Minister for Women and Gender Equality's appearance at the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women (FEWO) (March 11, 2021)

Traditional land acknowledgment

I would like to acknowledge that I'm speaking today on the traditional territory of the Mississauga Anishinaabeg.

Opening remarks

I'm grateful to be here to update you about the Main Estimates and how they will allow Women and Gender Equality Canada to better implement its mandate. I will also give an update about some of our key accomplishments in the past five years, as well as the accomplishments we've made during the COVID‑19 pandemic.

The focus of Women and Gender Equality Canada's work continues to be on advancing equality with respect to sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity through the inclusion of people of all genders. We continue to advocate for the empowerment of women and equity-seeking groups as leaders in politics, the private sector and in all walks of civil life.

When everyone has an equal opportunity to contribute, we get decisions that best reflect the needs and experiences of people in Canada.

Women's and equity-seeking organizations play a critical role in creating a safer, stronger, fairer, and more equal Canada. Each year we have increased our support to these organizations, providing long-term funding to help them empower women and create positive change in communities across the country.

Key investments

Since November 2015, Women and Gender Equality Canada has funded over 600 women's and equality-seeking organizations across the country and invested a total of over $280 million. In 2019-20 alone, the Women's Program projects reached approximately 6 million people, reducing barriers and building skills in the areas of economic security and prosperity, gender-based violence, and leadership.

We also continue to take action on ending gender-based violence in all its forms. Since November 2015, we've supported over 220 projects working to address and prevent gender-based violence with over $80 million in funding. In 2019-20, over one million women gained access to supports, such as counselling, court services and trauma-informed services.

We support projects that focus on ending violence against Indigenous women, girls and LGBTQ2 people and communities. As part of the Government's immediate response to the interim report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, Women and Gender Equality Canada announced over $13 million in funding for over 100 projects. These initiatives support Indigenous governments, as well as the work being done by organizations with families, survivors and communities, including initiatives that help honour the lives and legacies of those missing and murdered.

This January, we reached a historic milestone when Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers responsible for the Status of Women endorsed the Declaration for a Canada Free of Gender-Based Violence.

We are now actively working on the development of the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence.

In March 2020, we launched a call for proposals for the LGBTQ2 Community Capacity Fund. As a result of this call, WAGE is now investing in building the capacity of 70 new organizations across the country whose initiatives contribute to a strong LGBTQ2 movement in Canada to advance equality for all people.

Last December, Women and Gender Equality Canada announced, jointly with Public Safety Canada, investments of $22.4 million in support of 63 organizations providing critical supports and services to victims and survivors of human trafficking to help them escape violent situations and to regain independence and control over their lives.

COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic is the most serious public health crisis Canada has ever faced and it has the potential to roll back hard-won gains in gender equality in this country. The pandemic has highlighted fundamental gaps in our society.

It has been hard for everyone, but it has been most difficult for those who were already struggling, including women. Women lost their jobs at twice the rate of men early in the pandemic. And the employment of young women still remains well below pre-pandemic levels.

That's why, from the start, Canada's pandemic response measures have been informed by Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA+) with an enhanced focus on intersectionality, to ensure that our approach provides support to those who need it most.

People in Canada expect to see themselves reflected in the policies and programs implemented by the Government. Today, we design our policies and programs based on this analysis to ensure all aspects of diversity are considered and that we are delivering on our commitment to inclusiveness in our services to the public.

And I can assure you that, in the context of the pandemic, we are applying GBA+, not only to better understand differential impacts, but to shape the actions that need to be taken to reduce inequalities.

The Government has used GBA+ to ensure we are responsive to the specific needs and circumstances of all people in Canada, and will continue to do so, both in the context of the emergency response and recovery efforts.

Just last month, Women and Gender Equality Canada announced the Feminist Response and Recovery Fund Call for Proposals that will provide $100 million to support women's recovery from the impacts of the pandemic, with a particular focus on underrepresented women who have been disproportionately impacted.

This funding will go to projects that tackle systemic barriers for women who are Indigenous, racialized, or low-income, as well as those living with a disability and in a rural, remote or northern community.

Last year, the Government committed $100 million in emergency funding to over 1,000 women's shelters, sexual assault centres, and other organizations providing services and supports to women and children experiencing gender-based violence across Canada. Since April 2020, our funding has helped nearly 800,000 women and children.

Main estimates

And now, through the 2021-22 Main Estimates, Women and Gender Equality Canada will receive $125.5 million in total funding. This includes $75.5 million in Grants and Contributions funding to support additional investments in capacity building of women's organizations and LGBTQ2 organizations. It also includes investments in support of the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking.

Conclusion

I thank all of you, as Members of this Committee, for all the work you do to help improve the lives and prospects of women and girls in this country.

We will continue to move forward with optimism for our future and emerge from this crisis as a stronger, safer and more inclusive country.

Thank you.

Issue: Gendered impacts of COVID-19

• COVID-19 does not discriminate who it infects, yet different groups are disproportionately affected by the virus and the public health measures being implemented.
• At the start of the pandemic about a year ago, women lost jobs at almost twice the rate of men. When the economy started to reopen in May, increases in employment for men were more than double that of women. In January, women's employment remained 5.3% lower than pre-COVID levels, compared to 3.7% for men. 
• Young women have experienced significant employment losses during the pandemic, and were furthest (-17.4%) from pre-pandemic employment levels in January 2021 than any other major demographic group.
• Women who shoulder increased care responsibilities at home due to the pandemic, caring for elderly parents, children when schools, classrooms, or daycares are closed, face additional hurdles to joining or rejoining the labour force.
• People in Canada have been asked to stay home to prevent the spread of COVID-19, yet home is not a safe place for everyone. We have seen a "shadow pandemic" emerge for those isolated at home with their abusers.

Government of Canada response to COVID:

Women and Gender Equality Canada has worked with its federal partners to ensure that the Government's response is informed by Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA+) so that our initiatives are designed for those who need it most.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government has announced a number of initiatives to support those most impacted, including:

• $100M to support organizations providing supports and services to those experiencing gender-based violence;
• $200M for essential food support to organizations to purchase, transport and distribute food and other basic necessities;
• $394M to the Reaching Home initiative to address the needs of people in Canada experiencing homelessness; and
• $1.1B for a distinctions-based Indigenous Community Support Fund to address food insecurity, educational supports, mental health assistance and preparedness measures.

Moving forward, the Government has committed to creating an Action Plan for Women in the Economy to help more women get back into the workforce and to ensure a feminist, intersectional response to this pandemic and recovery.

Background

GBA+ and the COVID-19 response

• Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, WAGE has worked with federal partners to ensure that intersectional gendered factors have been considered in the response measures. To date, WAGE has:
  • Established an internal Task Team to focus on the pandemic's gendered and intersectional impacts;
  • Co-chaired (with Canadian Heritage) the Equity-Seeking Communities and COVID-19 Task Force;
  • Worked with provincial/territorial officials on the application of the GBA+ lens to COVID-19;
  • Hosted a special session of the GBA+ Interdepartmental Committee to facilitate sharing of information and best practices; and
  • Hosted a panel discussion, in collaboration with the Canada School of Public Service, entitled Achieving an Inclusive Pandemic Response with GBA+, which was attended by 1,500 public servants.
• The government followed through on commitments to gender budgeting, transparency and accountability of GBA+ in the 2020 Fall Economic Statement, which included a GBA+ of all COVID-19 emergency response measures. 

Gendered impact on employment

• In Canada, women comprise the majority of workers employed in service industries, which experienced large employment declines in response to COVID-19.
  • Women comprised the majority (62.6%) of all employment losses in March 2020; the monthly decline in employment among immigrant women (-3.4%) was more than twice that of immigrant men (-1.5%).
  • Job losses for men and women converged in April as additional shutdowns spread to the goods-producing sector. In May, as the economy began to reopen, employment increased more than twice as fast among men (+2.5% or +217,000) than women (+1.1% or +85,300), likely due to the rapid increase in goods-producing industries, which account for a greater proportion of male employment.
  • In January 2021, the employment decline among core-aged women (-1.3%) was more than double that of core-aged men (-0.5%), bringing employment to 3.2% and 2.7% below their pre-COVID levels, respectively.
  • In January 2021, the decline in employment for young women (-6.1%) was greater than that experienced by young men (-3.3%), leaving them 17.4% below pre-COVID employment levels, compared to 11.6% for young men.
• Women continue to shoulder a greater share of unpaid domestic and care work responsibilities. A June 2020 survey by Statistics Canada revealed that, like before the pandemic, women continue to report doing most of the household tasks. Women were more likely to report that they perform most parental tasks, with about two-thirds (64%) indicating they were primarily responsible for homeschooling or helping children with homework during the pandemic, and half (51%) reporting they largely performed the task of staying at home with children.
• In January 2021, the employment rate for core-aged parents of children aged 17 and under fell 1.5 percentage points to 81.8%, the largest monthly decline for parents since April 2020. This decline in employment was more pronounced among mothers whose youngest child was aged 6 to 12, for whom the employment rate fell 2.9 percentage points to 77.4%. The proportion of employed parents who reported losing more than half their hours for reasons likely related to COVID-19 increased by 0.9 percentage points to 7.1% in January, with a notable increase among mothers whose youngest child was aged 6 to 12 (+1.7 percentage points to 8.7%). 
• Women, particularly immigrant and visible minority women, are over-represented in low-income occupations and other occupations that have been deemed as essential and are disproportionately exposed to COVID-19.
  • In 2016, women comprised the vast majority of workers employed as nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates, among both immigrants (86%) and non-immigrants (87%). Of all workers in these positions, 31% were immigrant women. Black and Filipino women each accounted for 26% of all immigrant nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates in 2016.

Response measures

• Until October 3, 2020, the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) provided a tax-free benefit of $2,000 a month to workers who lost their income as of result of the pandemic. It also allowed people to earn up to $1,000 per month while collecting CERB.
  • As of October 4, 8.9 million Canadians had applied for CERB, receiving a total of $81.6 billion.
• As of September 27, 2020, the Government of Canada has changed the Employment Insurance program and added new recovery benefits that will better support Canadians seeking employment.
  • Those eligible for EI benefits will receive a minimum taxable benefit at a rate of $500 per week, or $300 per week for extended parental benefits.
    • The proportion of EI recipients who qualified was higher among women (11.8%) than men (10.6%). This was also reflected in youth, with young women (20%) making up a higher proportion of recipients than young men (18.3%).
  • Three new benefits were also announced:
    • The Canada Recovery Benefit provides $500 per week for workers who have stopped working or had their income reduced by at least 50% due to COVID-19;
    • The Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit provides $500 per week for up to a maximum of two weeks for workers who are unable to work for at least 50% of the week because they contracted COVID-19, are self-isolated for reasons related to COVID-19, or have underlying conditions or are undergoing treatments that would make them more susceptible to COVID-19;
    • The Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit provides $500 per week per household for workers unable to work at least 50% of the week because they must care for a child under the age of 12 or other family member due to school and day care closures or if a family member is sick or required to quarantine due to COVID-19.
• Other response measures include:
  • Assistance to families with children by temporarily boosting Canada Child Benefit payments, delivering almost $2 billion in extra support.
    • Approximately 3.7 million Canadian families collected the Canada Child Benefit.
  • Additional assistance to individuals with low and modest incomes with a top-up payment under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) credit, delivering $5.5 billion in support.
    • This is estimated to benefit over 12 million low- and modest-income Canadian families.
  • Mortgage deferrals for Canadians impacted by COVID-19 and experiencing financial hardship.
    • This has resulted in a total of 799,700 deferred or skipped mortgage payments across the chartered banks, with the average monthly payment being approximately $1,333 in Canada.
  • Up to $3 billion to the provinces and territories to increase the wages of low-income essential workers in the fight against COVID-19.
  • A federal investment of more than $19 billion as part of the Safe Restart Agreement to help provinces and territories safely restart Canada's economy to support increased testing and contact tracing, the capacity of health care systems, and to procure personal protective equipment for essential workers.

Gender-Based Violence

• Many support services have reported an increased demand for services regarding intimate partner violence and child maltreatment. Others have seen a significant decrease, raising concerns that women and children aren't able to reach out for help or don't know these services are available.
• During the first six months of the pandemic, preliminary data from 17 police services in Canada indicate that calls related to domestic disturbances increased 10% compared with the same period in 2019 – this can involve anything from a verbal quarrel to reports of domestic violence.
• With the increase in time spent online for school, work, and socialization, Canadians, especially young women and children, are at a greater risk of technology-facilitated violence; there have been reports of increases in online child sexual exploitation during the crisis.
• From March-October 2020, select police services across Canada reported a 20% decrease in sexual assault cases, including those committed by non-family members (-21%) and family members (-10%) when compared to 2019. This decrease is consistent with reports suggesting that accessing services during COVID-19 may be more difficult.

GBV response measures

• The Government of Canada put in place measures to support those who need help most, which includes $90 million through WAGE for organizations serving women and children experiencing gender-based violence.
• The funding was distributed as follows:
  • $36.24 million was provided to Women's Shelters Canada to redistribute to women's shelters, including Indigenous off-reserve shelters across the country (outside of Quebec);
  • $33.6 million to Canadian Women's Foundation to redistribute to sexual assault centres, women's organizations, and organizations providing supports and services to those experiencing GBV (outside of Quebec); and
  • $17.46 million to the Province of Quebec to redistribute to women's shelters and organizations that support victims of sexual and domestic violence across the province.
• To date, funding has been provided to over 1,000 organizations, including shelters, sexual assault centres and other organizations delivering essential frontline supports to women and children experiencing violence and abuse across the country. By January 2021, this funding had helped nearly 800,000 women and children get support.
• Organizations receiving funding provide a range of GBV supports and services, such as emergency helplines, crisis and resource centres, counselling support, crisis intervention, drop-in services and support groups, as well as supports to people who have experienced sexual exploitation.
• The range of activities supported with funding includes increasing safety and emergency preparedness, and supporting the business continuity of these organizations. Funding is being used, for example, for protective equipment, child-minding, helping women find alternative housing, overtime of employees and additional staff coverage and capacity.

Intergovernmental work on COVID-19 recovery

• The FPT Ministers responsible for the Status of Women met virtually on January 21-22, 2021, for their 38th annual meeting. Half of the meeting was focused on responding to COVID-19's gendered and intersectional impacts. This issue was also part of the FPT Ministers' pre-meeting with National Indigenous Leaders and Representatives on January 15^th.

Issue: COVID-19 funding for women's shelters, and sexual assault centres

The Government of Canada is taking strong and quick action to protect our economy, and the health, safety, and jobs of all Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Canadians have been urged to stay at home during this time. However, home is not a safe place for everyone. It is not a safe place for women, or their children, who experience domestic or intimate partner violence. For them being confined at home, isolated, and in close contact with a violent partner can be a terrifying prospect.

As part of its COVID-19 Economic Response Plan, the federal government has allocated a total of $100 million in funding to women's shelters, sexual assault centres, women's organizations and other organizations providing supports to those experiencing GBV across the country, including $10 million to Indigenous Service Canada's network of 46 emergency shelters on reserves and in the Yukon to support Indigenous women and children experiencing violence.

The Government of Canada put in place measures to support those who need help most, which includes $90 million through WAGE for organizations serving women and children experiencing gender-based violence. Over 1,000 organizations have received emergency funding supporting over 800,000 women and children.

This funding ensures the continuity and sustainability of services provided by these organizations, supporting their efforts to adjust to the evolving needs of survivors, while facing sudden and unexpected changes to everyday operations.

For example, in a testimonial from the Alice House in Nova Scotia, the Executive Director, Heather Byrne stated the following:  "The quick receipt of funding from WAGE Canada has provided Alice House with vital resources to respond to the increased risk of violence against the women that we are trying so hard to keep safe. This emergency funding also sent us a strong message that in a time of isolation and despair, the federal government understands the current elevated pressure on domestic violence organizations and is there to help."

Background

According to a recent CBC series, women and children are turned away from shelters in Canada about 19,000 times a month. These organizations do not have reserve funds to deal with unexpected situations, such as COVID-19.

From the start, Canada's COVID-19 response measures have been informed by a feminist and intersectional analysis, to ensure that our approach provides support to those who need it most.

This includes supporting people with care responsibilities, those providing essential services, those who face job and income losses due to the pandemic, and women and children experiencing and fleeing violence.

As a result, the Government of Canada put in place measures to support those who need help most, which include $90M through Women and Gender Equality Canada for organizations serving women and children experiencing gender-based violence.

The funding is distributed as follows:

• $36.24M to Women's Shelters Canada to redistribute to violence against women's shelters, including Indigenous Off-Reserve shelters across the country (outside of Quebec);
• $33.6M to Canadian Women's Foundation to redistribute to sexual assault centres, women's organizations, and organizations providing supports and services to those experiencing GBV (outside of Quebec);
• $15.16M to the Province of Quebec to redistribute to women's shelters and organizations that support victims of sexual and domestic violence across the province. A total of $17.46M was transferred to Quebec, with $2.3M coming from WAGE's G&C's program budget.

In addition, up to $5 million is supporting the mobilization of grassroots and community organizations to further coordinate and support their important work.

To date funding has been provided to over 1,000 organizations, including shelters, sexual assault centres and other organizations delivering essential frontline supports to women and children experiencing violence and abuse across the country.

Organizations receiving funding provide a range of GBV supports and services, such as emergency helplines, crisis and resource centres, counselling support, crisis intervention, drop-in services and support groups, as well as organizations supporting people who have experienced sexual exploitation.

The range of activities supported with funding includes increasing safety and emergency preparedness, and supporting the business continuity of these organizations. Funding is being used, for example, for protective equipment, child care, helping women find alternative housing, overtime of employees and additional staff coverage and capacity.

Testimonials:

Saskatoon Interval House, SK
Tanya Wiggins, Executive Director

"Every year our shelter needs to fundraise well over $100,000 to keep our doors open. We all know COVID-19 has affected our economy and this causes concern for our shelter. We have already been notified that a few of our major fundraisers have been cancelled. The federal dollars we received will help to close the gap and allow us to continue to offer our programming to families in need.

Another example is in regards to capacity. We have limited the number of families we can accommodate in shelter due to COVID-19. With the federal dollars, we are able to support families in hotels for a short period of time while we work to find affordable, safe accommodations for them.

Finally, we are now able to purchase equipment and programming to support our clients online. Doing our work differently."

Erin Griver, Director of Women's Services
Inasmuch House, ON

"This time is unprecedented for women's shelters and the violence against women sector. During the COVID crisis, staying at home is not a safe option for everyone. The requirements to stay in place as a Public Health measure unfortunately creates conditions where abusive partners exert greater control, and incidents of violence and threats are escalating. At Inasmuch House, Violence against Women Services and Shelters continue to be available to support women and their children. Crisis lines and emergency shelter services are open 24/7, and we are working hard to ensure that we can continue to offer a safe space and services to women and children. The extra funding to cover the additional costs of running a shelter during a pandemic has been life saving for these women. As a result of this funding we are able to continue to provide the same supports for women and children experiencing abuse, even during a pandemic.

Issue: Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+)

The COVID-19 outbreak, and the measures taken to contain its spread, have impacted people and groups differently and with varying levels of severity. Some have experienced particularly devastating impacts to their health or have been more deeply affected by the pandemic's economic and social consequences.

Throughout, the Government of Canada has focused on supporting those most at risk and on addressing the most urgent needs: Protecting Canadians' health and financial security.

GBA+ has been the tool we have used to identify the different impacts COVID-19 has had on different groups of people, and to design and implement responsive and inclusive initiatives to support Canadians, especially those who need it most.

GBA+ provides important insights to better understand the social determinants of health, such as age, gender, economic status, geographical location, race, or disability, and helps ensure that government interventions serve to build resilience, reduce inequalities and address the disproportionate impacts of this crisis.

With the outbreak, WAGE established a Task Team dedicated to applying GBA+ to the COVID-19 pandemic, and to supporting all government departments and agencies in applying GBA+ to response initiatives.

The government also followed through on commitments to gender budgeting, and transparency and accountability of GBA+ with the analysis systematically made public, most recently this past November in the fall 2020 Economic and Fiscal Update that included the GBA+ of all new measures. 

WAGE is committed to working with other Departments to strengthen the GBA+ tools and their understanding, especially the intersecting factors such as race, indigeneity, disability and sexual identity. This will help ensure that our recovery from the pandemic is reflective of the diverse experience of Canadians and that no one is left behind.

Background

GBA+ and the COVID-19 response

• Throughout the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, WAGE has worked with partners across government departments to ensure that GBA+ has been considered in respect of the response measures. Actions to date have included:
  • Creation of a WAGE Task Team with a focus on economic participation and prosperity; leadership and democratic participation; gender-based violence and access to justice; and poverty reduction, health, and well-being;
  • Completion of a knowledge synthesis and comprehensive analysis of the gendered and intersectional impacts of COVID 19;
  • WAGE's co-chairing (with Canadian Heritage) of the Equity-Seeking Communities and COVID-19 Task Force;
  • Working with provincial/territorial officials on the application of the GBA+ lens to COVID-19;
  • Hosting a special session of the GBA+ Interdepartmental Committee to facilitate sharing of information and best practices; and
  • Hosting a panel discussion, in collaboration with the Canada School of Public Service (the School), entitled Achieving an Inclusive Pandemic Response with GBA+ attended by 1,500 public servants.

Training

• Since 2012, over 185 000 people have completed the GBA+ online course, including federal public servants, parliamentarians and their staff, as well as provincial and territorial officials.
• In addition, the Department collaborated with the School to develop a Premium Course for GBA+, a four-day course for policy analysts on applying the principles of GBA+ when writing, reviewing or challenging a Memorandum to Cabinet, a Budget Proposal or a TB Submission. Strategic relationships are being developed and strengthened, and a network of GBA+ experts from across the Government of Canada is increasingly collaborating to meet common goals.

Other GBA+ measures

• GBA+ is now mandatory in all Treasury Board Submissions, Memoranda to Cabinet, Departmental Results Frameworks and Reports, and it is reflected in the Cabinet Directive on Regulations.
• The 2018 Canadian Gender Budgeting Act enshrined gender budgeting in federal budgetary and financial processes.
• In response to the growing demand for better intersectional data, the Government has created Statistics Canada's Centre for Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics.

Tacking stock and sustaining progress

• The coming year will provide important opportunities to continue to assess the implementation of GBA+ and to promote a greater understanding of GBA+ as an intersectional analysis. WAGE has been developing new tools to strengthen the understanding and application of GBA+ as an intersectional analysis, including a step-by-step guide for doing GBA+, and a set of documents to provide further information on considering the various factors in GBA+. Over the next year, WAGE will work with other departments on additional initiatives to strengthen GBA+, including: a plan to improve access to disaggregated data to inform GBA+; enhanced training for public servants through the School; and additional tools to promote a greater understanding of GBA+ as an intersectional analysis.
• In addition, the Office of the Auditor General recently released its planned Performance Audits of Government Services and Programs. Amongst the areas proposed for review is "Gender-Based Analysis Plus and Inclusivity", with a report anticipated in 2022. WAGE will support the Auditor General Office in this audit. The insights and recommendations will provide valuable input into how the Government of Canada can continue to strengthen its approach to GBA+, which in turn can help the government deliver on its equality, diversity and inclusion objectives.

Issue: Women's economic security

COVID specific measures:

• Throughout the pandemic, women are demonstrating the essential role they play in Canada's economy, whether providing healthcare, or contributing to our service sector. As primary caregivers in the home, they also subsidize our country's economic activity.
• Women are key to Canada's economic recovery. That is why the Government is taking steps to address women's economic vulnerability during COVID-19. This includes measures such as:
• Providing a tax-free Canada Emergency Response Benefit to support workers who lose their income as a result of this pandemic;
• Offering $1.5 billion in Workforce Development Agreements with provinces and territories, to help underrepresented groups and sectors hardest hit by the pandemic quickly access supports to re-enter the workforce;
• Boosting the Canada Child Benefit to help with the high cost of taking care of kids during this challenging period;
• Topping up the GST tax credit for families and individuals with low and modest incomes; and
• Offering $19 billion to the provinces and territories to get our communities back up and running and support the services Canadians rely on like child care.
• On February 11, 2021, the Department for Women and Gender Equality, launched a call for proposals under its Women's Program, called the Feminist Response and Recovery Fund. This Fund will provide $100 million for projects helping those in greatest need during the pandemic, including Indigenous women, Black women, women of colour, women who are members of LGBTQ2 communities, and women living with disabilities or in rural or remote communities.
• The Government will also create an Action Plan for Women in the Economy to help more women get back into the workforce and to ensure a feminist, intersectional response to this pandemic and recovery. This Plan will be guided by a task force of experts whose diverse voices will power a whole-of-government approach.
• In addition, the Government will make a significant, long-term, sustained investment to create a Canada-wide early learning and childcare system; and will introduce the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit for workers unable to work for at least half of the week due to caregiving during the pandemic.

WAGE specific investments to date:

The Department for Women and Gender Equality supports Women's Economic Security by funding organizations to build partnerships to address systemic barriers; and increase private sector leadership and investments in women.

Since November 2015, WAGE has invested $60.5M in over 80 projects to improve women's and girls' economic security and prosperity. In 2019-20, funded projects:

Created and disseminated 55 different resources to increase awareness of what services and supports were available and how to access them. As a result, over 350,000 women gained access to services and supports that resulted in better opportunities in education, employment, health, and social services;

Developed and disseminated nearly 70 different resources and implemented 347 different training workshops. As a result, nearly 400,000 people gained skills and knowledge to create more equitable conditions for women in various spheres;

Developed and disseminated 46 different resources, undertook advocacy, and leveraged 215 partnerships and collaborations in order to bring about changes to institutional processes and cultures. As a result of the changes to policies and institutions, conditions have been created for gender equality in public and private spheres.

In fall 2017, the Department for Women and Gender Equality launched two calls for proposals, representing approximately $15M, to increase the economic security of women in Canada. Of the $15M, $5M was to support Indigenous women's economic success.

Background

Responding to economic impacts of COVID-19

Employment:

• During the pandemic, women have experienced economic hardship, with a disproportionate amount of the economic burden being borne by already vulnerable populations. 
• In Canada, women are over-represented in some of the service industries that were among the first to shut down in response to COVID-19.
  • Women hold the majority of jobs in some of the sectors first impacted by physical distancing measures, such as accommodation and food services and educational services, and, as a result, lost jobs in March 2020 at almost twice the rate of men (-6.9% vs. -3.7%). And in May 2020, when the economy started to reopen, men gained back jobs at a rate more than double that of women (+2.5% vs. +1.1%).
  • In January 2021, when a number of provinces had implemented public health measures in response to increasing COVID-19 cases, employment losses among women (-1.5%) were about double that of men (-0.8%). 
• The closure of schools and daycares also impacts women's ability to participate in the labour force or continue their own education (as care work typically falls disproportionately to women).

Essential workers:

• Women are over-represented in low-income occupations that have been deemed as front-line and essential during the crisis, and consequently, are disproportionately exposed to COVID-19.
  • Over half of all female workers (56%) are employed in occupations involving the "5 Cs": caring, clerical, catering, cashiering and cleaning.
  • Canada's primary care and long-term care systems are staffed largely by women: over 90% of nurses; 75% of respiratory therapists; 80% of those working in medical labs; and over two thirds of people who clean and disinfect hospitals, schools, and office buildings.

Response measures include:

• Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), a tax-free benefit of $2,000 a month to support workers who lost their income as of result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also allows people to earn up to $1,000 per month while collecting the CERB. The CERB evolved to employment insurance programs.
  • This now includes sickness and caregiver benefits for those who are not covered at work should they, their children, or those they care for contract COVID-19.
• Additional assistance to families with children by temporarily boosting Canada Child Benefit payments, delivering almost $2 billion in extra support.
• Additional assistance to individuals and families with low and modest incomes with a special top-up payment under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) credit, delivering $5.5 billion in support.
• Up to $3 billion to the provinces and territories to top up the wages of low-income essential workers in the fight against COVID-19.
• Support for seniors, such as:
  • Providing an additional one-time payment of $300 for seniors who qualify for Old Age Security, and an extra $200 for those eligible for the Guaranteed Income Supplement.
  • Supporting practical services for Canadian seniors during this crisis, through the contribution of $9 million through United Way Canada for local organizations; and allowing community-based recipients to use funding through the New Horizons for Seniors Program for pandemic-related expenditures.
• Support to Indigenous communities, such as:
  • $305 million for a new distinctions-based Indigenous Community Support Fund to address immediate needs in First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Nation communities.
  • $270 million to supplement the On-Reserve Income Assistance Program to address increased demand on the program.

Ongoing government initiatives

In addition to these measures, there are a number of other initiatives that support women's economic security, including:

• The Poverty Reduction Strategy, released in August 2018, which targeted a 20% reduction in poverty by 2020 and a 50% reduction in poverty by 2030, relative to 2015 levels. The Government met its first poverty reduction target three years ahead of schedule. Between 2015 and 2018, the poverty rate fell from 14.5% to 11.0%.
• Early Learning and Child Care: The Government is supporting the creation of affordable, high-quality child care spaces for low and modest income families, with the goal of supporting up to 40,000 new subsidized child care spaces over the next three years. The Federal, Provincial and Territorial Governments reached a historic agreement on a Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework on June 12, 2017. The Government remains committed to subsidizing before- and after- school program costs and is developing a pan-Canadian early learning and childcare system.
• EI flexibilities so that parents can receive extra weeks of Employment Insurance (EI) parental benefits and can share raising their children more equally.
• Canada Child Benefit: Introduced in 2016, the CCB is a simpler, tax-free, and more generous child benefit better targeted to those who need it most and helps families with the cost of raising children under 18 years of age.
• Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES): A $2 billion investment seeking to double the number of majority women-owned small and medium enterprises by 2025. In the Speech from the Throne, the Government committed to accelerating the WES, which has already helped women across Canada grow their businesses.
• Employment Equity Act: The 2020 Fall Economic Statement proposes $6.6 million to support a task force on modernizing the Employment Equity Act to ensure that the economic recovery is equitable, inclusive and fair. $3.6 million on an ongoing basis is also proposed to expand the Workplace Opportunities and Barriers to Equity Program, to promote projects that help federally regulated workplaces become more representative of Canada's diversity.

WAGE initiatives

• On February 11, 2021, the Department launched a Call for Proposals under the Women's Program entitled Feminist Response and Recovery Fund.
• This Fund will invest $100 million in systemic change projects to support a feminist response and recovery from the impacts of COVID-19, particularly for underrepresented women. Recognizing that the pandemic has exposed and exacerbated existing inequalities for women, the Fund provides the flexibility for organizations to be responsive to the broad and diverse systemic issues that need to be tackled to support a recovery from the pandemic that is inclusive of underrepresented women, and advances gender equality across Canada.
• In fall 2017, the Department launched two calls for proposals representing an investment of approximately $15M to increase the economic security of women in Canada. Investments focused on collaborative projects that addressed the root causes (e.g. pay inequity, accessibility of childcare, wage gap) of women's economic insecurity.
• Budget 2019 announced that the Government will invest $160 million over five years, starting in 2019-20, to enhance the Women's Program to advance gender equality in Canada. This could include (but is not limited to) funding projects with a focus on advancing economic security for women.

Issue: Senior women

• Seniors are at greater risk of poor health outcomes during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Vulnerable seniors, such as those living in social isolation, poverty, and those living in long term care are at greater risk.
• The Government of Canada is working to support seniors; as part of the COVID-19 response, it:
  • provided an additional one-time payment of $300 for seniors who qualify for Old Age Security, and an extra $200 for those eligible for the Guaranteed Income Supplement. These top-ups have supported approximately 6.7 million seniors.
  • contributed $9 million through United Way Canada for local organizations to support practical services to Canadian seniors, such as delivery of groceries or medications, or personal outreach to assess individuals' needs.
  • tabled Bill C-14 which, if passed, includes a measure to provide up to $505.7 million through the Safe Long-term Care Fund to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infection, outbreaks and deaths in supportive care facilities.
• The Government has also committed to amend the Criminal Code to penalize those who neglect seniors under their care; and work with provinces and territories to set new, national standards for long-term care and take additional action to help people stay in their homes.

Background

Data on senior women

• According to the 2016 Census, women accounted for 69% of all residents in nursing homes and residences for seniors.
• In 2018, 11.0% of people were living below Canada's official poverty line. That same year, about 6.2% of senior women, and 5.0% of senior men were living in poverty, with rates substantially higher among unattached senior women (12.7%) and men (14.9%).
• The median yearly income for senior women has risen from 2003 to 2019. However, the median income of senior men remained approximately 1.5 times higher than that of senior women in 2019.

Impacts of COVID-19

• Seniors are at greater risk of poor health outcomes. Although they represent about one-quarter of reported diagnoses of COVID-19, people aged 60 and older represent the majority of hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and deaths associated with COVID-19 in Canada. Seniors living in residences and nursing homes are at an increased risk of contracting COVID-19 and dying from it.
• Many seniors do not have people they can rely on to bring them essential supplies and many live on fixed incomes. This makes delivery services, as well as escalating costs due to the pandemic (e.g. higher food costs) unaffordable. The Government of Canada is providing:
  • an additional one-time payment of $300 for seniors who qualify for OAS, and an extra $200 for those eligible for the GIS;
  • assistance to individuals and families with low and modest incomes with a special top-up payment under the GST credit, delivering $5.5 billion in support. More than 4 million seniors benefited, which gave an average of $375 for single seniors and $510 for senior couples; and
• $9 million through the United Way Centraide Canada network to support services to seniors. These services could include the delivery of groceries, medications, or personal outreach to assess individuals' needs and connect them to community supports. Through this funding, more than 1.3 million interventions were offered to support 703,339 vulnerable seniors during the pandemic as of November 2020.

Other government initiatives

• The Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) provides assistance to close to 900,000 low-income seniors, 70% of whom are women. Through Budget 2016, the government increased the maximum GIS top-up benefit available by up to $947 annually. As of 2019, it is estimated that increasing the GIS by up to $947 lifted 57,000 seniors out of poverty (based on the Market Basket Measure), and reduced the depth of poverty for the remaining single GIS recipients by an average of $700.
  • Budget 2019 proposed that by 2020 all eligible seniors aged 70 or older will be proactively enrolled in the Canada Pension Plan (CPP). As of January 2021, Service Canada has proactively enrolled 30,668 seniors and paid out $135 million in benefits.
• Senior women are disproportionately affected by dementia, making up two-thirds of this population.
  • Budget 2018 funded the Public Health Agency of Canada with $20 million over 5 years to fund community based projects that address dementia (the majority of whom are women). Budget 2019 announced $50 million over 5 years to implement a National Dementia Strategy.
• Employment and Social Development Canada's New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) supports seniors in need by: promoting volunteerism among seniors; engaging seniors in the mentoring of others; expanding awareness of elder abuse, including financial abuse; supporting social participation and inclusion of seniors; and providing capital assistance for new and existing community projects for seniors. Budget 2019 increased funding by $100M over five years with $20M a year ongoing.
  • Since 2004, the NHSP has supported more than 27,400 projects with a total investment of more than $600 million.
  • Community-based recipients can use funding for expenditures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g. the delivery of food and medication or personalized monitoring of seniors).
• On June 17, 2019, the Standing Committee on the Status of Women presented its report on the challenges faced by senior women. The report made 27 recommendations that focus on: senior women's income and financial security, access to affordable housing, social isolation, health and access to health services, and experiences of discrimination and gender-based violence.
• On December 2, 2020, the Department of Finance introduced Bill C-14, An Act to implement certain provisions of the economic statement tabled in Parliament on November 30, 2020, which included a measure that would provide funding of up to $505.7 million as part of the new Safe Long-Term Care Fund to support long-term care facilities, including funding to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infection, outbreaks and deaths in supportive care facilities.

Issue: Preventing and addressing gender-based violence

• Everyone has the right to live free from violence. The Government of Canada is committed to preventing and addressing gender-based violence and creating a Canada that supports victims, survivors and their families, no matter where they live.
• In 2017, the Government of Canada launched its federal strategy, It's Time: Canada's Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence (GBV Strategy), and committed over $200M in new investments and over $40M per year ongoing to advance efforts in three areas: preventing gender-based violence; supporting survivors and their families; and promoting responsive legal and justice systems.
• To date, nearly 60 projects related to gender-based violence were funded for over $50 million, federal law enforcement officers have received training on cultural humility, and efforts are underway to prevent multiple forms of gender-based violence.
• In December 2019, the Minister for Women and Gender Equality was mandated to build on the foundation laid by the federal GBV Strategy and advance the development of a National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence.
• The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the need for a National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence and amplified its urgency, as evidenced by widespread reports from across the country that the frequency and severity of some forms of gender-based violence, including domestic violence and online child sexual exploitation, may have been increasing. As the Speech from the Throne underscored, the Government of Canada will not let the legacy of the pandemic roll back the clock on hard-fought social and political gains, and will continue to advance the National Action Plan.
• In January 2021, Ministers responsible for the Status of Women endorsed the FPT Ministerial Joint Declaration for a Canada Free of Gender-Based Violence, a monumental milestone.
• The Department for Women and Gender Equality is currently engaging with federal-provincial-territorial governments, Indigenous leaders, and other stakeholders to advance the development of the National Action Plan.
• Since September 2019, employees of federally-regulated workplaces who are victims of family violence can take up to 10 days of leave per year – of which five days are paid. This new leave allows employees the time to seek supports and services, such as medical attention, psychological services, relocation services and legal services.

Background

• Gender-based violence is one of the most pervasive, deadly and deeply-rooted human rights violations of our time, and the Government of Canada is committed to preventing and addressing it. Many people in Canada face violence every day because of their sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or perceived gender. Gender-based violence is a significant barrier to achieving gender equality and it is preventable.

Canada's strategy to prevent and address gender-based violence

• On June 19, 2017, the Minister for Women and Gender Equality (formerly Status of Women Canada) launched the federal GBV Strategy, which takes a whole-of-government approach to prevent and address GBV and brings together the GBV-related efforts of all federal departments and agencies.
• The GBV Knowledge Centre, housed within WAGE, is the focal point of the GBV Strategy and is responsible for governance and coordination, reporting and evaluation, data and research, and knowledge mobilization.
• Budgets 2017 and 2018 committed over $200 million over 5 years and over $40 million ongoing for GBV initiatives. Six departments received funding through Budgets 2017 and 2018 under the GBV Strategy and they include Public Safety Canada; Public Health Agency of Canada; Department of National Defence; Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada; the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; and WAGE.
• The Department for Women and Gender Equality is receiving $108.5M between 2017-18 and 2022-23 and $22M ongoing for public education and awareness, research, programming, and the establishment and operation of the GBV Knowledge Centre.
• Key WAGE accomplishments to date under the Strategy include:
  • The launch of the GBV Program, which provides funding to organizations working in the GBV sector to implement innovative interventions. Of the 60 projects funded as part of this Program, 56 projects are currently under way to develop and test promising practices to support victims and survivors of GBV and their families, and 4 are developing implementation plans.
  • The launch, in December 2018, of the GBV Knowledge Centre's online platform, which compiles resources and research providing information on federal funding opportunities related to GBV and searchable databases that bring together existing data, evidence and federal initiatives on GBV. As of December 2020, the online platform was visited close to 72,000 times, 61% of which happened in 2020, whereas 36% happened in 2019.
  • Three new national surveys were developed to establish baselines on the prevalence of different forms of GBV among different populations, provide a deeper understanding of GBV in Canada and measure progress over time:
    • The Survey on Safety in Public and Private Spaces released its provincial findings in December 2019, and its findings for the territories in December 2020. Results were also released in September 2020 on experiences of GBV among LGBTQ2 people, which provided the first ever nationally representative data on transgender and gender-diverse people in Canada.
    • The Survey on Individual Safety in Postsecondary Student Population released its findings in September 2020.
    • Results from the Survey on Sexual Misconduct at Work are expected to be released in 2021.
  • In December 2018, WAGE launched a public call for proposals of up to $5 million for research on gender-based violence and gender equality. The CFP resulted in thirteen contracts for research projects that have been awarded and are currently ongoing. Topics for these projects include intimate partner violence, sexual violence among LGBTQ2 people in the postsecondary setting, human trafficking, employment equity among diverse populations, access to justice, and Indigenous community-based approaches to GBV.
  • In line with WAGE priorities and approaches, two Indigenous-led research projects that address GBV are underway. In January 2019, the First Nations Information Governance Centre (FNIGC) began work on a feasibility study for research on GBV among First Nations. As well, in August 2019, Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada began work on a project titled "Meeting Survivors' Needs: Gender-based Violence and the Criminal Justice System in Inuit Nunangat".
  • Two Annual Reports (2017-18 and 2018-19) have been published to report back on progress and achievements made to date. These reports can be found on the GBV Knowledge Centre's Online Platform. Publication of the annual report for 2019-2020 is forthcoming.
  • In 2019, WAGE funded a project on GBV at Post-Secondary Institutions. The project report highlighted recommendations, and provided tools and resources for Post-Secondary Institutions to consider when addressing GBV on their campuses. 
• Early accomplishments from other departments as part of the Strategy include:
  • The launch of the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking, led by Public Safety Canada, in partnership with many federal departments, including WAGE. Through the Strategy, WAGE has received $10 million (starting in 2020-21) and $2 million per year ongoing to develop the Continuum of Care – Prevention and Interventions for Vulnerable Populations initiative. As well, WAGE launched a $14 million call for proposals for its Human Trafficking Initiative, which closed on September 11, 2020.
  • In 2019-20, the 25 projects funded through the Teen Dating Violence Prevention funding stream of the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) have directly reached 4,464 participants and 3,165 professionals in 80 sites across Canada.
  • In November 2019, Public Safety Canada and WAGE co-hosted an expert panel on gender-based violence and technology facilitated violence that reached 140 participants.
  • As of January 2020, a total of 43 human trafficking-related projects by community organizations and law enforcement agencies have been supported by Justice Canada.
  • Indigenous Services Canada added 5 new shelters to the existing 41 shelters serving persons fleeing family violence living on reserve in Canada.
  • In 2019-2020, a coordinated partnership of settlement and anti-violence sector umbrella organizations were brought together by IRCC to implement the Gender-Based Violence Settlement Sector Strategy.
  • In 2019, the RCMP's National Child Exploitation Crime Centre received 102,967 requests for assistance an increase of 68% since 2018 and an overall increase of 1106% since 2014.
  • In March 2020, the implementation of a cultural awareness and trauma-informed GBV training for all RCMP employees was piloted to a group of employees, which will allow for direct feedback from a sample of intended users.
  • Through the Federal Victims Strategy, Justice Canada has funded 32 projects, which include 18 outreach projects and 14 legal advice projects.
• In addition, Bill C-65 received Royal Assent in 2018. It strengthened provisions in the Canada Labour Code by putting in place a comprehensive approach that takes all forms of harassment and violence into consideration. It also expanded the coverage of the Code to include parliamentary workplaces. With the new regulations that came into force on January 1, 2021, federally-regulated employers are now required to take action to prevent and protect their employees against harassment and violence, respond to incidents when they do occur and offer support to affected employees. They will also be required to investigate, record and report all occurrences of harassment and violence. Bill C-65 creates one regime under Part II of the Code to deal with a full spectrum of reprehensible behaviours, ranging from teasing and bullying to sexual harassment and physical violence; require employers to respond, record, and report harassment and violence, and support employees affected by them; and provide strong privacy protections to ensure that complaints about harassment and violence are treated confidentially.

COVID-19 Impacts on gender-based violence

• The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted women, girls, LGBTQ2 and gender diverse people as well as other marginalized populations. While everyone in Canada has been urged to stay at home, home is not a safe place for all, particularly women and their children experiencing family or intimate-partner violence.
• As Canada continues to grapple with the pandemic almost a year later, there have been widespread reports from across Canada suggesting that the incidence and severity of some forms of GBV, particularly domestic violence, have increased. Preliminary data from a sample of 14 police services indicate that calls related to domestic disturbances increased 8% from March to October 2020 when compared to the previous year. Finally, The Canadian Centre for Child Protection reported that the organization saw an 81% spike over April, May and June in reports of online sexual exploitation of Canadian children to their national hotline (Cybertip.ca). This has come to be recognized nationally and internationally as the "GBV shadow pandemic".
• Many service providers in the GBV sector, which provides critical and often life-saving supports and services to victims and survivors of GBV and their families, have reported significant increases in demand for their services. For instance, a survey conducted by Statistics Canada among organizations who provide services to victims of violence shows that 31% of responding organizations indicated that the number of people they served had increased between March and July 2020, and 19% indicated that they had seen a decrease. Decrease in demand has raised concerns that women, children, and other people experiencing violence cannot or are not reaching out for help.
• The Government has provided:
  • $100 million in emergency funding to women's shelters, sexual assault centres and other organizations providing gender-based violence supports and services.
  • $350 million to the Emergency Community Support Fund to support individuals in Canada in situations of vulnerability.
• The gendered impacts of COVID-19 make it imperative to prevent and address GBV to ensure everyone in Canada, particularly women, LGBTQ2 and gender diverse people, are safe and healthy. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing shortfalls in multiple systems and sectors, increasing the need and urgency of a National Action Plan to prevent and address GBV.

National action plan to end gender-based violence

In December 2019, the Minister for Women and Gender Equality was mandated to build on the foundation laid by It's Time: Canada's Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence (GBV Strategy) and move forward to develop a National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence (National Action Plan), with a focus on supporting victims, survivors and their families, no matter where they live in Canada.

• The National Action Plan will be informed by years of departmental engagement with victims, survivors and their families, direct service providers, experts, and researchers as well as by parliamentary and stakeholders reports and calls to action, and proceed in collaboration with multiple federal departments, provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous partners, and civil society.
• The Government of Canada, through WAGE, is working closely with provinces and territories on the development of the National Action Plan, notably through the Federal-Provincial-Territorial (FPT) Forum of Ministers responsible for the Status of Women. At the 38^th Annual Meeting held in January 2021, Ministers endorsed the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministerial Joint Declaration for a Canada Free of Gender-Based Violence.
• The GBV National Action Plan will make immediate and sustainable progress towards the Government's priority of eliminating GBV and advancing gender equality and will directly support Canada's COVID-19 recovery by investing in women and supporting the Government's commitment to tackle the challenges that constrain far too many in Canada as the country builds back better, including: GBV, chronic homelessness, systemic racism, discrimination against LGBTQ2 communities, barriers faced by people living with disabilities, and the unfinished and essential work of reconciliation.
• The National Action Plan will align with and amplify other federal priorities including: the implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action and the National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls' Calls for Justice, the National Housing Strategy, the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking, and the National Strategy on Countering Radicalization to Violence.

Other government of Canada efforts related to GBV

• On March 1, 2021, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announced that Divorce Act amendments have come into force. These mark the first substantive changes to federal family laws in more than 20 years.
• Key changes:
  • An evidence-based definition of family violence;
  • In the best interests of the child criteria, amendments specific to family violence cases. For example, courts must consider family violence and its impact on the ability and willingness to care for and meet the needs of the child.
  • Specific criteria for courts to consider in situations of family violence, such as the nature, seriousness and frequency of the family violence and whether there is a pattern of coercive and controlling behaviour in relation to a family member;
  • Consideration of family violence when deciding supervised parenting time and transfers; and,
  • A provision to promote coordination between criminal, child protection and family cases.

Issue: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) Commemoration Fund

• The Government of Canada is committed to reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.
• As part of the Government of Canada's immediate response to the interim report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG), WAGE announced over $13M in funding to over 100 projects supporting Indigenous governments and organizations' work with families, survivors, and communities to implement commemorative initiatives that help honour the lives and legacies of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.
• In response to the Calls for Justice in the National Inquiry's Final Report, the Government of Canada committed to developing a National Action Plan to address violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.
• WAGE is supporting Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada's efforts to co-develop this plan with Indigenous women, girls, 2SLGBTQQIA+ groups, organizations, provinces, and territories.
• WAGE has also been mandated to develop a National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence, and will be working to ensure that these two national action plans are aligned and complement one another.

Background

• In November 2017, the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (the National Inquiry) released its Interim Report, Our Women and Girls Are Sacred. Several federal organizations, including WAGE, Indigenous Services Canada, Public Safety Canada, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are taking action to respond to recommendations in the National Inquiry's Interim Report to: better meet the needs of survivors, family members, communities, and others affected by the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls; support commemoration activities; and review police policies and practices.

Commemoration fund

• The creation of a Commemoration Fund responded to calls for the Government to take early action where warranted, prior to the National Inquiry releasing final recommendations. It also recognized that the call for further support for commemoration preceded the Inquiry process.
• Over 100 projects totalling more than $13 million over two years were announced on June 24, 2019, to support Indigenous governments and organizations to work with families, communities, and survivors to help honour the lives and legacies of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ individuals. WAGE will not be holding a second call for proposals, as all funding was allocated through the first call.
• In developing the Fund, the Department incorporated promising practices and wisdom from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Commemoration Initiative. Building on the Government's commitment to reconciliation and relationship-building with Indigenous peoples, as well as the unique needs of Indigenous women, the Department engaged with Indigenous women's organizations, families, and survivors throughout the implementation of the Commemoration Fund.

National action plan re: MMIWG

• On June 3, 2019, the National Inquiry released its Final Report, which included 231 Calls for Justice for transformative legal and social changes. The Final Report further calls for the decolonizing of Canadian society and for the reinstatement of the power and place of Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people by indigenizing structures, institutions, legislation, and policies.
• The Government of Canada committed to bringing forward a National Action Plan to address violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+people. The Minister for Women and Gender Equality is mandated to support the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada to continue to implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action and the National Inquiry's Calls for Justice in partnership with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.
• The Minister for Women and Gender Equality will also move forward to develop a National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence, with a focus on ensuring that anyone facing gender-based violence has reliable and timely access to protection, supports, and services.
• Both initiatives require coordinated and collaborative actions from federal, provincial, and territorial governments, in line with respective jurisdictional responsibilities, and in close partnership with families and survivors, Indigenous partners, civil society, front-line service providers, municipalities, the private sector, and researchers. WAGE is working with CIRNA to ensure the two national action plans are aligned and complement one another.

Issue: GBV and rural broadband

• Technology has changed the way society interacts. There is much dependence on the Internet, even more so since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone in Canada, no matter where they live, has come to depend on high-speed Internet to connect with family, do school work, run a business, or access essential services.
• The Government of Canada has made billions of dollars available through programs such as Connect to Innovate (2016), the CRTC Broadband Fund (2015) and the Universal Broadband Fund (2020) to support the building of rural and remote Internet infrastructure.
• The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced that high-speed Internet access is essential. For women living in rural and remote communities experiencing intimate partner violence, public health lockdowns have meant less access than before to supports and services. Limited high-speed Internet access can further exacerbate isolation and vulnerability to intimate partner violence and its impacts.
• Investment in social infrastructure, including reliable and high-speed Internet, is key to supporting women's independence and empowering them to leave violent situations.
• We are working on the development of a National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence that would include actions towards creating better social infrastructure and a more enabling environment. Since the start of the pandemic, the Government has announced $100 million in emergency funding for organizations providing supports and services to those experiencing gender-based violence.

Background

• Canada's climate is diverse due to its large geographical area, and this presents unique challenges in providing high-quality broadband Internet access services to everyone in Canada. In particular, many rural and remote areas do not have services comparable in speed, capacity, quality or price to what is offered in urban centres.
• To close the remote/rural and urban digital gap, existing infrastructure across Canada needs to be upgraded and new infrastructure needs to be built. This will require significant time and money and a collective effort from all levels of government and industry.

COVID-19, National Action Plan to End GBV, and Broadband

• More people are living and working online while staying home during the COVID-19 pandemic. The crisis has reinforced the need for a National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence and amplified its urgency. It has also reinforced the need for high-speed Internet access, which will play a major role in supporting the Canadian economy post-pandemic.
• There is widespread anecdotal evidence that the incidence and severity of gender-based violence may be increasing during the pandemic, particularly intimate partner violence. The pandemic has led to converging factors that may increase the risk of gender-based violence for women in rural and remote communities, including a lack of transportation options and increased isolation due to geographic distance; a lack of reliable broadband and telecommunications infrastructure; and the exacerbation of already-limited access to supports and services, such as shelters, housing, counselling, and sexual assault centres.
• As such, investment in social infrastructure, including access to reliable and high-speed Internet, is key to supporting women's independence and empowering them to leave violent situations by improving access to housing supports, counselling, legal advice and other services. Ensuring residents of rural and remote areas have access to the Internet can help prevent GBV and support survivors of GBV by making essential services and resources that have moved online more accessible. For people experiencing violence, Internet access is crucial to talk to friends and family and to find information, resources, and tools to develop safety plans.
• The pandemic has highlighted unequal access to high-speed service in Canada. In 2019, just 46% of rural households had access to Internet speeds of 50 Megabits per second (Mbps) download / 10 Mbps upload (50/10Mbps), compared with 99% of urban households.
• Only about 35% of households in First Nations reserves have access to 50/10 Mbps. 
• The Government of Canada has made billions of dollars of funding available to support the building of rural and remote Internet infrastructure, including the recently-launched Universal Broadband Fund. At $1.75 billion, the Universal Broadband Fund (UBF) is the largest single investment to date towards connecting all Canadians. Since the UBF launched in November 2020, nearly $10 million in funding for 10 projects in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario has already been announced, to help connect more than 9,500 households.

Issue: Feminist response and recovery fund

• The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed gaps in our systems, magnifying systemic and longstanding inequalities for women and girls in Canada and around the world. 
• Recognizing this, on February 11, 2021, Women and Gender Equality Canada launched a $100M Call for Proposals, under the Women's Program, entitled Feminist Response and Recovery Fund.
• This Fund will allow organizations to respond to a wide range of issues in order to accelerate progress on gender equality and ensure that Canada's response to and recovery from COVID-19 is inclusive of diverse women.
• In particular, funding will support projects that address or remove systemic barriers impeding the progress and advancement of women in three priority areas:
  • Encouraging women and girls in leadership and decision-making roles
  • Improving women's and girls' economic security and prosperity
  • Ending violence against women and girls
• Recognizing the need for a feminist, intersectional response to COVID-19, Women and Gender Equality Canada will direct funding to projects supporting marginalized or underrepresented women including Indigenous women, Black women, women of colour women who are members of LGBTQ2 communities, and women living with disabilities or in rural or remote communities.
• The call will be open for six weeks until March 25, 2021 noon Pacific time. This time frame will allow funding to flow more quickly to organizations.

Background

• Through the Women's Program, the Department for Women and Gender Equality invests in projects across Canada that address systemic barriers to women's equality. The objective of the Women's Program is to achieve the full participation of women in the economic, social and democratic life of Canada.
• With historic increases in funding over the past five years, the Women's Program has been able to significantly extend its funding support to advance systemic change for women's equality and strengthen the capacity of women's organizations.
• Budget 2019 announced $160 million over five years to the Women's Program to enable further community action to tackle systemic barriers impeding women's progress, while recognizing and addressing the diverse experiences of gender and inequality across the country.
• To date, through this Budget 2019 commitment, up to $30 million has been invested in three innovative funding projects with Community Foundations of Canada, Canadian Women's Foundation, and Grand Challenges Canada.

Feminist response and recovery fund

• The impacts of COVID-19 have exposed gaps in our systems and amplified existing inequalities for women in Canada and around the world. Women have faced increased job losses, reduced hours of work, have shouldered the majority of additional unpaid care responsibilities at home, and continue to be on the frontlines of the pandemic. There have also been widespread reports of increased intimate partner and other forms of violence. These impacts have been further compounded for Indigenous women, racialized women and other underrepresented groups of women.
• On February 11 2021, the Department launched a Call for Proposals under the Women's Program entitled Feminist Response and Recovery Fund.
• This Fund will invest $100 million in systemic change projects to support a feminist response and recovery from the current impacts of COVID-19, particularly for underrepresented women.
• This call for proposals provides the flexibility for organizations to be responsive to the broad and diverse systemic issues that need to be tackled.
• In particular, funding will support projects that address or remove systemic barriers impeding the progress and advancement of women in three priority areas:
  • Encouraging women and girls in leadership and decision-making roles
  • Improving women's and girls' economic security and prosperity
  • Ending violence against women and girls
• The Fund will support organizations undertaking new projects, or scaling up past successful projects
• Funding will prioritize proposals which address barriers for underrepresented women including those who are Indigenous, racialized, newcomers, members of official language minority communities (OLMCs), seniors, young women and girls, women who are members of LGBTQ2 communities, low-income, living with a disability and in a rural, remote or northern community.
• Systemic change can advance gender equality by allowing women and girls to fully participate in the economic, social, democratic and political life of Canada.
• This may include improving policies and practices; resource distribution; networks and collaborations; distribution of authority, voices and decision-making power; and gender norms and attitudes.
• The call is open to not-for-profit women's organizations and other not-for-profit organizations with experience in advancing equality for women, not-for-profit Indigenous organizations, educational institutions, research organizations and institutes, and centres of expertise. To be eligible, organizations have to be legally constituted organizations in Canada. Where there are no Indigenous organizations, Indigenous governments (including band councils, tribal councils and self-government entities) and their agencies are eligible.
• Through this call, funding is available until March 2024 as follows:
  • Proposals with local scope: up to $300,000 total
  • Proposals with provincial/territorial/regional/interprovincial/ inter-territorial scope: up to $500,000 total
  • Proposals with pan-Canadian scope: up to $700,000 total
  • Organizations operating in the north can request an additional 25% to address additional costs of living and travelling in remote northern areas.
• The call will be open for six weeks and accept applications until March 25, 2021 at 12:00pm (noon) Pacific time. This time frame will allow funding to flow more quickly to organizations.

Issue:Gender wage gap

• Everyone deserves an equal opportunity to succeed and to receive equal pay for work of equal value. Canadians have experienced a gender wage gap for far too long; the Government of Canada has been working hard to close that gap. This is a key part of the economic recovery plan as Canada builds back better.
• In 2020, women earned 89 cents for every dollar earned by men. The gap has closed by 3 cents since 2015, when it was 86 cents. But we still have a long way to go, especially when considering income disparities in Canada among women from marginalized communities.
• Since 2015, the Government of Canada has put in place several measures to improve women's labour market outcomes and narrow the gender wage gap, such as:
  • Introducing pay transparency measures to hold federally-regulated employers accountable for wage gaps;
  • Addressing early learning and child care needs through an investment of $7.5 billion over eleven years; 
  • Amending the Canada Labour Code for flexible work arrangements for federally regulated employees;
  • New programs to support more women to enter and succeed in well-paying careers in STEM and the skilled trades, such as the Women in Construction Fund; and
  • Launching the Women's Entrepreneurship Strategy to address the challenges women face in business, such as lack of access to capital, which the Government committed to accelerating in the recent Speech from the Throne.
• The Pay Equity Act received Royal Assent on December 13, 2018. The Government is currently analyzing information received through the consultation period, which ended this January. Once completed, the revised regulations will be published in the Canada Gazette.
• In September 2019, Canada's first Federal Pay Equity Commissioner, Ms. Karen Jensen, was appointed to the Commission by Governor in Council to administer and enforce the new law.
• The 2020 Fall Economic Statement announced key early investments to lay the groundwork for a Canada-wide child care system, in partnership with provinces, territories and Indigenous Peoples. The Government committed to providing:
  • $70M over five years and $15M ongoing to sustain the existing federal Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Secretariat, and to help build Indigenous governance capacity and support Indigenous participation in the development of a Canada-wide system.
  • $210M ongoing starting in 2028-29 to support Indigenous early learning and child care programming.

COVID Specific measures:

• The pandemic has placed particular demands on low-income workers deemed essential during this crisis. Most of these workers are women who often have salaries less than or similar to what they would receive from the Canada Emergency Response Benefit.
• That is why this government reached an agreement with the provinces and territories on a new transfer to cost-share a temporary salary top-up.
  • The Government of Canada will provide up to $3 billion in support to increase the wages of low-income essential workers.

Background

Statistics from Canada on the gender wage gap

• The gender wage gap is the difference between the earnings of women and men, typically expressed as a proportion of men's earnings.
• When comparing average hourly wages of women and men (aged 15+) in 2020 among all workers, women earned 89 cents for every dollar earned by men suggesting a gap of 11%. The gap has narrowed since 2015, when it was 86 cents, representing an increase of 3 cents in 2020. Research suggests that gains in 2020 might be due to the fact that more women, particularly those in low-paying jobs, were out of the labour force. At this time, it is unclear how COVID-19 will impact this wage gap for the short and long-term.
• Earning inequalities between women and men tend to increase with age because women experience more employment interruptions than men, and because older women generally have lower levels of educational attainment and work experience than younger women.
• A study released in January 2020 by the University of Ottawa and the Labour Market Information Council suggests that the annual earning inequality seems to appear immediately after postsecondary graduation and widens notably in the first five years in the workforce:
  • When comparing annual earnings of women and men with the same credentials, the study found that women earn 2% to 21% less than their male counterparts in the first year after graduating.
  • When comparing annual earnings of women and men with the same credentials and within the same field of study, the study found that five years after graduation, women earned less than their male counterparts in every field of study at all credential levels – with the biggest annual earning gaps in the STEM fields.
• A number of factors contribute to the gender wage gap that are generally attributable to gendered social norms and biases about work, whether paid or unpaid. A 2019 Statistics Canada study found that the two largest factors explaining the gender wage gap were the distribution of women and men across industries (with male-dominated industries being better paying), and women's overrepresentation in part-time work (due to caregiving responsibilities). For instance, in 2015, a greater proportion of women performed unpaid work activities than men did (89.9% versus 80.1%). The pandemic has exasperated some of these inequalities, for example, in June 2020, almost two thirds (64%) of women reported that they were mostly responsible for home-schooling or helping children with homework, while 19% of men reported being mostly responsible for this task.
• The gender gap was wider among immigrants, especially recent immigrants, with women who had landed in Canada within five years prior to the 2018 Labour Force Survey earning, on average, 81 cents for every dollar earned by immigrant men who landed in Canada during the same period.
• When comparing median hourly wages, Indigenous women earned 0.82 cents for every dollar earned by men (includes Indigenous and non-Indigenous) in 2018. In 2016, the prevalence of low income among Indigenous women was 25% compared to 14% for the total population of women and girls in Canada.

Measures addressing the gender wage gap and COVID impacts

• The gender wage gap must be tackled on a number of fronts. Prior to the pandemic, the Government of Canada had been at work implementing measures that increase the value of women's work such as pay equity and pay transparency, as well as measures that support care-related responsibilities like the new EI Parental Sharing Benefit, the creation of affordable, high-quality child care spaces for low and modest income families, and flexible work arrangements.
• The pandemic must not roll back gains on closing the gender wage gap. Recognizing that women are key to Canada's economic recovery from the impacts of COVID-19, the Government committed to the Action Plan for Women in the Economy, in addition to:
  • Makinga significant, long-term, sustained investment to create a Canada-wide early learning and childcare system;
  • Accelerating the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy, which has already helped women across Canada grow their businesses;
  • Introducing the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit for workers unable to work for at least half of the week due to caregiving during the pandemic; and
  • Evolving the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) to transition those who rely on it to an employment insurance-type program. This change will also see sickness and caregiver benefits for those who are not covered at work should they, their children or those they care for contract COVID-19.
• The Government also continues to take steps to address women's systemic economic vulnerability during COVID-19. This includes measures such as:
  • Additional assistance to families with children by temporarily boosting Canada Child Benefit payments, delivering almost $2 billion in extra support;
  • Offering $19 billion to the Provinces and Territories to get communities back up and running and support the services Canadians rely on like child care;
  • $685 million in total for the Indigenous Community Support Fund to address immediate needs in First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, including support for Elders and vulnerable community members.
• Furthermore, to provide immediate relief for families with young children, the Government also proposed $2.35 billion over two years in the 2020 Fall Economic Statement to:
  • Introduce temporary support totalling up to $1200 in 2021 for each child under the age of 6 for low-and-middle-income families who are entitled to the Canada Child Benefit.
  • Provide equivalent temporary quarterly payments of $300 for each child under the age of six in respect of whom a Children's Special Allowance is paid, recognizing that FPT and First Nation child protection agencies also faced higher costs.

Issue: Women in stem and non-traditional employment

Increasing women's participation in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), as well as the skilled trades, is good for the economy and for Canadians. This is true now more so than ever as we look toward economic recovery from COVID-19.

That is why the Government of Canada continues to be committed to advancing gender equality in STEM and skilled trades.

In the Speech from the Throne, the Government announced its commitment to create over one million jobs, including investing in training and skills training for those most affected by job losses. This includes funding for training and skills development, including the Women's Employment Readiness Canada pilot project.

To support more women to enter and succeed in the skilled trades, Canada has invested in several programs including the Skilled Trades Awareness and Readiness Program, Apprenticeship Incentive Grants for Women, and the Women in Construction Fund.

Budget 2019 made important investments in Let's Talk Science for their work in engaging youth through hands-on STEM learning, and promoting STEM to girls and other underrepresented groups.

Since November 2015, the Department, through the Women's Program, has approved $11.3M in support of projects to advance women's participation in non-traditional professions in which they are underrepresented, including in STEM.

As a result of this funding, approximately 100 activities like workshops, training programs and information sharing sessions were held; and 29 different resources to eliminate obstacles preventing women from advancing their careers in non-traditional occupations were created and disseminated. More than 90,000 women now have the opportunity to work in environments that are free of gender bias, culture barriers and stereotypes.

The Government will also create an Action Plan for Women in the Economy to help more women get back into the workforce and to ensure a feminist, intersectional response to the pandemic and recovery.

Background

• Despite significant increases in women's levels of education and labour market participation, the gender wage gap remains as other barriers continue to prevent women from reaching their full economic potential.
• These barriers are collectively described by some researchers as a "glass obstacle course" – all the formal and informal barriers encountered at every turn in women's careers, from elementary school to post-secondary education, to field and lab work, and tenure and grant applications, as well as gender discrimination.
• Among these barriers are the effects of occupational segregation by gender. As a result, women are overrepresented in low-paying and part-time occupations and underrepresented in full-time high-paying ones. Women hold the majority of jobs in hospitality, retail and service industries – sectors first impacted by lockdown and physical distancing measures. Having more women participate in STEM and skilled trades will contribute to women's economic security and help close the gender wage gap.
• The recent Speech from the Throne and Fall Economic Statement promised to create one million jobs including investing in training for those most affected by job losses and help diversify sectors to include more women and other underrepresented groups.
  • Proposed funding includes $274.2 million over 2 years, starting in 2021-22, to support the Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Program, the Foreign Credential Recognition Program, the Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities, and the Women's Employment Readiness Canada pilot project. 
• In addition, the Speech from the Throne announced that the Government will create an Action Plan for Women in the Economy to help more women get back into the workforce and to ensure a feminist, intersectional response to this pandemic and recovery.

Government of Canada initiatives: STEM and skilled trades

• The skilled trades offer women opportunities for well paying, rewarding jobs in sectors across the economy. The Government is investing in supporting more women to enter and succeed in the skilled trades, such as:
  • $63.5 million, over five years, for 68 projects as part of the Union Training and Innovation Program (UTIP) 2020 call for proposals.
  • $40 million over three years in the Union Training and Innovation Program which includes two streams: Investments in training equipment, and Innovation in Apprenticeship.
  • $19.9 million over five years, starting in 2018–19, to pilot an Apprenticeship Incentive Grant for Women. Under the grant, women receive $3,000 for each of their first two years of training up to $6,000.
  • $10 million over three years from Employment and Social Development Canada's existing resources to launch the Women in Construction Fund in 2018-19.
• Budget 2019 provided $10 million over two years to Let's Talk Science for their work engaging youth in hands-on STEM learning, including promoting STEM to girls and other under-represented groups. In 2019-20, Let's Talk Science offered programming in over 4,000 schools in over 1,200 communities in every province and territory, impacting nearly 810,000 youth and educators across Canada.
• Announced in Budget 2018, the Social Science and Humanities Research Council, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and Canadian Institutes of Health Research are tasked with developing new plans to achieve greater diversity among research funding recipients. To support these goals, the Government is investing in, for example:
  • $210 million over five years ($50 million ongoing) for the Canada Research Chairs Program to better support early-career researchers, while increasing diversity among nominated researchers;
  • $15 million over five years to implement programs that support improving equity, diversity and inclusion at post-secondary institutions.
• This investment led to the highest number of nominations of women announced in September 2018 (43%).

WAGE Specific supports:

• Since November 2015, the Department has approved $11.3M in support of projects to advance women's participation in non-traditional professions in which they are underrepresented, including in STEM. For example:
  • A project by the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta is working to increase the participation of women in STEM professions through consultations, an analysis on diversity and pay equity, and the development and piloting of a workplace culture policy.
• As a result of this funding, approximately 100 activities like workshops, training programs and information sharing sessions were held; and 29 different resources to eliminate obstacles preventing women from advancing their careers in non-traditional occupations were created and disseminated. More than 90,000 women now have the opportunity to work in environments that are free of gender bias, culture barriers and stereotypes.

Issue: Women in leadership and decision-making

The Government is committed to increasing the representation of women in positions of leadership and decision-making, in both the public and private sectors.

To this end, the Government now requires all federally-incorporated organizations to disclose the diversity of their senior management and board of directors. This will increase corporate transparency and advance gender equality and diversity in Canada's boardrooms.

Since its launch in 2016, the new selection process for Governor in Council (GIC) appointments, which is open, transparent, and merit-based, has shown a significant increase for women.

• As of February 2021, over 50% identify as women. This is an increase of 14% since 2014.
• In addition, as of February 2021 over 10% identify as visible minorities, around 6% as Indigenous, and around 4% as Canadians with disabilities.

In Canada's business community, women, Indigenous People, racialized individuals, LGBTQ2 individuals, and people with disabilities are underrepresented in decision-making positions.

That is why in December 2020, the Government launched the 50-30 Challenge to promote diversity in corporate Canada. The Government is investing $33 million in this joint initiative with the private sector.

Since November 2015, WAGE has through its Women's Program invested over $29 million in projects to encourage the representation of women and girls in leadership and decision-making roles, including:

$18 million to fund roughly 50 projects that engage some 150 women leaders from across the country working to advance gender equality locally and as part of a pan-Canadian network.

As a result of this funding:

• 3,616,108 women gained access to services and supports that resulted in better opportunities for leadership positions in various spheres. 
• Through resources and training workshops, over 3.5 million people gained skills and knowledge to create more equitable conditions for women. 
• Funded projects developed and disseminated 100 resources, undertook advocacy, and leveraged 304 partnerships and collaborations, in order to bring about changes to institutional processes and cultures; systemic changes have been made to reduce barriers and increase the proportion of women in leadership positions.

Background

Government of Canada efforts:

• The United Nations suggests that women should represent at least 30% of a decision-making body in order to meaningfully influence decision-making processes. In Canada, this threshold is not achieved in most forms of leadership for both the private and public sectors.
  • For example, in 2019, women held 19% of the total board seats among TSX-listed disclosing companies, representing an increase of 2.5% compared to 2018.
• In February 2016, the Government established an open and transparent process for selecting Governor in Council appointees. There are over 1,850 people currently appointed to administrative tribunals, agencies, boards, commissions, international organizations, and Crown corporations. Since 2014, the number of appointees who identify as women increased by 14 percent. 
  • Most notably, women have been appointed for the first time to a number of leadership positions, including: the Chief Science Advisor, the Chief Commissioner of the Canadian Grain Commission, the Chair of Via Rail, the President of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the President of the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, the Executive Director of the Standards Council of Canada, the Chief Public Health Officer, the Director of Public Prosecutions, and the Chairperson of the Infrastructure Bank. 
• Bill C-25's diversity disclosure amendments came into force on January 1, 2020. This Bill amends the Canada Business Corporations Act (CBCA) to require corporations to disclose diversity information on the representation of women, Indigenous Peoples, visible minorities, and persons with disabilities on their boards of directors and senior management teams. They must also disclose details of diversity policies in place.
  • Diversity disclosure information must be sent to shareholders with the notice of annual meeting, and to Corporations Canada (CC) so that progress can be monitored. In what is known as "comply or explain", if diversity disclosures are not made, boards have to explain why to their shareholders.
• Budget 2018 announced that the Government would invest $210 million over five years, starting in 2018–19 with $50 million per year ongoing, for the Canada Research Chairs Program to better support early-career researchers, while increasing diversity among nominated researchers, including increasing the number of women nominated.
  • This investment led to the highest number of nominations of women submitted announced in September 2018 (43%).
• The Government is providing $33M over 3 years, starting in 2021-22, to support the 50-30 Challenge. A collaboration with diversity-seeking groups and business stakeholders, this call to action to businesses across Canada aims to increase diverse representation on corporate boards and in senior management positions. As of February 23, 2021, 699 organizations are participating in the Challenge.

WAGE specific efforts:

• Through its Women's Program, WAGE has invested over $29 million since November 2015 in projects to advance women's representation in leadership and decision-making roles, including $18 million to support organizations to work with some 150 women leaders in various sectors and communities, as well as in a pan-Canadian network that will support collaborative action to advance gender equality in Canada.
• The 2021 supplementary mandate letter directed the Minister for WAGE to work with the President of the Treasury Board to support the Prime Minister and the Clerk of the Privy Council to develop and implement an action plan to increase the representation of women, Black and racialized Canadians, persons with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples and LGBTQ2 Canadians in hiring, appointments and leadership development within the Public Service.
  • To help coordinate these efforts, the newly created Centre on Diversity and Inclusion is co-developing initiatives with employees from communities that continue to face barriers to representation and inclusion.
  • Supported by a budget of $12M outlined in the 2020 Fall Economic Statement, the Centre will leverage the lived experiences of public servants and key community stakeholder groups and foster an ongoing dialogue for positive change.
  • Key priorities include: generating and publishing data for a more accurate picture of representation gaps; increasing the diversity of senior leaders of the public service; ensuring the right benchmarks; and addressing systemic barriers.

Issue: Government of Canada's gender equality accomplishments 

The Government of Canada continues to build on its significant progress toward gender equality with respect to sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, with historic achievements and initiatives.

The Government has provided a legal backing for gender equality and made significant investments by:

• Entrenching gender budgeting into law;
• Establishing a dedicated Department for Women and Gender Equality;
• Increasing legal protections for Canadians of all genders by amending the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code to add protections based on gender identity and expression;
• Passing historic legislation to introduce a proactive pay equity regime within the federal public and private sectors;
• Launching It's Time: Canada's Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence in 2017, which has received over $200M in new investments and over $40M per year ongoing to address gender-based violence;
• Making a historical investment of $160 million to enable further community action to tackle systemic barriers impeding women's progress; and
• Creating the first-ever federal program specifically dedicated to advancing LGBTQ2 equality, with $20 million in funding.

As part of the Government of Canada Response to COVID-19, $100M is being disbursed in emergency funding to support women's shelters, sexual assault centres, women's organizations and other organizations providing supports and services to those experiencing gender-based violence.

Over 1000 organizations have received funding, allowing nearly 800,000 women and children to benefit from the essential services and supports of these organizations.

Background

Key government achievements

• On November 4, 2015, the Prime Minister appointed:
  • The first gender-balanced federal Cabinet, allowing for diverse perspectives to be represented at the Cabinet table; and
  • The first federal minister fully dedicated to gender issues.
• On November 28, 2017, the Prime Minister delivered an apology to LGBTQ2 Canadians to acknowledge the Government of Canada's role in creating a culture of systemic oppression and criminalization toward LGBTQ2 people.
• To address the wrongs experienced by those who were unfairly criminalized by unjust laws and actions, Bill C-66, the Expungement of Historically Unjust Convictions Act received Royal Assent on June 21, 2018, putting into place a process to permanently destroy the records of convictions for offences involving consensual sexual activity between same-sex partners that would be lawful today.
• On June 19, 2017, Bill C-16 received Royal Assent. This bill includes gender identity as a prohibited ground for discrimination under the Canadian Human Rights Act. It also includes violence motivated by gender identity as a form of hate crime under the Criminal Code.
• On March 22, 2017, for the first time, the federal budget included a gender statement examining the gender impact of budget measures. On November 21, 2018, the Fall Economic Statement included the new gender budgeting legislation to enshrine gender budgeting in the federal government's budgetary and financial management processes.
  • The Canadian Gender Budgeting Act came into force in December 2018, and enshrines gender budgeting in the federal government's budgetary and financial management processes.
  • Budget 2019 fulfilled the Government's commitment to publish the GBA+ in respect of each budget measure; a comprehensive summary of each GBA+ is provided in the Budget 2019 Gender Report annex.
  • Budgets will also be guided by the new Gender Results Framework with its six pillars:
    1. Education and Skills Development;
    2. Economic Participation and Prosperity;
    3. Leadership and Democratic Participation;
    4. Gender-Based Violence and Access to Justice;
    5. Poverty Reduction, Health and Well-Being; and
    6. Gender Equality Around the World.

Key WAGE investments

• Budget 2019 provided $20 million over three years to enhance LGBTQ2 organizations' capacity.
• Over $4.9 million is being distributed to 7 key national organizations.
  • Fierté Canada Pride ($650,000)
  • Conseil québécois LGBT ($549,963)
  • The Enchanté Network ($1,505,000)
  • Égale Canada Human Rights Trust ($899,861)
  • Canadian Rainbow Coalition for Refuge ($582,466)
  • 2 Spirits in Motion Foundation ($650,000)
  • Canadian Trans Network ($99,984)
• A call for proposals for the LGBTQ2 Community Capacity Fund was launched on March 3, 2020, and closed on May 14, 2020. The call received more than 260 applications, and as a result, WAGE is now investing in building the capacity of 70 new organizations across the country whose initiatives contribute to a strong LGBTQ2 movement in Canada to advance equality for all people.
  • The disbursement of these funds to successful applicant organizations started in fall 2020.
  • A formal joint public announcement on this funding was made with Minister Chagger on February 11, 2021.
• Budget 2019 proposed a historic investment: $160 million over five years in new funding, starting in 2019-20. This funding will enable further community action to tackle systemic barriers impeding women's progress, while recognizing and addressing the diverse experiences of gender and inequality across the country.
  • This funding builds on Budget 2018 gender equality milestones, which provided $100M over five years, beginning in 2018-19, to support women's organizations to ensure a strong sustainable women's movement. Over 250 organizations have received funding to increase organizational capacity and help organizations work collectively to address gender equality issues.
  • As part of the $160M investment, WAGE entered into three innovative funding agreements in 2019 with organizations that will match up to $30M of federal funding to accelerate gender equality from coast to coast to coast. Up to $10M was provided to Community Foundations of Canada, the Canadian Women's Foundation, and Grand Challenges Canada. Each organization is matching this funding to advance gender equality efforts across cultures and generations, particularly in rural and remote communities and to support Indigenous women in Canada. Progress to date includes:
  1. 1.    Community Foundations of Canada (CFC)
     • CFC ran the first pilot intake of their Fund for Gender Equality project with 26 community foundations.
     • As a result $3.5M in funding was provided to 126 organizations, reaching 190,000 people across Canada.
     • Participating community foundations committed to prioritizing gender equality by updating their governance, staffing, human resources, procurement policies/procedures, and more. They will collectively contribute an additional $3.4M of their own capital funds to gender-lens investments. The Fund for Gender Equality will shift power into the hands of women, girls, Two-Spirit and gender-diverse individuals by supporting their leadership and engagement in community-level initiatives.
  2. 2.    Grand Challenges Canada (GCC)
     • The organization has formed an Indigenous Gender Equality Reference Group which is engaged in the design of the funding program. This group is composed of individuals with a range of expertise and experience including entrepreneurs, educators, innovators and Elders from First Nations, Inuit and Métis Backgrounds.
     • GCC's Round 1 Seed Funding Request for Proposals was launched in May 2020. This funding was structured as a two-step process. Round one resulted in 238 bold ideas, of which 50 innovators were invited to submit a full application. As a result of this process, a total of 10 projects is being funded.
  3. 3.    Canadian Women's Foundation (CWF)
     • CWF distributed funding based on its priority areas – violence prevention and economic justice – and included a focus on rural, remote and northern communities in their calls for proposals within each of the funding streams.
     • The call for proposals prioritized programs working with: women, girls, Two-Spirit, trans, and non-binary people who face multiple barriers and are underserved, including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples, Black peoples, racialized peoples, those living in rural or northern communities, those who identify as 2SLGBTQI+, people living on low-income, older peoples, refugee, immigrant or non-status peoples, those with disabilities, and young people.
     • An initial round of funding has been disbursed.
  • Through the Budget 2019 investment, on February 11, 2021, WAGE launched the $100 million Feminist Response and Recovery Fund Call for Proposals (CFP) under the Women's Program, which will fund eligible organizations to support a feminist response and recovery from the current impacts of COVID-19, particularly for underrepresented women, through systemic change projects. The call will be open for six weeks and accept applications until March 25, 2021.
• Budgets 2017 and 2018 committed over $200M over 5 years and over $40M ongoing for GBV initiatives as part of It's Time: Canada's Strategy to Prevent and Address GBV, specifically focusing on advancing efforts to prevent GBV; supporting survivors and their families; and promoting responsive legal and justice systems.
• Six departments have received funding through Budgets 2017 and 2018 under the GBV Strategy: Public Safety Canada; Public Health Agency of Canada; Department of National Defense; Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada; the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; and WAGE. WAGE is receiving $108.5M between 2017-18 and 2022-23 and $22M ongoing for public education and awareness, research, programming, and the establishment and operation of the GBV Knowledge Centre.
• Key WAGE accomplishments to date under the Strategy include the following:
  • The GBV Program was launched, which provides funding to organizations working in the GBV sector to implement innovative interventions. Of the 60 projects funded as part of this program, 56 projects are currently under way to develop and test promising practices to support victims and survivors of gender-based violence and their families and 4 are developing implementation plans.
  • In December 2018, the GBV Knowledge Centre's online platform was launched. This platform compiles resources and research related to GBV, including information on federal initiatives. As of December 2020, the online platform was visited close to 72,000 times.
  • Three new national surveys were developed to establish baselines on the prevalence of different forms of GBV among different populations, provide a deeper understanding of GBV in Canada and measure progress over time:
    • The Survey on Safety in Public and Private Spaces released its provincial findings in December 2019 and its findings for the territories in December 2020. Results were released in September 2020 on experiences of GBV among LGBTQ2 people, which provided the first ever nationally representative data on transgender and gender diverse people in Canada.
    • The Survey on Individual Safety in the Postsecondary Student Population released its findings in September 2020;
    • Results from the Survey on Sexual Misconduct at Work are expected to be released in 2021.
  • In December 2018, WAGE launched a public call for proposals of up to $5 million for research on gender-based violence and gender equality. The CFP resulted in thirteen projects; topics include: intimate partner violence, sexual violence among LGBTQ2 people in the postsecondary setting, human trafficking, employment equity among diverse populations, access to justice, and Indigenous community-based approaches to GBV.
  • In line with WAGE priorities and approaches, two Indigenous-led research projects that address GBV are underway. In January 2019, the First Nations Information Governance Centre (FNIGC) began work on a feasibility study for research on GBV among First Nations. As well, in August 2019, Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada began work on a project titled "Meeting Survivors' Needs: Gender-based Violence and the Criminal Justice System in Inuit Nunangat".
  • Two Annual Reports (2017-18 and 2018-19) have been published to report back on progress and achievements made to date. Publication of the annual report for 2019-2020 is forthcoming.
  • In 2019, WAGE funded a project on GBV at Post-Secondary Institutions. The project report highlighted recommendations, and provided tools and resources for Post-Secondary Institutions to consider when addressing GBV on their campuses.
  • Through the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking, WAGE has received $10 million (starting in 2020-21) and $2 million per year ongoing to develop the Continuum of Care – Prevention and Interventions for Vulnerable Populations Initiative.
  • On December 15, 2020, the Government of Canada announced $22.4 million in funding to 63 organizations for projects designed to prevent and address human trafficking and support at-risk populations and survivors. Of these, WAGE is funding 43 projects for a total of $14 million for organizations to develop, deliver, and test empowerment-focused prevention and intervention promising practices for at-risk populations, victims, and survivors of human trafficking, including women and girls, Indigenous women and girls, LGBTQ2 and gender diverse people.
• Early accomplishments from other departments as part of the Strategy include:
  • The launch of the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking, led by Public Safety Canada, in partnership with many federal departments, including WAGE.
  • In 2019-20, the 25 projects funded through the Teen Dating Violence Prevention funding stream of the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) directly reached 4,464 participants and 3,165 professionals in 80 sites across Canada.
  • In November 2019, Public Safety Canada and WAGE co-hosted an expert panel on gender-based violence and technology facilitated violence that reached 140 participants.
  • From 2012 to 2020, a total of 43 human trafficking-related projects by community organizations and law enforcement agencies have been supported by Justice Canada; 14 of them received funding in 2019-2020.
  • As part of Budget 2016, CMHC completed construction of five additional shelters on reserve for persons fleeing domestic violence in First Nation communities across Canada. The five shelters receive operational funding from Indigenous Services Canada, and have been integrated into the existing network of 41 shelters serving women and children living on reserve in the provinces and in the Yukon.
  • In 2019-2020, a coordinated partnership of settlement and anti‑violence sector umbrella organizations were brought together by IRCC to implement the Gender-Based Violence Settlement Sector Strategy.
  • Bill C-65, led by Employment and Social Development Canada, amended the Canada Labour Code to address workplace violence and sexual harassment. It received Royal Assent in 2018 and came into force on January 1, 2021.
  • In 2019, the RCMP's National Child Exploitation Crime Centre received 102,967 requests for assistance, an increase of 68% since 2018 and an overall increase of 1106% since 2014.
  • In March 2020, the implementation of a cultural awareness and trauma-informed GBV training for all RCMP employees was piloted to a group of employees and will allow for direct feedback from a sample of intended users.
  • Through the Federal Victims Strategy, Justice Canada has funded 32 projects, which include 18 outreach projects and 14 legal advice projects.
• As part of the Government's COVID-19 response, $100 million in emergency funding has been provided to women's shelters, sexual assault centres, women's organizations and other organizations providing gender-based violence supports and services to women and children experiencing violence, including facilities in Indigenous communities, to help with their capacity to manage or prevent an outbreak in their facilities.
  • Through this investment, over 1000 organizations providing critical gender-based violence services and supports, such as women's shelters and sexual assault organizations, have received funding.
  • Because of this funding, nearly 800,000 women and children experiencing gender-based violence during the pandemic have had a place to turn.

International

• In 2019 the Minister for Women and Gender Equality announced the Government of Canada's intention to work with the Equality Fund to establish an innovative global platform bringing the granting, philanthropic and investment worlds together to mobilize resources for women's rights organizations in developing countries, including a $300 million commitment. The Equality Fund established a COVID-19 Response Fund in May 2020 to support feminist strategies to respond to the impact of the pandemic.
• In June 2019, Canada became one of the Vice-Presidents of the Inter‑ American Commission of Women of the Organization of American States (OAS-CIM). Canada will hold this position until 2022. WAGE is working with the CIM to adapt and implement its GBA+ online tools in 2021 in order to make it accessible to member states Latin America and the Caribbean.
• In 2020, UN Women, France and Mexico convened the Generation Equality Forum to bring together key stakeholders to take actions to accelerate progress on the Beijing Platform For action. The Forum has established six multi-stakeholder "Action Coalitions" to identify actions to achieve results on gender equality during the UN Decade of Action (2020-2030) to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals. Canada will co-lead the Action Coalition on Feminist Movements and Leadership and is expected to make domestic and international commitments to advance gender equality over a 5 year period.

Issue: Mandates of Ministers responsible for - Women and Gender Equality & Diversity and inclusion and youth

The Government of Canada continues to work towards creating a more inclusive society for all Canadians, where every person has equal opportunity to succeed.

As Minister for Women and Gender Equality, I will continue to advance equality through the inclusion of women and gender diverse people in Canada's economic, social and political life, and through the prevention and elimination of gender-based violence.

My Department's mandate is reflective of the Government of Canada's commitment to support the women's movement and equality-seeking groups, with a particular focus on vulnerable women, including Indigenous women, women with disabilities, newcomer, racialized and migrant women, and members of LGBTQ2 communities

Background

Minister for Women and Gender Equality

• The Department for Women and Gender Equality Act received Royal Assent on December 13, 2018 as part of the Budget Implementation Act, 2018, No. 2. This transformed the former Status of Women Canada into the Department for Women and Gender Equality with a Minister for Women and Gender Equality.
• The Minister's powers, duties and functions now formally extend to and include all matters relating to women and gender equality, including the advancement of equality, including social, economic and political equality, with respect to sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.
• The expanded mandate of the new Department also formalizes as a responsibility of the Minister the promotion of the Government's gender and diversity lens, known as GBA+, which involves the examination of the policy and program impacts of the intersection of sex and gender with other identity factors including race, national and ethnic origin, Indigenous origin or identity, age, sexual orientation, socio-economic condition, place of residence and disability.
• This legislation has been complemented by the mainstreaming of GBA+, through a number of legislative initiatives, including:
  • The Canadian Gender Budgeting Act, formalizing GBA+ in decisions related to budgeting, taxation and expenditures; and
  • New legislation related to Environmental Assessments, Energy, Fisheries and Immigration that require consideration of GBA+.
• In support of the expanded mandate, the Government announced in Budget 2019, $20M over three years to help address the unique needs and persisting disparities among members of the LGBTQ2 community by investing in capacity building and community-level work of service organizations.
• The Department for Women and Gender Equality and the LGBTQ2 Secretariat work closely to advance key LGBTQ2 files.
• The Diversity and Inclusion and Youth Mandate Letter outlines Minister Chagger responsibilities for developing policy related to the LGBTQ2 file. To ensure seamless program delivery and support to LGBTQ2 organizations, the Department for Women and Gender Equality remains accountable for the delivery of the LGBTQ2 Community Capacity Fund and funding agreements with LGBTQ2 community organizations.
• The two organizations are also collaborating on strengthening GBA+ for racialized community initiatives by establishing resources, tools, and training.

Issue: WAGE funding

• A strong and vibrant women's and equality-seeking movement is part of the foundation of a more inclusive Canada, one where everyone has opportunities to succeed. Women's organizations and equality seeking organizations provide vital supports to those who are most vulnerable so that they can be financially secure, safe from violence, and able to fully participate in all aspects of our economy and society.
• Since November 2015, the Government of Canada has significantly increased funding to the sector. Since that time, over 730 projects for more than $280 million have been funded to ensure that everyone can participate fully as members of Canadian society. In 2019-20 alone, 6 million people benefitted from the important work of these organizations.
  • To date, over 250 of these projects have been funded under the Capacity-building Fund, which supported women's and Indigenous organizations across Canada to continue providing essential supports to women and their families.
  • 110 projects were supported under the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Commemoration Fund, which provided over $13 million over two years to help honour the lives and legacies of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, and LGBTQ and Two-Spirit people.
  • Approximately 60 projects related to testing promising practices to support survivors of gender-based violence and their families in communities across Canada were funded for approximately $50 million.
  • 7 national LGBTQ2 organizations were funded for over $4.9 million through the LGBTQ2 Community Capacity Fund to help build stronger organizations, networks and infrastructure.
  • 70 LGBTQ2 community organizations receiving more than $12 million in support through the LGBTQ2 Community Capacity Fund to help place them on solid footing, strengthening their ability to undertake their important work.
  • To respond to the impact of COVID-19, the Government provided $100 million in emergency funding to over 1,000 organizations across Canada providing critical services to those experiencing gender-based violence to ensure continuity of services during this challenging time. Since April 2020, nearly 800,000 women and children experiencing violence had a place to turn because of this funding.
  • In support of the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking, the Department is providing $14 million in funding for 43 projects to prevent and address human trafficking through the development and implementation of promising practices in support for at-risk populations and survivors.
• I am proud that my team at WAGE has worked hard delivering this critical funding to ensure that organizations on the front line can continue the important work they do to advance gender equality.

Background

• WAGE has the following funding programs: Women's Program; the Equality for Sex, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression Program (e.g., the LGBTQ2 Community Capacity Fund); and the Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Program. A description of each program has been provided below.
• In addition, information on the COVID-19 emergency funding for women and children experiencing and fleeing violence is also provided below.

Women's program: summary of funding

• Through the Women's Program, the Department for Women and Gender Equality invests in projects across Canada that address systemic barriers to women's equality. The objective of the Women's Program is to achieve the full participation of women in the economic, social and democratic life of Canada.
• With historic increases in funding over the past five years, the Women's Program has been able to significantly extend its funding support to advance systemic change for women's equality and strengthen the capacity of women's organizations.
• Since November 2015, the Women's Program has funded over 550 projects, totalling approximately $215 million.
• Budget 2019 announced $160M over five years to the Women's Program to enable further community action to tackle systemic barriers impeding women's progress, while recognizing and addressing the diverse experiences of gender and inequality across the country.
• On February 11, 2021, the Department launched the $100 million Feminist Response and Recovery Fund Call for Proposals under the Women's Program, which will fund eligible organizations to support a feminist response and recovery from the current impacts of COVID-19, particularly for underrepresented women, through systemic change projects.
• Through this call, funding is available until March 2024 as follows:
  • Proposals with local scope: up to $300,000 total
  • Proposals with provincial/territorial/regional/interprovincial/inter-territorial scope: up to $500,000 total
  • Proposals with pan-Canadian scope: up to $700,000 total
  • Organizations operating in the North can request an additional 25% to address additional costs of living and travelling in remote northern areas.
• The call will be open for six weeks and accept applications until March 25, 2021, at noon (Pacific time). This time frame will allow funding to flow more quickly to organizations.

Equality for sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression program (LGBTQ2)

• Budget 2019 provided $20 million over three years to enhance LGBTQ2 organizations' capacity.
• Over $4.9 million is being distributed to 7 key national organizations.
  • Fierté Canada Pride ($650,000)
  • Conseil québécois LGBT ($549,963)
  • The Enchanté Network ($1,505,000)
  • Égale Canada Human Rights Trust ($899,861)
  • Canadian Rainbow Coalition for Refuge ($582,466)
  • 2 Spirits in Motion Foundation ($650,000)
  • Canadian Trans Network ($99,984)
• A call for proposals for the LGBTQ2 Community Capacity Fund was launched on March 3, 2020, and closed on May 14, 2020. The call received more than 260 applications, and as a result, WAGE is now investing in building the capacity of 70 new organizations across the country whose initiatives contribute to a strong LGBTQ2 movement in Canada to advance equality for all people.
  • The disbursement of these funds to successful applicant organizations started in fall 2020.
  • A formal joint public announcement on this funding was made with Minister Chagger on February 11, 2021.

Gender-based violence program

• Following the June 2017 launch of It's Time: Canada's Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence, the Department for Women and Gender Equality established the Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Program in January 2018.
• The GBV Program complements the Department's Women's Program, and supports the development and implementation of promising practices to address gaps in supports for survivors and their families.
• Through WAGE's GBV Program, approximately $50 million is being invested in approximately 60 projects, which develop and test promising practices to support survivors of gender-based violence and their families in communities across Canada.
• Through this program, the Department is particularly focused on addressing gaps in supports for Indigenous women and their communities and other underserved populations, such as those who are more at risk of gender-based violence and/or who are facing barriers to accessing support services.
• The promising practices being developed with this funding will help more organizations, such as sexual assault crisis centres, better support population groups that are at the highest risk of experiencing or having experienced violence.

Human Trafficking initiative

• On September 4, 2019, the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking (National Strategy) was launched by the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, with investments of $57 million over five years and $10 million per year ongoing.
• Through the National Strategy, WAGE received $10 million, starting in 2020-21, and $2 million per year ongoing to develop the Continuum of Care – Prevention and Interventions for Vulnerable Populations initiative.
• Following a June 2020 call for proposals, WAGE announced, on December 15, 2020, funding for 43 projects for a total of $14 million for organizations to develop, deliver, and test empowerment-focused prevention and intervention promising practices for at-risk populations, victims, and survivors of human trafficking, including women and girls, Indigenous women and girls, LGBTQ2 and gender-diverse people.

COVID-19 Emergency funding for shelters and sexual assault centres

• From the start, Canada's COVID-19 response measures have been informed by a feminist and intersectional analysis, to ensure that our approach provides support to those who need it most.
• This includes supporting people with care responsibilities, those providing essential services, those who face job and income losses due to the pandemic, and women and children experiencing and fleeing violence.
• As a result, the Government of Canada put in place measures to support those who need help most, which include $90 million through WAGE for organizations serving women and children experiencing gender-based violence.
• The funding was distributed as follows:
  • $36.24 million was provided to Women's Shelters Canada to redistribute to women's shelters, including Indigenous Off-Reserve shelters across the country (outside of Quebec);
  • $33.6 million to Canadian Women's Foundation to redistribute to sexual assault centres, women's organizations, and organizations providing supports and services to those experiencing GBV (outside of Quebec); and,
  • $15.16M to the Province of Quebec to redistribute to women's shelters and organizations that support victims of sexual and domestic violence across the province. A total of $17.46M was transferred to Quebec, with $2.3M coming from WAGE's G&C's program budget.
• In addition, up to $5 million is supporting the mobilization of grassroots and community organizations to further coordinate and support their important work.
• To date funding has been provided to over 1,000 organizations, including shelters, sexual assault centres and other organizations delivering essential frontline supports to women and children experiencing violence and abuse across the country.
• Organizations receiving funding provide a range of GBV supports and services, such as emergency helplines, crisis and resource centres, counselling support, crisis intervention, drop-in services and support groups, as well as supports to people who have experienced sexual exploitation.
• The range of activities supported with funding includes increasing safety, emergency preparedness and supporting the business continuity of these organizations. Funding is being used, for example, for protective equipment, child minding, helping women find alternative housing, overtime of employees and additional staff coverage and capacity.

Impact of women's program investments

Improving women's and girls' economic security and prosperity

• Increased access to services & supports - In 2019-20, projects in this category created and disseminated 55 different resources to increase awareness of what services and supports were available and how to access them. Other projects connected women to services. For example, the Calgary Immigrant Women's Association undertook a project to increase access to affordable alternative child care for immigrant women working in the food service industry. The organization offered free child care services, resulting in 43% of women moving to full-time work, 29% receiving promotions, and 14% re-entering the labour force. As a result of these projects, 350,364 women gained access to services and supports that resulted in better opportunities in education, employment, health, and social services.
• Increased knowledge & skills - In 2019-20, projects in this category developed and disseminated nearly 70 different resources and implemented 347 different training workshops. For example, BuildForce Canada's project increased skills for a respectful and inclusive workplace in order to reduce workplace harassment. This was done by delivering workshops to 500 employees in the construction and maintenance industry. Those who completed the training had a better understanding of bullying and harassing behaviours and the impact they have on women who work alongside them. As a result of these resources and training workshops, nearly 400,000 people gained skills and knowledge to create more equitable conditions for women in various spheres.
• Changes to policies & institutions - In 2019-20, projects in this category developed and disseminated 46 different resources, undertook advocacy, and leveraged 215 partnerships and collaborations in order to bring about changes to institutional processes and cultures. For example, the New Brunswick Coalition for Pay Equity collaborated with partners to undertake advocacy and develop resources for private sector companies in New Brunswick to support more equitable pay for men and women. As a result of this project, the Government of New Brunswick helped to implement two new pay equity initiatives for private sector companies in the province. As a result of the changes to policies and institutions, conditions have been created for gender equality in public and private spheres.

Ending violence against women and girls

• Increased access to services & supports - In 2019-20, projects in this category created and disseminated 63 different resources to increase awareness of what services and supports were available and how to access them. As a result of these projects, 1,034,555 women gained access to services and supports related to gender-based violence, including access to counselling, court services, and trauma-informed victims' services.
• Increased knowledge & skills - In 2019-20, projects in this category developed and disseminated over 60 resources and implemented 197 training workshops. For example, the Fredericton Sexual Assault Crisis Centre (FSACC) delivered specialized training to 55 individuals from 25 police forces and organizations working closely with police, in order to improve their skills for supporting sexual assault victims. As a result of these resources and training workshops, over 1 million people gained skills and knowledge to prevent gender-based violence, to support those affected by gender-based violence and to help people escape gender-based violence.
• Changes to policies & institutions - In 2019-20, projects in this category developed and disseminated 28 resources, undertook advocacy, and leveraged 294 partnerships and collaborations in order to bring about changes to institutional processes and cultures. For example, the Kent Centre for the Prevention of Violence worked with partners across the province of New Brunswick to bring about changes to intake processes in shelters in the province. As a result of this project, all shelters across New Brunswick now use a uniform admissions kit to better meet the needs of women entering their shelters. As a result of the changes to policies and institutions, systemic changes have been made to better serve those experiencing gender-based violence.

Encouraging women and girls in leadership and decision-making roles

• Increased access to services & supports - In 2019-20, projects in this category developed and disseminated 125 different resources to improve access to supports for women leaders. For example, the New Brunswick Coalition for Pay Equity produced a series of resources to support innovative mentorship models and other support services for women leaders and decision-makers in community-based organizations. In total, 600 women participated in the project and gained access to mentors in order to help develop their leadership skills. As a result of these projects, 3,616,108 women gained access to services and supports that resulted in better opportunities for leadership positions in various spheres.
• Increased knowledge & skills – In 2019-20, projects in this category developed and disseminated 126 resources and implemented 259 training workshops. For example, the PEI Coalition for Women in Government, Women's Network PEI and Winding Path Incorporated, partnered on a project to provide women in PEI with the knowledge and skills to participate in political spheres. In total, 315 women participated in the training workshops. As a result, in the provincial election following the project, PEI saw a record high of 33% women candidates and a 5% increase in the number of women elected. As a result of these resources and training workshops, over 3.5 million people gained skills and knowledge to create more equitable conditions for women in various spheres.
• Changes to policies & institutions - In 2019-20, projects in this category developed and disseminated 100 resources, undertook advocacy, and leveraged 304 partnerships and collaborations, in order to bring about changes to institutional processes and cultures. For example, the "Daughters of the Vote" project, an annual initiative by Equal Voice, has brought about systemic changes in government by organizing one day each year in which 338 delegates, representing every federal riding in Canada, participate in the House of Commons Orders of the Day, and engage with MPs in a political leadership summit. As a result of the project, gender equality has increased in federal government and there are now a historic 100 women MPs. As a result of these projects, systemic changes have been made to reduce barriers and increase the proportion of women in leadership positions.

Other project examples and testimonials

LGBTQ2 Program Project Examples:

• Egale Canada Human Right Trust received $100,000 for a 12-month project to address organizational capacity needs through expansion of the organization's research capabilities so the organization can become a National LGBTQ2 Research Lab/Hub, thereby ensuring greater accessibility to knowledge, expertise, and best practices in order to address discrimination and oppression experienced by members of the LGBTQ2 community in Canada. Specifically, organizational capacity will be further enhanced through the establishment of a National LGBTQ2 Academic Advisory Council; the development an online research hub; the completion a literature review and conducting research studies on key areas of interest; and, the promotion of the research hub and individual studies and findings via online communication channels. It is expected that through this project, partnerships and collaborations are established and/or strengthened to support the LGBTQ2 movement LGBTQ2 organizations have increased knowledge and capacity to advance equality with respect to sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression.
• Fierté Canada Pride is receiving $250,000 for a 7-month project to strengthen the organization's foundational structure and network to support the growth and capacity of Pride organizations across the country by engaging them in an asset mapping exercise, developing and launching a 5-year strategic plan, implementing a micro-granting program for small and medium Pride organizations, and providing members with capacity-building support services. Through this project it is anticipated that LGBTQ2 organizations will have increased knowledge and capacity to advance equality with respect to sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression.
• The Enchanté Network is receiving $700,000 for an 8-month project to support its incorporation and expansion from coast to coast, strengthen its governance, develop and implement a communication strategy, work on partnership development, organize its founding national general meeting and provide micro grants to support the capacity building of LGBTQ2 centres and establishment of other centres across the country. Through this project it is anticipated that LGBTQ2 organizations will have increased knowledge and capacity to advance equality with respect to sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression.

GBV Program project examples:

• Family Transition Place, in Orangeville, Ontario, is receiving $999,837 over five years for their project entitled "Rural Response Program" to implement promising practices to support survivors and their families. The organization is working to reducing barriers to access to services for women in rural and remote communities through mobile service delivery and increased partnerships between service providers.
• The Indo-Canadian Women's Association, based in Edmonton, is receiving $560,890 to create and pilot a protocol for home visitors, such as nurses and Children's Services, to screen for violence when providing services to Indigenous women, newcomers, refugees or non-status women, and ethno-cultural women and their children. The approach is trauma-informed and culturally sensitive to enable women to safely report violence and connect them and their children with much-needed support services.
• Y des femmes de Montréal (YWCA Montreal) is receiving $981,129 in funding for their project entitled "The Graduation Approach and Gender-Based Violence." The project is adapting and testing the Graduation Approach support model to improve the support services available to newly arrived immigrant women who are survivors of gender-based violence, regardless of their legal status. Project activities are helping these women and their families cope with their loss, improve their economic security and develop the ability to be independent within the community.

COVID-19 Emergency funding for shelters and sexual assault centres testimonials:

Alice House, NS - Heather Byrne, Executive Director

"The quick receipt of funding from WAGE Canada last month has provided Alice House with vital resources to respond to the increased risk of violence against the women that we are trying so hard to keep safe. This emergency funding also sent us a strong message that in a time of isolation and despair that the federal government understands the current elevated pressure on domestic violence organizations and is there to help."

Saskatoon Interval House, SK - Tanya Wiggins, Executive Director

"Every year our shelter needs to fundraise well over $100,000.00 to keep our doors open. We all know COVID-19 has affected our economy and this causes concern for our shelter. We have already been notified that a few of our major fundraisers have been cancelled. The federal dollars we received will help to close the gap and allow us to continue to offer our programming to families in need.

Another example is in regards to capacity. We have limited the number of families we can accommodate in shelter due to COVID-19. With the Federal dollars, we are able to support families in hotels for a short period of time while we work to find affordable, safe accommodations for them.

Finally, we are now able to purchase equipment and programming to support our clients online. Doing our work differently."

Inasmuch House, ON - Erin Griver, Director of Women's Services

"This time is unprecedented for women's shelters and the violence against women sector. During the COVID crisis, staying at home is not a safe option for everyone. The requirements to stay in place as a Public Health measure unfortunately creates conditions where abusive partners exert greater control, and incidents of violence and threats are escalating. At Inasmuch House, Violence against Women Services and Shelters continue to be available to support women and their children. Crisis lines and emergency shelter services are open 24/7, and we are working hard to ensure that we can continue to offer a safe space and services to women and children. The extra funding to cover the additional costs of running a shelter during a Pandemic has been life saving for these women. As a result of this funding we are able to continue to provide the same supports for women and children experiencing abuse, even during a Pandemic."

Figures related to approved projects include those approved with signed agreements since November 2015, and exclude COVID-19 funding.

Last update made on February 2, 2021

Figures related to approved projects include those approved with signed agreements since November 2015, and exclude COVID-19 funding

Figures on the WAGE overview tab do not align with figures on this tab as the overview tab is a tally of all WAGE programs, while this tab has figures from all Programs together under different themes.

Figures related to approved projects include $30M in COVID-related funding for Women's Shelters and Sexual Assault Centres and $10M in Contingency Funding for GBV organizations.

Given that WAGE received a total of $40M for COVID-related funding, an additional $2.3M was provided to the Province of Quebec from the Women's Program budget.

Figures related to approved projects include $45M in COVID-related funding for Women's Shelters, Indigenous Women's Shelters, Sexual Assault Centres, Women's and other GBV service organizations.

Issue: Canada's position on gender indexes

• Canada performs well in global rankings on gender equality, with consistently high scores in the areas of 'education' and 'equality under law'.
• In the World Economic Forum's latest Global Gender Gap Report:
  • Canada placed 1st in North America; and
  • Canada placed 19th overall – up 11 places since 2015.
• We know there is still more work to be done, and
• this is why the Government of Canada is taking concrete actions to address persistent gaps, including by appointing gender-balanced federal Cabinets, passing pay equity legislation, helping women create and grow their businesses, investing in affordable childcare, making it easier for families to share child care responsibilities, and launching Canada's first ever Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence.
• The Government of Canada is also providing stable, predictable and flexible funding to women's organizations; expanding shelters and transition houses; and providing employment support and newcomer integration supports.

Background

• Many international bodies and civil society organizations use gender indexes to rank countries' progress towards gender equality. This allows countries to see how they are faring compared to others, and where there is room for improvement.
• Overall, Canada performs well in global rankings on gender equality, with consistently high scores in the areas of 'education' and 'equality under law'. For instance, in 2019, the OECD classified Canada as having a "very low level of discrimination" stemming from formal and informal laws, attitudes and practices that restrict access to rights, justice and empowerment based on gender. Equal rights under law have a notable impact on gender equality in educational attainment—an area where Canada shines. The World Economic Forum's 2020 Global Gender Gap Report (WEF-GGR) ranked Canada 1st (tieing with 24 other countries) out of 153 countries on gender equality in educational attainment and 19th overall in economic participation and opportunity; educational attainment; health; and politics. According to this measure, Canada has closed just over 77% of its overall gender gap, with a narrowing of 3% since 2015.
• The 2020 WEF-GGR ranked Canada three places lower than in 2018 – not because we are doing worse, but because we have not kept pace with improvements in other countries. For example, countries such as Spain and Latvia, whose rankings have increased 21 and 6 places since 2018, respectively, have experienced improvements in political representation, which has played a critical role in their advancement in the rankings. Like most countries, Canada has more to do in the areas of equal representation in business and politics; ending gender-based violence; and addressing the gender-wage gap. Other pressing concerns include unequal access to housing, child care and reproductive health care services.
• The Government of Canada is taking concrete actions to address these concerns including by:
  • Increasing the accessibility and affordability of after-school care so that women, who do the majority of care work, can remain in the labour force and can progress in their careers without penalty;
  • Providing historic investments of $160M over 5 years, starting in 2019-20, in women's and equality-seeking organizations so that they can continue to provide critical programs and services to women and girls across the country;
  • Working on addressing violence against Indigenous women and girls by implementing 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;
  • Investing in the growth of women-owned businesses through the Women's Entrepreneurship Strategy;
  • Renewing the Government's commitment to preventing and addressing gender-based violence by developing a National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence with partners; and
  • Providing targeted resources for international development assistance, through the Feminist International Assistance Policy, including investments in education and gender equality.

Issue: Federal-provincial-territorial (FPT) forum of ministers responsible for the status of women – Ongoing and future engagement

• The Department for Women and Gender Equality works closely with provinces and territories through the Federal-Provincial-Territorial (FPT) Forum of Ministers Responsible for the Status of Women.
• The value and strength of the Department's relations with the provinces and territories through the Forum has been evident throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Our close collaboration enabled us to coordinate the delivery of emergency funding to organizations supporting women and children experiencing violence.
• More than 1,000 organizations across Canada received emergency funding to address immediate needs from the $100 million investment announced in May and October 2020. As a result of this funding, nearly 800,000 women and children experiencing gender-based violence had a place to turn to.
• The FPT Ministers gathered virtually on January 21-22 for their 38th annual meeting. They endorsed the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministerial Joint Declaration for a Canada Free of Gender-Based Violence. This declaration reiterates the long-standing commitment of the federal, provincial and territorial governments to prevent and address gender-based violence (GBV) and advance gender equality for people across Canada.
• During this meeting, the FPT Ministers also discussed their priorities and most pressing concerns about the gendered and intersectional economic impacts of COVID-19, and the way forward. These included ensuring that GBA+ is applied to recovery measures and that the collection of disaggregated data is strengthened to better understand the impacts of COVID-19.
• The FPT Ministers also met with the National Indigenous Leaders and Representatives (NILRs) on January 15, 2021, for the fourth year in a row. They were joined by the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, who detailed the work currently underway on the National Action Plan on MMIWG. FPT Ministers and NILRs discussed the linkages between this work and the National Action Plan to end GBV.

Background

FPT Forum of Ministers responsible for the Status of Women

• Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) plays a leadership role in advancing the Government of Canada's priorities on women and gender equality through strong intergovernmental relations across the country. The FPT Forum of Ministers responsible for the Status of Women, established in 1972, has been meeting annually since 1982.
• FPT Ministers Responsible for the Status of Women meet annually to share information, exchange best practices and explore issues and opportunities to advance gender equality. They also discuss options for mutually beneficial collaboration to support improved social and economic prosperity for women and girls and to prevent and address gender-based violence.
• The Ministerial co-chairs of the FPT Forum include Canada and a provincial or territorial counterpart that changes annually on a rotational basis. The co-chair for 2021 is Saskatchewan, led by the Honourable Laura Ross, Minister responsible for the Status of Women and Minister of Parks, Culture and Sport. The next annual meeting of the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers Responsible is likely to be held in the fall of 2021.

FPT collaboration in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

• From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, WAGE has communicated regularly and collaborated closely with provincial and territorial (PT) partners, building on the established FPT collaboration mechanism.
• Based on WAGE's strong relationships and joint work with PT colleagues, emergency response measures were rolled out quickly and effectively to support women and children fleeing violence across the country.
• Bilateral discussions with Quebec led to an agreement to support women's shelters and organizations that support victims of sexual and domestic violence in the province.

38th annual FPT meeting of minister responsible for the Status of Women

• Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the FPT Forum had to revisit its planning of meetings in 2020. The annual Ministerial meeting was postponed from October 2020 to January 21 and 22, 2021. The annual meeting was held virtually and focussed discussions on the National Action Plan to end Gender-Based Violence and the gendered and intersectional impacts of COVID-19.
• The FPT Ministerial Meeting was co-chaired by Minister Monsef and Minister Laura Ross, Minister responsible for the Status of Women from Saskatchewan. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador – the FPT Forum co-chair for 2020 – was operating in a caretaker period due to a provincial election and was unable to participate.
• At the meeting the FPT Ministers endorsed the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministerial Joint Declaration for a Canada free of Gender-Based Violence. This joint declaration affirms a common vision, principles and goals for responding to gender-based violence. This federal, provincial and territorial collaboration represents an important step in developing a National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence in Canada.

Engagement with National Indigenous leaders and representatives

• On January 15, 2021, FPT ministers met with the National Indigenous Leaders and Representatives (NILRs) for the fourth year in a row, to discuss how to address gender-based violence against Indigenous women and girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people as well as hear presentations on the impacts of COVID-19.

Issue: United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW) – 65th Session

• The 65th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women will take place from March 15 to 26, 2021.
• The 65th Session will focus on the priority theme of "Women's full and effective participation and decision-making in public life, as well as the elimination of violence, for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls".
• Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 65th Session will take place on a virtual platform. In-person formal procedural meetings will be limited to New York-based delegates.
• Canada looks forward to engaging with our domestic and international partners to ensure that the 65th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women makes real progress towards gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.
• This will be done namely by ensuring strong gender equality and intersectional language in the Agreed Conclusions, a key UNCSW 65 outcome, and enabling robust feminist movements both in Canada and abroad.

Background

• Women and Gender Equality Canada leads preparations for Canada's participation in the annual session of the UNCSW, in collaboration with Global Affairs Canada. The Canadian delegation to UNCSW is led by the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and is typically comprised of federal, provincial, and territorial officials; parliamentarians; representatives from civil society organizations (CSOs); as well as national Indigenous leaders, representatives and youth.
• The 65th Session of the UNCSW (UNCSW 65) will be held from March 15 to 26, 2021 at the UN Headquarters in New York. Its priority theme is "Women's full and effective participation and decision-making in public life, as well as the elimination of violence, for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls". A key session outcome will be the Agreed Conclusions to be negotiated by Member States starting in February. Canada's priorities for strong Agreed Conclusions to support women and girls empowerment are: maintaining clear language on women and girls' rights, the inclusion of references to Indigenous people and labour provisions, as well as avoiding any rollback of existing language that would impede on progress.
• Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 65th Session of the UNCSW is scheduled to take place on a virtual platform (including the general discussion, ministerial roundtables, interactive dialogues, side events and Agreed Conclusions' negotiations). Only two in-person procedural meetings (opening session and closing plenary) will take place with the participation of two New York-based officials per delegation.
• Given the 14 CSOs selected for last year's UNCSW were unable to participate following a reformatted session due to the pandemic, they will be given the opportunity to participate in this year's virtual UNCSW. Consequently, no open nomination process for CSOs was launched this year. WAGE remains committed to supporting the active engagement of civil society in the UNCSW such as seeking CSO advice to support our negotiating positions in the Agreed Conclusions, a UNCSW debrief with Ambassador Rae, Canada's Representative to the United Nations, and Canada-sponsored side events on themes of importance to Canadian CSOs.
• In addition, WAGE has funded two projects from last year's CSO delegates to hold virtual consultation sessions to promote and continue progress towards gender equality and discuss Beijing+25 priorities. The two CSOs held three virtual townhalls early in 2021 and will be submitting final reports on the outcomes of their public engagements.

Issue: Canada's role in the generation equality forums

• Advancing gender equality both in Canada and around the world is a key Government of Canada priority, including in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Canada fully supports UN Women, France, and Mexico's efforts to convene the Generation Equality Forum to maintain the momentum following the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (Beijing+25) in 2020.
• Once it is launched in 2021, the Forum will seek to accelerate progress to advance gender equality over five years through transformative actions in six key areas:
  1. Gender-Based Violence;
  2. Economic Justice and Rights;
  3. Bodily Autonomy and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights;
  4. Feminist Action for Climate Justice;
  5. Technology and Innovation for Gender Equality; and
  6. Feminist Movements and Leadership.
• On July 1, 2020, Canada became a leader for the Action Coalition on Feminist Movements and Leadership, one of the six key areas identified to advance gender equality.
• Canada looks forward to working with partners, including countries, civil society, and the private sector, to develop tangible actions and commitments to make real progress in this area.
• The work of all six Action Coalition will be consolidated and discussed with stakeholders and partners from around the world at the upcoming Mexico Forum on March 30-31, 2021, with a view to making commitments at the Paris Forum to be held in June 2021.

Background

• To keep the momentum on the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action 25 years following its adoption (Beijing +25), UN Women, France and Mexico (also known as the "Core Group"), are convening the Generation Equality Forum (GEF) to reaffirm the importance of multilateralism in uncertain times for women's rights, strengthen the women's movement, and support youth and multi-stakeholder engagement for gender equality.
• Once it is launched in 2021, the GEF agenda will focus on action and accountability in six (6) areas to address key challenges and emerging issues for gender equality including: feminist movements and leadership; gender-based violence; economic justice and rights; feminist model of climate justice; bodily autonomy and sexual and reproductive health and rights; and technology and innovation.
• Six Action Coalitions reflecting these key areas were established in July 2020. They are intended to be innovative partnerships among civil society, Member States, international organizations and the private sector. Each Action Coalition will be expected to develop and implement a set of actions over a five (5) year period.
• On July 1, 2020, Canada was confirmed as a leader of the Action Coalition on Feminist Movements and Leadership along with the Netherlands and a number of non-government partners, including a youth organization.
• Canada will be expected to make concrete commitments to advance priority areas identified by the Action Coalition. As such, Canada is represented on this Action Coalition by the Minister for Women and Gender Equality on domestic commitments and the Minister for International Development on international commitments.
• Work on the Action Coalitions is progressing. Action Coalition leads meet periodically to discuss governance, working methods, and a shared vision for what the Action Coalitions will achieve, and the identification of potential actions and commitments that each Action Coalition will undertake over the next five years.
• International public consultations led by UN Women on these actions and commitments began in late 2020 to inform the actions to be implemented, as well as on national commitments. WAGE is working closely with GAC counterparts to identify opportunities to consult domestically with civil society ahead of the high-level GEF meetings to be hosted by Mexico in March and France in June 2021.

Issue: Recent evidence on the state of gender equality in Canada

• Achieving gender equality and addressing gender-based violence requires that we invest in research, monitor emerging data, and support evidence-based decisions.
• Recent data show progress for women in areas such as political representation, labour force participation, hourly wages, and representation in apprenticeships. For example:
  • In 1970 only one woman held a seat in the House of Commons. Today, there are 100 women Members of Parliament. Gender parity has been achieved in the Senate, compared to 2015 when only 36% of senators were women.
  • In 2020, women earned an average 89 cents for every dollar earned by men. This reflects a reduction of 3 cents in the gender wage gap since 2015, based on the average hourly earnings of all workers.
  • In 2020, women 15 years and older represented nearly half (47.1%) of the labour force in Canada, compared to 37.6% in 1976.
• Data also shows that women in Canada are more likely than men to experience different forms of gender-based violence – a significant barrier to achieving gender equality. For example:
  • 2018 data shows that women in Canada are four times more likely than men to have been sexually assaulted at least once since age 15.
  • Women accounted for 8 in 10 of victims of homicides perpetrated by intimate partners in Canada between 2008 and 2018.
• However, the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to roll back gains made towards gender equality:
  • In March, women lost jobs at almost twice the rate of men. As the economy began to open in May, men gained back jobs at more than twice the rate of women. As of January, women were within 5.3% of pre-shutdown employment levels and men within 3.7%.
  • Research suggests that our gains on the gender wage gap may be threatened by the pandemic, due to the fact that more women, particularly those in low-paying jobs, were out of the labour force.
  • Reports from across Canada show that the frequency and severity of some forms of gender-based violence may have increased during the pandemic. Preliminary data from a sample of police services show an 8% increase in calls for domestic disturbances between March and October 2020 when compared with 2019. Further, 31% of surveyed victim services across Canada reported increases in the number of people they served between March and July 2020.

Background

• WAGE is investing in research with partners across sectors, so that we can better understand gender inequalities and the factors that impede progress. Some recent data have shed light on factors related to the gender wage gap, gendered educational pathways, caregiving and mental health:
  • A report released by Statistics Canada showed that gender differences in part-time work and industry were the two largest factors explaining the gender wage gap in average hourly wages in 2018. Meanwhile, the narrowing of the gap between 1998 and 2018 was largely explained by changes in the distribution of men and women across occupations; women's increased educational attainment; and the decline in the share of men in unionized employment.
  • A Statistics Canada article published in December 2020, showed that women accounted for 14% of all new apprenticeship registrations in Canada, up from 6.8% in 1991. Moreover, women have been increasingly enrolling in apprenticeship programs traditionally occupied by men. Over one third (35.6%) of women who entered an apprenticeship program in 2019 were in a male-dominated trade, such as electricians (5.4%), interior finishing (5.3%) and carpenters (5.1%). From 2009 to 2019, women's representation among new entries in male-dominated trades increased from 3.7% to 5.9%. Despite this progress, in 2015, women apprentices were nine times more likely than men to report harassment or discrimination during an apprenticeship.
  • A study released by Statistics Canada in August 2020 showed that Canadian men and women have similar rates of job mobility and job stability. The results also showed that although the labour force participation rate of women has increased significantly from 1978 to 2018 among women aged 20 to 54, gender segmentation has persisted as most new hires continue to work in typical male or female jobs. Finally, the findings suggested that the gender wage gaps are smaller among new hires than within the entire workforce, but five years following a new job start, the gender wage gap widened in most occupation groups.
  • The unequal division of unpaid domestic and care work experienced prior to the pandemic has been compounded by the current situation. Research conducted by Statistics Canada in June 2020 reveals that women are more likely to report that they perform most parental tasks during the pandemic. This research also indicates that homeschooling during the pandemic has fallen mostly to women, with almost two thirds (64%) of women reporting that they mostly performed homeschooling or helping children with homework, while 19% of men reported being mostly responsible for this task.
• Using roughly $17M of funding fromIt's Time: Canada's Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-based Violence, WAGE worked with Statistics Canada to develop and implement three new surveys on experiences of gender-based violence (GBV) in Canada including in public and private spaces, online, at work, and in the postsecondary student population. These surveys are the Survey of Safety in Public and Private Spaces (SSPPS), the Survey on Individual Safety in the Postsecondary Student Population (SISPSP), and the Survey on Sexual Misconduct at Work (SSMW). The first results from the SSPPS were released in December 2019, results from the SISPSP were published in September 2020, and results from SSMW should be released in 2021. Here are some highlights from the released reports:

Results from the 2018 SSPPS (National data):

• About one in three women (30%) have been sexually assaulted at least once since the age of 15 – significantly more than men (8%).
• 43% of Indigenous women (45% of First Nations women, 44% of Métis women, and 26% of Inuit women) reported having been sexually assaulted at least once since age 15, compared with 30% of non-Indigenous women.
• 39% of women living with a disability reported having been sexually assaulted at least once since the age of 15, compared with 24% of women without a disability.
• 19% of visible minority women reported having been sexually assaulted at least once since age 15, compared with 33% of women who are not a visible minority.
• 12% of women and 4% of men reported having been sexually abused at least once during childhood (before age 15).
• 59% of people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or of a sexual orientation that is not heterosexual (LGB+) have been physically or sexually assaulted at least once since age 15 compared to 37% of heterosexual individuals.
• Transgender people were more likely than cisgender people to have been sexually or physically assaulted at least once since age 15 (59% vs. 37%, respectively)
• In the 12 months preceding the survey, women and LGBTQ2 people were more likely to have experienced unwanted sexual behaviours that made them feel uncomfortable or unsafe in public spaces or in the workplace, as well as to have experienced online harassment.

Results from the 2019 SISPSP (provinces only):

• Almost one in seven (15%) women students was sexually assaulted in the postsecondary setting at least once since starting their studies – significantly more than for men students (5%).
• 45% of women students and 32% men students experienced unwanted sexual behaviours in a public place in the year preceding the survey.

Issue: Gender Results Framework

• In support of the Canadian Gender Budgeting Act, the Government of Canada introduced a Gender Results Framework to guide future decision making on policies and programs, including budget decisions, which are responsive to the diverse needs of people in Canada.
• The Framework represents the Government of Canada's goals with respect to gender equality, how we will get there, and how we will measure success under 6 pillars:
  • education and skills development;
  • economic participation and prosperity;
  • leadership and democratic participation;
  • gender-based violence and access to justice;
  • poverty reduction, health and well-being; and,
  • gender equality around the world.
• The Gender Results Framework online platform was launched in March 2019 to provide up-to-date information to Canadians on results.
• This information continues to be expanded and updated as investments in research and data collection advance.

Background

• In 2018, The Department for Women and Gender Equality (WAGE) worked with the Department of Finance Canada, Global Affairs Canada and other departments to develop a whole-of-government Gender Results Framework to inform all departmental initiatives. This framework was released in Budget 2018.
• The Framework represents the Government of Canada's goals with respect to gender equality, how we will get there, and how we will measure success under six pillars: education and skills; economic participation and prosperity; leadership and democratic participation; gender-based violence and access to justice; poverty reduction, health and well-being; and, gender equality around the world.
• Each pillar is supported by relevant objectives and indicators for monitoring progress towards Canada's gender equality goals. In total, the Framework contains 35 objectives and 43 indicators, which were selected through consultation with other federal departments, by reviewing international and domestic best practices, and by consolidating these with Canada's international commitments, specifically the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals Indicator Framework and the Beijing Platform for Action. In fact, in May 2019, Canada's National Review of the Implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action was structured against the 6 pillars of the Gender Results Framework.
• Through Budget 2018, the government is providing a total of funding of $25 million over 5 years and $5 million per year ongoing, beginning in fiscal year 2018-19, to support research and data collection for the Gender Results Framework.
• This funding also allows WAGE to support more robust GBA+, better policy advice to other government departments and more informed decision making across the federal government. This is achieved by increasing the evidence base for gender equality through research and data collection, knowledge translation, evaluation and impact measurement, and by supporting interdepartmental coordination, monitoring and reporting of an evidence-based approach to advancing gender equality, as described in the Framework.
• With Budget 2019, WAGE launched a website outlining the framework and including up-to-date sources of data for each of the Gender Results Framework indicators. As a complement to the framework, links to key Governments of Canada initiatives (announced in Budget 2018 and 2019) that are contributing to the advancement of gender equality have also been included on the website. This public facing tool allows for regular tracking of progress against each of the goals.
• In October 2018, Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministers responsible for the Status of Women identified 32 common indicators from the Gender Results Framework that will be used to monitor progress related to collaboration of Federal-Provincial-Territorial work.

Issue: 2020-21 Departmental financial overview

• The Government of Canada is taking action to protect our economy, and the health, safety, and jobs of all Canadians during the COVID-19 outbreak.
• This is why, the Government of Canada announced up to $100 million for women and children experiencing gender-based violence and $90 million of that is to be delivered through the Department for Women and Gender Equality.
• Over 1,000 organizations have received emergency funding supporting over 800,000 people.
• The Government of Canada is also taking action to advance gender equality and address persistent gender inequalities that affect all Canadians.
• To support the Department for Women and Gender Equality in its strengthened mandate and continue to advance gender equality in Canada, Budget 2019 invested $160 million over five years to advance gender equality and $20M over three years for capacity building and community level work of Canadian LGBTQ2 organizations, both starting in 2019‑20.
• The Department for Women and Gender Equality will receive $222.0M in fiscal year 2020-21 including $169.4M in Grants and Contributions.
• Since 2015, the Government has made investing in the vital work of grassroots and community organizations a priority.
  • In 2020-21, the Department's budget for Grants and Contributions to support the work of equality-seeking organizations is more than four times what it was in 2015‑16.
  • This is the result of investments in new programming, including the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Commemoration Fund, the LGBTQ2 Community Capacity Fund, the Gender-Based Violence Program, the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking, capacity-building funding for women's organizations, as well as increasing funding for the Women's Program.

Background

• Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates are part of the normal parliamentary approval process to ensure that previously planned government initiatives receive the necessary funding to move them forward, therefore meeting the needs of Canadians.
• The 2020-21 Department Budget Overview includes the Main Estimates, the Operating Budget Carry-forward from 2019-20 and the Supplementary Estimates (A), (B) and (C) adjustments.
• The total funding of $222.0 M to be received in 2020-21 relates to:
  • COVID-19 emergency funding ($90M)
  • Increase Capacity and Sustainability of the Women's Movement ($73.9M)
  • Gender-based Violence against women and girls ($22.7M)
  • LGBTQ2 Community Capacity Fund ($9.6M)
  • Advancing Gender Equality – Budget 2019 ($8.9M)
  • Evidence-based Policy to advancing gender equality and undertake research and data collection to support Gender-based Analysis Plus ($4.1M)
  • Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls ($3.4M)
  • National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking ($2.6M)
  • Operating Budget Carry-forward from 2019-20 ($2.2M)
  • Other Adjustments ($0.1M)
  • Statutory funding (Employee Benefit Plan and Minister's salary & car Allowance $4.5M)

In 2015-16, compared to Main Estimates, the Department's Grants and Contributions budget was $19.5M. Through a number of investments, it has increased each year, reaching $79.4M in 2020-21, excluding the COVID-19 funding. Some investments are ongoing, such as for the Gender-based Violence Program and the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking, while others are time-limited, such as investments under the Women's Program and the LGBTQ2 Community Capacity Fund.

Issue: 2021-22 Main estimates

• The Government of Canada is taking action to advance gender equality and address persistent gender inequalities that affect all Canadians.
• The Department for Women and Gender Equality will receive $125.5M in funding from the 2021-22 Main Estimates representing a decrease of $4.3M from the previous year Main Estimates.
• The majority of the funding is for Grants and Contributions to support capacity building of women's organizations and advancing gender equality.

Background

• The Main Estimates are part of the normal parliamentary approval process to ensure that previously planned government initiatives receive the necessary funding to move them forward, therefore meeting the needs of Canadians.
• The Main Estimates confirm requests for resources that have already been approved by the Treasury Board.
• The Department will receive $125.5M in total funding for 2021-22:
  • $45.3M Operating expenditures;
  • $75.5M Grants and Contributions; and
  • $4.7M Statutory funding (Employee Benefit Plan $4.6M, Minister's salary & car $90.5K).
• The following table indicates the variance in the funding to be received from the previous Main Estimates:

The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Commemoration Fund had funding that started in 2018-19 and will end 2020-21. The variance of $4.3M is mostly due to the Fund having ended in 2020-21.

Issue: 2020-21 Supplementary estimates (c)

• The Government of Canada is taking action to protect our economy and the health, safety, and jobs of all Canadians during the COVID-19 outbreak.
• This is why, in the fall, the Government of Canada announced additional funding of $50 million to be delivered through Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) to support organizations providing supports and services to those experiencing gender-based violence.
• Of the $50 million, $8.7 million is included in these Estimates to allow WAGE to continue to address gender-based violence during the pandemic.
• To date, the Government has provided $100 million in emergency funding to organizations across Canada, including women's shelters, sexual assault centres, women's organizations and other organizations offering significant GBV supports to women to ensure continuity of services during this challenging time.
• Over 1,000 organizations have received emergency funding supporting over 800,000 people.

Background

• Supplementary Estimates are part of the normal parliamentary approval process to ensure that previously planned government initiatives receive the necessary funding to move them forward, therefore meeting the needs of Canadians.
• The 2020-21 Supplementary Estimates (C) were tabled in Parliament on February 16, 2021.
• These are the third and final Supplementary Estimates to be published in 2020-21 and, as such, are identified as Supplementary Estimates (C). The Appropriation Act should receive Royal Assent by the end of March 2021.
• In the fall, WAGE received $50 million in statutory funding to address gender-based violence during the pandemic pursuant to the Public Health Events of National Concern Payments Act, which expired on December 31, 2020. Of that $50 million, $8.7 million was not spent by that date.
• In order to disburse the $8.7 million to the Province of Quebec, the existing agreement needed to be amended. The agreement between the Government of Canada and the Province of Quebec was amended and signed on February 12, 2021, after the December 31st deadline. 
• Through these estimates, WAGE is requesting that $8.7 million be transferred from the Statutory vote to the Grants and Contributions vote to allow continued access to that funding.

Issue: 2021-22 Departmental plan

• The 2021-22 Departmental Plan (DP) for the Department for Women and Gender Equality outlines our priorities as we work to achieve more equitable outcomes for women and girls, and strengthen our position as a centre of expertise to promote gender equality, including accelerated efforts to address the gendered and intersectional impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Over the 2021-22 fiscal year we will:
  • Continue to advance a National Action Plan to end gender-based violence to ensure that anyone facing gender-based violence has reliable and timely access to protection and services;
  • Deliver programming to create stable, predictable, long-term funding that organizations need to empower women and create positive change in communities across the country including: programming to support the capacity and sustainability of women's and equality-seeking organizations, as well as LGBTQ2 organizations; programming to support projects that address systemic barriers to gender equality; and, programming for organizations working to address human trafficking and GBV;
  • Lead a whole-of-government approach to integrating GBA plus into all federal decision-making so that policies, programs and initiatives are responsive, inclusive, and meet the needs of diverse groups of people living in Canada;
  • Build on the investment of over $100 million in COVID-19 emergency funding to women's shelters, sexual assault centres and other organizations providing supports and services to those experiencing gender-based violence. by working to accelerate investments in shelters and transition housing;
  • Provide expertise for advancing gender equality in Canada and abroad, in order to support a whole-of-government and intersectional feminist approach to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond; and,
  • Support the Government in making a significant, long-term, sustained investment in order to create a Canada-wide early learning and child care system, including investments in additional before-and-after school spaces for kids under 10.

Background

• The Department for Women and Gender Equality's 2021-22 Departmental Plan is an annual requirement to communicate departmental expenditure plans, organizational priorities, resources requirements and expected results. 
• In 2018, new legislation created the Department for Women and Gender Equality. While the Department continues to work towards more equitable outcomes for women and girls, its expanded mandate establishes the Department as a centre of expertise to lead federal efforts to advance gender equality, including gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation.
• This Departmental Plan provides an outline for achieving more equitable outcomes for women and girls, building capacity to fulfill the department's expanded mandate and its role as a centre of expertise.
• Over the coming year, the Department will focus on four priority areas:
  • Preventing and addressing GBV, including: ongoing implementation of Canada's Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence, as well as a National Action Plan to end Gender-Based Violence, to ensure that anyone facing this issue, has reliable and timely access to protection and services; deliver programming for organizations working to address human trafficking and GBV; funding commemorative initiatives through the Commemoration Fund; and continuing to advance efforts to prevent and address GBV at post-secondary institutions.
  • Ensuring robust GBA+ throughout federal government decision-making processes, including: work on a process of evaluating GBA+ with the goal of enhancing the framing and parameters of this analytical tool, and with particular attention to the intersectional analysis of race, indigeneity, disability and sexual identity, among other characteristics. 
  • Supporting community action to advance gender equality, including: the development and delivery of programming to support projects that address systemic barriers to gender equality, taking into account the challenges related to the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a particular focus on underserved women, including Indigenous women, women with disabilities, LGBTQ2 women, racialized women and newcomer and immigrant women and; promoting community action through commemoration initiatives such as International Women's Day, Gender Equality Week, Women's History Month, International Day of the Girl, and Persons Day.
  • Strategic actions and engagement to address systemic barriers to gender equality, including: establishing WAGE as a centre of expertise for advancing gender equality in Canada and abroad; supporting initiatives to increase access to financing and expertise needed by women-owned businesses; supporting the introduction of legislation and investments that take action to address systemic inequalities in the criminal justice system and; supporting Canada's efforts to achieve the United Nations' 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals, including coordinating efforts and implementing policies and programs to advance the ambitions in Goal 5, and supporting Employment and Social Development Canada in the development of an implementation plan for Canada. 
• Over the reporting period, the department will continue to strengthen internal services functions, which include: Communications; Human Resources, Finance; Information Management; Information Technology; Real Property and Acquisition.
• Key internal services priorities for the fiscal year include: designing and implementing a new organizational structure; attracting and retaining a highly qualified workforce; and implementing a comprehensive governance approach to serve the expanded organizational structure and support transformation.

The House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women (FEWO)

The Standing Committee on the Status of Women's mandate gives it the broad authority to study the policies, programs, expenditures (budgetary estimates) and legislation of departments and agencies, including the Department for Women and Gender Equality, that conduct work related to the status of women and gender equality.

In the 42nd Parliament, for instance, the committee tabled substantive reports on several themes, including:

• Violence against women and sexual harassment in the Canadian Armed Forces;
• Shelters and transition houses available to women experiencing violence;
• Women's economic security; and
• Senior women's experiences of poverty and vulnerability.

In the 43^rd Parliament, the committee has studied the Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Women. Members are drafting the report and will table it in the coming weeks. The committee is also studying the Challenges Faced by Women Living in Rural Communities, Pay Equity and Women's Unpaid Work.

During their first meeting of the second session of the 43^rd parliament, members agreed that witnesses who appear before the committee would have five minutes to make opening statements. Whenever possible, these opening statements should be submitted to the committee seventy-two hours in advance. This is followed by a question and answer period. Questions will proceed in the following order:

Round 1 - 6 minutes each, CPC, LPC, BQ, NDP
Round 2 - 5 minutes each, CPC, LPC, then 2.5 minutes each, BQ, NDP, and subsequently another 5 minutes each CPC, LPC

The committee also elected Ms. Marilyn Gladu (CPC) as Chair, Ms. Sonia Sidhu (LPC) as Vice Chair and Ms. Andréanne Larouche (BQ) as Second Vice Chair.

FEWO members

Liberal Party of Canada:

Conservative Party of Canada:

New Democratic Party:

Bloc Quebecois: