Executive Council
April 9, 200927th Annual
Federal-Provincial-Territorial Meeting of
Ministers responsible for the Status of Women
Federal/Provincial/Territorial (FPT) Ministers
responsible for the Status of Women gathered in Winnipeg from April 6 to
8, 2009, for their 27th annual meeting. During their talks, they
identified the urgency of exploring ways to facilitate women�s labour
force participation and economic security, considered actions toward
improving the lives of Inuit, M�tis and First Nations women, both on and
off reserve, and discussed measures to address violence against women in
Canada.
The FPT Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to
working to improve women�s economic security. While significant
investments are being made in infrastructure, Ministers recognize the
under representation of women in non-traditional employment. They agreed
to share best practices and explore options for future work to strongly
support women�s employment in fields such as engineering, trades and
technology. Ministers discussed and agreed to share strategies for
poverty reduction. They further agreed to continue discussions on these
matters at next year�s FPT meeting.
They discussed measures to increase women�s
participation in the labour force, including proposed changes to
maternity and parental Employment Insurance (EI) benefits. PT Ministers
will forward an economic analysis on the proposed changes to EI to the
Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada for
consideration. A discussion paper will be developed on options for a
modernized parental benefits plan to be presented at the June 2010
annual meeting.
In discussing the situation of Aboriginal women, the
FPT Ministers took stock of progress in areas of leadership, economic
prosperity and violence since the first National Aboriginal Women�s
Summit (NAWS) in Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador. They look
forward to receiving the report from NAWS II, which took place in
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories in 2008.
Ministers support and join Prime Minister Harper in
calling on the Afghan government, in the strongest terms, to honour its
human rights treaty obligations under international law, including
respect for the equality of all women before the law.
Ministers also discussed a number of issues related to
violence against women. The RCMP made a presentation to Ministers on
human trafficking that outlined this growing international and domestic
problem. Ministers acknowledged that trafficking manifests itself in
different ways across the country, and that addressing this issue will
require a multifaceted approach.
Ministers also discussed how to promote a healthy,
realistic body image for girls and young women in cooperation with the
fashion industry and the media.
The meeting was co-chaired by the Honourable Helena
Guergis, Minister of State (Status of Women), and the Honourable Nancy
Allan, Manitoba Minister of Labour and Immigration, Minister responsible
for Multiculturalism, Minister responsible for the Status of Women and
Minister charged with the Administration of The Workers Compensation
Act.
Since their first meeting in 1981, FPT Ministers have
met annually to explore ways to achieve equality for women, and to
exchange information on issues affecting women in Canada, particularly
in the areas of economic security, violence and human rights.
The next annual meeting of
Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers responsible for the Status of
Women will take place in Ontario, in June of 2010.
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