Status of Women Committee on June 6th, 2017

[Jennifer Watts]

As to resources, we need to look at where women are coming from and be able to support them in their journey. Some of our programs adopt a pathway approach. This means giving people, particularly if they're coming from jobs they've done in their own country, the opportunity to move forward and providing them with adequate support. Being able to do this is really important.

We have a continuum of programs. It's hard to speak to one specific thing, but we favour providing a continuum and using a case management approach. We try to learn about the individual, who they are, where they are coming from. We do a strength-based analysis of what they need, what they see as their potential, and how we can provide them with pathways and choices that will help them move forward.

To be effective, the program requires flexibility in the resources from our funding partners. If we try to do one specific thing, it's never going to address the reality of our clients and allow us to fit that reality to our programs. One of the programs we're working on right now is career explorations, which involves a youth group between the ages of 18 and probably 25. We have a number of young women in that program. The program includes the language training they may need, and helps them figure out the best pathways. Do I need to go to community college, university? Do I want it? Do I want to pursue a job in this area? This is really about supporting them and helping them move forward.

It can take more time to be able to do that, but for us as an agency it is critical for this program to have that flexibility, together with the support of the federal government. We need to be very responsive in applying our case management approach. We want to provide an authentic response to who this individual is and how she can integrate so as to be able to offer her strengths to the community.

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Thank you.

It is important, generally, to promote women so that they can achieve economic security and success, but it's also important to ensure that we deal with the intersectional differences that women face. Intersectionality is the idea that age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and many other factors of diversity can impact our daily experiences. Could you tell us how intersectionality is applied to the programs and services you offer?

[Jennifer Watts]

Sure. I can respond.

Again, I point to the reality, particularly working with this youth program, of providing that broad range of topics and being very open in discussing them. It has been our experience that young people have been very interested in learning about what the Canadian reality is. So looking at issues of gender, sexuality, and all of those issues becomes very important for people to be able to understand what the discussions are within the Canadian context and within their own community, how they see themselves as understanding those different realities—if they are differing—and certainly for people coming here looking for opportunity, particularly those from the LGBTQ community who are arriving as refugees, that there is the opportunity to feel safe and welcomed here and to understand what opportunities there are for them.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Pam Damoff]

Thank you.

I would like to thank both of our witnesses for being here today. I know you are both leaders in your field. I have been familiar with Catalyst for many years, and I want to thank you for the advocacy you have done for decades and continue to do, and for the work you have done with new immigrants as well.

We'll suspend for a couple of minutes as the new panel gets set up.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Pam Damoff]

Would everyone take their seats, please? We're going to begin.

With us we have the Métis Women's Council on Economic Security, here in person.

By teleconference, we have the First Nations Women's Council on Economic Security.

We'll start with you, Ms. Lee and Ms. Poitras, for seven minutes.

[Tracy Lee, Chair, First Nations Women's Council on Economic Security]

[Witness speaks in Cree]

Good morning. My name is Tracy Lee. I am from the Maskwacis Cree Nation, and I am coming to you from the traditional lands of the Plains Cree Nation.

I am thankful for this opportunity to present to you today.

I'll quickly allow my co-chair to introduce herself as well.

[Marlene Poitras, Council Member, First Nations Women's Council on Economic Security]

My name is Marlene Poitras. I'm a member of the Mikisew Cree First Nation in Northern Alberta and also a fellow member on the First Nations Women's Council.

[Tracy Lee]

I would like to start out by saying that we're coming forward to you, and the recommendations that we bring to you are really built upon the foundation of the following frameworks that current and future initiatives for first nations people and women will be built upon. That includes the Truth and Reconciliation calls to action. Much of what we are speaking to fits within the framework of that piece as well as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and our treaty rights.

The Government of Alberta formed this council to provide advice and recommendations to the province to improve the lives of indigenous women in Alberta. The council provides a unique perspective on matters impacting indigenous women and communities. Past recommendations include developing educational tool kits for indigenous parents, developing and supporting much-needed anti-violence programs, and leadership and empowerment programs for indigenous women and girls. These anti-violence initiatives use traditional values and engage men, women, and boys with the hopes of ending violence against women and girls. However, much more remains to be done, and the federal government is integral to this work, which is why we are here today.

I'll tell a little story to give you some context. Recently a single mother came to our council members wanting to gain employment. She had to decide between a higher-paying job off-reserve that had potential for growth, or a lower paying, less fulfilling job on a reserve. If she took the off-reserve job, her child care benefits would decrease, she would have to travel more one way, and she would require child care. If she took the on-reserve job, she would have a less fulfilling job without the same opportunities for career growth. However, she would save in child care and fuel. A large number of our women are single, and they face challenges such as this quite often. This woman was more fortunate than others, but still faced difficult challenges and choices.

Indigenous women in Alberta are forced to make hard choices every day, and 29% possess no educational certificate, diploma, or degree compared to only 10% of non-aboriginal women. Their unemployment rate is nearly 11% compared to 4.5% for non-aboriginal women. At the time of the 2006 census, based on before-tax income, more than 36% of women, compared to 17% of non-aboriginal women, were living in poverty.

Indigenous women on reserve face even greater challenges. They are less likely to possess an educational degree. As we see current trends evolving, even as they do gain more education, finding employment is very hard. I know one of our colleagues made reference to a situation in Blackfoot country, Kainai area, where the Blackfoot names are very distinct, like Black Water and Weasel Head. After they graduate, they feel they just don't get hired. Maybe there's a tendency to not hire women with distinct Blackfoot names. Yes, there's difficulty finding education.

When looking at the numbers, it is clear that barriers to economic security for indigenous women continue to exist. Research by Blue Quills University found that the western concept of economy measures success through monetary and personal gain; however, indigenous women focus more on how we take care of each other. It’s about reciprocity, sustainability, and collective success.

[Marlene Poitras]

The first nations and Métis women's economic security councils have defined economic security as having access to the resources and supports that contribute to physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Economic security gives women the ability to provide the basic needs for their families in safe and secure communities, and access to opportunities to participate in the provincial economy.

Indigenous women and girls deserve the same opportunities to build healthy, successful, and safe lives as all other women in Canada. In Alberta, indigenous women have lower rates of education and employment, and are more likely to face violence than non-indigenous women.

Some areas in drastic need of attention include the following: improving access to quality health services, including mental health services, for indigenous women; increasing educational opportunities by working to improve high school graduation rates for indigenous girls; countering societal narratives that devalue indigenous women; and providing support for indigenous women who move to urban centres.

Communities and governments have a role to play in creating greater success and improving the lives of indigenous women. All levels of government should engage indigenous people in the establishment of indigenous indicators for success. Funding and programming should not simply follow market trends, but should consider safety, family, health and wellness, and relationships. Education systems should reflect traditional and current models of knowing and learning. Canada can and should change the way it delivers and evaluates programs and services for indigenous people, in keeping with our values and indigenous world views.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Pam Damoff]

Thank you. That's your seven minutes.

We'll turn now to our colleagues here in Ottawa, and you have seven minutes as well.

[Phyllis Steeves, Co-Chair, Métis Women's Council on Economic Security]

Good morning. We are honoured to be here.

As background, Statistics Canada reports the largest population of Métis people is in Alberta, where approximately 97,000 Métis live, fully 21% of all Métis in Canada.

The council was formally established by ministerial order to provide advice and recommendations to the Government of Alberta on strategies to improve the economic security of Métis and Inuit women in Alberta. The council provides a unique perspective on matters impacting Métis and Inuit women and communities, utilizing research, in-depth discussions, and exploration of potential initiatives.

The council has made a seat available for Inuk women to bring an Inuk perspective to, and participate on, the Métis Women's Council on Economic Security.

The council has presented two reports and recommendations, one in 2014 and a second in 2016. Recommendations have been accepted, accepted in principle or accepted with modifications by government. The government has prepared annual progress reports for the council.

The council is mindful of the importance of process and has developed and revisited its terms of reference to ensure its mandate remains relevant to the lives of Métis and Inuit women.

The council also recently engaged in a facilitated session where we determined how best to work together. We decided together what constitutes respectful discussion, how consensus will be reached, and how best to develop recommendations. Recommendations of the council are sourced from the lived experience of Métis and Inuit women, drawing from personal, professional, academic, and geographical aspects of our lives.

Council members bring a diversity of backgrounds, and come from urban, rural, settlement, and non-settlement upbringings.

The council recently transitioned from inaugural to current members; all are role models and leaders in their communities.

Recommendations of the council generally focus on addressing systemic concerns, an indicator of the council's desire to work with government and, if possible, other bodies on the front line of service provision impacting Métis and Inuit people. While expedient, this approach also reflects the challenges of envisioning outside of existing frameworks to enhance the economic security of Métis and Inuit women.

As a core principle, the council recognizes the interconnectedness of sex, gender, gender alliances, and the dependency and ties to well-being. This includes recognition and appreciation of connectivity to family and its role in well-being, including economic security.

Relationships are key to the success of indigenous communities, and to the success of the council.

[Valerie Kaufman, Co-Chair, Métis Women's Council on Economic Security]

Past recommendations of the council include improving the existing link to indigenous programs and services, fostering and supporting indigenous tourism, and improving cultural supports in Alberta's health care system.

The government has responded by creating and maintaining a web portal for indigenous programs and services and providing funding to Heritage Park Historical Village to highlight the traditional roles of indigenous women.

A research project funded by government is currently under way on authenticity validation approaches for indigenous arts and crafts.

The government is providing $100,000 to the Aboriginal Tourism Association of Canada to establish an indigenous tourism organization in Alberta. This is an opportunity to help create jobs for indigenous communities, help strengthen Alberta's overall economy, and give visitors a meaningful experience.

Funding of $33.5 million through the Alberta jobs plan will be used to build the Indigenous People's Experience and three other key initiatives at Fort Edmonton.

The Alberta government is providing $100,000 for a national gathering of elders in September 2017. Representatives from 623 first nations, Métis, and Inuit groups have been invited to dialogue and collaborate on critical issues facing indigenous people.

Recommendations for 2017 are under development, with priority given to education and training, employment and entrepreneurship, child welfare, and safety and justice.

In terms of national, provincial, and municipal action, the council fully supports and calls for implementation of Jordan's principle, which says that no first nations child should be denied welfare services because of jurisdictional disputes.

Supporting and publicizing Canada's indigenous artisans and tourist attractions will help make the country a premier destination for unique indigenous tourism experiences.

One important recommendation for your consideration is the establishment of a national indigenous women's council to provide advice and recommendations to federal ministries. The federal government can also play a role in encouraging provinces and territories to create their own indigenous women's councils to make space for the voices of Métis, Inuit, and first nations women.

In closing, Minister Richard Feehan, Minister of Indigenous Relations, which supports the Métis Women's Council on Economic Security, has stated:

There are real and pressing issues facing Indigenous Peoples in Alberta and throughout Canada and increased communication and cooperation—between governments and between communities—is essential when addressing these challenges head on.

We encourage collaboration and engagement with indigenous communities, peoples, and organizations to ensure that we are not forgotten in the creation of government policy. We also acknowledge the contributions of all council members, past and present, and those of the office of indigenous women's initiatives and staff engagement.

Thank you for inviting the council to share aspects of our work as it relates to the economic security and well-being of indigenous people.

Marsee. Mahsi Cho.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Pam Damoff]

Thank you so much for being here.

We're going to start our first round of questioning with Mr. Colin Fraser for seven minutes.

[Colin Fraser, Liberal, West Nova, NS]

Thank you all so much for being here today and for sharing your stories and your good information, which will be useful to this committee. We really appreciate your time today.

I'd like to start with the First Nations Women's Council on Economic Security. You spoke about domestic violence. In the context of domestic violence, often, as I understand it, there is a cycle of violence that perpetuates itself and makes it difficult for some person in that situation to extricate themselves from the violent situation because they don't have economic security, are not able to get a job, and are not able to stand on their own two feet without some support.

Can you comment a little more on the economic security element of domestic violence and what can be done to help alleviate it? What is some of the work that's being done already by your organization?

[Tracy Lee]

Thank you for raising that concern.

In terms of domestic violence, yes, it's very real. I'll just speak about my community of 20,000 people. We have a women's shelter that is always full. We have one shelter, so our women often get turned away from our own shelter.

In terms of economic security for those women, one of the other trends in the communities is that women will often seek education, but they don't go from high school directly. They're more likely to enter post-secondary education as mature students.

In terms of programming, how can we help these women who are often living in a cycle of poverty, violence, and addiction? Even if not directly dealing with addictions, how do we build more bridge programs for those women who want to remove themselves from that cycle and begin on a pathway towards self-sufficiency through education? We need programs that support women, more programs for domestic violence in the way of shelters, and more accessible programs.

[Marlene Poitras]

I want to add that the one aspect that's lacking is mental health services. In terms of the programming, a focus on mental health services would help tremendously for those women.

[Tracy Lee]

In my community, for those using the emergency department of the hospital, the second-most responsible diagnosis is mental health, addictions and violence-related. The demographic within that is primarily women.

[Colin Fraser, Liberal, West Nova, NS]

I wonder if I can expand a little. When a woman is leaving a domestic violence situation and uses the services of a shelter to get back on her feet, and hopefully in a way to leave that situation and not have to return, do you see affordable housing as a barrier to leaving that relationship? What more do you think can be done with regard to affordable housing?

[Tracy Lee]

Definitely that's a barrier. Looking at the on-reserve communities, housing is very overcrowded. I know in a recent survey in my community there was an average of three families per home. With the housing situation that exists on reserves, definitely there's a shortage. Where do they go? They often have no choice when there's no shelter and there are no homes available to them. There definitely are real barriers all around when trying to move beyond those cycles.

[Colin Fraser, Liberal, West Nova, NS]

Can you talk a little about some first nations women living in an urban setting? I assume that there are some, of course, who live in rural areas. Can you talk a little about the different challenges in both of those situations that women would face with regard to finding jobs or getting economic security?

Is there a difference between living in a city and in a rural area?

[Marlene Poitras]

There are certainly a lot of barriers for women in the urban areas to find affordable housing or jobs.

Tracy mentioned earlier that women do get educated, but then they have problems finding employment within their field of expertise. There certainly are a lot of barriers when they come to the urban settings.

[Tracy Lee]

Definitely, on first nations, there's overcrowding, and when they do get educated, it's hard to find employment, on and off reserve.

[Colin Fraser, Liberal, West Nova, NS]

Thank you very much.

I'd like to turn now to the Métis Women's Council on Economic Security. Thanks for your presentation.

You talked about indigenous tourism. That's a wonderful initiative, and I think that can be applied right across Canada with all kinds of indigenous groups and organizations. Where I come from in Nova Scotia, there's a rendezvous at Grand Pré this summer between the Mi'kmaq and Acadian peoples. We're hoping that will not only identify the cultural heritage of our area, but also welcome tourists to come and celebrate that experience.

I wonder if you could talk a little about the culture and identity piece that goes along with indigenous tourism and why that would be important for your community.

[Valerie Kaufman]

Personally, it's a part of who I am and of who we are. As Métis, first nations, and Inuit people, our culture is first and foremost. In my own home, my granny lived with us. I learned all the traditional arts and crafts. They are really important. As a council, we are really considering the authenticity part of it, based on the same thing that perhaps the Northwest Territories and the Government of the Yukon have done, with an authenticity tag on arts and crafts and that kind of thing. Involving the cultural or spiritual side is also an area that people are considering. They're trying to determine how best to do that, particularly in first nations communities. So, yes, it's a huge priority.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Pam Damoff]

Thank you very much.

We'll now turn to Ms. Vecchio, for seven minutes.