Maritime link project, for example. It's a wonderful way of working with employers.
Women Unlimited in Cape Breton has worked with employers there to support them in hiring women on that project, and it has been very successful for the employers and for the women. I believe, yes, very strongly that it needs to be attached—
9:35 a.m.
Corporate Director, Réseau des Femmes d'affaires du Québec
Further to the policy established by securities commissions to increase the representation of women, companies that set targets for their boards of directors and executive positions increased the representation of women more significantly than did the businesses without such targets. Setting targets is therefore important.
In terms of government action, it might be helpful for our prime minister to highlight the positive aspects of these regulations by sending congratulatory letters to companies that created targets and inviting others to correct the situation. The regulations have an impact. This would be a good approach if we want to avoid having to set targets.
9:35 a.m.
Liberal
Pam Damoff Liberal Oakville North—Burlington, ON
Thank you very much.
I'll come back to you, Doreen, because I do think skilled trades are a terrific career for young women.
I have a parliamentary intern in my office who has been organizing a young women in leadership program, which we're going to be running in May. We're partnering young women with various careers. We have STEM. We have two female surgeons, firefighters, and entrepreneurs. We have men and women mentors. But the one area where we've had zero success is in the skilled trades.
It wasn't for lack of trying. I think part of it is that there isn't a critical mass of women in those fields. Also, there were concerns about the safety of the young women going to a job site, which I totally understand.
There are great groups, such as the Halton Industry Education Council, that have women as career coaches and bring out women from skilled trades, but we're still not seeing movement there. Do you have any suggestions on that?
9:35 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Women Unlimited Association
You know, I think it speaks to the fact that there are so few organizations across this country that are focused on women in trades. When I say we work with women for 10 years along that journey, it takes 10 years along that journey to really be successful in these fields.
When I mentioned that a national funding strategy on women in the trades is necessary, that speaks to the reason there are still so few women in these fields. It's a complex area, and there needs to be a really concerted effort to support women through the journey to success in these fields. Again, we're at 5%, and that's overall, so it's indicative of the challenges you're having.
9:35 a.m.
Liberal
Pam Damoff Liberal Oakville North—Burlington, ON
I have a question for all of you.
Doreen, you addressed this a little in your remarks.
When we talk about engaging more women in these non-traditional careers, there is also intersectionality involved. How can we ensure that we're not only seeing more women reach higher positions in academia, in entrepreneurship, and in STEM, but also that we have a diversity of backgrounds of those women who are advancing?
I'll put that out to all three of you.
9:40 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Women Unlimited Association
If I could, 50% of the women in Women Unlimited self-identify as diverse. That speaks to the fact that 75% of our staff self-identify as diverse, and that we reach out deliberately—through our own diversity plan—to recruit women from indigenous communities, African Nova Scotian women, women living with disabilities, and women from the LGBTQ community.
When you do that, when you reach out to women within those communities, and when your staff reflect the women in those communities and they see role models—you will meet Denise in a few minutes—they see themselves in these particular fields. Then you start to see other women, and diversity and inclusion improve within these fields.
One thing we've stopped saying is “non-traditional”, because non-traditional means you're not—
9:40 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Women Unlimited Association
—right, you're not welcome. “Under-represented” means we need more of you, so one thing that I've learned along this journey is that “under-represented” is where we are.
9:40 a.m.
Liberal
9:40 a.m.
Chairholder and Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ottawa, NSERC Chair for Women in Science and Engineering
I'd say that in our entrepreneurship program, most of the women are from diverse backgrounds. A lot of them are international, coming from Africa—Nigeria and places like that—so we hope they'll integrate into our society and represent us well.
We also have some aboriginal programs. In particular, the chair for the Prairies works with first nations communities on water quality. That's a way to engage girls from those communities in science, train them, and have them go back to their communities to work in STEM.
9:40 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Marilyn Gladu
Very good.
Unfortunately, we don't have time for another round of questioning, but I want to thank our witnesses for their work today.
Doreen, I don't know if you'd be willing to send us a copy of the diversity plan. I'd be very interested to look at that—
9:40 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Marilyn Gladu
—and I would invite the other witnesses, if there are things you think would be of benefit to us, to send them to the clerk.
We have one more thing to talk about, and that is the ninth report of the subcommittee. Remember, we wanted to add a few extra witnesses? We were able to add all the witnesses that were submitted in the four additional meetings in the fall. I would ask for a motion to approve this ninth report, which basically says we're adding four meetings to this study in the fall.
The motion is moved by Ms. Nassif.
Is there any discussion on that motion?
(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
We'll suspend while we look for our second panel.
Thank you, ladies.
9:45 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Marilyn Gladu
Colleagues, we have our second panel, so I'd invite you to take your seats.
We have an interesting mix for our panel today. From Irving Shipbuilding, we have Sarah Simpson, who is the manager of value proposition and community relations. We have Denise Watters, who is a welding intern with Women Unlimited. We also have, by video conference from Women Building Futures, Jacqueline Andersen, who is the director of industry relations there. By teleconference we have, from the Women's Enterprise Centre in British Columbia, Laurel Douglas, who is the CEO.
Ladies, welcome, and we will give each of you an opportunity to make your remarks.
We'll start with the ladies from Irving Shipbuilding, for seven minutes.