Status of Women Committee on May 30th, 2017

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

I think it's interesting that it's getting them involved and giving them the confidence when they're younger.

[Dorothy Byers]

Yes.

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

Iris, I have to commend you for what you've done in agriculture. It's not something we've heard a lot about at the committee at all thus far, so thank you for bringing that perspective.

I have to tell you that last week I did a young women in leadership program in my riding. I had young women partnered with mentors in various fields and, I'll be honest, agriculture wasn't one of them. I did visit an agrifood business in my riding, which is an urban one: EarthFresh Foods. I have that on my mind for next year to open up that avenue to them.

Women are still under-represented in leadership in agriculture. How can we go about changing that? You've touched on some of the points, but how do we get young girls to think about that as a career if they haven't grown up on the farm?

[Iris Meck]

In terms of representation in the universities, I think we do see a lot of women. Across the country today, you'll see that women are graduating from universities in agriculture in greater numbers than men. In looking at the university studies, we don't have that problem. It's in what happens after that. That's why I'm so forceful about bringing young women from the universities into the conference. That way, they can hear from women who are involved in the industry what the opportunities are. They can build those networks, make those contacts, and see that there is a real future in agriculture.

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

I know that co-ops play a large role within agriculture. We're not seeing a lot of women in the co-ops, I don't think, as well, so where has the disconnect been there?

[Iris Meck]

I'm not sure I understand your question in regard to co-ops. Are you talking about Federated Co-ops?

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

Yes, and if you don't know, that's fine.

[Iris Meck]

I'm not sure what the numbers are. I wouldn't be able to say why there isn't a good representation of women. I know that I deal with a lot of women, of course, with every organization that I deal with. Each one of them has a good representation of women. What percentage that is in their organization, I couldn't say.

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

Okay.

Dorothy, you touched on Minister Duncan's recent announcement. I wonder if you could speak to that a little more in terms of what she's doing in the universities to try to get more women into the research chairs.

[Dorothy Byers]

Thank you for this opportunity.

What Minister Duncan has done is to come forward and say that we will withhold resources if we don't see the changes that we need to see in research. That's a bold statement.

To be able to say that we will...what is the genesis of this? We will be stronger if our research base is broader. If there's diverse thought around the table, if there are opportunities for those who may not have had the opportunity to engage in research—and I touch on it in my paper—it enables women to have a way in and to be supported while they are there. Truthfully, the challenges come with the gender bias that they seem to still experience in post-secondary and in the workforce.

It was really welcomed, that kind of statement, to draw light and to point the spotlight at it.

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

I have only about 15 seconds left, so I'll just thank both of you for coming and for your comments and testimony today.

[The Chair, Conservative, Marilyn Gladu]

We'll go to Ms. Harder, for seven minutes.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Thank you so much for being with us today.

I echo that thankfulness to you, Ms. Meck, for offering an agricultural perspective. I'm from Lethbridge, Alberta, so agriculture is big for us, in both ag production and science and tech. I have a keen desire to understand this industry, as well as a desire to see more women in this field. All of that is to say that I have just a few reflections to start with.

Ms. Byers, one of the things you talked about is the difference in income with regard to women. I certainly would agree with you. Women do not make as much as men do, but I want to clarify something, because we have new data from Stats Canada. What that data shows is that the hourly wage of a full-time woman worker is 88% that of men, rather than 72¢ per dollar, which is what I think you said. StatsCan also shows, when comparing women and men with the same demographic, work, and workplace characteristics, that it's actually 92% of what men earn. We are seeing an increase. We're seeing a good trajectory. I'm not saying that we don't have a way to go—we certainly do—but I think where we're making gains, it's worth acknowledging and celebrating those gains.

Perhaps on that note, too, I'll highlight this. Interestingly enough, in terms of the points in history where we've seen the greatest gains made, when we look back to 1976 and move all the way to 2016, the greatest gains were made between 1988 and 1994, when Brian Mulroney was in place, and then from 2004 to 2008, when Stephen Harper was in place. I think there's something to be said there, and that is, the economic platforms that were put in place during those times were based on balanced budgets and economic responsibility with regard to fiscal management. I do think that plays a role here, because there is a larger picture to be considered. We want to enter into specific industries and see women championed, of course, but I think we also have to care for the entire economy as a whole. There is much to be said for that as well in making sure that we thrive as a country, both locally within our national economy and also on the international stage.

That's my bigger picture for context, but it leads me to this question. Iris, you talked about 4-H. Within my riding, I've seen the impact 4-H has had. I also was raised on a small farm in a rural area and was quite engaged in the different community initiatives, so I've seen the way 4-H impacts a young person's professional development, their confidence, skills, and abilities, and even their decision-making as they go forward into the workforce or to university or college.

I'm wondering if you can comment on the different benefits you've seen from that, specifically in the context of this study, which is women and girls and the decisions they're making with regard to university and college education, I guess, as well as the professional fields that they choose to go into.

[Iris Meck]

Thanks, Rachael.

I fully agree. I think 4-H is a tremendous training ground and foundation for women in agriculture. Personally, I see them as more dedicated to a goal. I see them as more directed, more confident, and understanding the principles of leadership much more than women who don't go to an organization such as 4-H, which gives them a tremendous step up.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

What are some of those skill sets that you see them being able to develop and bring into the workforce with them, based on a program such as 4-H?

[Iris Meck]

I'm sorry to say that I wasn't in 4-H, so....

[Voices]

Oh, oh!

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Okay. Do you have any observations? Do you see women come in who have gone through 4-H and do you see the difference that it's making?

[Iris Meck]

Absolutely, yes. We work with a lot of university students in my own practice at work and also through the conference. The 4-H students, if they're attending university, will always be the first to apply. They'll always have a presentation that is the most professional and the most put together; it doesn't look like their video was made at two o'clock in the morning with their hair sticking out after an event.

They're more put together. They're more classy. They reach that level of professionalism a lot more than if they had not attended 4-H. I think it's a tremendous opportunity for all women, and I definitely can see the difference from that.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Okay.

The other thing I want to home in on here, Ms. Meck, is that you talked a lot about networks and about support, really, what I maybe would call social support. I'm not sure that's the right term. You can correct me with a different one if you like. It would appear that this is kind of what you're doing. You're offering that soft skill support, maybe, but also that networking opportunity, that encouragement, and that empowerment, that side of things.

That, I believe, is a really important part of women being able to advance in the ways they need to advance to be successful within their careers. Can you comment on how you see the networking and the social support systems, I guess, being put in place? Can you comment on how you see those benefiting women in terms of their advancement?

[Iris Meck]

I think networking is important only to those who don't have one. I think networking is imperative to every industry and to everybody in an industry. I think women set back a little.... Everybody talks about the glass ceiling, and I think there's a bit of a sticky floor. I think if you can raise yourself above and make the networks in the industry, that will help you.

For networking, it has to be understood that it's not a time when women get together, drink wine, and talk about their bosses. Networking is the time when you can meet somebody who you can take advantage of, in the sense that it will take you to another level, that it will give you an advantage. Then, in time, that advantage might be paid back. It's about building a relationship with somebody who can further your career path. That's what I think networking is. For that, everybody has a responsibility to build a network themselves.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Marilyn Gladu]

We'll go over to Ms. Malcolmson, for seven minutes.

[Sheila Malcolmson, NDP, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Thank you for the sticky floor analogy. I think that's helpful. We're hearing a lot of testimony along those lines.

I want to carry on my colleague's lauding of 4-H. I was a pony club kid in Charlottetown, P.E.I., and now, in my own community, both Gabriola Island, where I live, and Cedar, on Vancouver Island, have phenomenal 4-H programs. The participants are 80% young women and girls, and they are articulate, organized, and dedicated, so in terms of that youth potential, the skills they learn, and the dedication they show, I'm discouraged, on the adult end of things, to see women so under-represented in agricultural leadership.

I'm hoping that in a minute or two you can describe your big picture view of where those barriers sit and what we can do on the federal government side to try to remove some of those barriers to clean up that sticky floor.

[Iris Meck]

That's a huge question.