CEDAW/C/CAN/CO/8-9 (c) Make sure that indigenous women organisations are included in the national nation-to-nation relationship in all issues of relevance for women; (d) Strengthen the implementation of gender equality policies at the provincial and territorial levels and ensure that all government bodies involved receive sustained guidance and support in their implementation efforts, including sufficient human, technical and financial resources; (e) Reinforce monitoring mechanisms to comprehensively and regularly assess progress in the implementation of provincial and territorial gender equality policies, plans and programmes and evaluate the impact of such efforts, with a view to taking remedial action; (f) Reopen the Status of Women Canada regional offices and ensure that they are adequately resourced to provide appropriate services to women, especially those living in remote and rural areas. Stereotypes and harmful practices 22. The Committee welcomes the legislative and other measures taken to combat harmful practices, including child and forced marriage, female genital mutilation and crimes in the name of so-called honour. The Committee is, however, concerned that information on harmful practices and the ways to combat them in the State party is not readily accessible to many women. 23. The Committee recommends that the State party systematically collect disaggregated data on harmful practices in the State party and make information on ways to combat such practices widely available. Gender-based violence against women 24. The Committee notes with appreciation that the Ministry of Status of Women is currently working with other Ministries to develop a federal strategy against genderbased violence. It also notes a number of federal criminal laws, complemented by provincial and territorial civil laws and policies, addressing gender-based violence against women, including against aboriginal women and girls. However, the Committee is concerned about: (a) The continued high prevalence of gender-based violence against women in the State party, particularly against indigenous women and girls; (b) The very low number of cases of gender-based violence against women reported to the police by victims; (c) The low rates of prosecution and conviction and the lenient penalties imposed on perpetrators of gender-based violence against women; (d) The lack of a national action plan, bearing in mind that the strategy will only apply at the federal level; (e) The lack of shelters, support services and other protective measures for women victims of gender-based violence, which reportedly prevents them from leaving their violent partners; (f) The lack of statistical data on gender-based violence against women, including domestic violence, particularly on investigations, prosecutions, convictions, sentences and reparation; (g) The repeal of section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act, which provided a civil remedy to victims of cyber violence, and the enactment of the Protecting Canadians from Online Crime Act (2015), which penalizes the non-consensual 6

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