Status of Women Committee on May 18th, 2023

[Bonnie Brayton]

Did you want to hear from me as well?

[Anna Roberts, Conservative, King—Vaughan, ON]

Sure. Sorry, Bonnie; go ahead.

[Bonnie Brayton]

I would like to say there's an important distinction between a sex worker and somebody who is trafficked. I know of people and in fact have friends who are women with disabilities who are sex workers, and there is an important distinction. While it's a nice thing to say, “It's all over here,” it isn't that simple.

When it comes to your statement regarding people and choice, the highest unemployment rates in this country are among women with disabilities. The highest rates of poverty are among women with disabilities. There are lots of women in this country who don't have agency and choice, and won't, and—

[Anna Roberts, Conservative, King—Vaughan, ON]

Bonnie, I'm sorry to interrupt, but I don't have lot of time.

I've also volunteered with young adults with disabilities for many years. I will tell you that it's our responsibility to make sure we provide them with those services, because they deserve our help.

[Bonnie Brayton]

But they aren't being provided, Madam.

[Anna Roberts, Conservative, King—Vaughan, ON]

Well, we have to change that.

[Bonnie Brayton]

Yes, I agree.

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

Thank you very much.

I know, Kelly, you have something to add, but I have to pass it over to Marc Serré for six minutes.

Go ahead, Marc.

[Marc Serré, Liberal, Nickel Belt, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you to the three witnesses for their participation and the work they do day in and day out.

Ms. Brayton, I spent a decade in northern Ontario as the regional director of what was then known as the Canadian Hearing Society, some 30 years ago. As you know, violence against women with special needs—especially deaf women who use American, Quebec or another sign language to communicate—is extremely common. There isn't much research on the subject.

That's why I'm very interested in your views. We haven't heard a lot about women with special needs. I know you weren't able to finish your opening statement during your five minutes. Do you have any recommendations relating to women with special needs, who are at extremely high risk? Specifically, I'm talking about recommendations for research or supports. You gave the example of the girl who was sexually assaulted by her father from the age of four until she was 30. That's absolutely appalling.

[Bonnie Brayton]

Actually, Marc, if you'll let me, I'll read something that was from the last part of what I was going to say, because I think it helps to speak to this.

The Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking names isolation, poverty, homelessness, language barriers—i.e. communication barriers—and being unaware of your rights as risk factors for exploitation. Whether it's labour, trafficking or sex trafficking, this is applicable.

Despite this, and despite the fact they name people with disabilities as one of the most at-risk groups, this organization doesn't report disability data in their reports. The federal government has also not named people with disabilities in the trafficking space as a group that's at risk, despite the fact that, as I said, we tick all the boxes. Again, inside indigenous communities and communities of colour and in all kinds of at-risk communities, if we just look at this realistically, one-quarter at least of those people, if they're women, live with a disability.

That's Statistics Canada. That's not my data; that's the government's data. As I said, not naming us because it somehow is not there is simply footnoting a group that has to be named and, as I said, centred.

Sorry, I was more comfortable answering in English, and my notes are in English.

Thank you very much for your question. Having said all that, I do want to point out that I was the last witness to appear. Perhaps I could have met with the committee on Monday, but the fact remains that discussions on women's issues tend to overlook women with disabilities even though they are almost always the group most at risk. For that reason, I want to thank you for your consideration.

[Marc Serré, Liberal, Nickel Belt, ON]

Thank you for your participation and the work you are doing.

I know I don't have much time left.

I'll turn it over to our other two witnesses.

Thank you so much for being here and for caring.

We heard from witnesses about developing parent kits and the role of the parent. We've heard of young girls, 12 to 16 years old, doing sex work, not really as sexual exploitation, but we've also heard of young boys, 15 to 16, who were their pimps.

I wanted to get some recommendations from both you. What can we do to better educate and provide the necessary information, either to schools or communities, about targeting 12- to 16-year-olds, and also the role of the parents?

[Cathy Peters]

I'm going to jump in quickly and I am going to talk fast.

I think we have to teach our young boys not to exploit. They are our only hope. I'd really recommend the new movie called Women Talking. It is really worth watching.

To quote indigenous leader April Eve Wiberg, with Stolen Sisters and Brothers Action Movement, “the biggest challenge and the most important focus needs to be to change the heart and mind of the consumer who creates the demand.” She is an indigenous leader from Alberta.

[Kelly Tallon Franklin]

I think one of the most important things is to pose the questions to survivors or those who are currently and not just historically working with minors.

I can tell you stories from today on my drive here. I can talk about yesterday and last week. I can talk about what's currently happening to young boys who are under-supported and are being trafficked because they can't afford their transitional medication, so pimps are taking advantage.

This issue is so huge, and yet here we are again, after 2014, saying that it needs to be treated as a unilateral issue, not lumped in with everything else. You need to listen to survivors, because they have the resolve and they will have the trust of current people who are looking for agency either to keep themselves safe within the sex industry or to exit.

With all due respect to everybody else who has done all the research, who has done all the talking, we are still at the same place.

[Marc Serré, Liberal, Nickel Belt, ON]

Bonnie, do you have anything—

[Kelly Tallon Franklin]

I encourage everybody on this panel to research and listen to survivors who are working in real time. Our research is people.

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

Thank you so much.

We're now going to move it over to Andréanne Larouche for the next six minutes.

Go ahead, Andréanne.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

We're coming to the end of our study, and a lot was covered today. Our time with the minister and with you went by much too quickly. I didn't have a chance to ask the minister this, but I'm going to ask you. If you'd like to share your opinion, I'd be glad to hear it.

When it comes to policies introduced by the government, the committee has noted on several occasions that monitoring and evaluation are sorely lacking. Right now, for instance, the committee is studying human trafficking of women and girls. Although the government has adopted numerous policies to end human trafficking, the most recent being the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking 2019‑2024, the government departments and agencies responsible lack not only data, but also a coordinated approach. It's hard to believe the policies are missing a monitoring and evaluation component—a crucial part of the policy cycle. The national strategy will fund 42 projects, for a total investment of $14 million.

How are program results and effectiveness measured? You work on the ground, talking to survivors. You're able to see the impact. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to put the question to the minister, but I'm curious to hear what you think.

[Kelly Tallon Franklin]

Yes, we have seen a marked impact.

In the province of Ontario, we have probably the strongest strategy. It was dovetailed right after #ProjectONroute was created at the hands of a 16-year-old survivor. It was created to wake up our community about what was happening and start the conversation about a corridor. It was in our chair's riding. It was not funded. We are still not funded because we don't fit in your box, but we are called on continually to meet every gap.

In six open court files right now, I am supporting not only the girls and the young boys but also their families and the police officers and those who are involved in this because of the vicarious trauma.

I am tired of the money going to the big box stores that are set up to receive the dollars and don't know what the fuck they're doing.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Ms. Brayton, I'd very much like to hear the perspective of those with disabilities and members of more vulnerable groups.

[Bonnie Brayton]

In Quebec, as you know, the population is now referred to as “femmes en situation de handicap” in French. The term denotes the fact that the disability is the result of unfortunate circumstances or something that's missing in the woman's community or surroundings. The French expression “en situation de handicap” is a better way to describe us, and it's too bad that it doesn't translate.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

You're absolutely right.

It can certainly be dictated by circumstances. Numerous factors play a role. In Quebec, we use the French expression “en situation de handicap”.

[Bonnie Brayton]

Yes, it's better.

Coming back to your question, I can tell you there wasn't a single cent spent on women and girls with disabilities. The DisAbled Women’s Network of Canada is not represented in any of those 42 projects; nor was it invited to apply for funding. It's not one of the groups that received funding. We weren't consulted for our expertise on women with disabilities. My answer is that it's not a satisfactory solution or a satisfactory approach because it excludes certain groups. The most vulnerable groups are the ones excluded, yet again.

Thank you for your question.

[Kelly Tallon Franklin]

We know that there continue to be gaps everywhere in all of our responses, but I'm going to take us back to the fact that we do have a national strategy, yet we do not have a national action plan. The first pillar in our strategy was to strike a survivor table. Where is our survivor table? Where are our voices to lead this conversation?

We continue to do the work. We are not funded and we are conflated with every other issue in the sex industry. I am not somebody who chose prostitution by way of agency. I am not talking about whether that's an issue before your committee. That is a separate conversation.

We want to prevent sex trafficking. We want to prevent it and supply support beyond being able to allow somebody to get a conviction, but I don't believe that just convictions are the answer either. We have to understand mental health and sexual impulsive behaviour as it is addressed. Mental health is our community responsibility.

There is an intersectionality between government and the public, and we have to work together on this. I believe that if this committee is addressing human trafficking right now, if you look at some of my brief.... There will be a more robust document provided with lots of information and research. We can't cherry-pick the current and most popular thing we need to deal with within this issue. We have to look at it all. We have to table a national action plan that has oversight by cohorts that are established as your survivor table to give you guidance to get through this so that you're not here dealing with this once again when I'm in the ground.

I just want to say that it might take subsectioning and dividing some of the issues as you prioritize them to be able to manage the work, because right now the fight between labour trafficking, cyber-trafficking, sex trafficking, child trafficking.... There's no such thing, because that's called child rape under our laws. The division that happens between us is not going to help. I implore you to work through this. We need a national action plan.

[The Chair, Conservative, Karen Vecchio]

Thank you very much.

I've allowed it to go a little bit longer, and I know Andréanne had another question. There are a few other things going on here, but I'm going to let Leah have her next six minutes.

We're just going to try to do our best, because I know this is a very passionate group here today with amazing information. It's all good.

[Kelly Tallon Franklin]

I apologize for swearing.