Letter addressed to the Honourable Minister Valdez on her appointment as Minister of Women and Gender Equality Canada

July 7, 2025

The Honourable Rechie Valdez, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism)
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6

Dear Minister Valdez,

Congratulations on your appointment as Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism). I look forward to the impact your work will have on advancing gender equity and supporting survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) across Canada.

As the Federal Ombudsperson for Victims of Crime, I see firsthand the devastating and long-lasting impacts of GBV on individuals, families, and communities. These issues remain deeply entrenched and require sustained and coordinated efforts across government.

The National Action Plan to End GBV has made significant contributions to improve access to services for survivors. We have heard about the positive impact of many WAGE-funded programs.

In March 2024, my Office launched a national systemic investigation on the experiences of survivors of sexual violence and the criminal justice system (CJS). We aim to release our report this year, highlighting which areas need urgent action based on what we learned.

Our Office is preparing recommendations to strengthen access to justice and support for survivors of GBV. These recommendations are informed by our investigation and consultations with a broad range of survivors, stakeholders, and Crown attorneys across the country.

We are identifying ways to strengthen protections for survivors of GBV while reducing costs, saving court time, preserving the fair trial rights of accused, and interrupting the increasing number of sexual assaults being stayed because of R. v. Jordan.

BOTTOM LINE: Survivors of GBV including sexual violence have rights that are too often being treated as optional as they navigate the CJS.

I welcome an opportunity to meet with you to discuss our investigation and alignment of our mandates to bring meaningful change for survivors of GBV.

I intend to continue working closely with your Office and the Government of Canada to improve outcomes for victims of crime. I trust that our mutual goal is to ensure that victim rights are upheld and that all victims and survivors are treated with dignity and respect throughout their involvement with the CJS.

Yours sincerely,

 

//original signed by//
Dr. Benjamin Roebuck
Federal Ombudsperson for Victims of Crime