Status of Women Committee on May 7th, 2024

[Suzanne Zaccour]

Even though the manipulation and the confusion are real, women are also experts in their danger assessments, in the sense that if they are afraid, there's a reason. That's why both the police and the family justice system need to believe that, if a woman is afraid for her life and for her children's lives, it's because there is real danger. It's not in her head. She's not imagining it.

I think it's a very important guideline to understand that women are not exaggerating. The situations they're being placed in are very difficult and hard to believe, but they're real nonetheless.

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

Thank you.

If we were to criminalize coercive control, what are some safeguards that can be put in place to ensure that victims aren't the ones who end up paying for it?

[Andrea Silverstone]

I think that we should look to other jurisdictions that have done an amazing job in terms of their statutory guidelines around coercive control to ensure that victims have safeguards around them, especially marginalized victims who come from BIPOC backgrounds.

The United Kingdom put in some great statutory guidelines. Scotland has some great statutory guidelines. Australia has started developing statutory guidelines around its legislation. I think that we should look to other jurisdictions as well. We should look to our community-based organizations that are experts in areas of equity and ask them what sorts of guidelines they think should be put into place.

[Suzanne Zaccour]

Something that we almost always recommend, every time we're called to testify on a variety of matters related to violence against women, is that independent legal advice to victims is also really important, even before they report or as they report. That can also really help victims understand their options and the process, and it can support them in not being revictimized in this process.

[The Chair, Conservative, Shelby Kramp-Neuman]

Thank you.

Andréanne and Leah, you both have two and a half minutes left. Would you like an opportunity to have even a minute and a half, or is that...? Are you comfortable with a minute and a half? Okay.

We'll start with Andréanne.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Ms. Silverstone, with respect to your recommendations, you mentioned your work in relation to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights and the fact that you've been active on the issue of human trafficking. We discussed the issue with the previous panel as well.

How might criminalizing coercive control affect another scourge, human trafficking? Why is it important to take action on that issue, as well as when it comes to online sexual violence and online control, via the Internet, something we're hearing about more and more? How might criminalizing coercive control also help to tackle those two issues?

[Andrea Silverstone]

The experience of sexual exploitation is actually also an experience of coercive control. We have written extensively about it, some of it published, and I'm happy to share it with the committee.

Essentially, by expanding and extending criminalization of coercive control to include victims of sexual exploitation and trafficking, it would give the police yet another tool in their tool box to intervene sooner into experiences of sexual exploitation. As well, it would give victims of sexual exploitation more tools to understand what is happening to them and possibly reach out for support without feeling like they're going to be stigmatized for making decisions. People often ask them things like, “Why did you stay?” or “Why didn't you run away?”, and things like that. The criminalization of coercive control will change that discourse and make them understand there are supports and services available.

[The Chair, Conservative, Shelby Kramp-Neuman]

Thank you so much.

Leah.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Thank you so much.

I think it's important to look at what other countries have done, but I also acknowledge that Canada has a very distinct legal history, including with indigenous people. We just finished a study on the red dress alert, and one of the things that became clear is the mistrust of police because of either overpolicing or underpolicing and the minimization of violence, particularly when it comes to indigenous women. Do you think particularly that BIPOC women, and I would say in my question specifically indigenous women, who experience higher rates of violence, are more at risk for some of the things you were talking about? I mean in terms of the minimization, “She's being hysterical,” and in terms of this potential for legislation that has the intent of doing good to cause harm?

[Suzanne Zaccour]

I think it's really important to take into account the specific vulnerabilities and colonial system when thinking about these kinds of reforms. Often, for indigenous women in particular, there are additional risk factors such as the risk of being disbelieved, and also financial precarity, that might contribute to a situation of coercive control or make it more difficult to escape the situation of coercive control and then potentially report or not report. Definitely, there need to be support systems in place and holistic interventions in all the factors that lead to violence.

[The Chair, Conservative, Shelby Kramp-Neuman]

Excellent, thank you very much.

That will conclude our second panel.

On behalf of the committee, I would like to thank all of the witnesses for their appearance.

Is the committee in agreement to adjourn today?

The meeting is adjourned.