PAR-L

Calls to Action

Human Rights Complaint concerning the Canada Research Chairs Program

As posted on PAR-L, 24 March 2003

Subject: CRC in the House

I thought you'd enjoy this. The Minister of Industry, Alan Rock, refers to the strict enforcement of "rules" for gender distribution of the Canada Researach Chairs. Rules??? The percentage that have gone to women, as of this month, is 16%.

Wendy

On March 21 in the House of Commons, Liberal MP Raymonde Folco asked the Minister of Industry about women and the CRC. Here is the exchange from the Hansard - a French transcript follows the English.

Ms. Raymonde Folco (Laval West, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Industry.

A human rights complaint has been launched against the government claiming that women are being unfairly shut out of the program to fund 2,000 Canada research chairs.

What is the government doing to ensure that women at Canadian universities have an equal chance at these prestigious positions?

Hon. Allan Rock (Minister of Industry, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, it is important to let the complaint proceed before the tribunal as it will.

Let me point out that the Canadian research chairs program has drawn international attention as an innovative and effective way of keeping the best and the brightest on the campuses of this nation.

It is important that both men and women fully participate in this program. At the moment there is an insufficient number of women being nominated for the chairs. The Government of Canada is determined to do its part to make sure that is addressed.

We have, among other things, asked the secretariat to strictly enforce rules on the distribution of the chairs to both genders. We have asked universities to nominate more women. We will continue with those efforts.