Good morning, everyone. I call this meeting to order.
Welcome to meeting number 33 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women. Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted on Tuesday, February 1, the committee will resume its study of the mental health of young women and girls.
Today’s meeting is taking place in a hybrid format, pursuant to the House order of June 23, 2022. Members are attending in person in the room and remotely using the Zoom application.
I would like to make a few comments for the benefit of the witnesses and members.
Please wait until I recognize you by name before speaking. For those participating by video conference, click on the microphone icon to activate your mike, and please mute yourself when you are not speaking. There is interpretation for those on Zoom. You have the choice, at the bottom of your screen, of floor, English or French. Those of you in the room can use the earpiece. You also can choose floor, English or French.
For members in the room, if you wish to speak, please raise your hand. For members on Zoom, please use the “raise hand” function. The clerk and I will manage the speaking order as well as we can, and we appreciate your patience.
We are already halfway through the study on the mental health of young women and girls. It was previously agreed that the committee would undertake, as its fourth study, a study on human trafficking of women and girls and gender-diverse individuals for sexual exploitation in Canada. We're asking everybody to send in a prioritized witness list. The date for that is Friday, October 28. I see a nod there, so it looks as though everybody in the room knows that.
I remind everybody that we are welcoming our witnesses, and I would like to provide a trigger warning. This will be a difficult study. We will be discussing experiences related to mental health. This may be triggering to some viewers, members, or staff with similar experiences. If you feel you are distressed, please advise the clerk.
I would now like to welcome the witnesses we have with us today. We have, from ABRAR Trauma and Mental Health Services, Abrar Mechmechia.
Go ahead.