Mr. Speaker, today Canada marks Human Rights Day. Last year we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights. This day is extremely significant and I would like to highlight women and human rights.
This past week we took time to remember the 14 women who lost their lives 10 years ago because of violence. It was a senseless act based on hate. Through the promotion of human rights we strive to enshrine equality between men and women.
Canada has been an international leader in this area. We are strong supporters of human rights at the United Nations. We have committed to the UN Commission for the Status of Women, the UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the 1995 Beijing Platform.
At Beijing, Canada's delegation lobbied to ensure that the platform would call for an accelerated process toward equality between men and women globally.
However, there is a still a great deal we need to do. Pay equity was just the beginning. It was not the end. Gender analysis must become a commonly used tool by this government in order to achieve—