Status of Women Committee on Feb. 4th, 2022

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

Thank you so much. I believe the entire committee would really appreciate it if you could do so. I would really appreciate that.

We're going to move on now to our last round of questions.

Leah, you have the floor for 90 seconds.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

I know I don't have a lot time, but Madam Butt, you spoke about support for men and programs for men and boys to assist them with non-violence.

Could you provide an example of one of those programs and what they are doing?

[Alia Butt]

I have a couple of examples that I shared. One of the important ones that's in play right now is funding for the University of Calgary to identify strategies, practical approaches and supporting evidence on how to engage men and boys in advancing gender equality and preventing GBV. That one's going to wrap up this fall, so it will be an important one to watch out for.

There's also funding for White Ribbon to support the development, implementation and evaluation of a social marketing campaign to inspire men and young men across Canada to change their attitudes and behaviours, to seek help when needed, and to embrace their roles as allies and change makers.

Lisa mentioned an important one. I can go back to her, because that was specific to education.

[Dr. Lisa Smylie]

It was the Sex Information and Education Council of Canada that I mentioned previously. Since we have already mentioned that, I want to mention one more that's really important, which is the FOXY program in the Northwest Territories.

It's a phenomenal program that's won an Arctic award for the impact it has had. It's a program to engage indigenous youth, particularly men and boys, in gender equality. They bring folks together for a week and do education, and it has had a huge impact in the territory on gender norms and attitudes.

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

This has been one heck of an incredible committee. Thank you so much. I know our time is very short.

I would really like to thank Alia, Annette, Lisa, Nathalie and Claire. Thank you so much for joining us at our committee today.

We are going to take a very short break, because we're going to be getting our next panel directly at 2:00. I will ask our witnesses to go ahead and log off, and we will get our new witnesses on.

Take that quick break if you need, but be back on for 2:00.

Thanks, everyone.

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

I call the meeting back to order.

We're going to reconvene now. I believe everybody is on. It looks good. Everybody's available in the room.

We're coming to our second panel.

For some reason, my thing will not come up right now. It's being a little crazy, so I'm going to be reading from some other notes.

I would like to welcome our second panel. Today, we have three different people coming from Crown Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs. We have Chantal Marin-Comeau, who is the director general of the missing and murdered women and girls secretariat. From the Department of Indigenous Services, we have Ian Kenney, who is the director general of the social policy and programs branch; and from the Public Health Agency of Canada, we have Karen McKinnon, who is the director general of the centre for health promotion.

To all of our panellists, I will be granting you five minutes each. I have my little Casio watch from the 1980s, so I will be timing you.

I am going to pass the floor. Chantal, you have the floor for five minutes.

[Chantal Marin-Comeau, Director General, Missing and Murdered Women and Girls Secretariat, Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs]

Thank you very much.

First, thank you for the opportunity to speak to you on a topic that is near and dear to my heart: ending gender- and race-based violence against indigenous women, girls and gender diverse peoples.

I join you today from Gatineau, which is located on the beautiful unceded traditional territory of the Algonquin nation.

My name is Chantal Marin‑Comeau. As you know, I am the director general of the Secretariat.

The secretariat is the organization that coordinates the federal government's work regarding missing and murdered indigenous women and girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. It brings together over 23 departments involved in this initiative.

However, addressing this tragedy needs much more than the federal government. It needs a whole-of-Canada approach that puts indigenous families, survivors and communities at the heart of all of these efforts. It also needs efforts by every level of government—indigenous, federal, provincial, territorial and municipal—in order to achieve a substantial and transformative change.

So today, I am pleased to provide you with some perspectives of the work under way.

As you know, on September 1, 2016, the national inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women and girls was launched. On June 3, 2019, the inquiry released its final report. This report includes 231 calls for justice. Some of these calls for justice are directly related to the issues this committee is studying, including current support and infrastructures for protection from intimate partner violence.

On June 3, 2021, the indigenous-led national action plan for MMIWG was released. It includes contributions by indigenous families and survivors, first nations, Inuit, Métis, urban, 2SLGBTQQIA+, data and research communities, indigenous organizations and the federal, provincial and territorial governments.

Some priorities identified by indigenous partners in the national action plan include those related to infrastructure, housing, shelters, violence-prevention programs, safe communities, public awareness and trauma-informed approaches to support families and survivors.

The Federal Pathway is the Government of Canada's contribution to the national action plan. It was launched on June 3, 2021. The pathway does acknowledge that colonialism, racism, sexism and ableism have really created systemic inequities for indigenous peoples, notably women, girls and gender-diverse people.

To deliver on its commitments, the government is taking concrete action through new investments, legislation, policies, initiatives and programs that address the root causes of this issue.

The federal government has made significant investments in recent years. These include investments made in response to the national inquiry's interim report: those in the fall 2020 economic statement, and the $2.2 billion investment in the 2021 budget.

Key legislation has been passed, such as the Indigenous Languages Act, the First Nations, Inuit and Métis Child, Youth and Family Act and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.

The government has also adopted policies that contribute to ending gender- and race-based violence. These include Canada's strategy to prevent and address gender-based violence, the national strategy to combat human trafficking, the comprehensive violence-prevention strategy, and the distinctions-based mental health and wellness strategy.

Other strategies are also in development. As you know, there are the national indigenous justice strategy and the federal action plan on LGBTQ2.

In tandem, many initiatives and programs have been launched, such as the first nations child and family services program, mental wellness programs in communities, and shelters for indigenous women and their children fleeing violence.

For family members and survivors of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls, a national crisis line was set up, and family information and liaison units were funded and established.

While the federal government is taking concrete steps, there is still much to be done. Families, survivors and communities want to see tangible results from these actions, results that demonstrate transformative change.

However, this systemic and transformative change will take time and will require ongoing collaboration with indigenous families, survivors, partners, organizations, provinces, territories and municipalities.

Meegwetch.

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

Meegwetch to you as well. Thank you so much.

We're now going to pass it over to Ian Kenney from Indigenous Services. Ian, when you see this green pen start twirling, that means your time is coming, so please wrap it up.

I'm passing the floor over to you.

[Ian Kenney, Director General, Social Policy and Programs Branch, Department of Indigenous Services]

Great, thank you very much.

I would like to begin by acknowledging that I am speaking to you from the unceded traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people.

Thank you for inviting me to speak to you about the important work that Indigenous Services Canada is doing to support indigenous women, girls, families and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people facing gender-based violence.

One of the programs offered by Indigenous Services Canada is the family violence prevention program. The underlying objective of this program is to empower indigenous communities to design and deliver services and programming that best meet their unique needs. While this program has long been limited to an on-reserve shelter focus, in 2021 we obtained authority to support shelters and transition homes to meet the needs of first nations both on and off reserve—Inuit, Métis, 2SLGBTQQIA+ people and indigenous urban communities.

Through this program, the Government of Canada supports the ongoing operation of a network of 46 emergency shelters for first nations on reserve. These shelters provide emergency support and a vital place of refuge for survivors escaping violent situations. The shelters we fund are independently operated and indigenous-led. We work with partners to identify priorities for violence prevention activities.

We have heard from our partners that the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an increase in both the number of cases and the severity of intimate partner violence, with a greater impact on indigenous women. Our most recent data shows that over 3,700 women and 1,800 children have been served by this network of shelters. However, the pandemic has seen a 20% to 30% increase in gender-based violence in all parts of Canada, as you know. As of yet, shelter staff have not been able to report on all of their critical activities through what the World Health Organization has dubbed the “shadow pandemic”. The work done by Women's Shelters Canada, for example, reinforces what we are hearing on the ground.

In addition to providing a place of refuge, some shelters directly offer wraparound services, including counselling, addiction services, employment and housing support, skills development, training and child care, while others coordinate access to these supports.

Indigenous service providers determine what approaches work best in their communities. There have been many innovations. For example, while most shelters provide only limited access to men, one shelter we support provides a multigender environment that uses traditional teachings to promote a holistic approach to support the entire family.

The family violence prevention program also provides funding for the delivery of culturally relevant violence prevention activities that are holistic and inclusive of communities, including men and boys. Violence prevention activities include trauma-informed care for youth and families, empowerment projects for girls, healing circles, and cultural and land-based activities that build community networks.

Since 2017, we have been supporting the Moose Hide Campaign, which engages indigenous and non-indigenous men and boys in activities focused on ending violence against women and children. The organization has successfully developed a network of partners and promotes awareness through promotional products and community activities.

The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls has highlighted the critical gaps that need to be filled to better address the needs of those victimized by violence. In May 2020, the Government of Canada announced it would support 10 new shelters in first nations communities and two shelters in the territories through a joint initiative between the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and Indigenous Services Canada. While any additions to the shelter network are an improvement, the inquiry reinforced just how much more work has to be done to address the unique needs, particularly in the north, where the rate of violence is highest and shelter access is low.

Furthermore, in July 2021, the comprehensive violence prevention strategy was announced. This $724-million initiative includes expanding access to supports across Canada for indigenous women, children, families and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. This strategy will support 38 new shelters and 50 transition or second-stage homes for first nations, Inuit and Métis across the country, including on and off reserve, in the north and in urban areas. These new investments will be jointly implemented by ISC and CMHC.

Indigenous partners are essential in how our program evolves. For example, we were working with the National Aboriginal Circle Against Family Violence to redevelop our funding formula and reporting tools in collaboration with shelter workers. New shelters and transition homes are realized through decisions made by both steering and selection committees comprised of representatives from first nations, Inuit, Métis, 2SLGBTQQIA+ and indigenous urban communities.

In addition to infrastructure, this funding includes ongoing supports for culturally relevant violence prevention activities that broaden the continuum of care. Enhanced services include case management and programs to reduce the risk of sexual exploitation, as well as culturally appropriate mental health and addiction supports. With these new supports, communities will have expanded access to shelters and second-stage housing that enables survivors to transition to lives free from violence.

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

Thank you very much, Mr. Kenney.

Because our time is getting so tight, I'm going to pass it over to the Public Health Agency of Canada and to Karen McKinnon.

Karen, you have five minutes.

[Karen McKinnon, Director General, Centre for Health Promotion, Public Health Agency of Canada]

Good afternoon, Madam Chair. Thank you for the invitation to address this committee as part of your study of intimate partner and domestic violence in Canada.

I join you today from the unceded traditional territory of the Algonquin Nation in Ottawa to speak to you about the Public Health Agency of Canada's role in addressing and preventing intimate partner and domestic violence, in light of the significant and long-term physical and mental health impacts of these forms of violence. I appreciate the opportunity to share this context with you today as you undertake this important study.

The Public Health Agency of Canada sees family violence, which includes intimate partner violence, as a serious public health issue. We are particularly concerned about violence in relationships, since these forms of violence are often repeated or ongoing and can lead to complex trauma. The effects of violence on physical and mental health can persist throughout the life course, and can affect future generations. For example, women who have experienced intimate partner violence face high rates of injury, chronic pain, sleep disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance use-related harm.

It is also important to recognize the negative consequences of intimate partner violence on children who are exposed to violence in the home, or who experience its aftermath. Children exposed to intimate partner violence are at increased risk of a wide range of psychological and behavioural problems including low self-esteem, depression and anxiety, and increased risks of aggression, delinquency, violence and risk-taking behaviours.

As my colleagues have already indicated, intimate partner violence is widespread, with particular prevalence for women, girls and gender-diverse people. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased risks for family violence as families face heightened stress and real or perceived challenges in accessing support or prevention programs.

At the Public Health Agency of Canada, we address family violence from a public health perspective. We support the design and delivery of interventions that promote safe relationships and support the health of survivors of family violence. Our programming seeks to fill a strategic gap in the field by testing the effectiveness of interventions and increasing the evidence base of what works for whom and in what contexts.

Through “Canada's Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence”, the Public Health Agency of Canada is investing more than $8 million per year to prevent gender-based violence. This includes initiatives that prevent dating violence among teens and youth, promote positive parenting, and support service providers with tools to recognize and safely respond to gender-based violence.

In addition to this investment, since 2015, we have invested over $6 million per year to support the health of survivors of family violence through guidance and training for professionals, and through the delivery and testing of health promotion interventions. With budget 2021's investment to work toward a national action plan to end gender-based violence, we have increased this investment by more than $3 million per year for a total of $9 million per year over the next four years.

Across our investments, projects are trauma- and violence-informed, meaning that interventions take into account the impacts of trauma on a person's health, behaviour and ability to effectively seek help.

These initiatives help support survivors by equipping them with knowledge, ability and supportive environments to reclaim and sustain their health and well-being. For example, we are learning how interventions that use the body, such as trauma-informed sports or dance programming, can be an important complement or alternative to traditional talk therapy. Some projects are grounded in indigenous knowledge and have demonstrated how traditional arts and culture can be used to foster healing and connection.

To help share what we are learning from these programs, we also support knowledge hubs and communities of practice. These connect funding recipients and other experts in the field and allow them to develop common ways to measure progress and share emerging findings with researchers and professionals in order to expand what we are learning beyond the direct reach of the funded projects.

When violence occurs in relationships, it has far-reaching and tragic effects. Communities and community organizations across the country are doing impressive work, and the investments we are making aim to increase the reach and impacts of these efforts.

Thank you for your attention, and I'd be pleased to answer any questions the committee may have.

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

Thanks so much, Karen. You're at four minutes and 43 seconds, so that gives us a few minutes to spare.

We're going to go on, and once again we're at our six-minute rounds.

We're starting off with Michelle Ferreri.

Michelle, you have six minutes.

[Michelle Ferreri, Conservative, Peterborough—Kawartha, ON]

I just want to say thank you to all the witnesses today. What important work you all do. This delicate subject matter is very challenging to solve and will forever be happening, unfortunately.

I have a few questions to start. I hope I get the names correct here. I think it was Mr. Kenney.

I'm just curious in the services provided if there are indigenous heads—indigenous-created, indigenous-delivered—taking care of this. Does the question I'm asking make sense?

[Ian Kenney]

I think so, yes.

What we do with the program is fund communities to put in place their own plans for either the operation and building shelters or the prevention programs themselves. The actual making of decisions about where shelters are constructed and the types of programming that get support is very much done by a steering committee of indigenous organizations across the country.

[Michelle Ferreri, Conservative, Peterborough—Kawartha, ON]

Is it mandated that indigenous organizations be part of that steering committee?

[Ian Kenney]

Yes, that's how we approach it.

[Michelle Ferreri, Conservative, Peterborough—Kawartha, ON]

Okay. Fantastic.

For the next question, Ms. McKinnon, you talk a lot about the systemic trauma that can happen. I'm wondering, of all the money you are speaking of investing, is there money being invested into not only the media, in terms of how we're educating people, but also in terms of self-regulation dedicated to education, emotional regulation, and non-maladaptive coping mechanisms and stress. I heard you talk about dance and that, but are you working with other avenues in terms of self-regulation, to ensure that children from a very young age, in their cognitive years, are having access to the resources to know what a healthy relationship is and how to emotionally regulate?

[Karen McKinnon]

While we don't necessarily invest in media per se, we certainly do invest in all those prevention areas you just named. I could give you a couple of quick examples.

We have a program called WiseGuyz that's run out of the University of Calgary. It's delivering and evaluating a community-facilitated, school-based, healthy relationships program for grade nine boys in Alberta. It is essentially aimed at helping participants identify and deconstruct both health-harming and gender-based norms and work on their own emotional regulation to be able to pursue healthy relationships. We have a range—

[Michelle Ferreri, Conservative, Peterborough—Kawartha, ON]

Is there anything under the age of 10?

[Karen McKinnon]

I'm not familiar with the age band for all of our programming, but certainly for teen dating violence we would be looking at the tween-to-teen years specifically. We would also, I guess, have a couple of other programs about building connections. That also is run out of Mothercraft.

[Michelle Ferreri, Conservative, Peterborough—Kawartha, ON]

Okay.

[Karen McKinnon]

We also have the program for ages two to 12, called SNAP, which is an evidence-based, multi-component, trauma-informed, cognitive behavioural model that provides a framework for teaching effective emotional regulation and self-control and problem-solving skills for kids.

[Michelle Ferreri, Conservative, Peterborough—Kawartha, ON]

Fantastic.

I have two questions left. I'm trying to run through them here so we don't run out of time.

Indigenous Services Canada's family violence prevention program provides operational funding to 41 shelters for women and children living on reserve across the provinces and Yukon. These 41 shelters serve approximately 330 first nations communities, which represents approximately 55% of all first nations communities. In a study done by this committee in the 42nd Parliament, it was revealed that shelters funded through the family violence prevention program received less operational funding than shelters funded by provinces and territories. Has the government taken any steps to fill the gap since 2019?

[Ian Kenney]

I think what you're referring to—that and an evaluation of the program that was done a few years ago—indicated the gaps in the program. The things we have seen, such as the expansion of the program over the last two to three years, are attempting to address just that. It's looking at what kinds of resources can be made available to close the gap both in terms of individual shelters, but also in the number of shelters made available across the country. That's very much what we are trying to do, to expand the network and to improve the O and M that's available to these shelters.

[Michelle Ferreri, Conservative, Peterborough—Kawartha, ON]

How are you doing that, sorry?