Welcome to meeting number 35 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. 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, you can click on the microphone icon to activate your mike. Please mute yourself when you are not speaking. For those on Zoom, for interpretation, you have the choice at the bottom of your screen of floor, English or French. Those in the room can use the earpiece and select the desired channel.
I remind you that all comments should be addressed through the chair. If members in the room wish to speak, please raise a hand. For members on Zoom, please use the “raise hand” function. The clerk and I will manage the speaking order as best we can, and we appreciate your patience and understanding in this regard.
In accordance with our routine motion, I am informing the committee that all witnesses have completed the required connection tests in advance of the meeting. As we noted, anybody taking part in the meeting must have one of the headsets. Thank you so much.
We are doing a very difficult study, so I'm going to remind everybody.... Before we welcome our witnesses, I would like to provide this trigger warning: This will be a difficult study. We will be discussing experiences related to mental health. This may be triggering to viewers, members or staff who have similar experiences. If you feel distressed or need help, please advise the clerk.
I would now like to welcome our witnesses for today. Everybody is on Zoom today.
From Achēv, we have Karen McNeil, senior vice-president, programs and services, and Tania Amaral, director, women, employment and newcomer services. Appearing as an individual today we have Dr. Rakesh Jetly, who is a psychiatrist. From the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University, we have Dr. Diane Whitney, assistant dean, resident affairs and Dr. Peter Ajueze, who is an assistant professor and a general child and adolescent psychiatrist, Health Sciences North, Sudbury. From Regroupement des ressources alternatives en santé mentale du Québec, we have Anne-Marie Boucher, head of communications and co-coordinator of socio-political action.
We'll provide each group with five minutes for opening comments. I'll be interrupting, usually within the first few seconds, if it goes over.
Today, as you know, we started late. We will be extending a bit, but we'll be playing it by ear, as a committee, as we go through. I hope some of you will be able to stay with us a bit after 5:30. Thank you so much.
I'm now going to turn it over to Karen and Tania for five minutes, for their organization's opening remarks.
The floor is yours.