Evidence of meeting #16 for Status of Women in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was projects.
A recording is available from Parliament.
1:40 p.m.
Liberal
1:40 p.m.
Liberal
1:40 p.m.
Bloc
Sylvie Bérubé Bloc Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC
Madam Chair, this is Sylvie Bérubé speaking. I'm replacing Ms. Larouche, who's otherwise occupied.
I want to thank all the witnesses here for appearing as part of this study, which I think is very relevant. It's high time we talked about everything that's going on relating to indigenous women. I come from the riding of Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, and I'm very well aware of what's going on.
My first question will be for Ms. Étienne.
We know that the unacceptable violence still occurring in resource development industries is definitely inconsistent with the very objectives of reconciliation that the government advocates and must achieve. Since 2019, we've had an important report before us that sheds light on that issue. The purpose of that study is directly related to calls for justice 13.4 and 13.5 stated in the report on the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, or NIMMIWG. That report contains important recommendations to which the federal government must respond.
Why do you think the problem of resource development and violence persists when that violence was named and exposed in this national inquiry in 2015?
1:40 p.m.
President, Quebec Native Women Inc.
Initially, we had the NIMMIWG recommendations. There are various articles. A great deal of work definitely remains to be done to mitigate current trends in all areas where women suffer violence, in economic development and other fields. I won't name them because I think we're aware of all that. Particularly since, as I noted in my remarks, indigenous women and girls have to fight this phenomenon in urban areas and in their own communities.
In response to your question, I think that reconciliation is a goal and that everything has to start somewhere. We see things emerging in Canada, the graves, in particular, and everything else. All these things inevitably affect women. I think the implementation of this plan must be subject to enhanced monitoring. When I say plan, I'm talking about the NIMMIWG report, which contains a series of measures and recommendations. We have to find a way to ensure that a plan is implemented in the short, medium and long terms so that it's ultimately carried out.
As regards women on mining sites and so on, we know that it's men who generally oversee all these economic development aspects. We have to get into solution mode in order to ensure that women are everywhere, even in these sectors. With regard to that aspect, I would even say that women should also be involved in the fight against climate change. It's also important to ensure that indigenous women are involved in those fields.
I don't know whether that answers your question in a general way. I do think we have to do more to raise awareness about the situation of women. Ancestral rights to the lands under development must also be recognized. Then there's the issue of reparations for everything that happened during the events that have marked the history of women and the ensuing reconciliation process.
1:45 p.m.
Bloc
Sylvie Bérubé Bloc Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC
Ms. Étienne, we discussed the NIMMIWG report.
Do you think any progress has been made in implementing calls for justice 13.4 and 13.5 of the national inquiry report?
1:45 p.m.
President, Quebec Native Women Inc.
Measures are currently being introduced, although perhaps not to the extent we would like because, as I said earlier, much remains to be done. Certain things are being done, and some must be done upstream before access to certain funding comes to an end. You always have to be two steps ahead to ensure a response to the plan and recommendations and that measures are introduced in connection with the NIMMIWG report.
Things are being done now, perhaps not to the extent we would like, but we'll closely monitor what happens next to ensure that what's done addresses the situation of Quebec's indigenous women and girls.
1:45 p.m.
Bloc
Sylvie Bérubé Bloc Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC
Thank you, Ms. Étienne.
I'd like to ask Ms. Doré-Nadeau a question if I still have a little time left.
1:45 p.m.
Bloc
Sylvie Bérubé Bloc Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC
Ms. Doré-Nadeau, you said that an act could prevent planned obsolescence.
Would you please tell me more about that?
1:45 p.m.
Director, ConcertAction Femmes Estrie
Planned obsolescence refers to the fact that the lifespan of cell phones and many other devices is planned so that it's far shorter than it might otherwise be.
As a result, we have to develop some of our resources even more to support a whole system of consumption. This also causes violence, as we have seen. Consequently, we must adopt legislation on planned obsolescence.
Other countries have done so, and it's important that Canada do the same.
1:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Sonia Sidhu
Thank you, Ms. Doré-Nadeau and Madame Bérubé.
Before going ahead with our next speaker, Ms. Palmater, there seems to be a slight problem with your sound. Could you unplug and replug your headset and then say a few words? We'll see if your sound is good.
1:45 p.m.
Chair in Indigenous Governance, Ryerson University, As an Individual
Is that better? I hope you can hear this.
1:45 p.m.
The Clerk of the Committee Ms. Alexie Labelle
It's okay. It didn't change, but they can keep interpreting. It's a little staticky, but they're going to do their best.
Thank you.
1:45 p.m.
Liberal
April 29th, 2022 / 1:45 p.m.
NDP
Leah Gazan NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Thank you so much, Chair.
Thanks to all the witnesses for being here today for this very important study.
My first questions are for Dr. Palmater.
In the last Parliament, we passed Bill C-15 and now the government is required to ensure that all the laws are aligned with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. As you mentioned, these are minimum human rights that any human being needs, indigenous or not, to have. These aren't special rights. These are just rights that haven't been afforded to indigenous peoples specifically.
How is the government's failure to uphold this new legislation by ensuring its implementation—including turning a blind eye to the violence being perpetrated against women, girls and two-spirit people around resource extraction—further exacerbating this crisis and normalization of violence?
1:50 p.m.
Chair in Indigenous Governance, Ryerson University, As an Individual
Thank you for the question. It's exceptionally important.
You've hit on all of the key points. We're now in an entirely different legal and policy field.
UNDRIP is the bare minimum standard, and UNDRIP says there can be no violence against indigenous women and girls. It says that special attention in everything Canada does has to be given to indigenous women and girls and that they have the right to say yes or no to things that happen to them, their bodies and their lands. They have a right to be a part of self-determination and to decide whether or not they want to protect their territories, their coastal seas, their waters and their resources, and to benefit from it. This is the bare minimum.
The other thing that UNDRIP does is recognize that indigenous peoples have the right to enact their own laws and govern their own territories. Indigenous women are at the forefront now of being decision-makers.
Everything has to change. It is not just about the Canadian federal laws but also provincial laws, because all of these human rights obligations vest in the state, regardless of our constitutional makeup. It's no defence to say—
1:50 p.m.
NDP
Leah Gazan NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
I asked that because we're witnessing in real time, for example, militarized RCMP involved in excessive violence against indigenous women who are defending their unceded lands and territories. In the Wet’suwet’en territory, for example—I often use that example—they used an axe, a chainsaw and a guard dog to rip down a door. Two women were behind the door, totally unarmed.
How does the involvement of state police within these resource extractions further implicate the federal and provincial governments' failure to ensure that indigenous women are protected and that their minimum human rights are also protected?
1:50 p.m.
Chair in Indigenous Governance, Ryerson University, As an Individual
Again, you've raised a really important issue. The RCMP not only failed to protect indigenous women and girls from violence, but they failed miserably to investigate or even open up files. We know that from the B.C. inquiry into missing women. We know this from the national inquiry. We know that internally, they sexually assault and abuse their own female officers. They're not stepping up to protect indigenous women and girls.
On the other hand, they criminalize them, surveil them, physically assault them and arrest and charge them for peacefully protecting their lands and waters, for peacefully protecting their own territories. They're unarmed. The police come in militarized. The fact that they have authorized themselves to use lethal overwatch on unarmed indigenous women and girls is something the whole world has seen and has spoken out about, such as the UN and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
Canada uses the RCMP and other police forces in different provinces as the enforcers of their genocidal policies—extraction and land at all costs. The RCMP does so willingly and, sometimes, independently of what governments have to say. They're a real loose cannon that we have to deal with. Again, however, it's not just them. The RCMP in Winnipeg is one of the worst police forces in the country. There's the OPP, the SQ—you name it, we have a huge problem—and they're all involved in some way in criminalizing, brutalizing and assaulting indigenous women and girls, especially in land defence situations.
1:50 p.m.
NDP
Leah Gazan NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Thank you very much.
I asked that because there were certain calls to justice related specifically to policing. The sad part of this story is that the very systems that were supposed to be designed to protect us have been part of the harm against indigenous women and girls.
You previously called the violence with resource development industries caused by man camps, such as Muskrat Falls, “a modern day form of genocide”. Could you please elaborate on that?
1:55 p.m.
Chair in Indigenous Governance, Ryerson University, As an Individual
It's the general sense that men in these man camps—transient workers, RCMP officers or anyone involved in this corporate industry—assume that indigenous women and girls are going to be there for the taking. How did they know that? Why do human traffickers in those contexts target indigenous women and girls?
It's because, traditionally, no one has cared. There are very few, if any, prosecutions that get all the way to a successful prosecution. People in law enforcement who engage in the same kind of predatory acts are not going to follow up with other people doing the same thing, because they're involved in it.
That's the problem here. There's this assumption, which is a very old stereotype, that we are there to be exploited, and they can exploit us because they can get away with it.
1:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Sonia Sidhu
I'm sorry, Dr. Palmater. That is your time. I'm so sorry to interrupt.
That is the end of our first round.
Thank you, Ms Gazan.
In our second round, we'll go to five minutes for the CPC, five minutes for the Liberals and two and a half minutes each for the Bloc and the NDP.
We'll start with Ms. Ferreri for five minutes.
Michelle, the floor is yours.
1:55 p.m.
Conservative
Michelle Ferreri Conservative Peterborough—Kawartha, ON
Thank you so much, Madam Chair.
I would love to start with Ms. Quinn, if I may.
Ms. Quinn, thank you for the work you're doing.
One of the things I'd love to focus on—I'm a big believer in prevention—is raising men in a culture that has the right education and tools, so that they know things. There's a bit of a gap, and that's being gracious. There's still a big gap in understanding the vulnerability of indigenous women, murdered and missing indigenous women, for lot of people if they haven't been exposed to it or know about it.
What do you guys do in your centre to educate? Do you have outreach programs in the community for education around this?
1:55 p.m.
Executive Director, Centre to End All Sexual Exploitation
Thank you very much for that question.
CEASE does a number of things, and some in relationship with others. We actually offer what's called the “sex trade offender program” for men who have been arrested with attempting to buy sexual services, both street-based sexual services as well as those online. We take that opportunity to educate men about all of the aspects of our laws, but more importantly, the impact on women and girls. We have indigenous women who participate in the education program, because we know that we have to build empathy. When you care about another human being and hear their story, you will reflect and make changes in your behaviour. That is one thing we do.
I consulted with the Bonnyville native friendship centre before appearing here, because they are a town in the midst of resource-based industries, where there is also a lot of transiency. They have just recently started a human trafficking community initiative, and they are doing awareness. The biggest thing they said that they really need to concentrate on right now is awareness. They know they're ruffling feathers in the community because they're speaking out and they're putting things out boldly. In Edmonton, we've also done the same kind of really bold fieldwork campaigns and other things.
More importantly, though, awareness is one part of it, but it's really about engaging boys and men in looking at themselves and their attitudes towards girls and women and two-spirit persons, and beginning that shift at an early age, countering the negative stereotypes that boys and men are raised with. We have some great male leaders in Edmonton, who are bringing forward those conversations on how to be a healthy male, not a toxic male.
