Thank you, Madam Chair.
I would like to reiterate that it's really important that victims and survivors have the opportunity to testify before the committee. I don't understand the urgency of having people in high-ranking positions testify, rather than using that time to hear from the survivors, the victims.
Another committee is already doing that. As I said before, it is not our job as members of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women to conduct an investigation. That really bothers me.
I'm listening to my colleagues with great interest and respect. I feel it is crucial to invite all the survivors and victims who want to testify. They need to feel free, for once, to talk about their experience, about what they went through. They need to feel comfortable doing it.
Sometimes toxic masculinity doesn't only affect women; men can be victims of it as well. The culture within the Canadian military is such that people in positions of power, people who sexually assault or harass someone, do it to control that person.
You know, abusing somebody is more about control than it is about sexual enjoyment or pleasure. I know I'm getting off topic a bit, but what I'm trying to say is that it's very important that we look at this question in such a way that we empower the survivors, the victims, and we will empower them by giving them the choice to come in and speak if they want to or not.
I will repeat my question: why do we need people in high-ranking positions to testify before the committee? Other committees are going to call them. Our committee's role is to listen to the survivors, the victims.
My dear colleagues, in our study of the effects of the pandemic on women, we had women leaders of organizations come and testify about victims and survivors. We had the opportunity to hear them, and they got the chance to speak and be heard.
Personally, I do not understand why we are not focusing more on inviting survivors instead of high-ranking people to speak on behalf of these women. I would really like the committee to hear from the survivors, the victims. I feel it's important to approach the issue in that way.
Thank you very much.