Backgrounder: Minister Monsef announces $10 million in funding to improve women’s economic security

Call for Proposals – Women’s Economic Security

On October 2, 2017, the Minister launched a call for proposals for projects to address the economic security of women and advance gender equality in Canada. More than 30 projects across the country will receive a total of $10 million in funding through this call for proposals.

The call for proposals is divided into two themes; the first is Building Partnerships to Address Systemic Barriers, which provides funding to address major barriers that limit women’s economic security, including, but not limited to, the accessibility of childcare, the gender wage gap and pay inequity.

The second theme, Increasing Private Sector Leadership and Investments in Women, encourages organizations to partner with the private sector to find solutions that will help advance women’s economic security.

Alberta Projects

The Government of Canada is investing $426,410 in Elevate Aviation, a non-profit group dedicated to supporting women in aviation, for a national project entitled “Creating Economic Security for Women Through Careers in the Aviation Industry”. Throughout this 36-month project, Elevate Aviation will work with industry partners to develop an action plan to establish and implement strategies for improving women’s economic security through access to careers in the aviation industry in Canada. After identifying and analyzing systemic barriers, the project will implement solutions to create an industry shift that will provide economically viable and progressive careers for diverse groups of women.

The Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association (CIWA), a non-profit group that responds to the concerns and needs of immigrant and refugee women, was awarded $313,693 for their project, “Employment Security Alliance for Vulnerable Immigrant Women”. Through this 36-month project, CIWA will partner with community and provincial stakeholders to identify barriers faced by immigrant women fleeing domestic violence in Alberta. Collaboratively, they will work across sectors to identify systemic gaps and barriers, and develop and implement practical and sustainable solutions to improve access to jobs for these women.

The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta will receive $350,000 for a project entitled, “Women in the Workplace: A Shift in Industry Work Culture”. This 36-month project aims to influence workplace culture in order to increase the participation of women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) professions. The project will include consultations, a survey and analysis on diversity and pay equity, and the development and piloting of a workplace culture policy.

Status of Women Canada – Women’s Program

One of the ways Status of Women Canada advances gender equality in Canada is by providing funding to eligible organizations through the Women’s Program. Projects are selected via calls for proposals on specific themes, as well as through a continuous intake process that allows the Women’s Program to accept applications on an ongoing basis.

The Women’s Program funds projects of 36 months or less that address systemic barriers to women’s equality in three priority areas: ending violence against women and girls; improving the economic security of women and girls; and encouraging women and girls in leadership roles