Status of Women

The committee met to elect its chair and vice-chairs for the 45th Parliament. Marilyn Gladu was elected chair, Emmanuella Lambropoulos as first vice-chair, and Andréanne Larouche as second vice-chair. The committee then adopted a series of routine motions concerning analyst services, witness expenses, in-camera meetings, technical tests for witnesses, notice of motions, orders of reference for bills, and administrative support.

The committee analyst, Vanessa Preston, briefed members on four unfinished studies from the previous Parliament: coercive behaviour, breast cancer screening, gender-based violence and femicides, and violence against 2SLGBTQ people. Drafting instructions had been given for the first three studies but no report had been tabled before dissolution.

Emmanuella Lambropoulos moved that evidence and briefs from the gender-based violence study be permitted for use in the current Parliament and that analysts draft a report for tabling in the fall. Andréanne Larouche gave notice of a similar motion for the coercive behaviour study and also introduced a notice of motion for a future study on improving section 810 of the Criminal Code to protect women and children. The committee did not vote on these motions, leaving them unresolved.