2021–22 Departmental Results Report: Women and Gender Equality Canada

From the Minister

As Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, it’s my pleasure to introduce the 2021-22 Departmental Results Report for Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE). This report provides an in-depth look at our accomplishments to advance gender equality in the 2021-22 fiscal year.

Over the past year, our work has focused on four priority areas: preventing and addressing gender-based violence; strategic action and engagement to address systemic barriers to gender equality; ensuring robust Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) throughout the federal government’s decision-making process; and supporting community action to advance gender equality.

We advanced these priorities against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has laid bare cracks in our support systems and has magnified existing inequities in our society.

With this in mind, we moved swiftly to distribute more than $187.9 million in emergency funding to women’s shelters, sexual assault centres, and other organizations, including organizations serving Indigenous individuals. Because of this funding, more than 1.3 million individuals experiencing violence had a place to go and access to support during the pandemic.  

We also continued to advance work on the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence, to have a Canada free of gender-based violence that supports victims, survivors and their families no matter where they live. In January 2021, Federal-Provincial-Territorial (FPT) ministers responsible for the Status of Women endorsed the Joint Declaration for a Canada Free of Gender-Based Violence – including a shared vision, principles, and goals for the National Action Plan. This historic milestone represents an important step forward in creating a Canada free of GBV.

We continued to focus our programs on equity-seeking communities – which is not only the right thing to do, but is necessary to build back stronger from the pandemic and create the equal and inclusive Canada we all want to see. In July 2021, WAGE awarded funding to hundreds of projects through the $100 million Feminist Response and Recovery Fund to tackle barriers faced by underrepresented women, including Indigenous women, women with disabilities, 2SLGBTQI+ women, racialized women, and newcomer and immigrant women.

WAGE also remained committed to protecting 2SLGBTQI+ equality and taking action to address systemic discrimination faced by 2SLGBTQI+ people and communities. In 2021–22, WAGE funded 76 2SLGBTQI+ organizations through the Community Capacity Fund, and in February 2022, an additional $7.5 million was announced to extend this fund for another year to help organizations work directly within their communities to promote safety and combat stigma.

Championing gender equality beyond our borders remains a priority for WAGE. In March 2022, I led the Canadian delegation to the 66th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women – an opportunity for decision-makers at all levels and across all sectors to publicly announce their commitment to moving the needle on gender equality. The conversations were urgent, illuminating, often difficult, and deeply inspiring.

WAGE continued to work with partners at the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) and the Privy Council Office to improve the application of GBA Plus and fully implement it as a rigorous practice across the government. Since 2015, we’ve made important progress, including introducing an annual GBA Plus Implementation Survey to monitor progress on GBA Plus across federal departments and working with TBS to develop guidance on integrating GBA Plus into evaluations.

Finally, WAGE continued to strengthen its role as a Centre of Expertise for GBA Plus. It did so by increasing awareness and understanding, enhancing capacity and expertise across the federal government, and ensuring that programs, policies, and services achieve what they set out to do and benefit people equally.

As Minister, I look forward to working with partners to build on these accomplishments in the years ahead.

The Honourable Marci Ien, P.C., M.P.
Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth

Results at a glance

In 2021–22, the total operating budget for Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) was $236 million. Its total actual full-time equivalent workforce was 370. Over the fiscal year, the COVID-19 pandemic continued to shape WAGE’s activities and plans. The Department prioritized:

• its provision of emergency investments to shelters, sexual assault centres, and organizations providing services to individuals experiencing gender-based violence (GBV)
• efforts to apply Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) to government decision-making and COVID-19 initiatives in order to develop responsive federal programs and policies that meet the needs of all people in Canada
• efforts to address the impacts of the pandemic on gender equality and GBV in Canada, inform equitable recovery strategies, and fill knowledge gaps.

Over the course of the fiscal year, WAGE continued to advance gender equality in four priority areas:

For more information on Women and Gender Equality Canada’s plans, priorities and results achieved, see the “Results: what we achieved” section of this report.

Results: what we achieved

Core responsibilities

Advancing gender equality

Description

The Department for Women and Gender Equality (WAGE) advances gender equality for women, including social, economic, and political equality with respect to sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression. The Department promotes a greater understanding of the intersection of sex and gender with other identity factors that include race, national and ethnic origin, Indigenous origin or identity, age, sexual orientation, socio-economic condition, place of residence, and disability. The Department develops and coordinates policies and programs; undertakes research, data collection, and analyses related to these policies and programs; and raises public awareness through outreach. The Department provides advice to the government to achieve Canada’s gender equality outcomes and goals, including advocacy for gender-based budgeting, and facilitates the advancement of gender equality among other partners and stakeholders through its expertise, contribution to research, and funding for community initiatives. The Department serves as a central point for sharing expertise across Canada and with international partners, and it uses this knowledge to inform and support Canada’s gender equality priorities.

Results

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and 2021–22, WAGE’s activities were informed largely by Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus). Some groups in Canada were disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the public health measures implemented to combat the virus. Diverse groups of women, girls, and members of 2SLGBTQI+ communities faced increased marginalization and underrepresentation during the pandemic. These groups include Indigenous women, Black women, racialized women, and women living with disabilities or in rural or remote communities.

In response to the increased need for support, WAGE acted quickly. WAGE is investing more than $300 million in COVID-19 emergency funding through the Canadian Women's Foundation, Women’s Shelters Canada, and the Government of Quebec. Since April 2020, WAGE has distributed more than $240 million in total funding to 1,400 organizations, including women’s shelters, sexual assault centres, and other organizations providing critical and often life-saving services and support. Because of this funding, more than 1.3 million individuals had a place to turn, over 450 organizations were able to hire additional staff, and close to 550 organizations were able to extend staff shifts to respond to the increased demand for services.

In addition, Canada’s feminist response to COVID-19 was announced on July 29, 2021. The $100 million Feminist Response and Recovery Fund supported systemic change projects to tackle barriers faced by marginalized or underrepresented women, including Indigenous women, women with disabilities, 2SLGBTQI+ women, racialized women, and newcomer and immigrant women in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

WAGE also continued to advance gender equality in four priority areas: preventing and addressing GBV; strategic action and engagement to address systemic barriers to gender equality; ensuring robust GBA Plus throughout the federal government’s decision-making processes; and supporting community action to advance gender equality.

Results

Priority #1: preventing and addressing gender-based violence (GBV)

Over the 2021–22 fiscal year, WAGE has worked to reduce the prevalence of GBV in Canada and to improve access to supports and services for GBV victims, survivors, and their families.

Through collaboration with provinces, territories, and Indigenous partners, and engagement with stakeholders, the Department continued to advance work on the National Action Plan to end GBV (GBV NAP). In December 2021, at the 39th Annual Meeting of Federal, Provincial, and Territorial (FPT) Ministers Responsible for the Status of Women, the Ministers agreed on commitments and collaboration to advance a GBV NAP. Collaboration in the development of the GBV NAP included the engagement of Indigenous communities and continued collaboration amongst stakeholders on initiatives focused on advancing gender equality.

WAGE also continued its role of coordinating the ongoing implementation of the federal GBV Strategy (It’s Time: Canada’s Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence), launched in 2017. The Strategy is centered around three pillars: preventing gender-based violence, supporting survivors and their families, and promoting responsive legal and justice systems. WAGE undertook a broad consultation with other government departments in 2021 to enhance and implement the federal GBV strategy. In fall 2021, 15 informal interviews were conducted to improve the engagement/governance structure relating to the various committees that support the ongoing implementation of the Strategy.

The GBV Program was created under the Strategy to strengthen the GBV sector in order to address gaps in support for victims and survivors. In 2021–22, funded organizations established or nurtured more than 500 partnerships and collaborations to develop training on cultural safety and trauma-informed service delivery, transform care for 2SLGBTQI+ and gender-diverse victims and survivors of GBV, and pilot new support mechanisms that help victims and survivors of GBV navigate the legal system.

To support the implementation of the Strategy, WAGE also initiated a horizontal mid-term evaluation of the Strategy. Though WAGE advanced on the GBV Strategy evaluation over the fiscal year, the results are anticipated in the 2022–23. The mid-term evaluation focused on issues of effectiveness and efficiency in governance, implementation, and progress towards outcomes in the context of the GBV strategy. The evaluation respondents included five partner departments (Public Safety Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Department of National Defence, and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada), representatives of funded organizations, sector experts, and members of the Minister’s Advisory Council on GBV.

In 2021–22, WAGE spent approximately $3 million on research related to GBV and access to justice in Canada. This resulted in the release of 13 research reports on priority research areas, including harassment and discrimination in post-secondary institutions, harassment and discrimination in the workplace, intimate partner violence (IPV), and best practices for service providers in the GBV sector. Included in these research reports was the release of six reports relating to intersectional experiences of intimate partner violence, funded in partnership with Statistics Canada. These reports allowed for the further disaggregation of data from the 2018 Survey of Safety in Public and Private Spaces, and highlighted, for the first time, the intersectional experiences of intimate partner violence among sexual minority men, sexual minority women, women with disabilities, Indigenous women, women who are visible minorities, and young women. This series of releases further analyzed the differences in prevalence, nature, and impact of IPV on these different population groups in Canada. In addition, WAGE  funded and addressed knowledge gaps related to GBV and commissioned Statistics Canada to complete two analytical studies on experiences of GBV by First Nations, Métis and Inuit women in Canada and by women in rural and remote communities in Canada.

WAGE’s innovative GBV Knowledge Centre organized 11 knowledge-sharing events in 2021–22, which reached 2,071 individuals from federal, provincial and territorial governments, academic institutions, Indigenous organizations, non-governmental organizations and other experts in the GBV field. These events are opportunities to increase knowledge uptake and knowledge mobilization of GBV-related content and to share research, information, statistics, and resources to support and inform policies, programs, and services. The Department also maintained and expanded the GBV Knowledge Center’s online platform. In 2021–22, six new/updated web products were posted on the online platform. In total, throughout the year, the online platform was visited 75,883 times, representing a 30% increase from 2020–21. In addition, WAGE highlighted the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign that took place from November 25 to December 10, 2021, marking the 30th anniversary of the campaign. Canada’s 2021 theme was 16 Days and Beyond to which WAGE provided 16 ways to help end GBV beyond the 16 days campaign. This annual campaign provides an opportunity to come together and call out, speak up and renew our commitment to ending gender-based violence. 

Over the course of the fiscal year, WAGE delivered programs for organizations working to address human trafficking and GBV. In 2019, the Government of Canada launched the Public Safety Canada–led National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking, which brings together federal efforts under one strategic framework. Through the National Strategy, WAGE received $10 million over five years, starting in 2020–21, and $2 million per year (ongoing) to develop the Human Trafficking Initiative. An additional $4 million in existing program funding was leveraged, bringing the total funding to nearly $14 million. WAGE’s Human Trafficking Initiative is supporting organizations in developing and implementing promising practices to enhance empowerment support for at-risk populations and survivors of human trafficking. These include women and girls, Indigenous women and girls, 2SLGBTQI+ and gender diverse people, immigrant and migrant women and girls, women and girls with disabilities, and women and girls living in northern, rural and remote regions. As of 2022, WAGE is funding 41 projects, for a total of nearly $14 million to prevent and address human trafficking and support at-risk populations, victims, and survivors through the Human Trafficking Initiative. In their first year of funding, organizations reached nearly 2,000 people though various activities like workshops/webinars, community engagement, and curriculum development.

WAGE also worked with and supported the RCMP in their efforts to reform its organization, and to ultimately prevent and address gender-based violence. In 2021–22, the Minster responsible for WAGE continued to support the Minister of National Defence, as per her mandate commitment, to address discrimination, sexual misconduct, and gender-based violence in the military.

WAGE also continued to support the Government of Canada’s commitment to implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action and the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls’ Calls for Justice in partnership with First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples throughout 2021–22. On June 3, 2021, the 2021 the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan: Ending Violence Against Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People (MMIWG2S+ NAP) and the Federal Pathway to Address Violence Against Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People (Federal Pathway), the Government of Canada’s contribution to the MMIWG2S+ NAP, were released. WAGE supported the efforts of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) to co-develop this plan with Indigenous families and survivors, women, girls, 2SLGBTQQIA+ groups, organizations, provinces, and territories. Furthermore, WAGE co-leads on the human safety and security theme under the Federal Pathway, with Public Safety Canada. Budget 2021 provided WAGE with $55 million over five years, starting in 2021–22, to bolster the capacity of Indigenous women’s and 2SLGBTQQIA+ organizations to provide gender-based violence prevention programs aimed at addressing the root causes of violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. A call for proposals was open from January to March 2022; the implementation of successful projects began in fall 2022.

WAGE also supported the extensive efforts already made across the country to prevent and address GBV at post-secondary institutions (PSIs). To advance these efforts, in 2021–22, the Department provided $2 million over two years (2021 to 2023) to Possibility Seeds Consulting. This commitment builds on the promising practices, tools, protocols, and programs articulated in the WAGE-funded Courage to Act report. This project will create evidence-based tools; engage the Courage to Act network through skill-sharing meetings; expand its knowledge centre; and pilot, evaluate, and refine tools, policies, and procedures.

Priority #2: strategic action and engagement to address systemic barriers to gender equality

Over the 2021–22 fiscal year, WAGE advanced gender equality in Canada and abroad and provided guidance and strategies to address systemic barriers in the space.

WAGE collaborated with national Indigenous leaders and representatives, including the Indigenous Women’s Circle (IWC), which is chaired by WAGE’s Deputy Minister. In 2021–22, the IWC participated in several meetings with WAGE to engage on Indigenous-led approaches as well as other key priorities. These key priorities included missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, program funding, federal support measures delivered during COVID-19, and the effects of the pandemic on Indigenous communities. This collaboration helped shape the $55 million investment to bolster the capacity of organizations to address GBV, as mentioned under Priority 1.

WAGE spent $2 million, over the course of this fiscal year to support research that led to more than 40 publications, and the Department also commissioned Statistics Canada to complete several reports, including research on the experiences of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit women in the workplace; the gender differences in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) enrolment and graduation; educational and workplace experiences of young women with disabilities; the experiences of women in paid care occupations; the gendered impacts of COVID-19 for young people in Canada; and the health and wellbeing of women in rural and remote communities.

In addition, WAGE supported Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) in the acceleration of the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES). The Department participated in interdepartmental meetings to create the WES, consulted on the WES workplan and contributed to information-sharing in preparation for WES Assistant Deputy Minister Steering Committee meetings. Additionally, as part of a larger Government of Canada priority to foster diversity and inclusion in the public service, WAGE participated in meetings with the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS), Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), and other government departments to support the review of the Employment Equity Act (EAA). WAGE provided key stakeholder guidance and advice on the process for the review of the EAA.  After the final report is released in fall 2022, WAGE will continue to provide support to develop the next steps for action.

In 2021–22, WAGE provided guidance in the process of determining the membership of the National Advisory Council on Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC). The Council seeks to provide third-party expert advice to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) in support of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development as well as colleagues working on issues facing the ELCC sector in Canada, including the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth. WAGE also funded a contract to hear stakeholder perspectives on building a Canada-wide early learning and child care system that prioritizes high-quality, affordability, access, and inclusion. The result was the report: From Investment to Action: Building a Canada-wide Child Care System.

On the international stage, the Canadian delegation to the 66th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW66) was led by the Honourable Minister Marci Ien. The session took place virtually and at the UN’s headquarters in New York between March 14 and 25, 2022. This year’s theme was “Achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes”. The Minister emphasized how Canada's investment in a workforce that is agile, resilient, and equipped, particularly in the STEM sector, will help women and girls acquire the tools they need to play an active part in Canada’s transition to a net zero economy. WAGE hosted two side events at the meeting: the “Empowering Women and Girls to Advance Gender Equality and Climate Change Solutions” event with 89 participants and the “Gender-Based Violence and Climate Crisis: Forging Vital Connections” event, with 110 attendees.

Additionally, in 2021–22, WAGE worked with Global Affairs Canada (GAC) to advance gender equality abroad along with global feminist initiatives. In June 2021, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau participated in the opening ceremony of the Generation Equality Forum (GEF) and announced nearly $180 million to advance gender equality around the world. The forum brought together a wide range of stakeholders from around the world to identify solutions for barriers to gender equality and chart a feminist agenda towards achieving gender equality and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In addition, the forum highlighted how Canada’s key domestic actions stem from its plan for a feminist recovery to the COVID-19 pandemic, a plan which aims to create opportunities for women and girls. This includes promoting feminist movements, organizations, and voices; preventing and eliminating gender-based violence; supporting the care economy; and advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Priority #3: ensuring robust GBA Plus throughout federal government decision-making processes

In 2021–22, WAGE worked to enhance the framing and parameters of GBA Plus to reflect the lived experiences of all Canadians and to better guide intersectional analyses of race, Indigenous identity, disability, and sexual identity among other characteristics. In collaboration with the Canada School of Public Service, WAGE designed and delivered three events for public service employees for the 10th iteration of GBA Plus Awareness Week. Overall, the events attracted 2,893 participants.

WAGE continued to lead on the provision of GBA Plus training to federal public servants and to promote it as a basic competency for all federal officials. Approximately 47,876 participants completed the Introduction to GBA Plus course during the 2021–22 fiscal year. In addition, the Department worked with the Canada School of Public Service (CSPS) on the development of a new course: “Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus): Applying Tools and Best Practices”. This course provides the tools to apply and assess the quality of GBA Plus using a real-world case study. Participants learn how to conduct intersectional GBA Plus. During the 2021–2022 fiscal year, training was delivered to 260 participants. In June 2021, WAGE also released a new suite of tools to support GBA Plus, which included the Step-by-Step Guide, Compendium, and Quick Reference Guide. These tools allowed federal public servants to better understand how to apply GBA plus from an intersectional perspective and better integrate the consideration of various factors to support its implementation. Finally, WAGE also delivered targeted workshops and training to federal departments and functional communities, such as the Working Group on Diverse and Inclusive Digital Government.

Over the course of the fiscal year, WAGE continued to support federal departments and agencies to ensure that GBA Plus objectives to advance equality, diversity, and inclusion were embedded across initiatives and government priorities. For example, WAGE provided support to TBS to identify innovative practices that combine inclusion and open data to embed GBA Plus considerations as part of the Open Government National Action Plan. Since the Impact Assessment Act came into force in 2019, WAGE has met its legislative obligations by assessing the GBA Plus of 55 proposals during the Impact Assessment process, double the number of proposals from the previous year. Additionally, WAGE monitored and reported on the implementation and scope of GBA Plus in the federal government. The fourth GBA Plus Implementation Survey was completed by departments in April 2021. Results from the survey were shared with the Public Service Management Advisory Committee (PSMAC), the GBA Plus Interdepartmental Committee, and the GBA Plus Capacity Working Group. The results showed that some progress has been made in terms of capacity and training, and in the application of GBA Plus in key areas, such as Memoranda to Cabinet, Treasury Board submissions, regulations, and legislation.

Priority #4: supporting community action to advance gender equality

Over the 2021–22 fiscal year, WAGE sought to support systemic change to promote a fairer and more productive society for women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people by investing a total of $50.3 million on 900 community action projects. This includes $18.6 million to support 212 projects working to improve women’s and girls’ economic security and prosperity, $8.3 million to support 134 projects to encourage women and girls in leadership and decision-making roles, and $8.8 million to support 262 projects to end violence against women and girls. Funding provided to projects that were completed in 2021–22 allowed funding recipients to establish and nurture more than 1,000 partnerships and collaborations in order to bring about changes to institutional processes and cultures. They also developed and disseminated nearly 500 resources to create the conditions to advance gender equality in the public and private spheres. As a result, 283,856 people gained the skills and knowledge to create more equitable economic conditions for women; 350,556 women gained access to services and support related to gender-based violence, such as counselling, court services, and trauma-informed victims’ services; and 179,292 women gained access to services and supports that resulted in better opportunities for leadership positions. Finally, nearly 50% of projects resulted in changes to policies and institutions.

The Department also invested $14.6 million on 270 projects to continue to support the capacity and sustainability of women’s and equality-seeking organizations. For example, the Canadian Association for Girls in Science (CAGIS) received $685,804 for a 49-month project to address its organizational capacity needs to continue promoting social and systemic change towards gender equality. JusticeTrans received $518,827 for a 29-month project to strengthen its capacity to advance 2SLGBTQI+ equality. The project will increase access to evidence, data, information, and knowledge sources to assess community needs and strengthen collaboration among organizations by sharing resources. In 2021–22, WAGE also spent nearly $10 million to enhance capacity through the 2SLGBTQI+ Community Capacity Fund. Initiatives supported by the 2SLGBTQI+ Community Capacity Fund have already begun to strengthen 2SLGBTQI+ organizations through the establishment of formal national networks, legally constituting organizations, strengthening governance, and supporting the development of strategic plans. In February 2022, an additional $7.5 million was announced to extend the 2SLGBTQI+ Community Capacity Fund for another year for existing recipients and to further support the capacity of the 2SLGBTQI+ movement. Budget 2021 also announced $15 million over three years, for the new 2SLGBTQI+ Project Fund to support community-informed initiatives that address key issues facing 2SLGBTQI+ communities as well as 2SLGBTQI+ organizations across Canada.

Throughout the year, WAGE continued to promote community action through initiatives to commemorate gender equality and to encourage action and engagement in conversations to further gender equality. During Gender Equality Week 2021, from September 19 to 25, 2021 WAGE shared information on its website about the benefits of gender equality, highlighted actions that have been taken to advance gender equality and empower women and girls in Canada and around the world, and offered a learning toolkit for access to educational tools, activities and resources to celebrate Gender Equality Week. The theme for 2021 was “Advancing gender equality for all.” During Women’s History Month, in October 2021, WAGE led various events, including the panel Women Making History, which was this year’s theme. On International Day of the Girl,WAGE supported the virtual Girls Speak Out Townhall that facilitated an unscripted and authentic dialogue between policy makers and girl leaders involved in addressing the digital divide. Participants in the discussion included girl activists, United Nations agency representatives, including Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of Canada to the UN, Richard Arbeiter, and other leaders. In this candid girl-led conversation, girls shared how they are impacted by the digital divide and resources they need to be able to fully engage in an ever-increasingly digital-dependent world. On Persons Day, WAGE provided information on its website about the historic legal decision to include women in the legal definition of “persons”. In addition, to commemorate International Women's Day, a live virtual awards ceremony celebrating the 2019 recipients of the prestigious Governor General’s Awards in Commemoration of the Persons Case and a subsequent conversation with the recipients hosted by the Famous 5 Ottawa Speakers Series were held.

Results:

Gender-based analysis plus

Over the 2021–22 fiscal year, WAGE undertook several initiatives and revitalized a range of collaborative structures government-wide to advance the framing and parameters of GBA Plus. This work culminated in the development of new tools for applying intersectional GBA Plus, that better reflects the lived experiences of all Canadians and that better guide intersectional analyses of race, Indigenous identity, disability, and sexual identity, among other characteristics. These tools were shared with all WAGE staff and training was held within the Department to build the capacity of staff to apply these tools in the development and implementation of the Department’s policies, programs and other initiatives. As a result, WAGE’s programs were tailored and focused on those most in need.  For example, in July 2021, WAGE awarded funding to hundreds of projects through the $100 million Feminist Response and Recovery Fund to tackle barriers faced by underrepresented women, including Indigenous women, women with disabilities, 2SLGBTQI+ women, racialized women, and newcomer and immigrant women. Among funded projects, 35% are focused on advancing equality for women on low income; 35% for racialized women; 33% for Indigenous women; 28% for immigrant, newcomer and/or refugee women; 18% for young women; and 6% for women with disabilities.

To ensure WAGE’s initiatives were informed by GBA Plus grounded in disaggregated data and evidence, WAGE undertook and invested over $5 million in research and data collection related to gender equality. During the fiscal year, the Department updated reporting templates for organizations funded through WAGE programs, in order to allow for the collection of disaggregated data on the reach, impacts and uptake of WAGE funding. Using these data, the Department was able to tailor Calls for Proposals throughout the year to fill programming gaps for specific populations and in specific geographical areas.

United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals

In the 2021–22 fiscal year, WAGE collaborated with other federal departments and agencies to develop the federal plan in support of a coordinated implementation across the federal government. As the lead on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls, WAGE coordinated work to ensure key indicators were identified to monitor progress on an annual basis. WAGE uses this information to ensure that Canada’s efforts are making a difference and making progress to achieve the UN’s 2030 Agenda and SDGs, including by coordinating efforts and implementing policies and programs to advance SDG 5. For example, WAGE reviewed and contributed to the development of Canada’s Federal Implementation Plan for the 2030 Agenda which was published in September 2021. In addition, WAGE supported Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), the lead federal department, in developing Canada’s first 2030 Agenda Annual Report and ensuring that the 2030 Agenda’s cross-cutting principle of “leaving no one behind” is reflected in federal efforts to advance the SDGs. 

WAGE continues to support the government’s commitment to advancing on SDG 5 through its departmental programs and initiatives. In particular, WAGE’s efforts to advance the National Action Plan on Gender-Based Violence, support projects that address systemic barriers to gender equality and support the capacity and sustainability of women’s and equality-seeking organizations, strengthen the application of GBA Plus across the federal government, and promote community action through commemoration initiatives support key targets under SDG 5 and other gender targets across the SDGs.

Experimentation

In 2021–22, WAGE supported the Student Program, which has acted as a mechanism through which Human Resources can experiment with novel hiring practices on a micro level before expanding them more broadly throughout the Department. In addition to acting as a constructive vehicle for experimentation around hiring practices, the Student Program has also been at the forefront of experimentation around remote onboarding and development. For example, in 2021, the Student Program team implemented a new means of evaluating candidates: this included preliminary written assessment evaluations, followed by informal interviews. The previous recruitment process consisted of interviews only. As part of its innovation, WAGE engaged students by holding various “Ask Me Anything” networking sessions between senior executives at WAGE and the student cohort. This experimentation with remote networking opportunities provided some insight into how professional development activities could be organized for staff more broadly, whether in a remote or hybrid context.

Over the course of the fiscal year, WAGE took several actions and innovative approaches to diversity and inclusion when staffing positions. The Department implemented Inclusive Hiring Practices for a Diverse Workforce training as mandatory for all selection board members and committed to having diverse selection board members for processes. WAGE also expanded the area of selection for some processes to include people employed in the federal public service across Canada who self-identify as Indigenous, a person with a disability or a member of a visible minority group as stipulated under the Employment Equity Act. These practices have enabled WAGE to increase its employment equity complement of staff and to receive contributions through the individual differences of others from diverse cultural, regional, urban and rural, educational and ethnic backgrounds. To further demonstrate that the Department takes concrete actions towards diversity and inclusion seriously, WAGE promotes how the Department establishes selection board members through its hiring posters on jobs.gc.ca: “WAGE strives to establish bias-free selection and assessment practices that offer a level playing field for everyone, including candidates from employment equity or equity-seeking groups, such as Indigenous peoples, racialized groups, persons with disabilities, members of the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community, and women.” Since 2021, all WAGE’s posters are reviewed by the Diversity and Inclusion Committee to ensure the use of plain, anti-discriminatory, and gender-neutral language.

Key risks

WAGE’s mandate to advance gender equality for all Canadians with respect to sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity and expression is extremely broad and there is risk that if funding levels are not predictable and stable it will be challenging to achieve sustainable and long-term results.

Not only is gender equality a cross-cutting issue across several policy areas, but the lived experiences of Canadians also vary significantly due to a range of intersectional identity factors. Additionally, certain federal responsibilities that affect gender equality, such as health, public safety, law enforcement, education, and justice, are shared with the provinces and territories. Because of these factors, the Department relies on collaboration across federal departments, provincial/territorial governments, and private and civil society organizations to advance gender equality. There is a risk that WAGE will be unable to engage effectively with all relevant stakeholders and affected groups, nor will it be able to address all of these groups’ priority concerns. To mitigate this risk, WAGE engages with communities to better understand priority concerns and leverage expertise. In addition, the Department conducts regional environmental scans, and applies GBA Plus to all its initiatives. WAGE works closely with provincial and territorial governments through the Federal-Provincial-Territorial (FPT) Forum of Ministers Responsible for the Status of Women and with key partners such as the Indigenous Women’s Circle. WAGE also works closely with other federal departments on key initiatives to advance gender equality when WAGE does not have specific policy levers to apply to an issue.

2021–22 saw increased expectations for the Department and a period of rapid change, which posed risks for the Department’s capacity to deliver on its commitments. In addition to ongoing activities, there has been growing demand for expertise in gender equality across the federal government as the Government of Canada responded to unprecedented circumstances that threatened gender equality domestically and internationally. Additional resources provided to the Department have enabled WAGE to mitigate these risks. In addition, WAGE was able to mitigate these risks by devoting new resources to staffing and leveraging the full range of staffing options in the New Direction in Staffing to expedite the hiring process. Strengthening the Department’s organizational structure has also provided clarity in roles and responsibilities within the Department and has ensured that the Department has the appropriate leadership and structure to deliver on commitments.

Results achieved

The following table shows, for the core responsibility of Advancing Gender Equality, the results achieved, the performance indicators, the targets and the target dates for 2021–22, and the actual results for the three most recent fiscal years for which actual results are available.

Financial, human resources and performance information for Women and Gender Equality Canada’s Program Inventory is available in GC InfoBase.

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

The following table shows, for Advancing Gender Equality, budgetary spending for 2021–22, as well as actual spending for that year.

* The variance between 2021-22 planned spending and 2021-22 actual spending is a result of additional funding received in Budget 2021 for Advancing a National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence and Supporting Greater Equality for 2SLGBTQI+ Communities.

Financial, human resources and performance information for Women and Gender Equality Canada’s Program Inventory is available in GC InfoBase.

Human resources (full-time equivalents)

The following table shows, in full‑time equivalents, the human resources the department needed to fulfill this core responsibility for 2021–22.

Financial, human resources and performance information for Women and Gender Equality Canada’s Program Inventory is available in GC InfoBase.

Internal services

Description

Internal services are those groups of related activities and resources that the federal government considers to be services in support of programs and/or required to meet corporate obligations of an organization. Internal services refers to the activities and resources of the 10 distinct service categories that support program delivery in the organization, regardless of the internal services delivery model in a department. The 10 service categories are:

• acquisition management services
• communication services
• financial management services
• human resources management services
• information management services
• information technology services
• legal services
• material management services
• management and oversight services
• real property management services

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

The following table shows, for internal services, budgetary spending for 2021–22, as well as spending for that year.

Human resources (full-time equivalents)

The following table shows, in full‑time equivalents, the human resources the department needed to carry out its internal services for 2021–22.

In 2021–22, WAGE continued to strengthen its digital capacity, strengthen its cybersecurity, and ensure staff possess the necessary equipment for operational efficiency and Department-wide productivity. The Department continued to migrate services to cloud platforms and cloud-based tools, adopted an innovative and secure approach to upgrading the corporate document management system and updating the information architecture, and improved its physical and cyber security posture through various activities. Additionally, the Department optimized its workforce capacity and provided a robust organizational structure to deliver on priorities by improving internal processes and functions. In 2021–22, WAGE integrated a more lean and flexible structure aligned with the Clerk's Beyond 2020 report. To that effect, WAGE completed more than 500 classification actions and developed and implemented various policies, strategies and directives creating agility and flexibility within the Department while upholding the spirit and integrity of sound human resources management.

In an effort to be more innovative in its hiring processes and to expand on the government’s priority to hire a more diversified workforce, WAGE launched various successful hiring initiatives. These included the Employment Opportunity for Students with Disabilities (EOSD), the Indigenous Student Employment Opportunity (ISEO), and the Federal Internship Program for Canadians with Disabilities. WAGE also leveraged the expertise of its Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Committee and developed a departmental Diversity and Inclusion Strategy for increasing diversity and creating an inclusive workplace. The Department’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategic Plan reflects WAGE’s commitment towards equity, diversity and inclusion, and it builds upon the vast body of equity-related work already undertaken by the Department and the Government of Canada. WAGE implemented training opportunities to combat racism, oppression, intolerance, and other forms of discrimination; this includes Anti-Oppression, Anti-Racism, and Unconscious Bias training. The D&I Committee also reviewed all posters for staffing processes and are engaged in assessing WAGE’s staffing processes from an Equity, Diversity and Inclusive perspective. The Department also initiated the project of constructing two gender inclusive washroom facilities in the Department’s national office.

WAGE continued to implement commitments to a safe and healthy workplace by supporting the implementation of Bill C-65: An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (harassment and violence), the Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Act and the Budget Implementation Act, 2017, No. 1. All WAGE employees completed mandatory training within a specified timeline and are monitored for compliance. In addition, the Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention Policy was shared with all employees, a communication campaign is ongoing to increase awareness, and a decision tree regarding roles, responsibilities and reporting incidents will soon be established.

In the context of COVID-19, WAGE continued to offer workplace health and wellness approaches that encouraged a work-life balance. Flexible work arrangements and training sessions were provided to support WAGE personnel’s health and well-being. WAGE also created a dedicated space for employees to access all mental health information, introduced a monthly newsletter, held townhalls, and provided regular updates. In 2021–22, support for employee health and well-being in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic included the safe re-entry of WAGE employees to the worksite. WAGE kept up to date with the latest guidelines from the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer (OCHRO), adjusted communications packages and building signage, provided hand sanitizer stations at entry points, and continued to ensure scheduled cleaning and sanitization at regular intervals.

Spending and human resources

Spending

Spending 2019–20 to 2024–25

The following graph presents planned (voted and statutory spending) over time.

The increase between 2021–22 and 2022–23 is a result of additional funding received in Budget 2021 for Advancing a National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence and Supporting Greater Equality for 2SLGBTQI+ Communities. The decrease in 2023–24 is related to the sunsetting of funding received through Budget 2021 in support of Canada’s COVID-19 pandemic response received. The additional decrease in 2024–25 is related to the sunsetting of funding received through Budget 2019 for Advancing Gender Equality.

Budgetary performance summary for core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)

The “Budgetary performance summary for core responsibilities and internal services” table presents the budgetary financial resources allocated for Women and Gender Equality Canada’s core responsibilities and for internal services.

The variance between the 2021–22 planned spending and the 2021–22 actual spending is a result of additional funding received in Budget 2021 for Advancing a National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence and Supporting Greater Equality for 2SLGBTQI+ Communities.

The increase in the 2021–22 actual spending compared to 2020–21 actual spending is attributable to funding received in Budget 2021 for Advancing a National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence and Supporting Greater Equality for 2SLGBTQI+ Communities offset by the sunsetting of the funding in support of Canada’s COVID-19 pandemic response.

Part of the variance between the 2021–22 total authorities available for use and the 2021–22 actual spending will be available for use by WAGE in the 2022–23 fiscal year through the operational budget carry-forward process.

Human resources

The “Human resources summary for core responsibilities and internal services” table presents the full-time equivalents (FTEs) allocated to each of Women and Gender Equality Canada’s core responsibilities and to internal services.

Human resources summary for core responsibilities and internal services

The increase between planned full-time equivalents and actual full-time equivalents for internal services in 2021–22 is mainly due to an increased demand on internal services such as human resources management, information technology, and management and oversight.

Please note that the section on gross and net spending was deleted, as WAGE does not have any revenues, therefore, gross and net spending are the same.

Expenditures by vote

For information on Women and Gender Equality Canada’s organizational voted and statutory expenditures, consult the Public Accounts of Canada 2021.

Government of Canada spending and activities

Information on the alignment of Women and Gender Equality Canada’s spending with Government of Canada’s spending and activities is available in GC InfoBase.

Financial statements and financial statements highlights

Financial statements

Women and Gender Equality Canada’s financial statements (unaudited) for the year ended March 31, 2022, are available on the departmental website: Departmental Financial Statements: Women and Gender Equality Canada.

Financial statement highlights

Condensed Statement of Operations (unaudited) for the year ended March 31, 2022 (dollars)

All numbers provided in the table above are on an accrual basis. The differences are mainly due to additional funding received in Budget 2021 for Advancing a National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence and Supporting Greater Equality for 2SLGBTQI+ Communities.

Condensed Statement of Financial Position (unaudited) as of March 31, 2022 (dollars)

The 2021–22 planned results information is provided in Women and Gender Equality Canada’s Future-Oriented Statement of Operations and Notes 2021–22.

The difference for total net liabilities is mainly the result of a net decrease in accounts payable resulting from timing differences in the settlement of the payables.

The difference for total net financial assets is mainly the result of a reduction in accounts receivables

Corporate information

Organizational profile

Appropriate minister[s]: The Honourable Marci Ien

Institutional head: Frances McRae

Ministerial portfolio: Department for Women and Gender Equality

Enabling instrument[s]: Department for Women and Gender Equality Act

Year of incorporation / commencement: 2018

Raison d’être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do

“Raison d’être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do” is available on Women and Gender Equality Canada’s website.

For more information on the department’s organizational mandate letter commitments, see the Minister’s mandate letter.

Operating context

Information on the operating context is available on Women and Gender Equality Canada’s website.

Reporting framework

Women and Gender Equality Canada’s Departmental Results Framework and Program Inventory of record for 2021–22 are shown below.

Supporting information on the program inventory

Financial, human resources and performance information for Women and Gender Equality Canada Program Inventory is available in GC InfoBase.

Supplementary information tables

The following supplementary information tables are available on Women and Gender Equality Canada’s website:

• Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy/Reporting on Green Procurement
• Integrating sustainable development
• Details on transfer payment programs
• Gender-based analysis plus
• Response to parliamentary committees and external audits
• Horizontal initiatives
• United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals

Federal tax expenditures

The tax system can be used to achieve public policy objectives through the application of special measures such as low tax rates, exemptions, deductions, deferrals and credits. The Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for these measures each year in the Report on Federal Tax Expenditures. This report also provides detailed background information on tax expenditures, including descriptions, objectives, historical information and references to related federal spending programs as well as evaluations and GBA Plus of tax expenditures.

Organizational contact information

Mailing address: P.O. Box 8907, Station T CSC, Ottawa, ON K1G3H6

Telephone: Toll Free:1-855-969-9922 and Local: 613-995-7835

TTY: 819-420-6905

Fax: 819-420-6906

General Inquiries: communications@cfc-swc.gc.ca

Media inquiries: media@cfc-swc.gc.ca

Webmaster: webcoord@cfc-swc.gc.ca  

Women's Program: wpppf@cfc-swc.gc.ca

WAGE Contact Page

Website: Women and Gender Equality Canada

For financial information, contact:

Stéphane Lavigne Chief Financial Officer and Director General
Corporate Services Branch
Telephone:  613-797-9055
Email: Stephane.Lavigne@fegc-wage.gc.ca

For other information, contact:

Lisa Smylie 

Director General, Research, Results and Delivery Branch and Centre of Expertise
Telephone: 613-762-5917
Email: Lisa.Smylie@fegc-wage.gc.ca  

Appendix: definitions

appropriation (crédit)

Any authority of Parliament to pay money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

budgetary expenditures (dépenses budgétaires)

Operating and capital expenditures; transfer payments to other levels of government, organizations or individuals; and payments to Crown corporations.

core responsibility (responsabilité essentielle)

An enduring function or role performed by a department. The intentions of the department with respect to a core responsibility are reflected in one or more related departmental results that the department seeks to contribute to or influence.

Departmental Plan (plan ministériel)

A report on the plans and expected performance of an appropriated department over a 3‑year period. Departmental Plans are usually tabled in Parliament each spring.

departmental priority (priorité)

A plan or project that a department has chosen to focus and report on during the planning period. Priorities represent the things that are most important or what must be done first to support the achievement of the desired departmental results.

departmental result (résultat ministériel)

A consequence or outcome that a department seeks to achieve. A departmental result is often outside departments’ immediate control, but it should be influenced by program-level outcomes.

departmental result indicator (indicateur de résultat ministériel)

A quantitative measure of progress on a departmental result.

departmental results framework (cadre ministériel des résultats)

A framework that connects the department’s core responsibilities to its departmental results and departmental result indicators.

Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)

A report on a department’s actual accomplishments against the plans, priorities and expected results set out in the corresponding Departmental Plan.

experimentation (expérimentation)

The conducting of activities that seek to first explore, then test and compare the effects and impacts of policies and interventions in order to inform evidence-based decision-making, and improve outcomes for Canadians, by learning what works, for whom and in what circumstances. Experimentation is related to, but distinct from innovation (the trying of new things), because it involves a rigorous comparison of results. For example, using a new website to communicate with Canadians can be an innovation; systematically testing the new website against existing outreach tools or an old website to see which one leads to more engagement, is experimentation.

full‑time equivalent (équivalent temps plein)

A measure of the extent to which an employee represents a full person‑year charge against a departmental budget. For a particular position, the full‑time equivalent figure is the ratio of number of hours the person actually works divided by the standard number of hours set out in the person’s collective agreement.

gender-based analysis plus (GBA Plus) (analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS Plus])

An analytical tool used to support the development of responsive and inclusive policies, programs and other initiatives; and understand how factors such as sex, race, national and ethnic origin, Indigenous origin or identity, age, sexual orientation, socio-economic conditions, geography, culture and disability, impact experiences and outcomes, and can affect access to and experience of government programs.

government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)

For the purpose of the 2021–22 Departmental Results Report, government-wide priorities refers to those high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda in the 2020 Speech from the Throne, namely: Protecting Canadians from COVID-19; Helping Canadians through the pandemic; Building back better – a resiliency agenda for the middle class; The Canada we’re fighting for. 

horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)

An initiative where two or more federal organizations are given funding to pursue a shared outcome, often linked to a government priority.

non‑budgetary expenditures (dépenses non budgétaires)

Net outlays and receipts related to loans, investments and advances, which change the composition of the financial assets of the Government of Canada.

performance (rendement)

What an organization did with its resources to achieve its results, how well those results compare to what the organization intended to achieve, and how well lessons learned have been identified.

performance indicator (indicateur de rendement)

A qualitative or quantitative means of measuring an output or outcome, with the intention of gauging the performance of an organization, program, policy or initiative respecting expected results.

performance reporting (production de rapports sur le rendement)

The process of communicating evidence‑based performance information. Performance reporting supports decision making, accountability and transparency.

plan (plan)

The articulation of strategic choices, which provides information on how an organization intends to achieve its priorities and associated results. Generally, a plan will explain the logic behind the strategies chosen and tend to focus on actions that lead to the expected result.

planned spending (dépenses prévues)

For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts presented in Main Estimates.

A department is expected to be aware of the authorities that it has sought and received. The determination of planned spending is a departmental responsibility, and departments must be able to defend the expenditure and accrual numbers presented in their Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports.

program (programme)

Individual or groups of services, activities or combinations thereof that are managed together within the department and focus on a specific set of outputs, outcomes or service levels.

program inventory (répertoire des programmes)

Identifies all the department’s programs and describes how resources are organized to contribute to the department’s core responsibilities and results.

result (résultat)

A consequence attributed, in part, to an organization, policy, program or initiative. Results are not within the control of a single organization, policy, program or initiative; instead they are within the area of the organization’s influence.

statutory expenditures (dépenses législatives)

Expenditures that Parliament has approved through legislation other than appropriation acts. The legislation sets out the purpose of the expenditures and the terms and conditions under which they may be made.

target (cible)

A measurable performance or success level that an organization, program or initiative plans to achieve within a specified time period. Targets can be either quantitative or qualitative.

voted expenditures (dépenses votées)

Expenditures that Parliament approves annually through an appropriation act. The vote wording becomes the governing conditions under which these expenditures may be made.