2022–23 Departmental Results Report: Women and Gender Equality Canada

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

From the Minister

Minister Marci Ien

As Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, I’m happy to share the 2022-23 Departmental Results Report for Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE). This report shows the concrete actions we have taken to advance equality and inclusion in Canada in the 2022-23 fiscal year.

Since its inception five years ago, WAGE has taken meaningful action to create a future where every woman, girl, 2SLGBTQI+, and gender diverse person is safe, financially secure, and can participate fully in every aspect of life in Canada. As a department, and a centre of expertise in the federal government, WAGE has ensured that initiatives across the government consider diversity and inclusion as an integral part of the decision-making process, while also factoring in intersectional analysis that considers race, indigeneity, rurality, disability, and sexual identity.

The department also plays a key role in supporting the women’s sector and equity-seeking organizations. We achieve this through sustaining historic levels of funding to improve women’s economic security and leadership, supporting 2SLGBTQI+ communities, tackling gender-based violence (GBV), and supporting vulnerable populations.

We implemented long-term solutions to prevent and address GBV, one of the most pervasive, deadly, and deeply rooted human rights violations of our time. In November 2022, federal, provincial, and territorial ministers responsible for the status of women endorsed the National Action Plan to End GBV, a 10-year plan that sets a framework for a Canada free of gender-based violence.

WAGE also implemented the second phase of the GBV Youth Awareness Campaign, launching a website in September 2022 that provides youth – who are at a higher risk of experiencing GBV – with vital information and resources.

Addressing the substantial and persistent inequities faced by 2SLGBTQI+ people and communities in Canada remained a priority for WAGE. In August 2022, the Government of Canada launched the Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan to advance rights and equality for 2SLGBTQI+ communities. The Plan included up to $75 million in direct funding for grassroots community organizations.

WAGE also continued to move forward on a number of Indigenous initiatives in collaboration with national Indigenous leaders and representatives, including the Indigenous Women’s Circle. The department remains focused on meeting the recommendations in the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) report, and funding Indigenous women’s organizations that are working to end GBV.

In March 2023, I proudly led the Canadian delegation to the 67th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women – an opportunity for decision-makers at all levels to reiterate their commitment to protecting, supporting, and uplifting women and girls around the world. This year’s conversations – focused on innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls – were powerful, pressing, and inspiring.

In 2022-23, we developed a new Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) Action Plan, to enhance the whole-of-government approach to advancing equality through all government actions. We are also continuing to lead the evaluation process of GBA Plus, with particular attention on intersectional analysis to better capture the lived experiences of all Canadians. We continue this work in collaboration with Finance Canada and Treasury Board Secretariat.

I am incredibly proud of the work that WAGE has done to build a more equitable Canada. It is in all of our best interests to build a Canada where no one is left behind, and I look forward to working with our partners to build on these accomplishments.

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

Results at a glance

The Government of Canada is investing in and taking action to address persistent gender inequalities that affect all people in Canada. To make progress towards a country where people of all genders are equal in every way and can achieve their full potential, in 2022-23, WAGE took action to advance more equitable social, political, and economic outcomes for women, girls, and people of all genders in Canada.

WAGE works with key stakeholders, including the Privy Council Office, Treasury Board Secretariat and the Canada School of Public Service, among others to support WAGE as a leader in gender equality and to continue to advance on its four priority areas:

Preventing and addressing gender-based violence

The Department's interventions are working toward the stated goal of reducing the prevalence of GBV in Canada and strengthened the sector, to improve the support and services for people impacted by GBV.

In 2022-23, WAGE:

  • continued to work closely with provinces and territories to launch and deliver on the 10-year National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence in Canada, while continuing to lead the federal Strategy to Prevent and Address GBV.
  • continued to deliver programming to strengthen organizations working to address GBV, including human trafficking.
  • funded and undertook research to fill knowledge gaps and to advance evidence-based responses to GBV.
  • promoted action and awareness of GBV through commemoration events such as the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence.
  • implemented the second phase of the GBV Youth Awareness Campaign, to support cultural and generational change in attitudes and assumptions.
  • supported the implementation of 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.

Strategic action and engagement to address systemic barriers to gender equality

Strategic action and engagement, at home and abroad, will address systemic barriers to gender equality and inclusion, including social, political and economic equality.

In 2022–23, WAGE:

  • collaborated with federal partners to launch and begin implementing Canada’s first Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan.
  • continued to advance equality through building relationships, led by the 2SLGBTQI+ Secretariat.
  • collaborated with international partners to advance gender equality abroad.
  • collaborated on shared challenges and opportunities with provincial/territorial governments, Ministers responsible for the Status of Women, National Indigenous Leaders and Representatives, the women’s movement, private sector, advocates and equality seeking organizations.
  • supported other federal government departments in advancing gender equality, including economic recovery, leadership and democratic participation, poverty reduction, health and well-being.
  • continued to address knowledge gaps and share research and information to inform policy, program and service development across the federal government, with increased use of available disaggregated data.

Ensuring GBA Plus throughout federal government decision-making processes

WAGE continued to strengthen its role in providing leadership and support on the application of GBA Plus in decision-making.

In 2022-23, WAGE:

  • developed a new GBA Plus Action Plan to enhance the whole-of-government approach to advancing equality through all government actions, including improved governance, accountability and capacity for quality analysis.
  • continued to lead the evaluation process of GBA Plus to enhance the framing and parameters of this analytical tool, with particular attention to intersectional analysis to better capture the lived experiences of all Canadians.
  • supported federal departments and agencies in accessing the tools and skills to ensure equality, diversity and inclusion are considered in policy-making, program design, legislation, regulations, and impact assessments.
  • collaborated with Finance Canada and Treasury Board Secretariat to improve the quality and scope of GBA Plus in budgeting.
  • continued to monitor and report on the implementation and scope of GBA Plus in the federal government.

Supporting community action to advance gender equality

The Department sought to support change through social and community actions that promotes a fairer and more inclusive society for all people, in all their diversity, living in Canada.

In 2022-23, WAGE:

  • continued to exhibit sustained community leadership by bringing program partners to the table for community-based initiatives aimed at enhancing gender equality.
  • implemented the new 2SLGBTQI+ Projects Fund, announced in Budget 2021, supporting community initiatives to address the unique needs of, and persistent disparities facing, 2SLGBTQI+ communities.
  • extended support for 2SLGBTQI+ Community Capacity Fund projects and launched a new call for proposals for the 2SLGBTQI+ Community Capacity Fund.
  • continued to support sector-led projects addressing systemic barriers to the progress and advancement of women, including through the Feminist Response and Recovery Fund.
  • collaborated with federal partners to begin developing a national pilot for a Menstrual Equity Fund.
  • provided funding to Indigenous organizations to support Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ individuals and increase their leadership and democratic participation.
  • launched a call for proposals to make investments that will bolster the capacity of Indigenous Women’s and 2SLGBTQI+ organizations to provide Gender-Based Violence prevention programming to address the root causes of violence.
  • promoted community action and raise awareness through federal leadership on commemoration initiatives such as International Women’s Day, Gender Equality Week, Women’s History Month, International Day of the Girl, and Persons Day.

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

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; and undertakes research and data collection and analyses related to these policies and programs; and raises public awareness through outreach. The department provides advice to 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 to community initiatives. The department serves as a central point for sharing expertise across Canada and with international partners and uses this knowledge to inform and support Canada's gender equality priorities.

Results

In 2022-23, WAGE continued to provide leadership to advance gender equality through targeted initiatives that address inequalities; outreach and engagement to all Canadians and enhancement of the government’s approach to Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus).

Historical milestones for 2022-23 include:

Further details on how WAGE advanced gender equality in 2022-23 in its four priority areas are provided below.

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

Over the 2022–23 fiscal year, WAGE 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:

In 2022-23, WAGE began working with Statistics Canada on the Femicide Information System, a three-year project (2022-2025) that will help broaden the understanding of police-reported incidents of gender-based violence. Between August and October 2022, WAGE and Statistics Canada:

These research products provided important knowledge and intersectional data for numerous priority areas including the participation rates of immigrant women among board directors and officers, Black business owners, labour force characteristics of women by the relative remoteness of their communities, and experiences of bullying among same gender attracted youth.

In 2022-23, WAGE continued to promote action against GBV through events, including the 16 Days of Activism Against GBV: a robust campaign that sought to raise awareness of GBV through in-person and virtual events, social and traditional media, and the web to disseminate information. Engagement on the WAGE social media channels reached thousands across LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook English and French accounts through viewing and sharing of posts.

Additionally, WAGE implemented the second phase of the GBV Youth Awareness Campaign and launched the website in September, providing youth with information and resources about GBV. Organizations completed focus group consultations with youth in the Fall to garner advice on how best to implement future phases of the campaign and what aspects most resonated with them. The hashtags #ItsNotJust and #CeNestPasJuste resulted in 11.7M impressions.

Through the course of 2022-23, WAGE continued to ensure research findings and GBV knowledge and resources were shared across a broad audience through its Knowledge Centre (KC). The KC continued to publish resources and host events with the objective of helping and informing various audiences on GBV issues. In 2022-23, WAGE published resources on its platform and hosted events through its KC, such as the Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in Canada: Participatory Research Towards Collective Healing and Attitudes Regarding Gender Equality and Gender-Based Violence in Canada. WAGE ensured that the GBV Knowledge Centre’s online platform continued to share content with research that is accurate, updated, and revised on an ongoing basis.

In July 2022, in partnership with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, WAGE launched the GBV Research Initiative. The goal of this initiative was to support academic researchers, in collaboration with other research-focused and community-based organizations, to advance knowledge on, and analyze the causes and persistence of GBV in Canada. Projects will cover one of the following themes: shelters and housing; violence against 2SLGBTQI+ people; natural resources, work camps, and sexual violence; and access to justice and prevention of GBV.

WAGE also advanced efforts to prevent and address GBV at post-secondary institutions (PSIs) through project funding for partners, based on the Prevention Pillar of the National Action Plan to End GBV. This work focuses on primary prevention approaches to address the root causes and prevent GBV in private and public spaces. Implementation efforts considered the Courage to Act report, which identifies promising practices, recommendations, critical gaps, and key next steps necessary to fully develop the framework.

In 2022-23, WAGE invested nearly $14 million in 42 projects through the Human Trafficking Strategy, to support organizations in developing and implementing promising prevention or intervention practices that will advance knowledge and enhance empowerment supports for at-risk populations and survivors of human trafficking. Examples of projects supported include the development and implementation of promising practices that focus on trauma-informed prevention training, peer support intervention models, and education programs.

Supporting Truth and Reconciliation

In 2022-23, WAGE provided leadership to advance gender equality by tackling barriers faced by Indigenous women and other marginalized or underrepresented women.

WAGE 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 2022-23.

WAGE was a co-lead on the human safety and security theme under the Federal Pathway to Address Violence Against Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People (Federal Pathway), along with Public Safety Canada. A call for proposals was opened from January to March 2022 aimed at addressing the root causes of violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people resulting in 76 projects being funded. WAGE has also developed agreements in all provinces and territories, and First Nations, Métis, and Inuit organizations will receive funding through this initiative.

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

Despite progress made in 2022-2023, systemic gender inequalities and disparities continue to exist in Canada and globally. WAGE recognizes there is more to be done to address systemic barriers and will continue to work with others to address systemic barriers to achieve a more equal and inclusive Canada.

In 2022-23, WAGE strengthened the department’s role as a centre of expertise for advancing gender equality across several strategic priorities by:

Advancing 2SLGBTQI+ Equality

In 2022-23, WAGE continued to integrate 2SLGBTQI+ perspectives and launched the first federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan on August 28, 2022. This Action Plan addresses persisting disparities faced by 2SLGBTQI+ communities and to build a safer, more inclusive Canada. The 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan is supported by a Budget 2022 investment of $100 million over five years of which up to $75 million is for direct community supports. WAGE achieved the following key results in advancing its commitments under the Action Plan:

Through the course of 2022-23, WAGE’s 2SLGBTQI+ Secretariat monitored progress and reported on implementation efforts that reflected the requirements of Bill C-4, specifically by completing consultations to review the criminal law regarding HIV non-disclosure with Justice Canada.

The 2SLGBTQI+ Secretariat continued to work with communities and federal leads to ensure that various policy and program parameters are inclusive and do not create barriers to 2SLGBTQI+ communities. In addition, WAGE was called upon undertaking specific actions to invest efforts, deploy its resources to advance health and well-being safety and justice, housing and homelessness, employment, workplace inclusion, the global protection and promotion of 2SLGBTQI+ rights and other important issues for these communities. The 2SLGBTQI+ Secretariat conducted extensive engagement with government, stakeholders and communities to share information and raise awareness of the 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan.

Over the 2022-23 fiscal year, WAGE launched public opinion research as part of building awareness to enhance inclusion and break down stigma and discrimination against 2SLGBTQI+ communities. WAGE completed four Canada Pride Citation Ceremonies for federal public servants who were subjected to systemic discrimination by the federal government in what has come to be known as the “LGBT Purge.”

Collaboration at Home and Abroad

The Government of Canada embraced its international role and responsibility as a world leader in promoting and advancing gender equality, and the full realization of women's human rights.

In 2022-23, WAGE continued to engage with domestic and international partners to advance gender equality and champion the rights and empowerment of women and girls globally. In particular, WAGE supported Canada's participation in the 67th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW 67), which focused on achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age. In September 2022, Canada submitted the Tenth Report to the UN Committee on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). WAGE also completed a progress survey on the development and implementation of an accountability framework for gender equality discussed at the Generation Equality Forum that will serve as the foundation for UN Women’s annual reporting against commitments at the UN General Assembly.

Additionally, Minister Ien led the Canadian delegation at the G7 Gender Equality Ministers Meeting held in Berlin in October 2022. The 2022 G7 Dashboard on Gender Gaps was released by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the Gender Equality Advisory Council (GEAC) was reconvened resulting in a published report on key recommendations, which countries use to inform policy.

Research and Knowledge Mobilization

New research in 2022-23 aimed at supporting evidence-based, gender-responsive and inclusive policies advanced knowledge in the areas of: barriers for women entering the skilled trades sector in Canada; impacts of public investments in the care economy on women’s economic and health outcomes; best practices for increasing representation and participation of Black and Indigenous women in leadership positions; lone-parent households; and pathways for women, youth, and 2SLGBTQI+ individuals out of homelessness. 

Research publications are amplified in media and distributed widely to ensure strong mobilization of, and access to, quality research across governments, organizations, and the public. Research studies commissioned by WAGE are used to articulate the state of gender equality in Canada in numerous priority areas, and to aide in the development of policy interventions.

Supporting Other Government Departments

WAGE also engaged with other government departments in addressing gaps and improving coordination of federal action to advance gender equality as it relates to economic participation and prosperity, including economic recovery, leadership and democratic participation, and poverty reduction, health and wellbeing.

Over the 2022-23 fiscal year, WAGE collaborated with other government departments to:

A key component of growing a more resilient economy is supporting women’s participation in the workforce and offering each child in Canada the best start in life. This is why the Government is making significant investments in Early Learning and Child Care and Indigenous Early Learning and Childcare. To support the government’s investments, WAGE co-led two official-level federal governance committees, in 2022-23, to support this work, helping identify data to fill information gaps and assisting with Canada-wide program implementation.

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

The Department continues to undertake efforts to strengthen the rigour and intersectionality of GBA Plus across government.

During 2022-23, WAGE:

WAGE continued to lead the evaluation process of GBA Plus with the goal of enhancing the framing and parameters of this analytical tool, with particular attention to the intersectional analysis of race, indigeneity, rurality, disability and sexual identity, among other characteristics, to better capture the lived experiences of all Canadians.

WAGE worked to ensure the integration of GBA Plus considerations as a mandatory part of key government decision-making processes. In 2022–23, 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. WAGE engaged with stakeholders and partners to ensure perspectives and lived experiences from diverse groups continue to inform the process. Within the government, WAGE worked with Finance Canada and TBS to improve the quality, scope, and implementation of GBA Plus in all the phases of the budgeting cycle as per the Canadian Gender Budgeting Act.

WAGE continued to build on the Gender Results Framework and gender budgeting which focus on impacts of government decisions on individuals of different incomes, ages, genders, ethnicities, and other characteristics. Since the Impact Assessment Act came into force in 2019, WAGE has met its legislative obligations by assessing the GBA Plus during the Impact Assessment process. Every year, the number of proposals has been increasing. For example, WAGE reviewed 63 proposals for this fiscal year.

Finally, over the course of the 2022-23 fiscal year, WAGE worked towards enhancing governance and coordination mechanisms with a view to improving coherence and accountability of tools and approaches related to GBA Plus and to the design and implementation of other equality-related lenses. Various governance structures were supported, and existing infrastructure has been leveraged to support departments and agencies and ensure they remain accountable for their GBA Plus obligations. This includes a GBA Plus Champions Network and an Interdepartmental Committee of GBA Plus Focal Points. WAGE is also a co-chair of the Federal-Provincial-Territorial GBA Plus subgroup of the Strategic Planning Task Teams. Currently representatives responsible for the Status of Women in their jurisdictions convene on a number of thematic issues. One such multi-jurisdictional group is active GBA Plus implementation. To date, this working group has been a forum for information sharing and exchange of good practices.

Priority #4: Supporting Community Action to Advance Gender Equality

A key component in achieving gender equality in Canada is supporting communities and organizations to act on the ground and close to home. In 2022-23 WAGE actively developed and delivered programming to support projects that address systemic barriers to gender equality and build the organizational capacity of equality-seeking organizations, while taking into consideration the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Support for 2SLGBTQI+ Communities

In 2022–23, WAGE sought to support systemic change to promote a fairer and more productive society for women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people. WAGE launched a call for proposals for the 2SLGBTQI+ Capacity Fund to address the continued need for project delivery supports and announced an extension to funding 2SLGBTQI+ Capacity Fund projects for an additional year totaling over $35 million.

Women’s Program - Supporting recovery from the pandemic

WAGE continued to support partners delivering projects through the Feminist Response and Recovery Fund, under the Women’s Program that address or remove systemic barriers impeding the progress and advancement of women in three priority areas:

The Feminist Response and Recovery Fund supported 237 sector-led projects that addressed systemic barriers for marginalized or underrepresented women including Indigenous, racialized, newcomers, members of official language minority communities (OLMCs), seniors, young women and girls, women who are members of 2SLGBTQI+ communities, low-income, living with a disability and in a rural, remote or northern community.

In 2022-23, WAGE worked with federal partners and stakeholders to begin developing a Menstrual Equity Fund national pilot for women’s shelters, not-for-profits, charities, community-based organizations, and youth-led organizations to make menstrual products available to vulnerable peoples. Research on Menstrual Equity was carried out to gauge awareness and understanding of the initiative and stigma associated with menstruation among the general population to help inform program, policy and communications on this issue.

Supporting Indigenous Women

In 2022-23, engagement through discussion groups and a survey was undertaken with diverse not-for-profit organizations across Canada serving intersectional population groups (e.g., youth, Indigenous, racialized, etc.) as well as with organizations with expertise in menstrual equity, the private sector, provinces and territories, and other federal departments. Through this, WAGE leveraged the knowledge and expertise of stakeholders working to advance menstrual equity, both in Canada and abroad, to develop the design of the pilot. Projects are still active and continue to work to address systemic barriers impeding the progress of Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ individuals.

Raising Awareness

For Gender Equality Week, over 100 communications deliverables were produced and over 190 communications deliverables for Women’s History Month, including three ministerial statements. This was the first full reporting year that WAGE supported all 2SLGBTQI+ commemorative events. Several ministerial statements were issued to mark significant 2SLGBTQI+ commemorative dates and raised awareness about certain issues or historical events, including for International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia & Biphobia; International Transgender Day of Visibility.

To launch Pride Season 2022, WAGE organized the June 1 Pride Flag raising event which included stakeholders, and members of all political parties on Parliament Hill.  At the end of the Season, WAGE Communications organized a walking float featuring WAGE staff at the Ottawa Capital Pride Parade. WAGE also provided support to other departments in promoting gender equality through their events and announcements. Messaging and activities were amplified within the federal government and externally to further promote community action.

Gender-Based Analysis Plus

WAGE continues to build capacity and awareness of GBA Plus; enhance capacity and expertise for GBA Plus across federal government; foster collaboration between a broad range of actors to capture new knowledge and share best practices; and act as a hub for GBA Plus knowledge and expertise. In 2022-23, WAGE continued working with federal partners to develop and disseminate training, resources, and other materials to support the implementation of GBA Plus in decision-making.

WAGE monitors and reports on GBA Plus implementation, including on its scope, scale, and quality across the federal government. WAGE encourages increased knowledge of available research, evidence, and data to support rigorous intersectional GBA Plus by all federal departments and agencies so that gender equality and fairness and inclusion are incorporated in all government initiatives WAGE assesses the state of GBA Plus implementation through an annual survey of federal departments and agencies and through a range of processes with GBA Plus networks of leaders and practitioners. Since its launch in 2016, four GBA Plus Implementation Surveys have been conducted. 

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

In 2022-23, WAGE continued to work with other responsible federal departments and agencies to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) through several key activities. WAGE’s activities directly support the government’s commitment to advance SDG 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls, supports progress towards gender targets under other SDGs, and helps ensure that the 2030 Agenda’s cross-cutting principle of “leaving no one behind” is reflected in federal efforts to advance the SDGs.

As part of this work, WAGE led the development and implementation of the National Action Plan to End GBV, which launched in November 2022. The National Action Plan to End GBV is the first federal-provincial-territorial framework to address all forms of GBV in Canada. WAGE also continued to oversee the coordination, reporting and evaluation of the federal GBV Strategy. WAGE worked with Statistics Canada on the Femicide Information System; a three-year project that will help broaden the understanding of police-reported incidents of GBV.

WAGE’s longstanding Women’s Program funded projects in 2022-23 that worked to improve the economic security and prosperity of women and girls, encourage women and girls in leadership and decision-making roles and end violence against women and girls through systemic change. In addition, WAGE led research and engagement activities to inform the development of the Menstrual Equity Fund national pilot announced in Budget 2022. This involved engagement with other federal departments involved in advancing menstrual equity and with various not-for-profit organizations from different sectors and representing diverse population groups, including youth, Indigenous peoples, Black and other racialized communities, immigrants, people experiencing homelessness, people living with disabilities and gender diverse individuals.

Throughout the 2022-23 fiscal year, WAGE took the initiative in organizing various commemorative activities aimed at educating and raising awareness about a wide range of gender-related topics, including the empowerment and inclusion of women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ individuals in various social spheres such as leadership, and the economy. These initiatives were accompanied by a strong focus on addressing the pressing issue of GBV in Canada further exemplified in 2022-23, as part of reports released by the Mass Casualty Commission and the Renfrew County Coroner’s Inquest. Further, WAGE continued to fund women’s and equity-deserving organizations and supported gender equality abroad through its engagement at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women and the Generation Equality Forum. WAGE launched the 2SLGBTQI+ Projects Fund in 2022-23 to support community-informed projects that will address key issues facing 2SLGBTQI+ communities. The Projects Fund supported 39 projects to advance equality for 2SLGBTQI+ people.

Innovation

Equality Matters Newsletter

In 2022-23, WAGE launched the Equality Matters newsletter to inspire, engage, and inform WAGE stakeholders, using the power of storytelling, to encourage a more equal Canada. This newsletter also aims to raise awareness of WAGE’s mandate and improve WAGE brand and name recognition. With the aim of sharing the latest and greatest news from across the Department, the Equality Matters newsletter strives to be inclusive and reflective of the entire mandate.

Self-Declaration Form

In order to support the development of a diverse workforce, WAGE has developed new approaches to collect data through various recruitment-related initiatives, one of which was to promote self-declaration. The Department created an online self-declaration form that includes Indigenous peoples, racialized people, people with disabilities and 2SLGBTQI+ people, was added to the form to reflect changes to the Public Service Employment Act.

The self-declaration form enabled WAGE to extract data on representation. In addition, it was recently used to create a focus group in connection with changes to the Public Service Employment Act on adding an assessment of biases and prejudices in a staffing process. Since January 2023, the form has been completed 210 times.

Key Risks

WAGE’s mandate to advance gender with respect to sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression is broad and intersecting. Since first established in 2018, WAGE has grown significantly in size and responsibility with increasing expectations being placed on the department to meet the growing and changing needs of people across Canada. Recently, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic magnified systemic and long-standing inequalities with women and girls disproportionately affected by job losses, an increase in unpaid care responsibilities, and a spike in intimate partner violence and other forms of violence.

The impacts of this unprecedented health crisis necessitated increased departmental support to affected Canadians and demonstrated the fragility of gender equality advancements in Canada. There is a risk that WAGE may be unable to meet its longer-term mandate obligations. To address this risk, WAGE has increased resources and continues to adapt and optimize its internal processes and organizational structure to meet its evolving mandate.

Results achieved

The following table shows, for Advancing Gender Equality, the results achieved, the performance indicators, the targets and the target dates for 2022–23, and the actual results for the three most recent fiscal years for which actual results are available.

Advancing Gender Equality - Results Achieved
Departmental results Performance indicators Target Date to achieve target 2020–21
actual results
2021–22
actual results
2022–23
actual results

The Department’s interventions facilitate the advancement of gender equality

Percentage of projects funded by the Department that have an impact on reducing systemic barriers to gender equalityTable note 1

At least 85%

March 2022

49%

37%

48%

Percentage of stakeholders that applied knowledge or resources from the GBV Knowledge Centre

Greater than 75%

March 2022

75%

74%

90%

Number of partnerships or coalitions with governments, and international, Indigenous, civil society, private sector, women’s, and equality-seeking organizations

At least 1,200

March 2022

1,890

2,209

2,221

Number of federal government data and research gaps filled, as identified by the Interdepartmental Committee on Gender Equality

At least 25

March 2022

26

58

34

The federal government systematically considers gender equality

Percentage of federal organizations satisfied with the Department’s tools and resources to incorporate gender equality considerations into their work

Greater than 68 %

March 2022

69%

81%

81%

Number of major new federal initiatives (e.g., policies and programs) that include specific measures to advance gender equality

Greater than 58

March 2022

94

52

63

Financial, human resources and performance information for WAGE’s program inventory is available in GC InfoBase.

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

The following table shows, for Advancing Gender Equality, budgetary spending for 2022–23, as well as actual spending for that year.

Advancing Gender Equality - Budgetary financial dollars 2022–23
2022-2023
Main Estimates
2022-2023
Planned spending
2022-2023
Total authorities available for use
2022-2023
Actual spending (authorities used)
2022-2023
Difference (actual spending minus planned spending)

292,306,687

292,306,687

303,464,269

300,409,253

8,102,566

The variance between 2022-23 planned spending and 2022-23 actual spending is a result of additional funding received in Budget 2022 to implement the National Action Plan to End GBV and the first Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan.

Financial, human resources and performance information for WAGE’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 2022–23.

 

Human resources for Advancing Gender Equality for 2022–23
2022-23
Planned full-time equivalents
2022-23
Actual full-time equivalents
2022-23
Difference (actual full-time equivalents minus planned full‑time equivalents)

304

305

1

Financial, human resources and performance information for WAGE’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:

Contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses

WAGE is a Phase 1 department and as such must ensure that a minimum 5% of the total value of the contracts it awards to Indigenous businesses by the end of 2022-23. In its 2023–24 Departmental Plan, the department forecasted that, by the end of 2022–23, it would award 8% of the total value of its contracts to Indigenous businesses.

As shown in the following table, WAGE awarded 8.05% of the total value of its contracts to Indigenous businesses in 2022–23.

Contracts awarded Indigenous businesses
Contracting performance indicators 2022-23 Results

Total value of contractsTable note 2 awarded to Indigenous businessesTable note 3 (A)

$ 586,407.26

Total value of contracts awarded to Indigenous and non Indigenous businessesTable note 4 (B)

$ 7,288,643.66

Value of exceptions approved by deputy head (C)

N/A

Proportion of contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses [A / (B−C)×100]

8.05%

Through internal engagement and awareness activities, WAGE exceeded the target by awarding a total amount of $586,407.26 to Indigenous businesses in 2022-23, representing 8.05% of the total value of contracts awarded by the department.

WAGE’s outreach activities included: WAGE proactively discussed the PSIB strategy with suppliers that were not be familiar with the Government of Canada’s updated mandatory procurement target and assisted in providing information on eligibility and procedures to register to the Indigenous Business Directory for potential future opportunities.

The procurement team provided senior management with quarterly reporting on Indigenous procurement target levels using contracting data extracted from the department’s financial system.

All members of WAGE’s Procurement Services team completed the mandatory Indigenous Considerations in Procurement (COR409) and Procurement in the Nunavut Settlement Area (COR410) courses offered by the Canada School of Public Service.

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

The following table shows, for internal services, budgetary spending for 2022–23, as well as spending for that year.

Internal services - Budgetary financial resources for 2022–23
2022-2023
Main Estimates
2022-2023
Planned spending
2022-2023
Total authorities available for use
2022-2023
Actual spending
(authorities used)
2022-2023
Difference
(actual spending minus planned spending)

18,006,665

18,006,665

23,356,971

22,699,564

4,692,899

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 2022–23.

Human resources of internal services for 2022–23.
2022-23
Planned full-time equivalents
2022-23
Actual full-time equivalents
2022-23
Difference
(actual full-time equivalents minus planned full‑time equivalents)

129

147

18

The increase between planned full-time equivalents and actual full-time equivalents for internal services in 2022–23 is mainly due to an increased demand on internal services such as human resources management and management and oversight.

Spending and human resources

Spending

Spending 2020–21 to 2025–26

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

Text Description

$ thousands.

Spending 2020–21 to 2025–26
2020–2021 2021–2022 2022–2023 2023–2024 2024-2025 2025-2026

Statutory

74,997

4,985

6,363

6,355

5,718

5,718

Voted

144,466

225,669

316,746

284,594

288,087

287,563

Total

219,463

230,654

323,109

290,949

293,805

293,281

In this graph, financial figures from 2020–21 to 2022–23 represent actual spending incurred by the Department. Financial figures from 2023–24 to 2025–26 represent planned spending.

The increase from 2021-22 is due to additional funding received in Budget 2022 to implement the National Action Plan to End GBV and the first Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan.

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 WAGE’s core responsibilities and for internal services.

Budgetary financial resources for core responsibilities and internal services
Core responsibilities and internal services 2022–23
Main Estimates
2022–23
planned spending
2023–24
planned spending
2024–25
planned spending
2022–23
total authorities available for use
2020–21 actual spending (authorities used) 2021–22 actual spending (authorities used) 2022–23 actual spending (authorities used)

Advancing Gender Equality

292,306,687

292,306,687

268,012,454

272,493,375

303,464,269

200,887,365

210,533,326

300,409,253

Subtotal

292,306,687

292,306,687

268,012,454

272,493,375

303,464,269

200,887,365

210,533,326

300,409,253

Internal services

18,006,665

18,006,665

22,936,059

21,311,802

23,356,971

18,576,021

20,120,546

22,699,564

Total

310,313,352

310,313,352

290,948,513

293,805,177

326,821,240

219,463,386

230,653,872

323,108,817

The variance between the 2022–23 planned spending and the 2022–23 actual spending is a result of additional funding received in Budget 2022 to implement the National Action Plan to End GBV and the first Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan.

The increase in the 2022–23 actual spending compared to 2021–22 actual spending is attributable to:

Part of the variance between the 2022–23 total authorities and the 2022–23 actual spending will be available for use by WAGE in the 2023–24 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 WAGE’s core responsibilities and to internal services.

Human resources summary for core responsibilities and internal services

Core responsibilities and internal services 2020–21 actual full‑time equivalents 2022–22 actual full‑time equivalents 2022–23
planned full-time equivalents
2022–23 actual full‑time equivalents 2023–24 planned full‑time equivalents 2024–25 planned full‑time equivalents

Advancing Gender Equality

226

240

304

305

309

266

Subtotal

226

240

304

305

309

266

Internal services

119

130

129

147

130

127

Total

345

370

433

452

439

393

It is important to note that the planned FTEs for 2023–24 and 2024–25 were published in the 2023–24 Departmental Plan. These figures were prepared based on resources approved up until January 2023.

Expenditures by vote

For information on WAGE’s organizational voted and statutory expenditures, consult the Public Accounts of Canada.

Government of Canada spending and activities

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

Financial statements and financial statements highlights

Financial statements

WAGE’s financial statements (unaudited) for the year ended March 31, 2023, are available on the department’s website: Departmental Financial Statements: Women and Gender Equality Canada.

Financial statement highlights

Condensed Statement of Operations (unaudited) for the year ended March 31, 2023 (dollars)

Condensed Statement of Operations (unaudited)
Financial information 2022–23
planned results
2022–23
actual results
2021–22
actual results
Difference (2022–23 actual results minus
2022–23 planned results)
Difference (2022–23 actual results minus
2021–22 actual results)

Total expenses

317,878,603

327,784,496

235,353,908

9,905,893

92,430,588

Total revenues

0

886

962

886

(76)

Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers

317,878,603

327,783,610

235,352,946

9,905,007

92,430,664

The variance between the 2022–23 planned results and the 2022–23 actual results is due to additional funding received in Budget 2022 to implement the National Action Plan to End GBV and the first Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan.

On an accrual basis, WAGE's expenses for 2022-23 were $327.8 million. The spending difference of $92.4 million between 2022-23 and 2021-22 is attributable to:

The 2022–23 planned results information is provided in WAGE’s Future-Oriented Statement of Operations and Notes 2022–23.

Condensed Statement of Financial Position (unaudited) as of March 31, 2023 (dollars)
Financial information 2022–23 2021–22 Difference
(2022–23 minus
2021–22)

Total net liabilities

17,867,523

15,114,386

2,753,137

Total net financial assets

13,610,452

10,809,162

2,801,290

Departmental net debt

4,257,071

4,305,224

(48,153)

Total non-financial assets

1,939,469

2,183,225

(243,756)

Departmental net financial position

(2,317,602)

(2,121,999)

(195,603)

The 2022–23 planned results information is provided in WAGE’s Future-Oriented Statement of Operations and Notes 2022–23.

The difference for total net liabilities is mainly the result of a net increase in accounts payable resulting from timing differences in the settlement of the payables and an increase of grants and contributions payable at year end.

The difference for total net financial assets is largely due to an increase in payables at year end and an increase in the accounts receivable due to timing of cost recoveries with other government departments and an increase of unspent grants and contributions funding by recipients.

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 WAGE’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 WAGE’s website.

Reporting framework

WAGE’s departmental results framework and program inventory of record for 2022–23 are shown below.

Departmental Results Framework Core Responsibility:
Advancing Gender Equality
Internal Services

Departmental Result 1:
The Department’s interventions facilitate the advancement of gender equality

Indicator 1: Percentage of projects funded by the Department that have an impact on reducing systemic barriers to gender equality

Indicator 2: Percentage of stakeholders that applied knowledge or resources from the Gender-Based Violence Knowledge Centre

Indicator 3: Number of partnerships or coalitions with governments, and international, Indigenous, civil society, private sector, women’s and equality-seeking organizations

Indicator 4: Number of federal government data and research gaps filled as identified by the Interdepartmental Committee on Gender Equality

Departmental Result 2:
The federal government systematically considers gender equality

Indicator 5: Percentage

of federal organizations satisfied with the Department’s tools and resources to incorporate gender equality considerations into their work

Indicator 6: Number of major new federal initiatives (for example, policies and programs) that include specific measures to advance gender equality

Program

Inventory

Program: Expertise and Outreach

Program: Community Action and Innovation

Supporting information on the program inventory

Financial, human resources and performance information for WAGE’s 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:

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

Email: General enquiries: WAGE.Communications.FEGC@wage-fegc.gc.ca
Media enquiries: WAGE.Media.FEGC@wage-fegc.gc.ca
Funding Programs: WAGE.NationalRegion-RegionNationale.FEGC@wage-fegc.gc.ca
Website(s): Women and Gender Equality Canada

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.

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 2022–23 Departmental Results Report, government-wide priorities are the high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda in the November 23, 2021, Speech from the Throne: building a healthier today and tomorrow; growing a more resilient economy; bolder climate action; fighter harder for safer communities; standing up for diversity and inclusion; moving faster on the path to reconciliation; and fighting for a secure, just and equitable world.

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.

Indigenous business (enterprise autochtones)

For the purpose of the Directive on the Management of Procurement Appendix E: Mandatory Procedures for Contracts Awarded to Indigenous Businesses and the Government of Canada’s commitment that a mandatory minimum target of 5% of the total value of contracts is awarded to Indigenous businesses, an organization that meets the definition and requirements as defined by the Indigenous Business Directory

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.

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