By Jasminee Sahoye

A report is suggesting that women who are sponsored to come to Canada should be exposed to training by Canadian citizens in their countries of origin about their rights and Canadian culture and values.

The report, Culturally Driven Violence Against Women by Aruna Papp from the Frontier Centre for Public Policy seeks to shed light on the emerging challenge of culturally driven violence popularly known as “honour killings.”

Last Tuesday, the minister of state for the Status of Women Canada, Rona Ambrose said she will study the report adding that honour killings is a serious problem and the Status for Women Canada is willing to fund projects to address the issue.

“In Canada, all girls and women are equal to men under the law, and have the right to live free from violence and abuse. The ability to make one's own choices in life is a cornerstone of our democracy,” she said.

Ambrose urged women's groups and other community-based organizations to work with Status of Women Canada to develop on-the-ground projects that explore, expose and contribute to ending violence against women, including so-called honour crimes.

“Through the Women's Program, Status of Women Canada is proud to support projects that work toward safe homes, communities and environments for Canadian women, and we will continue to make this a priority,” the minister said.

“People come to this country to enjoy and embrace the values and opportunities that Canada provides, and as a nation we are proud of the contributions made by our diverse cultural communities,” said Minister Ambrose.  “However, killing or mutilating anyone, least of all a family member, is utterly unacceptable under all circumstances and will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”

Papp’s report also stated that mandatory orientation should be required for male sponsors to educate them regarding sponsorship rules and regulations. Men, too, should be educated on the values and laws regarding gender equality and culturally appropriate assessment procedures for relationship history and/or marriage authenticity need to be developed.

Other recommendations are that men making applications to sponsor a wife need to be investigated to check how many times they have been married, examine their pattern of sponsorship and document how the previous spouse is being financially supported.