I call this meeting to order.
Welcome to meeting number five of the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women.
Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format, pursuant to the House order of September 23, 2020. The proceedings will be made available via the House of Commons website. The webcast will always show the person speaking rather than the entire committee.
With regard to the speaking list, the committee clerk and I will do our best to maintain a consolidated order of speaking for all the members, whether they're attending virtually or in person.
Today the committee is meeting to study the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on women.
Before speaking, please wait until I recognize you by name, and when you're ready to speak, click on the microphone icon to activate your mike. All comments should be addressed through the chair.
Interpretation in this video conference works very much like it does in a regular committee meeting. You have the choice at the bottom of your screen to pick English, French or floor, which is for whatever is being spoken. When speaking, please speak slowly and clearly for the interpreters. When you're not speaking, your mike should be on mute.
I'd like to welcome the witnesses who have come for our first panel.
We have, from the Bay St. George Status of Women Council, Sharon Williston, who is the executive director; from the Conference for Advanced Life Underwriting, Cindy David, who is the board chair; and from YWCA Canada, Maya Roy, who is the chief executive officer, and Anjum Sultana, who is the national director of public policy and strategic communications.
Each group will have five minutes for opening comments, and I will be gentle when I cut you off after five minutes. Then we'll go into rounds of questions. I will try to be sensitive, but each member will have six minutes for the first round. You'll hear me say, “That's your time”, and that's how you'll know we're moving on to someone else.
With that, we'll begin—