FEWO Committee Report

The following report is the Conservative Members of the Standing Committee on Status of Women’s dissenting opinion on the committee’s study of Women and the Court Challenges Program.

It is important to note that the Court Challenges Program is presently before the courts, and it is inappropriate to comment on this issue.  The report contains arguments, opinions and conclusions that goes against this principle.

We would like to remind you that, as announced, the Government of Canada will respect all of its commitments taken regarding the Court Challenges Program up until September 25, 2006, and this, until the exhaustion of available resources, including appeals brought before the Supreme Court of Canada.

In Budget 2006, our government promised to review ineffective programs to ensure each taxpayer dollar was well spent, and this is exactly what we have done. Our government believes that it is important for the federal government to respect its obligations. Unlike the opposition members who refused to consider other options concerning the protection of women’s rights, we have taken the following steps, which are only examples amongst many others.

We have increased the budget of the Women’s Program to $20 million – an increase of 76%, its highest level ever.

Since January 2006, our government has helped Aboriginal women with matrimonial property rights after divorce and has reinvested 5 million dollars for initiatives that go directly to helping women in their community (e.g. financing homes for vulnerable women and their children.)

Our government has also done a lot in combating violence against women. There is still much to do, but here are some examples on concrete investments:

• $7 million per year for the Family Violence Initiative;
• 34 of 60 projects from the Women’s Community Fund concern violence against women;
• $56 million for 5 years has been allocated for prevention programs and services for violence in the reserves;
• Last Fall, we approved $179 000 in funding to l’AFÉAS for the Pour contrer la violence faite aux femmes : comprendre, s’organiser et agir project.

Last October, 60 projects were approved under the Women’s Community Fund. These projects, which are all very diverse and different, will have a direct impact on the lives of women. For example, the Women’s Equality Society project will offer the chance to 50 women that are either African, Aboriginal, a member of a visible minority or an immigrant to participate in a community economic development initiative based on women, which will enrich the community’s future. The mentoring and training guide for this project will be used as a model to women from other rural areas in Canada, and will help them to integrate in the active population of their region.

Our government chooses to play a proactive role. We will move forward in supporting concrete projects that make a direct difference in Canadian women’s lives. As previously mentioned, we have taken the necessary measures to help women overcome challenges that they face: economic insecurity, lack of training and violence against them.