Status of Women Committee on June 17th, 2022

[Jennifer Brazeau]

I think we have quite a few recommendations that were already also given to the inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women.

In Quebec, we also had a commission called the “Commission Viens”, which investigated the relationship following the events that happened in Val-d'Or, the relationship between indigenous people and those public services. There were many recommendations that were given.

I think it's a huge issue that we need to be able to tackle, because there is a lack of confidence toward the police and policing services by indigenous women. I see it with members who come to our centre who do not want to approach the police to make a complaint. Oftentimes, they don't feel, one, that they are taken seriously and, two, they have a fear of being criminalized themselves when approaching police services. Also, they may have had violent experiences, as you said, with the police services previously. There are many different barriers toward indigenous women being able to approach the police.

One thing we can do is to ensure that women who are going to make a complaint with the police are accompanied. I know there are a lot of different rules, too, on the level of accompaniment that women can have when they're filing a complaint, and which I think need to be looked at. If you're a woman who is making a complaint about sexualized violence, there are often systems put in place where you can no longer be accompanied by an intervention worker for fear of nuancing the testimony, but at the same time, a woman can't testify if she doesn't feel safe and secure.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

How much time do I have, Chair?

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

You have 34 seconds.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Okay. Very quickly, Madam Brady or Mr. Parker, what changes, if any, have been made within the IAA processes to implement call for justice 13.3?

[Patricia Brady]

The Impact Assessment Act includes provisions for GBA+ and for the security and safety of indigenous women and girls to be considered in all impact assessments. We also have a research program in place, which responds to call for justice 13.4. So far, we have dispensed about $900,000 over 11 different projects and research into the issue.

I see I'm being told to wrap up.

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

Thank you so much.

We're now going to our final round of five minutes, five minutes, two and a half minutes and two and a half minutes.

We'll start with Shelby Kramp-Neuman for five minutes.

[Shelby Kramp-Neuman, Conservative, Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

My first question in the second round will be for Madam Brady with the Impact Assessment Agency.

The Assembly of First Nations explained that the data that was publicly available on missing and murdered indigenous women and girls was oversimplified and under-represented the scale of the issue, yet it still demonstrates a complex and pervasive pattern of violence against indigenous women and girls. In the committee's ongoing study, some witnesses have mentioned the lack of data with regard to the relationship between violence against indigenous women and girls and the resource development projects.

How does the IAA ensure that it is accurately assessing the impact of environmental projects, despite the clear lack of available data?

[Patricia Brady]

The information on specific project assessments comes directly from the communities implicated. We're not relying on national statistics or, necessarily, quantitative data. We're required to consider indigenous knowledge and community knowledge. It doesn't need to be statistical or quantitative.

We rely on lived experience of the community and its concerns, and engage throughout the process.

[Shelby Kramp-Neuman, Conservative, Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON]

Perfect. Thank you.

My next question is for you again.

Are you aware of the resource extraction projects or companies that have implemented initiatives to reduce the negative impacts of the projects on indigenous women and girls? If so, could you possibly share some examples of any initiatives by those particular companies? Do you know if those initiatives have been successful or not?

[Patricia Brady]

My colleagues from NRCAN can speak to TMX and those conditions. They have mentioned them.

As I mentioned before, under the Impact Assessment Act, GBA+ is new, but we have some experience under the former Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, where the Mikisew Cree were partnered in doing the impact assessment. Under their regime, GBA+ was required.

In that context, there's a project called the Rose lithium mine. The proponent considered GBA+ and indigenous women's safety, and put mitigation measures in place itself. In that case, there are mitigation measures in place. It committed and undertook to provide a healthy work environment where sexual harassment would not be tolerated. It included conditions of employment prohibiting harassment, as well as mandatory harassment and awareness training, rigorous follow-up of harassment cases and a monitoring program.

[Shelby Kramp-Neuman, Conservative, Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON]

Perfect. Thank you.

Was there someone else who was going to be answering the other part of that?

[Kimberley Zinck]

I can speak to the Trans Mountain expansion project, as well as the towards sustainable mining initiative.

With the Trans Mountain expansion project, the Trans Mountain Corporation, through its worker accommodation strategy and the socio-economic monitoring plans, has put in place rigorous initiatives that take into account the impact of the project on the security of the communities where it is operating. I know that the corporation takes security very seriously, working in partnership with local communities, local law enforcement and its own security.

In the mining industry, the towards sustainable mining initiative places expectations on member mining companies to adhere to a set of principles that are directed toward the safety and security of the communities and the women and girls who live in those communities.

[Shelby Kramp-Neuman, Conservative, Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON]

That's perfect. Thank you.

Assuming I have a little bit of time left, I'll pose my last question to Honourable Audette.

With regard to the final report of the national inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women, I can certainly appreciate—and I respect your commenting—that there's so much generational trauma and that that's the root of the issue, but can you clarify in what ways distinct groups of indigenous women and girls might have different needs from one another?

[Michèle Audette]

I'm not sure I understand the question.

[Shelby Kramp-Neuman, Conservative, Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON]

For example, could you speak about the unique experiences of first nation, Inuit and/or Métis women and girls who are encountering the violence and whether there are differences in needs from one group to another?

[Michèle Audette]

Yes, there are.

I'm from a place where the mining industry looks like the biggest golf course in Schefferville, there are so many holes there.

If we have a healing approach or a healing process in place there, it's not something I can bring back to the native friendship centre in Joliette, because the reality is different, as are the protocols, the culture and the language. My spirituality is not the same as that of my sister in the Haida nation and so on. This is why it's very important that we do respect the people of the land and how they see their healing process.

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

Wonderful. Thank you so much.

I'm just going to pass it over now to Sonia.

You have five minutes.

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

For my last minute, I just want to start with Ms. Van De Bogart.

First of all, thank you to all of the witnesses.

Thank you, honourable Senator Audette, for your work and all that you do and for being with us.

My first question is for Ms. Larocque. Ms. Van De Bogart, you can also expand on this.

We all know that appropriate health and social services are much needed in indigenous communities. For increasing awareness, you said that engagement with the NGOs is very much needed too. What kind of awareness campaign is going on? Can you expand on that?

[Michelle Van De Bogart]

My apologies. Was that directed to me?

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

Sonia, who would you like to answer the question?

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Ms. Van De Bogart can give the answer.

[Michelle Van De Bogart]

I believe what you're asking—and please correct me if I'm wrong so that I can respond accordingly—is about the awareness of health workers to be able to identify potential victims of human trafficking and what we're doing in that respect. Would that be correct?

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Yes, it's to combat human trafficking. You can also expand on that too.

[Michelle Van De Bogart]

Absolutely.

I would say that under the national strategy we do have a national awareness campaign. What we heard from our stakeholders was that people need to understand what human trafficking is in order to be able to deal with it. We do have a national strategy of awareness that's aimed at young people and parents to better understand.

But we've gone one step further, and that's about the tools we're currently creating to be able to provide to industry providers. As I mentioned, one of those areas is the health sector. The tools will be given to people so that they can understand. For instance, nurses will be better able to understand some of the signs of human trafficking. If they believe that someone is a victim, they'll know what they can do, who they can inform and how they can intervene. Our approach is multi-faceted and is one of is national awareness, which we are going to be continuing through various means, but it will also involve that specific awareness.

We know that NGOs also deal with lots of individuals who are victims and survivors of human trafficking, and one of the things we heard through our stakeholder engagement as well was that one size does not fit all. We need to be able to embrace and support the communities who are dealing with these individuals.

That's where we have funded 20 community-based programs. Those programs are under two pillars of empowerment—support for victims and survivors to help them regain control and independence through a victim-centred approach and then prevention, to be able to target youth who may in fact be at risk of being trafficked. Again, there are 20 community-based programs.

I may just finish with the fact that out of those 20, 15 serve indigenous communities, and two of those are indigenous-led. I hope that responds to your question.

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Thank you.

My next question is for Senator Audette.

The national inquiry cited economic insecurity as a contributing factor to violence against indigenous women and girls. How can this government play a role to help increase indigenous women's economic security and empowerment?