House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women

House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women
Name	House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women
Type	Standing committee
Legislature	Parliament of Canada
Formed	1974
Jurisdiction	House of Commons of Canada
Meeting place	Ottawa, Ontario

House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women is a standing committee of the House of Commons of Canada tasked with studying issues affecting women and making recommendations to the Parliament of Canada. The committee reports to the Speaker of the House of Commons and conducts studies, hearings, and reviews that intersect with federal statutes, programs, and institutions. It draws on testimony from stakeholders including representatives from Status of Women Canada, Canadian Women's Foundation, and provincial institutions such as Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General or British Columbia Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General.

Mandate and Jurisdiction

The committee’s mandate derives from orders of the House of Commons of Canada and covers federal matters related to the condition and status of women, including equality rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, enforcement of the Canadian Human Rights Act, and implementation of obligations under international instruments such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Its jurisdiction routinely overlaps with scrutiny of legislation like the Criminal Code, programs administered by Employment and Social Development Canada, and policy frameworks developed by Health Canada, Justice Canada, and the Department of National Defence. The committee may invite testimony from officials from agencies such as Statistics Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and independent bodies like the Canadian Human Rights Commission.

History and Establishment

The committee was established in the context of rising feminist activism during the 1960s and 1970s, paralleling the work of organizations such as the National Action Committee on the Status of Women, the Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women, and advocacy by figures like Rita Johnston and Irene Mathyssen. Its creation followed debates in sessions of the House of Commons of Canada and recommendations emanating from royal commissions and inquiries including the Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada. Over successive Parliaments, the committee’s remit has been shaped by legislative episodes such as amendments to the Employment Equity Act, national dialogues following the École Polytechnique massacre, and policy responses to reports by commissions like the Arar Inquiry and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada on intersecting issues.

Membership and Organization

Membership is drawn from Members of Parliament across party lines, with chairs nominated from parties represented in the House of Commons of Canada including the Liberal Party of Canada, the Conservative Party of Canada, the New Democratic Party, the Bloc Québécois, and independent MPs. Procedural rules mirror those used in committees such as the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights and the Standing Committee on Health, with clerks supplied by the Procedural Services Branch of the House of Commons. The committee schedules hearings in committee rooms at Parliament Hill and may hold meetings in cities like Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, and Ottawa. It often invites experts from institutions including University of Toronto, McGill University, University of British Columbia, and think tanks such as the Fraser Institute and the Broadbent Institute.

Activities and Reports

The committee conducts studies, issues reports, and tables recommendations in the House of Commons of Canada that address subjects from gender-based violence to economic participation. It has examined federal budgeting processes alongside the Department of Finance Canada and engaged with ministers from portfolios like Minister of Finance (Canada), Minister of Women and Gender Equality, and Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada. Reports have referenced data from Statistics Canada and proposals from advocacy groups such as YWCA Canada and Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund. The committee’s outreach includes convocations with provincial counterparts such as the Ontario Legislature, municipal hearings with representatives from the City of Toronto and City of Calgary, and collaboration with international delegations from the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women and the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

Key Inquiries and Studies

Notable inquiries by the committee have included studies into sexual harassment and assault following events like the École Polytechnique massacre, investigations into intimate partner violence with reference to the Criminal Code and domestic violence policy, examinations of pay equity linked to cases such as Canadian Union of Public Employees grievances, and reviews of childcare policy in relation to provincial frameworks like those in Quebec. The committee has reviewed implementation of the Canada Pension Plan on gendered impacts, scrutinized immigration and refugee policy with testimony referencing the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, and probed systemic discrimination raising issues connected to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal. Special study themes have intersected with reports by bodies such as the World Health Organization, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

Impact and Criticism

The committee’s recommendations have informed legislation, policy adjustments, and funding decisions implemented by ministries including Employment and Social Development Canada and agencies such as Status of Women Canada, contributing to initiatives on pay equity, violence prevention, and programs for Indigenous women that reference findings from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Critics have argued the committee’s influence is limited by parliamentary timetables, partisan dynamics, and resource constraints noted in analyses by think tanks like the Mowat Centre and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Others have questioned the committee’s responsiveness to intersectional advocacy from groups such as Amnesty International, Native Women’s Association of Canada, and the Black Legal Action Centre, calling for stronger enforcement mechanisms and coordination with tribunals like the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal and the Federal Court of Canada.

Category:Parliamentary committees of Canada