Status of Women Committee on May 7th, 2026

[The Chair, Conservative, Dominique Vien]

I call this meeting to order.

Good afternoon, everyone.

Welcome to meeting number 38 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women.

Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format, pursuant to the Standing Orders. Members are attending in person in the room and remotely using the Zoom application.

If you wish to speak, please raise your hand. For those on Zoom, please use the raise hand function.

A reminder that all comments should be addressed through the chair. Thank you in advance for your co-operation.

Pursuant to Standing Order 81(4), the committee is commencing consideration of the main estimates 2026-27: votes 1 and 5 under the Department for Women and Gender Equality, referred to the committee on Thursday, February 26, 2026. The committee will vote on these motions at the end of the meeting.

I would now like to welcome our witnesses.

From the Department for Women and Gender Equality, we have the Honourable Rechie Valdez, MP, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and secretary of state, small business and tourism; Ms. Frances McRae, deputy minister; and Ms. Gail Mitchell, assistant deputy minister, who will be with us for the second hour.

From the Department of Industry, I would like to welcome Mr. Etienne‑René Massie, assistant deputy minister, small business, tourism and marketplace services.

The minister will be with us for the first part of today's meeting. The deputy minister and assistant deputy ministers will be with us for the full two hours.

Minister, you know the drill for our meetings. As you know, you will be given a maximum of five minutes for your remarks, after which we will proceed to a round of questions.

You have the floor, Minister.

[Rechie Valdez, Liberal, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism)]

Thank you.

Good morning, Madam Chair and honourable members of the committee.

Thank you for the invitation to be here today.

Before I begin, I want to share my profound devastation and heartbreak over the woman who lost her life in Gatineau this week, marking Quebec's 10th femicide this year.

These femicides are heartbreaking and a reminder of the gravity of this crisis.

It is a privilege to appear before this committee on the traditional and unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people.

Just over a year ago, I had the honour of being appointed Minister of Women and Gender Equality. In this past year, I've had the opportunity to meet with women, girls, community leaders and frontline workers across this country. The experiences people have shared with me over the past year, their strength and their trust, have shaped my work and strengthened my voice in this role.

A year into this mandate, my purpose remains clear: to help build a Canada where safety, dignity and opportunity are real for every woman, girl and gender-diverse person, no matter their circumstance. I trust that this commitment is shared by everyone at this committee. I really want to thank the members of this committee, from all sides of the House, for the work you have done to advance gender equality and to elevate the voices of advocates, survivors and communities across this country.

Your work has helped ensure that these voices are reflected in the conversations we have and the policies we shape.

From your work to protect victims and survivors of coercive control to your report on the red dress alert for missing and murdered indigenous women and girls to your most recent efforts to move forward with Bill C-225, or Bailey's law, which will enhance legal protections for victims of gender-based violence, this committee has shown what is possible when collaboration comes before partisanship and when public service is guided by purpose.

We share a common goal: To build a Canada where everyone can live free from violence and free from fear.

That is why we owe it to every woman, girl and 2SLGBTQI+ community member in this country.

I am here today to speak about Women and Gender Equality Canada's 2026-27 main estimates and the values behind that work. The main estimates outline how our government will continue advancing safety, equality and opportunity. They sustain programs that prevent gender-based violence, support survivors and strengthen the systems people rely heavily on. Through these investments, WAGE can maintain community partnerships, respond to emerging priorities and deepen collaboration across governments and sectors.

Progress toward gender equality is advancing, but it's certainly not complete. The impacts of gender-based violence and systemic inequality remain uneven, falling hardest on those who have been historically underserved and overlooked. These realities demand action that is consistent, coordinated and backed by resources that last.

For 2026-27, Women and Gender Equality Canada will receive $414.6 million, including $345.6 million in grants and contributions. The resources they contain give life to the national action plan to end gender-based violence, allowing federal, provincial and territorial, and community partners to move forward with vision and action. This also includes funding from our most recent budget, which provides ongoing and stable funding to the sectors that have asked for it.

In parallel, through Bill C-16, the protecting victims act, we are advancing reforms to the Criminal Code that address femicide and coercive control, helping ensure that the justice system can intervene earlier and respond more effectively.

These approaches go hand in hand, through steady investment working alongside legislative progress and strong national leadership. At the heart of this work are local organizations on the front lines. They create safe spaces and offer hope. Whether supporting youth at risk of sexual exploitation, providing culturally safe spaces or strengthening supports for 2SLGBTQI+ communities, these organizations turn policy into protection and funding into real support.

For those seeking safety, these investments are not abstract. They are essential supports and services people rely on when they need them most.

The stability provided through these estimates ensures that organizations can continue that work with confidence, because safety is foundational. People cannot participate fully in their communities, workplaces or public life if they are not safe, and they cannot thrive without equal access to the tools and opportunities that allow them to succeed.

Looking ahead, the investments reflected in our budgets and the main estimates will continue that work. They will allow the department to support critical programs, provide meaningful support and deliver meaningful change.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dominique Vien]

Thank you, Minister. That brings us to the end of your opening remarks.

We're now ready to proceed with the round of questions.

Good afternoon, Mrs. Roberts.

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

Good afternoon, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dominique Vien]

You have the floor.

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

Thank you very much to the minister. I have a few questions for her. I know I have limited time, so I'll try to be quick.

Minister, in response to my letter outlining my concerns around human trafficking in this country and asking for you to provide an update on its status in Canada, you outlined programs and funding under the national strategy but failed to provide an update on the implementation of the 22 recommendations from the February 2024 committee report, “Act Now: Preventing Human Trafficking of Women, Girls and Gender Diverse People in Canada”.

Can you tell this committee how many of these recommendations have been fully implemented to date? What is the timeline that you expect for their full implementation?

[Rechie Valdez, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

Thank you for that question.

I just want to first acknowledge that human trafficking exploits the most vulnerable in our communities.

I thank the member for sending that letter. We have provided a response to the letter.

The Minister of Public Safety leads Canada's national strategy to combat human trafficking, which has funded an investment of $57.22 million over five years, with $10.28 million ongoing. From this, Women and Gender Equality received $10 million to create the human trafficking initiative. This initiative funds organizations that will prevent human trafficking, and it supports victims and survivors, particularly—

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

I'm sorry, Minister. I have only a few minutes.

My question is, can you confirm whether all 22 recommendations from the status of women committee were implemented? If not, which recommendations will not be included? Could you just give me a number?

[Rechie Valdez, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

Madam Chair, again, through the work through this national plan, and in addition to the national action plan to end gender-based violence, the government is doing everything it possibly can to ensure that we are addressing human trafficking across the country.

I already responded to the member just the other day.

What I can share is a story, because both of us are in the province of Ontario, which has Victim Services of Durham Region. It seeks to improve how hospitals identify and respond to human trafficking. I do want to share the good news: It has worked to train over 300 health care professionals, has introduced trauma-informed tools and has embedded victim advocacy directly into hospital settings—

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

Excuse me for interrupting, Minister. I want to know the number out of 22. I'm obviously not going to get that response, so let's go on to the next question.

While the government is failing to stop these transactions, the lives of children, of women and girls, are being destroyed. Survivors and frontline organizations have told this committee they need action, not just announcements. IRCC detected human trafficking cases from 2019 to 2020. Nineteen large-scale investigations were conducted. Ten were conducted from 2020 to 2021 and from 2022 to 2023. The Global Coalition to Fight Financial Crime has reported proceeds of up to $498 billion.

If incidents and court cases are increasing, how can this government evaluate whether the strategy is actually working?

[Rechie Valdez, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

The government is doing everything it can through the human trafficking initiative. We're working very closely with the Minister of Public Safety through his national strategy to combat human trafficking. We are ensuring that we're doing everything we can, through our investments, to provide supports to organizations on the ground that are doing the work, in order to prevent human trafficking and to assist further.

With regard to the question, I provided the letter, but I'm happy to share that we're working directly with the Canada Border Services Agency, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, and Public Services and Procurement Canada to ensure that we are supporting this and doing everything we can to prevent human trafficking in this country.

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

That's a lot of money. We're talking about $500 billion U.S. I don't see any evidence of reducing that.

Let's go on to the next question.

I recently completed an undercover operation with York Regional Police. They are concerned about punishments for these criminals, which do not reflect the serious nature of the issue of human trafficking.

Given the low rates of guilty findings and the ongoing concern in law enforcement that current consequences are not acting as sufficient deterrents, does the government believe the existing sentencing framework for human trafficking offences is adequate, yes or no?

[Rechie Valdez, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

A third of our legislation is focused on making sure we're keeping Canadians safe, whether it's our bail reform or the fact that we're hiring 1,000 CBSA officers and 1,000 RCMP officers. We're going to make sure we're keeping Canadians safe, and we're going to do that through our national strategy to combat human trafficking in this country.

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

What would you tell the police officers on the front lines who continually hear the stories of these human trafficking victims? The victims are afraid to come forward because we're not keeping the traffickers in jail; we're letting them out.

[Rechie Valdez, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

I have two points, Madam Chair.

First, I want to thank our law enforcement agencies, particularly the Toronto and Peel police, who are doing the good work on the ground. We're going to give tools and resources to our law enforcement agencies, specifically through the legislation we put forward on bail reform, to make sure violent repeat offenders do not—

[The Chair, Conservative, Dominique Vien]

That wraps up your answer, Minister, for the first round with Mrs. Roberts.

Good afternoon, Ms. Ménard. You have the floor.

[Marie-Gabrielle Ménard, Liberal, Hochelaga—Rosemont-Est, QC]

Good afternoon, Madam Chair. I feel as if I'm a bit far away. My apologies.

Minister, welcome. Thank you for joining us.

Ms. McRae and Mr. Massie, it's a pleasure to see you again.

Minister, in your opening remarks, you mentioned that this committee is doing a good job. You're quite right. As our new chair likes to put it, our group is a bit hyperactive, and we're quite proud of that.

On a more serious note, yesterday, we were devastated to hear about Quebec's alleged 10th femicide. However, the violent death of a young woman, the 30-year-old Shannon Jean Hickey, is not alleged. The young lady's identity was released today.

The committee recently heard from the Minister of Justice, your colleague the Honourable Sean Fraser, who told us about the government's strategy to fight against femicide, which is the most violent and fatal form of gender-based violence. He spoke to three pillars.

What would you tell us if we were to focus on the component under your department? Please be specific. I know that in your opening remarks, you spoke about programs, obviously. Can you give us a breakdown of the budget allocated to the fight against femicide?

[Rechie Valdez, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

Again, as I addressed in my opening earlier, it's really important to address the fact that, today, we heard heartbreaking news. This is completely unacceptable. Gender-based violence has no place in our country. I'm thinking about the women, the families and the loved ones who are deeply impacted, and my heart goes out to all of them.

Our response, in terms of the federal government, is one that is both urgent and practical. If we're referring to Quebec specifically, our agreement with Quebec has provided $97.3 million to support organizations on the ground. They're helping survivors. They're strengthening frontline services and working to make sure we're doing everything we can to prevent violence before it happens. Through our national action plan to end gender-based violence, we're making sure that provinces and territories are allocating a minimum of 25% of all funding toward prevention.

As this committee knows—you've had the minister here already to speak about Bill C-16—and as we've heard from frontline organizations, it is critically important to make sure we're making femicide a first-degree offence.

This piece around criminalizing control is vitally important, because one of the precursors to violence in this country is coercive control, and coercive control can come in many forms. By putting forward Bill C-16, what women's organizations have asked for is to make sure our law enforcement has the tools and mechanisms to act on and to make sure we are providing interventions for coercive control when we can intervene in any respect. We are working through it with financial institutions on the financial side as well. When we act, we are able to stop these acts of violence and prevent gender-based violence in our country. I think this piece around Bill C-16 is incredibly important. Again, above and beyond that, it's really making sure that we're strengthening our criminal system.

The member—

[Marie-Gabrielle Ménard, Liberal, Hochelaga—Rosemont-Est, QC]

Thank you, Minister.

You have spoken about coercive control. On November 25 last year, the Standing Committee on the Status of Women tabled its report, along with recommendations, on criminalizing coercive control.

Are you telling us that our committee influenced the Department for Women and Gender Equality's development of Bill C‑16 and contributed to the report to some extent?

[Rechie Valdez, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

Yes, absolutely. As I said in my opening, I really believe that the work of this committee, with all of the different reports you've provided, has fed into that. Because the Minister of Justice has had an opportunity to appear at this committee on multiple occasions, he's been able to take back that feedback and also to ensure that Bill C-16 is, again, strengthened and solidified. I really want to again thank the committee for that work.

Finally, I already mentioned the importance of making sure we're focused on prevention and on coercive control. We're also seeing a rise in artificial intelligence and deepfakes across the country. Bill C-16 also works to address that.

Then, the fourth piece with Bill C-16 is that we've heard from women about the challenges they have when they come into contact with the justice system. We know that they often get retraumatized from their experience, and Bill C-16 helps to protect victims and survivors but also addresses some of the court delays, which are some of the issues we've already heard about from advocates, time and time again.

[Marie-Gabrielle Ménard, Liberal, Hochelaga—Rosemont-Est, QC]

Since I'm appearing remotely, Madam Chair, I can't see you. Do I have a few seconds left?

[The Chair, Conservative, Dominique Vien]

Great minds think alike. I was just going to let you know that you have a minute left.

[Marie-Gabrielle Ménard, Liberal, Hochelaga—Rosemont-Est, QC]

That's kind of you.

Thank you, Minister.

If you don't have time to respond now, please feel free to incorporate your answer into one of my colleague's questions. We're in the final stages of the report on the rise in anti-feminist ideology. During our discussions, some colleagues seemed to somehow think that we want to provoke men and women.

What is your perspective on prevention and on the inclusion of young men and boys in the fight against gender-based violence? As I understand it, the idea is not to blame anyone but rather to raise awareness about prevention among this cohort.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dominique Vien]

You have 10 seconds.

[Rechie Valdez, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

As a mother of a son, I can say it's really important that we ensure that all of our solutions are grounded in the fact that we need to take care of our men and boys—