 Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Jason Kenney responds to a question during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Tuesday November 3, 2009. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
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A new guide for aspiring Canadian citizens will warn off "barbaric" cultural practices that physically harm women.
The book, to be officially launched today by Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, contains a special section on "The Equality of Women and Men."
"In Canada, men and women are equal under the law. Canada's openness and generosity do not extend to barbaric cultural practices that tolerate spousal abuse, 'honour killings,' female genital mutilation or other gender-based violence," the document reads.
"Those guilty of these crimes are severely punished under Canada's criminal laws."
The passage was included to promote better integration by newcomers into Canadian society, according to a senior government official.
INTEGRATION EYED
"The government needs to be quite deliberate in ensuring that newcomers are able to fully integrate; that we don't create ethnic silos like the parallel communities we've seen in some parts of Europe and the United Kingdom," the official said.
One of the "highest expressions" of Canadian identity is gender equality -- yet many people who come to Canada hold very "illiberal views" abhorrent to the vast majority of Canadians, the official said. Immigrant women are often not clear on their legal rights as equal Canadian citizens, so the book explains how what might be a way of life in their homeland is not acceptable here.
The guide, called Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship, is required reading for anyone taking the citizenship test.
KATHLEEN.HARRIS@SUNMEDIA.CA
