Continuous intake of proposals: About

1. About continuous intake

Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) works to advance equality with respect to sex, sexual orientation and gender identity or expression through the inclusion of people of all genders, including women, in Canada’s economic, social, and political life.

The continuous intake of proposals

What is the continuous intake of proposals? WAGE issues calls for proposals on specific themes with application deadlines. We also support gender equality projects outside these calls for proposals. We refer to this as the continuous intake process. It allows us to receive project ideas on an ongoing basis, as funds are available. We can address gaps and emerging issues not covered in calls for proposals.

When there is available funding under one of WAGE’s programs, we may post priorities for funding below. We will use most of the funding to address these priorities. We will use the limited remaining funding to fund projects to address other gaps and emerging issues.

Women’s Program priorities

Under the Women’s Program, WAGE will fund systemic change projects.

Systemic change

What is systemic change? A system is a way of thinking about and making sense of the world. Present day systems create gender inequality and reinforce it. Systems have various parts, but for these funding opportunities, we will focus on these elements:

• gender norms and attitudes
• authority, voices at the table, and decision-making power
• networks
• resources
• policies and practices

Systemic change refers to changing one or more of the above elements. The goal of the change is to allow women and girls to fully take part in the economic, social, democratic, and political life of Canada. 

Systemic change projects

What are systemic change projects? Systemic change projects aim to remove barriers to gender equality in systems. For example, a group could work with institutions to change policies and practices biased against women.

Systemic change projects do not aim to change women to fit or adapt to discriminatory systems. The following example is not a systemic change project: training women to adapt to an institution’s biased policies and practices. WAGE would not support such a project.

Systemic change projects can work on different elements of a system. In the context of working with the construction sector as an example, a project could:

1. Change gender norms and attitudes: Work to change beliefs, assumptions, and stereotypes based on gender and other identity factors.

   Example: Train managers and staff in the construction industry to change harmful gender stereotypes. The objective is to support an inclusive work environment. In this case, the system has changed when a survey shows that the training reduced the presence of harmful gender stereotypes.

2. Support changes to authority, voices at the table, and decision-making power: Work to address power imbalances to ensure women are part of the dialogue and solution.

   Example: Test a mentorship program to promote women in leadership roles in the construction industry. In this case, systemic change has occurred when a company integrates the mentorship program.

3. Increase networks and collaboration: Build and strengthen partnerships to work across sectors and break down silos. The aim is to increase the reach, impact, and sustainability of gender equality efforts.

   Example: Partner with universities and colleges to hire and retain women in the construction industry. This could include an agreement to hire women as coop students or interns annually. In this case, systemic change has occurred when formal elements are put in place to support the partnership to continue after the project.

4. Encourage more effective and equitable sharing of resources: Share, mobilize, and redistribute resources to support equality. These can include knowledge, information, and funding.

   Example: Share best practices on alternative childcare arrangements for parents who cannot work the 9 to 5 norm. Work with the construction industry to test the arrangements. In this case, systemic change has occurred when a company has implemented the best practices.

5. Change policies and practices: Create, change, or remove policies and practices to address sexism and other barriers to gender equality. You can do this at various levels, including in organizations, governments, and sectors.

   Example: Develop human resources policies to prevent and address sexual harassment at work. In this case, systemic change has occurred when the company adopts the policies.

Projects should work on elements that will lead to meaningful change. They do not need to address every element listed above.

Key elements of a systemic change project

While there is no standard approach to systemic change, here are key elements to guide your project:

• Understand the issue: Gather facts on the issue you want to address. You need to understand its root causes, who you will need to partner with to make changes and talk to the people most affected.
• Take strategic action: Identify what you plan to achieve and how to do it.
• Engage: Consult and work with others on the design and implementation of your project.
• Learn and adapt: Use a constant learning approach to your project when possible.

Gender-Based Violence Program priorities

We will fund projects to test promising practices to fill gaps in supports to survivors of gender-based violence.

A promising practice

What is a promising practice? A promising practice is a program, service, strategy, or policy that shows potential. It may be in the earlier stages of implementation and show potential of having a significant impact. It is adaptable and shows some evidence of having a significant impact. It would show more evidence of effectiveness than an emerging practice but would not yet be a best practice.

• An emerging practice is quite innovative, so much so that it has not yet built up much in way of evidence.
• A best practice is one where there is proof that is it successful across several cases. It relies on rigorous evidence such as through a randomized control trial or a systematic review. It is an intervention, program, service, strategy, or policy that has shown high impact. It is adaptable to other geographic areas and populations.

A promising practice project

What is a promising practice project? A promising practice project tests and evaluates a promising practice to strengthen the GBV sector. It addresses gaps for underserved populations that are survivors of GBV. It must include:

• A project evaluation of the promising practice to measure and assess its impact.
• A way to share information on the promising practice with others so that they may replicate it or expand upon it.

It can also be one that scales a tested promising practice that has shown positive results. It must:

• Include evidence that it has helped at-risk populations in a previous test.
• Have the potential to be replicated or expanded.

Key elements of a promising practice project

While there is no standard approach to a promising practice project, here are key elements to guide your project:

• Engage key at-risk and underserved populations
• Engage and work with stakeholders
• Build evidence on promising practices to strengthen the GBV sector
• Design and test ways to address service gaps in the GBV sector
• Develop products such as backgrounders or guides as part of a greater project
• If your project proposes to scale a promising practice that has shown positive results:
  • Replication of an existing promising practice in a new location or with a new population
  • Use of the promising practice to advocate for change in law and policy, or
  • Work with partners to increase wrap-around supports in a community

Equality for Sex, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression Program priorities

The program funds projects to advance social, political, and economic equality with respect to sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.

It includes the 2SLGBTQI+ Community Capacity Fund. The objective is to build capacity for the 2SLGBTQI+ sector across Canada. Projects will build the capacity of organizations and networks.

It also includes the 2SLGBTQI+ Projects Fund. The objective is to advance equality for 2SLGBTQI+ people. Community-informed projects will address needs and barriers to equality.