Protecting the Human Rights of Women
1. The struggle to defend the human rights of women
Canada has demonstrated important global leadership, working to create much-needed international standards and institutions for the protection of women’s human rights. That leadership, however, has not translated into comprehensive and progressive policies and programs to implement those international human rights standards at home. For years, government programs and policies for the protection of women’s human rights in Canada, at federal and provincial levels, have been fragmented and shortsighted.
In October, the government announced a decrease of close to 40% of the budget for Status of Women Canada, the federal agency charged with responsibility for promoting gender equality. The government also imposed restrictions on organizations that receive funding from Status of Women, barring activities that constitute advocacy or lobbying.
It is critical that women’s human rights organizations are provided with sufficient resources to carry out their important work to address violence against women and safeguard women’s equality. Amnesty International is concerned that the reduced funding for Status of Women Canada, combined with the funding restrictions imposed on organizations, will significantly decrease the government’s ability to understand and respond to barriers to the protection and promotion of women’s human rights in Canada. As a result the government may fail to live up to its obligation to act with due diligence in putting in place laws, policies and programs that will adequately implement international standards protecting women’s human rights.
- The government should restore funding to Status of Women Canada to the levels in the previous federal budget. They should also carry out a public review of the obstacles and challenges to women’s substantive equality in Canada to determine future funding to Status of Women and changes required in other areas of the government. There should be no restrictions placed on the work of women’s human rights defenders that impact their ability to take all steps necessary to advance, protect and promote women’s human rights in Canada.
2. When faced with violence
In early October 2006 Statistics Canada released the report, Measuring Violence Against Women, which states clearly that violence against women is still a problem in Canada, particularly in the territories. While the trends in the types of violence against women are mixed, sexual assault remains one of the most under-reported crimes in the country. The report provides a worrying overview, but it is only a partial analysis. Unfortunately there has been no comprehensive survey on violence against women directly since the early 1990’s. All statistical reports since then have drawn from other sources and surveys.
Violence against women, regardless of the number of women victimized, is a human rights abuse. In addition to the physical, emotional and psychological injuries and possible death that results from acts of violence against women, fear of violence and a lack of adequate redress for acts of violence severely restrict the access that many women have to fundamental human rights such as access to education, employment, safety and shelter.
The first step in addressing violence against women in Canada must be to have an up-to-date accurate picture of the nature of the violence and the response to that violence by the police and criminal justice system. Once the problem is thoroughly defined, a comprehensive plan of action to stop violence against women can be developed that takes into account the unique experiences and vulnerabilities of particular groups of women, including Indigenous women and women living in the north.
- The federal government should work with all levels of government in Canada as well as women’s equality seeking organizations to carry out a thorough study of the nature and scope of violence against women in Canada and develop a comprehensive plan of action to address the violence.
3. In prison
Amnesty International remains concerned about the exceptionally slow pace of reform in the federal corrections system with respect to protection of women’s human rights, particularly Indigenous women. Serious human rights deficiencies in Canada’s treatment of federally-sentenced women prisoners have been known for many years now, including through the work of Madam Justice Arbour’s inquiry into the Prison for Women in 1996 [1] and the report of the Canadian Human Rights Commission. [2]
Several United Nations human rights bodies have asked Canada to take steps to improve policy and practice regarding the treatment of women prisoners. [3] Far too many reports and reviews regarding the treatment of federally-sentenced women speak to a reluctance or difficulty in making changes to the corrections system to ensure that the rights of federally sentenced women are fully protected.
- The government should establish an independent over-sight body for federally-sentenced women prisoners and a process for independent adjudication of decisions related to involuntary segregation.
Notes:
[1] Commission of Inquiry into certain events at the Prison for Women in Kingston, the Honourable Louise Arbour, 1996.
[2] Protecting Their Rights: A Systemic Review of Human Rights in Correctional Services for Federally Sentenced Women, Canadian Human Rights Commission, December 2003.
[3] Concluding observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women: Canada, A/58/38, January 2002, para. 361.
Posted: 14 December 2006