Backgrounder - New federal funding will help improve women’s economic security in Ontario’s Niagara Region

Status of Women Canada – Women’s Program

Status of Women Canada advances gender equality 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 address emerging issues as they arise.

The Women’s Program provides funding for up to three years to projects that address barriers to women’s participation and equality in Canadian society 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.

Calls for Proposals – Support for Women’s Economic Security and Addressing the Economic Security and Prosperity of Indigenous Women

On October 2, 2017, the Honourable Maryam Monsef, Minister of Status of Women, launched two calls for proposals. The first call, entitled Support for Women’s Economic Security, invited organizations to apply for funding for projects to address the economic security of women and help advance gender equality in Canada. More than 30 projects will receive a total of $10 million in funding through this call for proposals.

This 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 innovative solutions that will help advance women’s economic security.

The second call for proposals, entitled Addressing the Economic Security and Prosperity of Indigenous Women, invited organizations to foster collaboration between Indigenous women, Indigenous organizations, their communities, and the private sector to support the economic security and prosperity of Indigenous women across Canada. Fifteen projects across the country will receive nearly $5 million in funding through this call for proposals.

Funded Project

Solidarité des femmes et familles immigrantes francophones du Niagara (SOFIFRAN) is committed to helping with the social and economic integration of francophone women immigrants in the Niagara region.

Project Description

SOFIFRAN will receive $269,582 in funding for their project, “Sécuriser les femmes du Niagara” (Securing women in the Niagara region). In this 36-month project, SOFIFRAN will work with child care service providers, school boards, city councils, transportation companies and others to develop a practical and comprehensive child care and transportation model that addresses the needs of low-income francophone immigrant women facing barriers to employment. The organization will conduct research and a needs assessment using gender-based analysis and will also use focus groups of francophone immigrant women to develop a strategic plan to provide concrete solutions to the challenges facing working mothers. The project will result in the development of a comprehensive child care model to be tested in collaboration with partners in the region, and could become a best practice model for similar communities across Canada.

Statistics – Women’s Economic Security

• In 2017, women in Ontario earned $.87 for every dollar earned by men on an average hourly basis. Said differently, in 2017 there was a gender wage gap of $0.13.

• In 2017, the employment rate was 57.2% among women and 65% among men in Ontario.

• In 2017, 25.5% of employed women and 12.9% of employed men in Ontario worked part-time.

• In 2015, 82.0% of women in the core working ages of 25 to 54 years (6 million) participated in the labour market.

• In 2015, women represented 47.2% of the labour force, up from 45.7% in 1999 and 37.1% in 1976.

• In 2015, the national employment rate for women was 77.5% compared to 85.3% for men.

• On average women work 5.6 hours per week less than men (35.5 hours/week compared to 41.1 hours/week).

• Currently, 19% of employed women work part-time (compared with 5.5% of employed men).

• The average net worth of lone mothers was less than half of that of lone fathers: $240,000 versus $540,000. Unattached women and men had similar average net worth at $250,000 and $230,000, respectively.

• Lone mothers had the lowest average adjusted income ($25,300), followed by those who were unattached ($33,700). The average adjusted incomes of lone fathers and unattached men were similar (around $40,300). Notably, the average adjusted income of lone mothers was $15,000 less than that of lone fathers.