Transition binder for the Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism)

About Women and Gender Equality Canada

Women and Gender Equality (WAGE) Canada was established as a federal department in 2018. WAGE grew out of the federal Status of Women agency, which was founded in 1976.

When it became a department in December 2018, WAGE was given an expanded mandate:

• To advance equality with respect to sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression through the inclusion of people of all genders, including women, in Canada's economic, social, and political life.
• To promote a greater understanding of the intersections 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 (through Gender Based Analysis Plus).

WAGE acts as a convener, knowledge builder, and capacity builder

• Convenor: Lead a coordinated approach to advancing women’s and 2SLGBTQI+ equality
• Knowledge Broker: Bring forward evidence-based practices to inform decision-making
• Capacity Builder: Play a role in empowering equality-seeking organizations and other stakeholders

Key Milestones - Advancing Gender Equality in Canada

Canada has established a foundation for supporting equality for women and 2SLGBTQI+ people through a set of policy and legal frameworks.

 1967

• Royal Commission on the Status of Women was created.

 1971

• The Commission’s 1971 report led to the creation of the Status of Women Agency.

 1977

• Canadian Human Rights Act protects against discriminatory practices.

1982

• Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms sets out those rights and freedoms that necessary in a free and democratic society.

1995

• Employment Equity Act requires federal employers to increase the representation of women, Indigenous peoples, members of visible minorities, and persons with disabilities.

2005

• The Parliament of Canada, on July 20, 2005, enacted the Civil Marriage Act, which legalized same-sex marriage in Canada.

2011

• Gender-based Analysis is rebranded as Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus). The ‘Plus’ was added to encourage consideration of the multiple factors that shape experiences and outcomes, beyond sex and gender.

2018

• The Canadian Gender Budgeting Act ensures budgetary decisions with full consideration of their gender and diversity impacts.
• The Gender Results Framework represents the Government of Canada’s vision for gender equality.
• Act to establish the Department for Women and Gender Equality came into force.
• The Pay Equity Act was established to ensure women and men receive equal pay for work of equal value in federally regulated sectors.

WAGE Levers to Advance Equality for Women and 2SLGBTQI+ People

WAGE has responsibility for key initiatives that support the advancement of equality for women and 2SLGBTQI+ people including:

• Gender-based Analysis Plus
• Grants and Contributions Programs:
  • Women’s Program
  • Gender-Based Violence Program
  • Equality for Sex, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression Program
• Ending Gender-Based Violence (federal and intergovernmental)
• Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan

Policy Leadership on Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus)

• GBA Plus is the analytical tool used to support the development of responsive and inclusive policies, programs, and other initiatives.
• Federal departments and agencies are currently required to integrate GBA Plus into all Memoranda to Cabinet, Treasury Board Submissions, federal budget proposals, and regulations.

• WAGE has a key role to play providing policy leadership and supporting the robust application of GBA Plus across the government.
• The Canadian Gender Budgeting Act (2018) enshrines gender budgeting in the Government of Canada’s budgetary and financial management processes ensuring that all measures adopted include a GBA Plus approach.
  • The Act requires that information be made public on the gender and diversity impacts of all new budget measures.
  • The Act extends the reach of GBA Plus to examine tax expenditures, federal transfers, and the existing spending base.
• GBA Plus enhancements respond to the recommendations of the Auditor General (AG) Report (2022), the Senate Social Affairs, Science and Technology (SOCI) Committee Report (2023), and extensive engagements across government and with stakeholders.
  • The Government responded to the AG report (Management Response and Action Plan) in November 2022, and to SOCI in September 2023.

2025 marks 30 years of sustained commitment to GBA Plus in Canada

Delivering Results through Gs&Cs Programs

The Department has three sets of terms and conditions through which the Minister can provide grants and contributions (Gs&Cs) funding:

• Women’s Program
  • Seeks to advance equality for women in Canada by working to address or remove systemic barriers impeding women’s progress and advancement under 3 priority areas:
    • ending violence against women and girls
    • improving women’s and girls’ economic security and prosperity
    • encouraging women and girls in leadership and decision-making roles
  • Gender-based Violence (GBV) Program
    • Seeks to support organizations working in the GBV sector in developing and implementing promising practices to address gaps in supports for Indigenous and underserved groups of survivors in Canada.
  • Equality for Sex, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression (SSOGIE) Program
    • Seeks to support the social, economic, and political equality of Canadians with respect to sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.

Ending Gender-Based Violence

In 2017, the Government of Canada launched It’s Time: Canada’s Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence (federal GBV strategy). It is organized into 3 pillars:

• Prevention
• Support for survivors and their families
• Promoting responsive legal and justice systems and focuses on preventing GBV and improving public safety

The federal GBV strategy is a whole-of-government approach to ending GBV and encompasses all federal initiatives to prevent and address GBV.

• Building on the federal GBV Strategy, Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministers responsible for the Status of Women endorsed the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence in November 2022. This ten-year plan is supported by $539.3 million over five years, with the majority allocated to the provinces and territories through bilateral agreements.
  • The action plan was developed in collaboration with other federal government departments, provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, GBV experts, victims and survivors and civil society organizations.
  • It is underpinned by five pillars: Support for victims, survivors and their families; Prevention; Responsive justice system; Implementing Indigenous-led approaches; Social infrastructure and enabling environment.
  • The foundation is based on leadership, coordination and engagement; data, research and knowledge mobilization; and reporting and monitoring.
• Working with all jurisdictions, WAGE published an Annual Progress Report on the Action Plan in December 2024.

Implementing the Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan

• On August 28, 2022, Canada launched the first Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan, a $100 million investment, including $75 million supporting community organizations, to:
  • Advance rights and equality for Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and additional sexually and gender diverse (2SLGBTQI+) people in Canada
  • Address and prevent discrimination and stigma based on sexual orientation, sex characteristics, and gender identity and expression
• The Action Plan builds on the Government’s efforts to construct positive, collaborative relationships with communities. It has six priority areas:
  • Prioritize and sustain 2SLGBTQI+ community action.
  • Continue to advance and strengthen 2SLGBTQI+ rights at home and abroad.
  • Support Indigenous 2SLGBTQI+ resilience and resurgence.
  • Engage everyone in Canada in fostering a 2SLGBTQI+ inclusive future.
  • Strengthen 2SLGBTQI+ data and evidence-based policy making.
  • Embed 2SLGBTQI+ issues in the work of the Government of Canada.
• WAGE published a progress report for August 2023 to March 2024, highlighting key advancements, initiatives, and ongoing efforts in promoting 2SLGBTQI+ equity, beyond Action Plan commitments.

Financial Resources

Women and Gender Equality planned for 421 Full Time Equivalent (FTEs) in 2024-2025, and its total estimated spending authority was $378.6 million:

• Operating Funding (Vote 1): $64.3 million to pay for salaries and other operating costs such as research, training, travel, service contracts, maintenance, and supplies.
• Grants and Contributions funding (Vote 5): $308.1 million was allocated to three programs:
  • $94.8 million for the Women’s Program: to advance equality for women in Canada by working to address or remove systemic barriers impeding women’s progress and advancement.
  • $29.2 million for the Gender-Based Violence Funding Program: to develop and implement promising practices to address gaps in support for survivors and their families.
  • $184.1 million for the Equality for Sex, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression Program: to support the social, economic, and political equality of Canadians with respect to sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.
• Statutory Items: $6.2 million, most of which were for the Employee Benefits Plan and Minister’s salary and car allowance.

WAGE Offices

WAGE’s National office is located in Gatineau, Quebec. It has Five regional offices across Canada:

• Atlantic region: Moncton (New Brunswick)
• Quebec and Nunavut region: Montreal (Quebec)
• Ontario region: Gatineau (Quebec)
• Prairie's region: Edmonton (Alberta)
• Pacific region: Vancouver (British Columbia)

WAGE Organization Chart

Frances McRae: Deputy Minister

• Natalie St. Lawrence: Special Policy Advisor
• Julie Webster: Chief of Staff
• Piyanjali Tissaaratchy: Chief Economist
• Jennifer Henderson: Director General, Corporate Secretariat
• Kathia Ouellette-Ferguson: Director General, Human Resources
• Gail Mitchell: Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Policy and Service Management
  • Jennifer Cairnie: Director General, Strategic Policy
  • Marc-André Millaire: Director General, Social Affairs
  • Kristina Guénette: Director General, Communications and Public Affairs
  • Louise Mignault: Director General, Planning, Results and Integration
  • Joanna Baker: Senior Director General, Programs and Corporate Services
    • Lucie Malette: Acting Director General and CFO, Corporate Services
    • Stéphane Blais: Director IT Services, Chief Information Officer

Annex - Departmental Links to Platform Commitments

Platform Commitment: Ensure that every measure is implemented with a full GBA+ analysis

• WAGE continues to make improvements to GBA Plus in terms of capacity, data, governance, accountability and transparency.

Platform Commitment: Increase support for the Women’s Economic and Leadership Opportunities Fund

• WAGE is providing up to $100 million for over 160 organizations through the Women’s Economic and Leadership Opportunities Fund. This funding is administered through the Women’s Program.

Platform Commitments: Make funding permanent for the 2SLGBTQI+ Community Capacity Fund and Maintain support for security needs at Pride festivals

• WAGE is investing $35 million to build the capacity of 2SLGBTQI+ community organizations and networks to advance equality. Additionally, up to $1.5 million is provided annually to Fierté Canada Pride to support security needs for Pride Festivals. This funding is administered through the Equality for Sex, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression Program.

Platform Commitment: Continue investments in the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence

• WAGE is leading federal implementation of the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence. WAGE has invested $539.3 million to support provinces and territories in their implementation efforts.

State of women’s equality in Canada

Key legislation for women’s equality

The Canadian Human Rights Act and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms provide the foundation for women’s equality. They are reinforced through additional laws and regulations, including:

• Employment Equity Act (1995, amended 2021)
• Gender Budgeting Act (2018)
• Pay Equity Act (2018)
• Department for Women and Gender Equality Act (2018)
• Amendments to the Canada Business Corporations Act require public corporations to disclose diversity information for directors and senior management (2021)
• Amendments to the Canada Labour Code strengthen protections against harassment and violence in federally regulated workplaces (2025)
• The Criminal Code has had several amendments to address violence against women (2019)

Education & skills development

• Women represent 8% of workers in occupations related to trades, transport and equipment operators¹
• 70% of working women (7M) have postsecondary qualification compared with 64% (6.2M) men (highest in the G7)²
• High school completion rates among Indigenous women vary, with Inuit women at 49% (12K), First Nations at 67% (271K), and Métis at 78% (195K)³
• Women remain underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, entrepreneurship, and in leadership positions and overrepresented in service, health, and care sectors⁴

Economic participation & prosperity

• Women earn 89 cents for every dollar earned by men – earning gaps exist across all major occupations⁵
• The pay gap is wider for:
  • Racialized
  • Indigenous
  • Immigrant women⁶
• Women’s labour force participation continues to rise, reaching 85% (9.8M) in 2024, compared to 92% (11M) for men⁷
• Women are overrepresented in low-wage jobs, with 28% working in the five lowest paid occupations⁸
• Women make up 62% of part-time workers (2.3M vs. 1.4M men) with women more likely to do so due to caregiving responsibilities.⁹

Leadership & democratic participation

• Women occupy 30% of senior management positions (17K compared to about 42K men) and 35% of other management positions (754K compared to about 1.3M men)¹⁰
• Women from historically marginalized groups are less represented in senior leadership roles, including:
  • Indigenous women (0.4%)
  • 2SLGBTQIA+ (0.7%)
  • Black women (0.8%)
  • Women with disabilities (0.3%)¹¹
• Women are majority owners of 17% of small and medium-sized businesses¹²
• Canada formed its first gender-balanced Cabinet in 2015, with women holding key portfolios
• 30% (104 out of 343) of federal MPs are women¹³

Gender-based violence

• More than 11M people aged 15 and over have experienced intimate partner violence at least once (6.2M women and 4.9M men)¹⁴
• Women are more likely to have been sexually assaulted in their lifetime: 30% (4.7M) vs. 8% (1.2M) men¹⁵
• Some groups are more likely to report IPV at some point from age 15:
  • Women with disabilities: 55% (3M)
  • LGB+ women: 67% (330K)
  • Indigenous women: 61% (287K)
  • Low-income women: 57% (465K)¹⁶
• Almost six in ten (56%) Indigenous women have experienced physical assault while almost half (46%) of Indigenous women have experienced sexual assault¹⁷

Poverty Reduction, Health and Well-Being

• People in female lone-parent families (46%) are at a higher risk of food insecurity than people in male lone-parent families (32.3%)¹⁸
• People in female-led one-parent families are almost four times more likely (23.8%) to live below the poverty line than people in couple families with children (6.3%)¹⁹
• 1 in 4 women who menstruate have to decide between purchasing menstrual products or essentials, e.g. food or rent²⁰
• Disparities in women's health research, funding, & care remain
  • Females (10.4%) are more likely than males (8%) to report unmet health care needs²¹

State of 2SLGBTQI+ equality in Canada

Key legislation for 2slgbtqi+ equality

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms ensures that all individuals are treated equally under the law and protects against discrimination based on sex and sexual orientation.

The Criminal Code was amended:

• to protect against hate propaganda and to classify crimes based on gender identity or expression as aggravating factors in sentencing (2017)
• to criminalize conversion therapy (2021)
• The Canadian Human Rights Act was amended to explicitly include gender identity and gender expression as prohibited grounds of discrimination (2017)
• Department for Women and Gender Equality Act (2018)
• Expungement of Historically Unjust Convictions Act (inclusion of bawdy house offences) (2023)

Education and Employment

• 2SLGBTQI+ communities demonstrate higher levels of educational attainment than non-2SLGBTQI+ people²²
• Over three-quarters of the gay and lesbian population aged 25 to 64 years hold a postsecondary qualification²³
• 2SLGBTQI+ people are more likely than heterosexual people to have experienced unwanted sexual behaviours in public places (57% versus 22%) or at work (44% versus 22%)²⁴

Housing and Poverty

• 2SLGBTQI+ people are more likely to be in core housing need and to experience homelessness. 25% to 40% of all homeless youth (37,500-60,000) are 2SLGBTQI+. Identity-based family conflict is a key driver²⁵
• Some 2SLGBTQI+ seniors are ‘going back in the closet’ out of fear of discrimination in long-term care²⁶
• 2SLGBTQI+ people are more likely to earn significantly less than non-2SLGBTQI+ Canadians. Trans and non-binary people are more likely to live in poverty²⁷

Leadership and Economic Participation

• 2SLGBTQI+ people are underrepresented in traditional leadership spaces, such as politics²⁸ and corporate boards²⁹
• There are more than 100,000 2SLGBTQI+-owned and - operated businesses in Canada. They generate over $22 billion in economic activity and employ over 435,000 Canadians³⁰
• 2SLGBTQI+ entrepreneurs face systemic barriers in starting and growing their businesses. 1 in 4 entrepreneurs have faced discrimination or lost business because of their 2SLGBTQI+ ownership³¹

Safety and Security

• In 2023, there were 860 police reported hate crimes targeting sexual orientation and 123 hate crimes targeting gender identity or expression³²
• 59% of transgender people, ages 15 and older, compared to 37% of cisgender people, have experienced physical or sexual assault in their lifetimes³³
• In 2024, CSIS issued a report warning about the ongoing threat of “extreme violence” against 2SLGBTQI+ communities, including hate speech, vandalism of 2SLGBTQI+ establishments and threats to community events³⁴

Health and Well-being

• 2SLGBTQI+ people experience worse health outcomes than non-2SLGBTQI+ peers, and report encountering healthcare discrimination and other barriers when seeking the services they need³⁵
• Transgender and gender non-conforming youth are 5 times more likely to attempt suicide and to have mental health issues compared to youth in the general population³⁶
• 2SLGBTQI+ communities report lower rates of mental health than the heterosexual population³⁷

Equality for Women and 2SLGBTQI+ People

Key Legislation

Canada Business Corporations Act amendment (2021)

In 2021, amendments to the Canada Business Corporations Act required public corporations to disclose diversity information for directors and senior management, including chairs and vice-chairs on board of directors; presidents of the corporation; the chief executive officer and chief financial officer; vice-presidents in charge of a principal business unit, division or function, including sales, finance or production; and anyone who performs a policy-making function within the corporation.³⁸

Canada Labour Code amendment (2025)

Amendments to the Canada Labour Code will strengthen protections against harassment and violence in federally regulated workplaces. To strengthen the internal departmental policies that keep employees safe and to ensure that workplaces are free from harassment in the federal public service, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat released the Directive on the Prevention and Resolution of Workplace Harassment and Violence in line with the implementation of Bill C-65, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (harassment and violence) and the Work Place Harassment and Violence Prevention Regulations, which apply to all federally regulated workplaces.

This comprehensive directive requires departments to:

• better prevent and respond to harassment
• provide support to those affected by harassment and violence in the core public administration
• investigate, record and report all occurrences of harassment and violence in their organizations³⁹

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982)

In 1982, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (the Charter) was established. The Charter contains two sections that are fundamental to protecting human rights and the preventing discrimination. Specifically, section 15 ensures equal protection and benefit of the law “without discrimination […] based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.” Section 28 guarantees all rights covered in the Charter apply equally to men and women.⁴⁰

Canadian Human Rights Act (1977)

In Canada, promoting gender equality falls under the umbrella of human rights legislation. Beginning with the Canadian Human Rights Act (CHRA) of 1977, Canadians employed by or receiving services from the Government of Canada, First Nations governments, or private companies regulated by the federal government, are protected from discrimination. The Act states that, “all Canadians have the right to equality, equal opportunity, fair treatment, and an environment free of discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, marital status and family status.”⁴¹

Criminal Code amendments

In 2017, the Criminal Code was amended to extend the protection against hate propaganda set out in that Act to any section of the public that is distinguished by gender identity or expression and to clearly set out that evidence that an offence was motivated by bias, prejudice or hate based on gender identity or expression constitutes an aggravating circumstance that a court must take into consideration when it imposes a sentence. Additionally, the Criminal Code has had several amendments to address violence against women.⁴²

On March 29, 2018, the Government introduced Bill C-75, An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Youth Criminal Justice Act and other Acts and to make consequential amendments to other Acts. Former Bill C-75 (the Act) received Royal Assent on June 21, 2019. The Act:

• modernizes and clarifies bail provisions
• provides an enhanced approach to administration of justice offences, including for youth
• abolishes peremptory challenges of jurors and modifies the process of challenging a juror for cause and of judicial stand-by restricts the availability of preliminary inquiries
• streamlines the classification of offences
• expands judicial case management powers
• enhances measures to better respond to intimate partner violence
• provides additional measures to reduce criminal justice system delays and to make the criminal law and the criminal justice system clearer and more efficient
• restores judicial discretion in imposing victim surcharges
• facilitates human trafficking prosecutions, and allows for the possibility of property forfeiture
• removes provisions that have been ruled unconstitutional by the SCC
• makes consequential amendments to other Acts⁴³

Finally, Bill C-4, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (conversion therapy), was introduced in the House of Commons on November 29, 2021. Bill C-4 was passed unanimously by the House of Commons on December 1, 2021. It received first reading in the Senate the following day and was passed unanimously on December 7, 2021, and received Royal Assent on December 8, 2021.⁴⁴

Department for Women and Gender Equality Act (2018)

On December 13, 2018, the Act to establish the Department for Women and Gender Equality came into force, transforming the Status of Women Canada into a government department. The Act bestows the Minister with powers, duties, and functions to:

• advance equality including social, economic, and political equality, with respect to sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression
• promote of 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 disability⁴⁵

Employment Equity Act (1995)

The Employment Equity Act was created to “achieve equality in the workplace so that no person shall be denied employment opportunities or benefits for reasons unrelated to ability and, in the fulfillment of that goal, to correct the conditions of disadvantage in employment experienced by women, Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities.”

Employment Equity Act amendment (2021)

As of January 1, 2021, federally regulated private sector employers covered by the Act are required to report their salary data using new methodology introduced by amendments to the Employment Equity Regulations.

These new pay transparency measures aim to raise awareness of wage gaps faced by members of designated groups working in federally regulated workplaces. By making employer wage gap data publicly available, the Government of Canada expects these measures to:

• help reduce wage gaps
• shift business culture and expectations toward greater equality
• lead to better outcomes for workers and their families⁴⁶

Expungement of Historically Unjust Convictions Act (2023)

The Expungement of Historically Unjust Convictions Act came into effect on June 21, 2018. It allows for the permanent destruction (expungement) of historically unjust records of convictions. The Act was specifically designed to enable the addition of new offences to the Act’s Schedule by the Governor in Council through an Order.

In 2023, the Government of Canada enabled convictions under the Criminal Code for abortion-related, bawdy house and indecency-based offences to be eligible for expungement. Offences relating to bathhouses, nightclubs, and swingers clubs, venues which are largely considered to be safe spaces for 2SLGBTQI+ communities, have been added to the list of those eligible for expungement. These previously criminalized venues resulted in owners, employees and patrons to be convicted under the Criminal Code for bawdy house and other indecency-based offences.

In addition, those convicted of abortion-related offences were also made eligible for expungement. This includes the convictions of individuals who sought an abortion and the medical practitioners.⁴⁷

Gender Budgeting Act (2018)

The Canadian Gender Budgeting Act came into force in December 2018. The Act enshrines gender budgeting in the Government of Canada’s budgetary and financial management processes ensuring that all measures adopted include a gender-based analysis Plus (GBA Plus) approach. This extends the reach of GBA Plus to examine tax expenditures, federal transfers, and the existing spending base.⁴⁸

Pay Equity Act (2018)

The Pay Equity Act was passed on December 13, 2018. The Act, Part II.1 of the Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Act and the Pay Equity Regulations came into force on August 31, 2021. The Act aims to “achieve pay equity through proactive means by redressing the systemic gender-based discrimination in the compensation practices and systems of employers that is experienced by employees who occupy positions in predominantly female job classes so that they receive equal compensation for work of equal value.” The Pay Equity Act has established a Pay Equity Commissioner within the Canadian Human Rights Commission, whose role is to ensure the implementation and compliance of the Act, assist persons in understanding the Act and facilitate the resolution of disputes relating to pay equity.⁴⁹