Status of Women committee  I think there are considerable barriers and challenges, not just to working women, but I would say students in our universities. These people are fairly privileged and have access to a lot of resources. The women at École Polytechnique were targeted because they had access to res

Status of Women committee  I think that one of the critically important pieces is that when any policy or law affects marginalized women, whether they're sex workers, aboriginal women, Inuit, first nations, Métis, women who have recently immigrated, refugees, or those with temporary status—whichever group

Status of Women committee  It's about understanding; more critically, it's about trust and dignity, and having a safe sanctuary. Those peer-to-peer agencies serve as threshold agencies in accessing the entire scope of other agencies across the social service spectrum—from housing, to food, to legal support

Status of Women committee  I really liked what they said and I think it's important—particularly around aboriginal women, first nations, Métis, and Inuit—that focused, marginalized peer-to-peer programs and national action are nested within a larger national action plan for dealing with violence against wo

Status of Women committee  Certainly research in Canada and around the world and sex worker advocacy agencies across Canada are expressing considerable concerns about how the bill is likely to drive sex work underground. I spoke about how just one very small factor, which is the few unethical police offi

Status of Women committee  I think mentoring is an important part of peer-to-peer programs. I think the most important part, particularly with marginalized groups who feel isolated within community—and marginalized as Wally Oppal defines marginalization—is there are very few resources in the community for

Status of Women committee  I know there has been new funding recently announced for various initiatives across Canada addressing violence against women issues. I think it's important for us to remember that's happening in the context of over 10 years of cuts that have really decimated our previous capacity

Status of Women committee  Thank you, Madam Chair and members of the committee. Thank you so much for your invitation. Please permit me to open and close with poems that invoke some of the voices of the many women and girls I’ve been privileged to serve over the years. The first is from Jamie Jardine.