Senator Mobina Jaffer

Yesterday morning I had the privilege of meeting Jenni Williams who is a strong and courageous woman who has selflessly devoted her life to fighting for the rights of her brothers and sisters in Zimbabwe. During our meeting Jenni spoke to me about her successes as the executive director of Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA). She informed me that over the past 9 years WOZA has mobilized over 80, 000 men and women in Zimbabwe to peacefully demonstrate sparking dignity, protest and bravery in the name of human rights.

Later that evening, I attended a lecture that Jenni delivered at Carleton University.  Jenni explained to the audience that the Government of Zimbabwe was primarily concerned about obtaining perpetual power and , as a result, chose to ignore issues such as unaffordable tuition fees, sewage backups and water shortages. Jenni, who was well aware that anyone who did speak out on these issues would be considered an enemy of the state, decided that WOZA would go into the streets, as mothers and women of the nation, and demand social justice. After recognizing that the people of Zimbabwe were in fact refugees in their own nation they decided that this was simply unacceptable. Through strategic non-violent demonstrations WOZA found ways to empower themselves and they continue to go out onto the streets and tell people to choose love over hate.

I strongly believe that I am a better person for having met Jenni. Upon departing, Jenni presented me with a scarf that matches the one that she so proudly wears. She explained to me that the scarf, which features a striking rose, symbolizes what WOZA stands for stating “the people in Zimbabwe want bread AND roses because we deserve the beautiful things too”. I am truly touched by Jenni’s thoughtful gift and will wear it with pride not only for the women of Zimbabwe, but for women all around the world whose lives are plagued with violence and injustice.

"As the Canadian mission in Afghanistan transitions to training, diplomacy and development, our Government joins Canadians in honouring those who gave their lives and in recognizing the sacrifice and achievements of all the men and women, both military and civilian, who have served and continue to serve in Afghanistan. Our Government will continue to recognize and support all veterans."

I commend our Government for honouring those who so courageously represent our country in Afghanistan.  I do however also want to acknowledge the fact that Canada’s mission in Afghanistan is indeed transitioning from combat to training. I strongly believe that we need to closely examine the content of that training. For example, currently Afghan police forces receive half an hour of training on women’s rights. This is simply inadequate.

We most certainly need to ensure that women are at the table in peace negotiations, are well represented in the police force and our politically engaged as this is of the utmost importance. However, what is equally important is the need to make sure that police forces receive training that is gender sensitive.

If Canada is going to help create a more stable and secure Afghanistan then it will need to ensure that women are part of the equation. It is not in Canada’s interests to hold Afghan women back from complete participation in capacity building, whether they live in cities or rural areas. The change in the Canadian Forces mission gives Canada a tremendous opportunity to design gender sensitive training practices that underpin women’s security.

For more information on Canada's new role in Afghanistan I strongly urge you to read the Senate Standing Committee on Human Right's report entitled "Training in Afghanistan: Include Women". This report can be accessed by visiting the following link:

 http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/SEN/Committee/403/huma/rep/rep07dec10-e.pdf

“Canada’s Aboriginal peoples are central to Canada’s history, and our Government has made it a priority to renew and deepen our relationship. The contribution of Canada’s Aboriginal peoples will be important to our future prosperity.”

I am extremely pleased to hear that our Government is prioritizing issues that affect Aboriginal peoples. I strongly believe that members of Aboriginal communities should no longer be treated as second class citizens. Although I commend our Government for its commitment to the issues that plague many Aboriginal people I also hope that they remain mindful of the rights and traditions that these very communities value so dearly.

One issue which I have worked on throughout my time in the Senate is matrimonial real property rights on reserves. Our Governor General spoke about this issue specifically when stating:

“Our Government will also introduce legislation to ensure that people living on reserve have the same matrimonial real property rights and protections as other Canadians”

I found this statement to be particularly interesting because just last June Bill S-4 (family homes on Reserves and Matrimonial Interests or Rights Act) came through the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights of which I am deputy chair. This particular piece of legislation sought to ensure that women on reserve were provided with the same matrimonial real property rights as the rest of Canadian women. Unfortunately, after hearing testimony offered by several leaders in the Aboriginal community and reading a report advanced by Ministerial Representative Wendy Grant John it quickly became clear that this piece of legislation was inherently flawed. Most of these flaws stemmed from the fact that the Government had failed to uphold its duty to consult.

Members of the Aboriginal community were denied their right to be involved in the process of developing this piece of legislation and when they did speak out and voice their opinions after the Bill had already been drafted their concerns fell upon deaf ears. Bill S-4 not only passed through the committee it also went on to receive royal assent by the Conservative dominated Senate.

Although I commend our Government for reconfirming its commitment to matrimonial real property rights on reserves I also hope that they learn from their mistakes. If we are going to help create lasting change in the lives of Aboriginal people we need to allow them to be a part of the process. We need to listen to their concerns, respect their traditions and value their input. Unless this is done justice will never prevail and the rights of Aboriginal people will continue to be inferior to the rights that are granted to the rest of Canadians.

On March 8th, which marked the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s day, I had the opportunity to visit Kajiado, a small Masai village located just outside of Nairobi, Kenya. During this visit I had the absolute privilege of interacting with the powerful, courageous and strong Masai women who reside in Africa’s Rift Valley. As I am sure you are aware, International Women’s Day is a time when we all come together and celebrate the economic, political and social achievements of women around the world. Typically on this day we take time to honour those who have made their mark in the political, professional or philanthropic arenas. Although the achievements of women like the ones I met in Kajiado often go unrecognized these women truly exemplify what International Women’s Day is all about.

After hearing several women offer testimony, I quickly learned that the Masai women of Kajiado are not only the glue that holds their communities and families together but they are also patrons of peace and beacons of hope. Historically, these women have had little exposure to formal education, have battled gender inequality and have fell victim to practices such as female genital mutilation and forced marriage. However, grassroots organizations like Amani Communities Africa have worked diligently to empower these women and generate awareness and understanding of women’s human and legal rights while at the same time providing them with the tools they need to effectively respond to abuses and violations.

My good friend Joy Mbaabu who is the Executive Director of Amani Communities Africa, introduced us to the leader of the Maasai group who was a beautiful woman named Agnes. Agnes spoke to us about the challenges Maasai women continue to face. She provided us insight into what a day in her shoes would be like and spoke about the responsibilities she had both inside and outside of her home. Much to my surprise, I learned that it is the women in these communities who are responsible for taking care of their families, tending to the cattle, harvesting the crops and for generating income. The most important message that Agnes, and many other Maasai women conveyed that afternoon was the importance of educating their daughters. They acknowledged the fact that many of their daughters were now given the opportunity to attend primary school however they stressed the importance of higher education. The women I had the pleasure of interacting with made it clear that the future of their communities lies in the hands of their daughters as they would be the ones who would usher in sustainable change. Upon departing I asked the women of Kajiado what message I could convey to fellow Canadian’s they responded “help us educate our daughters and we will do the rest”