Justin Trudeau says parliamentarians have role in ending sexism

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says parliamentarians have a role to play in ending harassmentin the workplace, a day after Conservative MP Michelle Rempel penned an op-ed about the sexism she faces on Parliament Hill.

"The everyday sexism I face," Rempelwrote inthe National Post on Monday, "involves confronting the 'bitch' epithet when I don't automatically comply with someone's request or capitulate on my position on an issue it involves my ass being occasionally grabbed as a way to shock me into submission. It involves tokenism. It involves sometimes being written off as not serious when I've clearly proven I am."

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Trudeau, who describeshimself as a feminist,was asked for his thoughts about Rempel'scondemnation of the sexism she faces at work on a daily basis.

"It continues to be a greatchallenge inworkplaces across the country," the prime minister saidin Frenchon his way to a cabinet meeting on Parliament HillTuesday.

"We have made someimprovementshere, but there is a lot of work to do and we are part of the solution."

Parliament adopted a new code of ethics last fall, followingallegations of misconduct by two Liberalcaucus members in 2014.

Trudeau, who was leader of the party, went public with the accusations, and immediately removedthe MPs from his caucus.

In the op-ed, Rempelpointedthe finger at two unnamed MPs, including"a senior cabinet minister" who told her in the Commons to"look a bit more cheerful."

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister John McCallumwas forced toapologizeto Rempel in December after he said "Mr. Speaker, we are into sunny ways; I would suggest that my colleague look a little more cheerful."

Rempelsaid the other MP, whom she does not name, responded to a request she made by saying, "It turns me on when you're direct."

On his way into a meeting with his cabinet on Tuesday, Trudeau said he would be discussing the matter.

"We will certainly have a conversation about it," he said in French.

Because it's 2016?

Trudeaumade international headlines when he appointed last November the first gender-balanced cabinet in Canadian history.

His now famousquote, "Because it's 2015," has set new expectations for the role of government in promoting gender equality.

Following Tuesday's cabinet meeting, McCallumsaid in French he considered the matter with Rempel to be overafter he apologized in the Commons.

Asked why women are still faced with sexism in the workplace in 2016,McCallum said: "It's an issue because the world is not a perfect place even though it's 2016. Sexism remains a challenge in Ottawa, in Canada, around the world, as something that has to be addressed."

McCallumwould not saywhetherTrudeauraised the issue during today's meeting, citing cabinet confidentiality.

Female politicians have long agreed that sexism in the workplace is a problem. But whatto do about it and how to get men to be a part of the solutionremains a challenge, several femalecabinet ministers said today.

Status of Women Minister Patricia Hajduapplauded Rempel'scourage for calling on men to confront sexist attitudes.

"I commend the courage of MP Rempel to write an article about sexism on the Hill but even more than that, what I really liked about that article was the call to men, actually, to step up and to acknowledge their responsibility in addressing this issue.

"What we need to do is be having thesefulsome conversations with young men, with middle-aged men and to have workplaces that say this isn't tolerated and when we find out about it we will do something about it," Hajdu said on Parliament Hill.

Hajdu backs Rempel on Sexism

8 years ago

Duration 1:13

Status on Women Minister Patty Hajdu says she supports Conservative Michelle Rempel's column on the sexism she has experienced on the Hill

Ministers facesexism too

"There is sexism in Parliament," saidIndigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett, who was first elected to the Commons in 1997.

According to Bennett, female MPs are heckled in a "dramatically different" way than men are.

"The personal attacks of 'you're the only one who is confused, or lay off the coffee, or take a valium,' are things that I have received...," Bennett said.

But men aren't the only ones heckling female MPs, Bennett said pointing to the need to hold both genders accountable for sexist remarks.

"We have to say that's unacceptable ... whether it's men or women, treating women in this place in what I can only interpret as sexism."

InternationalTrade Minister Chrystia Freeland, who was elected to Parliament in a byelection a little over two years ago, spoke of her own experience with sexism on Parliament Hill.

"I think sexism is a reality," Freeland said on Tuesday.

"As people see, I'm not very tall. In the past people havemade comments about my voice being too shrill."

Freeland, a business journalist and author who held several senior positions at global organizations before entering politics,said this was the most "equal" group she'd been a part of in the past two decades.

She said it made a"huge difference" to sit at a table where women make-up 50 per cent of the group.

"Studies have shown that you need 30 per cent to be women, for women's contributions to be valued equally," Freelandsaid.

In March, Trudeauwas lauded for promotinggender equality during a trip to New York.

"I'm going to keep saying loud and clearly that I am a feminist until it is met with a shrug," the prime minister said.

"It's just really, really obvious that we should be standing up for women's rights and trying to create more equal societies. Like, duh."