QUESTION PERIOD — Justice
Support for Women who are Victims of Violence
December 2, 2025
Senator Moreau, during these days of action on violence against women, my question for you concerns the Belém do Pará Convention, which Canada has still not ratified. Canada is actually one of the few countries that has not done so.
The convention requires the adoption of measures to prevent and eradicate all forms of violence against women, including not only physical violence but also psychological, economic and digital violence.
Until it ratifies the convention, Canada is not fully bound by it, nor is it subject to its international monitoring mechanism. Lawyers Without Borders has condemned this situation.
Senator Moreau, don’t you think that this situation sends a contradictory message internationally, given Canada’s aspiration to be a leader in women’s rights?
Thank you, Senator Oudar. I will say two things.
First, on March 7, 2025, the Minister of Foreign Affairs announced that Canada had signed the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence Against Women. By so doing, Canada reiterated its long-standing commitment to human rights, gender equality and the prevention and eradication of gender-based violence, both at home and abroad.
Canada is serious about its commitment, as demonstrated by the implementation of the 10-year National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence, the introduction of legislative measures to strengthen protection for survivors of gender-based violence, and the implementation of a code of conduct to prevent economic coercion.
