Status of Women Committee on Sept. 18th, 2024

[Shelina Jeshani]

I think that men who use coercive control use any system they can to continue to gain further control of the situation. Yes, the law is great to have, in order to hold people accountable, but it can also absolutely backfire.

My worry is that there are many women who are living under the conditions of coercive control who will never call the police and never be known. Those children continue to be exposed. Those women continue to suffer. I think we have to be thinking about this strategy upstream. How do we build a fence at the top of that hill so we can protect those children from becoming future abusers or future victims?

[Lisa Hepfner, Liberal, Hamilton Mountain, ON]

Thank you.

Carla, do you want to go next?

[Carla Neto]

Absolutely.

There's no time. What I'm suggesting is that we submit to you some of our proposals around prevention.

I concur with my colleagues. Definitely, anything will be used, but it is important for coercive control to be recognized.

Also, please remember that we have a family law system and criminal system that don't always talk.

Let's also talk about the stigmatization of communities. That's why they don't report to the police. There is an assumption that abuse only happens in some communities or to “those people”. Abuse happens in every culture, in every human culture.

I would welcome the opportunity to submit something in written form.

[Lisa Hepfner, Liberal, Hamilton Mountain, ON]

Yes, please. That's an excellent suggestion. If you have any ideas about how we can fix the disconnect between a family court and the criminal court, please include that in your submission.

[Carla Neto]

Absolutely.

[The Chair, Conservative, Shelby Kramp-Neuman]

Thank you, Ms. Neto and Lisa.

Andréanne, you have two and a half minutes.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

Once again, thank you to the witnesses.

Now that I've had the opportunity to speak to each witness, I'm going to ask a question that's for everyone.

In recent months, I took part in a meeting that focused on violence against women. This meeting was organized by women's groups. Representatives from community groups, elected municipal officials, municipal police forces and the Sûreté du Québec, as well as representatives from the office of the Quebec Minister of Public Security took part. As you can see, everyone has to get involved.

I'd like to talk about the issue of coercive control, specifically. At the meeting, I heard a lot about Bill C‑332. This federal bill opened the door to including coercive control. Of course, all the parties have spoken out on this one, with some reservations.

Are you aware of this bill?

What improvements would you make to the next bill that will deal with the criminalization of coercive control?

[Julie Rioux]

It's a bit complicated and it's not my area of expertise.

I know we work with victims who have an opinion in this regard. I think it would be better if I sent you a more detailed written answer.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Thank you.

Do any other witnesses wish to comment on Bill C‑332? We're aware that legislation criminalizing coercive control won't solve everything. So, if you'd like to comment on Bill C‑332 or on the issue of concerted action on the continuum of services offered to victims, you have about 30 seconds. You could even speak to the issue of funding the health system to help victim support groups.

[Shelina Jeshani]

The bill recognizes that this is not right, that this is a problem, that this is what it looks like and that people have to be held accountable, but I think the funding for services to catch people early in those prevention strategies is essential.

We know a majority of women will go first to their health care provider or religious leader when they're having difficulties within their families and intimate relationships, so we need to be educating those key stakeholders, because they are the gatekeepers to the service pathways that can unfold for those women and their children.

[The Chair, Conservative, Shelby Kramp-Neuman]

Thank you so much.

Leah, you have two and a half minutes.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Thank you so much, Chair.

My last question I'd like to ask to a couple of people, but I will start with Madame Polzin-Holman.

You said something that is very concerning for me, which was that your organization relies on core donations. It's concerning for me because, especially for the area you're working in, we know that services for child sexual abuse are already really underfunded. It's disturbing to me that you have to rely on donations to provide services that are already lacking. If we're serious about gender-based violence, do you think that we need to ensure that women's organizations are prioritized in budgets to ensure that you have the core funding you need to help the kids and victims you need to help?

Maybe keep your answer short so that I can ask—

[Wanda Polzin-Holman]

Yes. I think you said it very well. We definitely need core funding in place.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

I'll pass it on, but just as a segue, one of the calls for justice is sustainable funding—not year-to-year funding, but long-term sustainable funding within that core funding.

I see that Madam Neto has her hand up, and then it will go to the last two.

[Carla Neto]

I want to make a recommendation: We need to stop funding organizations by using a charity model. We need to move on to a social investment model.

Organizations like ours shouldn't have to depend on charity. This is a public issue. This is everyone's issue. I support Wanda's assertion. We need to make sure that organizations are able to support the survivors, but we also need to ensure that prevention is prioritized, because otherwise we are going to be back here year after year and study after study.

I will put the rest of my assertions and recommendations on paper again.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Can you submit that in writing? If anybody has any other recommendations they want to provide to the committee, you're welcome to submit it in writing.

I'm reading your eyes, Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Shelby Kramp-Neuman]

Thank you very much, Leah.

Thank you to all members and to all of the witnesses for your testimony today.

At this point, is the committee in agreement to adjourn the meeting?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Conservative, Shelby Kramp-Neuman]

The meeting is adjourned.