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September 4, 2003
Provincial Council of Women of Manitoba, Inc.
630 Westminster Avenue, Winnipeg MB R3C 3S1
Tel: (204) 992-2751 Fax: (204) 783-3882
The Hon. Robert Nault
Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development Canada
Room 407, West Block
The Hon. Jean Augustine
Secretary of State for Status of Women
Room 583, Confederation Building
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
September, 2003
Dear Ministers:
In December 2002, PCWM first requested from Indian Affairs, by e-mail and
telephone, a gender based analysis (GBA) of Bill C-7, the First Nations
Governance Act. Similar telephone requests were made of Status of Women
staff. Receiving no acknowledgement or response in the next three months,
led us to the conclusion that no GBA had been done. It was not until
after the National and Manitoba Councils of Women had recommended to the
Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs at a public hearing 19 March
2003, a GBA be conducted that we learned such an analysis had indeed been
done.
A formal Access to Information request for the analysis was made 28 March
2003. After 30 days, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) advised it
would need an additional 120 days to provide the information. Near the
expiry of this extension, on 21 August 2003, only 19 out of a possible 46
pages of GBA documents were received. Many of the 19 pages were further
censored. In addition, among excluded pages from the Gender Equality
Analysis were the Executive Summary and four pages covering "Impact on
Gender Equality" and "Potential Gender-Specific Concerns".
The lack of response to early inquiries, the delays and resulting limited
disclosures are unacceptable to PCWM. It is particularly outrageous that
the Executive Summary and four pages from the Gender Equality Analysis
covering "Impact on Gender Equality" and "Potential Gender- Specific
Concerns" have been entirely censored.
For members of the public to adequately address the gender issues raised
by Bill C-7, a matter so vital to Aboriginal Peoples and aboriginal women
in particular, candid and timely sharing of information is essential. Not
only is a GBA central to properly advising and informing decision- makers,
non-partisan citizen input is considerably devalued and trivialized by the
withholding of such material prepared pursuant to federal government
policy generally and INAC policy in particular*.
The Provincial Council of Women of Manitoba strives consistently to
examine its policy and its recommendations on substantial matters
concerning the quality of life for women with the most thorough and
up-to-date research available. We are a federate member of the National
Council of Women of Canada, an organization that has been promoting
women's equality and the needs of families since 1893. Further
information about the National Council is available on the web-site at
www.ncwc.ca
It can be noted here the progress that has been made generally by the
Federal Government in the area of a research model for GBA, under the
leadership of the Department of the Status of Women. However, the results
must surely be placed in the public domain if they are to inform the
public and decision-makers.
It is, therefore, in the public interest and particularly in the interests
of aboriginal women that PCWM respectfully urges the Ministers to release
immediately the complete gender equality analysis of Bill C-7, including
all analysis of the effect on women and girls of removing section 67 of
the Canada Human Rights Act.
Any correspondence on this matter should be directed to the above address.
Yours sincerely,
Norma Buchan,
Vice-President
* "The policy of the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern
Development on Gender Equality Analysis requires that Gender-Equality
Analysis be integrated in all DIAND's work." Gender Equality Analysis
Policy, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, 1999.
c.c.
Raymond Bonin, M.P., Chairman and Members
House of Commons Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs
Senator Thelma Chalifoux
Senator Pat Carney
Senator Shirley Maheu
Senator Sharon Carstairs
Senator Landon Pearson
Information Commissioner of Canada
Minister responsible for the Status of Women, Manitoba
President, Native Women's Association of Canada
President, National Aboriginal Womens' Association
President, National Council of Women of Canada
Mother of Red Nations (Manitoba)
Other interested parties
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