Status of Women Committee on March 21st, 2024

[Charlene Lavallee]

That's correct.

[Emmanuella Lambropoulos, Liberal, Saint-Laurent, QC]

Hilda, I'll go to you.

You talked about the fact that it's necessary and critical for us to implement this as quickly as possible. Other witnesses have been more in favour of it being run by organizations, and I think you spoke to that point as well.

Of course, federal and provincial governments should also be helping to fund and should be playing a role. I'm wondering what role you think the provinces and territories should play, versus the role that the federal government should play.

[Hilda Anderson-Pyrz]

I think one of the things I really amplify in doing this work is that, regardless if you're the federal government or a provincial or territorial government, everybody has a responsibility to be actors in the safety and security of indigenous women, girls and two-spirit and gender-diverse people, because many individuals who reside in their provinces and territories go missing at alarming rates.

I think it's really critical that everybody take a collective, collaborative approach in the implementation of the red dress alert for it to be successful. As I mentioned previously, jurisdictional boundaries often have hindered the safe location of an indigenous woman or girl or of two-spirit and gender-diverse persons. I think it's equal participation among all governments.

[Emmanuella Lambropoulos, Liberal, Saint-Laurent, QC]

Thank you.

Sandra, you spoke about the importance of implementing it. I'm wondering if you could talk a bit about what we can do to ensure it's safe and it warrants the trust of indigenous partners.

[Sandra DeLaronde]

I think the way the alert system currently works in the provinces is that it's generally managed through their emergency management services. Decisions on whether or not alerts go out are made by the police force.

I think having family members or representatives of the community at the table when making those decisions is critical to ensuring trust, and then, if it is determined that an alert doesn't go out, there should be a measure in place so that there is an opportunity to review, alongside the community, whether or not that was the right measure to take.

[Emmanuella Lambropoulos, Liberal, Saint-Laurent, QC]

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

Thank you so much.

We're now going over to Andréanne Larouche.

Andréanne, you have six minutes.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

I'd like to thank all the witnesses for being here today.

I feel that we have a duty to remember the women and girls who have gone missing, who have been murdered. We must do this work rigorously, seriously, to honour their memory, so that they didn't die in vain. That's what I want to hear from the witnesses today.

I'll start with you, Mrs. Anderson‑Pyrz.

In your opening remarks, you talked about the need to mobilize resources. We know that a red dress alert won't happen on its own. Obviously, it has to be put in place. How do you see the resources aspect? What resources should be mobilized to ensure that the red dress alert will really be effective?

[Hilda Anderson-Pyrz]

Among some of the critical resources we need is infrastructure. That's to ensure that everybody has access to this red dress alert system, especially when we're looking at individuals who live in remote and isolated areas.

In addition to that, there have to be wraparound supports to support individuals in vulnerable positions who have gone missing, and a long-term sustainable commitment to fully resource the red dress alert system and sustain it. It can't just be a one-off that happens for one year and does not continue. We need to ensure that it's around for many years and for many generations, because our lives matter.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Thank you very much. I'll ask you more questions later.

I'm going to ask a question along the same lines as the one I just asked.

Mrs. DeLaronde, in your opening remarks, you talked about the importance of supporting families, of having something integrated. So you're on the same wavelength as what we've just said.

How do you see this integration, this support for families? I'm asking this question because we realize that the red dress alert isn't a magic wand and that it will also require a whole continuum of services upstream and downstream, from prevention to the services offered afterwards.

Can you enlighten us and give us some ideas so that we can do something? We're talking about red dress alerts in this study, but I think our recommendations will have to go beyond the simple application of the alert and that we also think about a continuum of services.

[Sandra DeLaronde]

Yes, absolutely, the work has to go beyond that annoying noise we get on our phone. Once that alert is actioned, we have to have people on the ground to assist and support families in locating their loved ones. Whether we're looking at the rangers' model in the NWT and the Yukon or the volunteer firefighters' model in the provinces, we have people who have some experience and dedication to the well-being of society we can call upon to support this initiative.

Also, families need to have wellness supports when someone goes missing. Critically, we find that those who have gone missing and have been returned to families are traumatized. There needs to be support to help them regain their confidence and sense of well-being when they're returned to their families. It's not just issuing an alert on the system. It's important to provide that full spectrum of services.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

I think that's a very wise thing for us to consider as we go through the report.

Ms. Lavallee, in your opening remarks, you talked about the inclusion of all groups, but also about the importance of not making it political.

You also mentioned this issue, Mrs. Anderson‑Pyrz.

Ms. Lavallee, what leads you to believe, at this stage, that this issue could become political?

[Charlene Lavallee]

It already has become political. As I stated, the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples has been involved with the MMIWG round table since 2016. February was the first time there was an in-person...in regard to the finalization since the completion of the calls for justice. Our organization was not invited to attend personally. We asked if we could attend personally, and they did not invite us and would not change their mind—

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

Charlene, there are just a few seconds to end this, because we have to get into our next round. Be very quick.

[Charlene Lavallee]

Okay. We were told it was distinctions-based only, which is MNC, AFN and ITK.

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

Thank you so much.

We're now turning it over to Leah Gazan for six minutes.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

I just want to start by thanking this committee, which has prioritized bringing our women, girls and gender-diverse relatives home. I want to thank you all for always making space for this discussion.

I also thank the women who are joining us in the room. They're real champions on literally the front lines night and day working on this issue, not just in an academic sense, but also working directly with families every single day. I want to thank you all for your efforts.

My first question is for Hilda.

You mentioned Nunavut. I know that through consultations there were technology issues. Why do you think it's important to engage stakeholders in Nunavut directly? What are some of the reasons for that?

[Hilda Anderson-Pyrz]

I think it's critical to engage them due to their remoteness, isolation and connectivity challenges. We need to ensure that all indigenous people have services and infrastructure to meet their social and economic needs. We need to ensure that all governments uphold the social and economic rights of indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQAI+ people, with a focus on call for justice 4.1.

Additionally, their experiences can educate us so that we ensure their experiences and the types of services and responses they need are included. We often see a lack of resources, supports and engagement. Many people who are factored into the cost to engage are relatives who live in northern, remote areas. Cost should not be a factor. They should have equitable participation in all the different types of initiatives that are going to impact their lives.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Thank you so much.

My next question is for Sandra.

I know that Hilda and Charlene spoke about political interference. I'm wondering if you agree with that. If you do agree, what does that look like? How can things be done in a way that there is not political interference? What is political interference?

Answer quickly, in 20 seconds. I'm just kidding.

[Voices]

Oh, oh!

[Sandra DeLaronde]

No, you're not kidding.

I think that, yes, there is political interference. There is a want to appease individuals or individual organizations.

Let me be clear that they are representative political organizations. They are not governments, regardless of the wording that has been used. Many of us on the ground and on the front lines have no less of a commitment or responsibility to ensure change in our communities than they do.

I think greater weight needs to be given to those who actually do the work on the ground. We've seen that through the consultations. Those who had clear and distinct answers were those who did the work on the ground.

I understand that people want more time to talk and engage. Certainly that can happen along with the implementation process. We know that when we talk and we find ways forward, we can do things better together, but we can't wait because we've waited too long.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Thank you so much.

My next question is for Charlene. It's just building on that.

We've heard that a lot of these battles have been led by women from our communities on the front lines of this issue—often unpaid. Why is it critical to centre the voices of women, gender-diverse folks and families who have been impacted by this ongoing genocide?

[Charlene Lavallee]

I'm sorry, but I didn't even get the question.

Was that a question as to why—

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Why is it critical to centre women, gender-diverse people and impacted families in decision-making and discussions on the red dress, outside of political organizations?

[Charlene Lavallee]

I think because a lot of us are the mothers. We're the aunties and the grandmothers. We've been the centre of our families.

I think when it comes to the emotional stuff that goes with somebody going missing, it's usually the women who are on the ground doing the work.

That would be my answer to that.