The Minister for Women and Gender Equality’s appearances before SOCI GBA Plus
The Deputy Minister was also present and received the binder for this parliamentary committee appearance.
Opening remarks
Thank you for the opportunity to participate in the Committee’s timely discussion on the role of Gender-based Analysis Plus in the policy process.
As you know, Gender-based Analysis Plus – or GBA Plus for short – is the primary tool used by the government to help inform government initiatives, so they are inclusive and responsive to the needs of diverse people.
When we do GBA Plus, we consider who is impacted by an issue we are trying to address, how they are impacted, how our initiatives can be tailored to meet diverse needs and to eliminate barriers and inequalities. It helps ensure that equality, diversity, and equal opportunity are front and centre across all government business.
GBA Plus is intersectional in its design, which means that a range of factors such as ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, income, and gender are considered. Much in the same way that identity factors interact with each other, they also intersect with social norms and attitudes, as well as systems of discrimination to create unique experiences of power, privilege, and of marginalization.
When we consider the COVID-19 pandemic, we can understand why GBA Plus is an important tool to inform the development of programs and policies. Women, girls, youth, Indigenous, racialized and 2SLGBTQI+ people have been impacted.
For example, women, and other equity-deserving individuals have experienced mental health challenges during the pandemic. 57% of women, 71% of gender-diverse people and 64% of youth reported worsening mental health.
Moreover, women, particularly young women, Indigenous, immigrants, women with disabilities, and visible minorities, were disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 related job losses. In March 2020, job losses among women were almost double those of men. As the economy began to reopen in May 2020, employment increased twice as fast among men than among women.
However, it is also important to note that there were differences within groups. For example, in the case of a single mother working in an essential sector and balancing the care of her children in the absence of schools. The fact that this person is a single mother, main breadwinner and the sole caregiver for her children magnify the impacts of the pandemic.
The pandemic has reinforced the need for applying an intersectional lens, using GBA Plus, in the programs, services and policies we develop and implement. This analysis needs to be informed by diverse voices so that government decisions reflect the needs and aspirations of people we serve. This method of looking at situations allows all governments to develop policies and programs to help ensure that no one is left behind.
That is why GBA Plus is so important.
GBA Plus is the result of a sustained commitment to its practice and it has been an essential part of our work since 1995.
To remain responsive to the issues of the day, GBA Plus has evolved through a process of continuous improvement. WAGE continues to work with partners at the Treasury Board Secretariat and the Privy Council Office to enhance the government-wide implementation of GBA Plus and ensure robust application across government business.
Since 2015, we’ve made important progress to support federal departments and increase GBA plus capacity across the government by creating venues for collaboration, by developing tools and resources, and by providing guidance. For example, WAGE developed several micro-learning videos and job aids to help public servants better understand how to do GBA Plus. In June 2021, WAGE released a new suite of tools to support public servants in applying rigorous intersectional GBA Plus. This included a Step-by-Step Guide, with a Quick Reference tool, and a Compendium with key statistics and questions to consider when doing GBA Plus. WAGE also works with the Canada School of Public Service to deliver training to help federal public servants in applying GBA Plus.
As of October 2022, nearly 225,000 public servants, parliamentarians and parliamentary staff had taken the introductory GBA Plus course.
While these achievements are good, there continues to be room for improvement. WAGE monitors and identifies gaps in GBA Plus application, with the critical support of the Treasury Board Secretariat and the Privy Council Office, so that training and resources can be targeted. It is important to note that accountability for thorough and robust GBA Plus analysis rests with the department or organization advancing any particular proposal or initiative.
Since 2016, and in response to a 2015 audit by the Auditor General of Canada, we have been monitoring GBA Plus through an annual survey of federal departments and agencies.
Our findings from the annual survey were confirmed in the Auditor General’s May 2022 Report with respect to a continued need for improvements across government in:
- Access and use of disaggregated data,
- understanding and application of GBA Plus as an intersectional tool, and
- capacity within federal departments to apply GBA Plus early in the development of initiatives.
The full potential of GBA Plus, which is to help ensure government decisions consider the experience and situation of diverse groups of Canadians, is yet to be realized.
All people in Canada expect to see themselves in the policies and programs that affect their everyday lives. Women and Gender Equality Canada remains committed to working with partners in government and in other sectors so that we have the tools and methods required to:
- Reflect differences between and within groups
- Understand how structural conditions reinforce inequalities, and,
- Ensure that government responses address multiple forms of disadvantage and respond to diverse needs.
Moving forward, WAGE will continue to work with central agencies to strengthen its role as a Centre of Expertise for GBA Plus – increasing awareness and understanding and enhancing capacity and expertise across the federal government and encouraging engagement with key groups of Canadians to draw on their knowledge.
I’m proud to live in a country that has sustained its commitment to GBA Plus for more than 25 years and that has been a leader for others in this regard. I encourage you to discuss further with my departmental officials international practices that have been modelled after Canada’s GBA Plus. We know we have work to do. But Canada is also one of few countries that has systematically audited how gender and equality is being embedded across all government business so that we can continue to improve its application.
I applaud the Committee for undertaking this important work, which will help ensure that potential of GBA Plus is realized and that it generates new perspectives and insights about public policy issues and affected populations.
Working together we will meaningfully advance justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion for all people. This study will provide important insights that will contribute to the continuous improvement of how government undertakes policy analysis to generate transformative policy solutions that cannot be gleaned from other equity-focused frameworks or lenses.
Thank you. I am now ready for your questions.
Addressing the Office of the Auditor General’s Report
Issue/question:
What is the government doing to address the Auditor General’s Performance Audit of Gender-Based Analysis Plus?
Suggested response:
- Women and Gender Equality Canada welcomes the Auditor General’s 2022 Report on Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus). While we have made progress, we need to do more.
- The Government of Canada is committed to continuous improvement in using GBA Plus as a key tool in the development and implementation of programs, policies, and services to ensure that no one is left behind.
- The Auditor General’s Report findings focus on the implementation of GBA Plus in response to selected recommendations from the 2015 Auditor General’s Report on GBA Plus. The report also examined the use and availability of data to support GBA Plus.
- An action plan is being drafted to respond to the Auditor General’s recommendations and to strengthen the application of GBA plus across government, and it will be submitted in November to the Public Accounts Committee.
Key information:
Investment
No funding information.
Results
N/A
Project examples
N/A
Background:
- Canada’s Auditor General performed audits of Gender-based Analysis (GBA) Plus in 2009 and 2015. These audits found that despite efforts to improve, many departments had not delivered on the Government’s 1995 commitment to analyze gender impacts (2009) and that there were barriers to conducting gender-based analysis and integrating gender considerations into decision-making (2015).
- PCO, TBS and WAGE responded to the 2015 Audit with an Action Plan (2016-2020) to address the audit recommendations. This included activities such as tools to clarify how to do intersectional analyses, training, and other resources to build departments’ capacity, as well as activities to increase collaboration between departments.
- In May 2021, Canada’s Auditor General launched its third audit of GBA Plus to provide assurance that the federal government acted to address the recommendations from the 2015 audit and implement the Action Plan. The audit report was published in May 2022, and covers the period of April 1, 2016 to January 31, 2022.
- In particular, this audit focused on two recommendations from the 2015 audit related to: identifying and addressing barriers to conducting rigorous GBA Plus (Recommendation 1.61); and assessing and reporting on the implementation of GBA Plus in federal departments and agencies, and their impacts on policy, legislative and program initiatives (Recommendation 1.62). The report also examined the use and availability of data to support GBA Plus.
- Overall, the audit found that while WAGE, PCO and TBS had partially addressed recommendations from the 2015 audit, including through WAGE-led initiatives to provide training, tools and guidance, and through collaboration and learning through interdepartmental committees, little progress overall had been made in the implementation of GBA Plus within the federal government and longstanding barriers to the implementation of GBA Plus persist.
- Within six months of tabling of the report, WAGE, TBS and PCO are required to submit a Management Response and Action Plan (MRAP) to the Public Accounts Committee to address the recommendations. The MRAP will be finalized and submitted in November.
Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus)
Issue/question:
What is the government doing to improve the implementation of GBA Plus?
Suggested response:
- It is essential that Canadians in every region of the country see themselves reflected in the Government’s priorities and our work.
- As such, the Government remains committed to ensuring that public policies are reflective of diverse needs and developed through an intersectional lens, by applying Gender-based Analysis Plus in decision-making.
- Women and Gender Equality Canada will continue to support federal departments and agencies in reinforcing GBA Plus to advance gender equality and greater inclusion for Canadians in all their diversity. This includes:
- Refining and improving the approach to GBA Plus, working with central agencies, so that the lived experiences of all Canadians are better considered and addressed.
- Supporting the application of GBA Plus as a mandatory part of key government decisions and their implementation.
- Providing its expertise as a federal authority under Canada’s Impact Assessment Act and helping ensure that GBA Plus requirements are considered in all aspects of the process.
- Working with federal partners to strengthen their capacity to apply GBA Plus by developing tools and training for the public service.
Key information:
Investment
No funding information.
Results
N/A
Project examples
N/A
Background:
- Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) is an analytical tool used to support the development of responsive and inclusive policies, programs and other initiatives. GBA Plus is a process for understanding who is impacted by the issue or opportunity being addressed by the initiative and how, identifying how the initiative could be tailored to meet diverse needs of the people most impacted, and anticipating and mitigating any barriers to accessing or benefitting from the initiative. GBA Plus is an intersectional analysis that goes beyond biological (sex) and sociocultural (gender) differences to consider other factors, such as age, disability, education, ethnicity, economic status, geography, language, race, religion, and sexual orientation.
- As a centre of expertise, WAGE Canada strives to:
- Increase awareness, and understanding of GBA Plus
- Enhance capacity and expertise for GBA Plus across federal government
- Foster collaboration between a broad range of actors to capture new knowledge and share best practices
- Act as a hub for GBA Plus knowledge and expertise
Strengthening GBA Plus
- GBA Plus is the result of a sustained commitment over more than 25 years. It has evolved over time and is guided by a process of continuous improvement. Changes have been informed by a wide range of evidence and inputs.
- 2021 mandate letter commitments direct you to lead the evaluation process of GBA Plus with the goal of enhancing the framing and parameters of this analytical tool, with particular attention to intersectional analysis, so that it better reflects the lived experiences of all people in Canada.
- The Ministers of Housing, Diversity and Inclusion; Crown-Indigenous Relations; Rural Economic Development; Tourism and the Associate Minister of Finance; Employment, Workforce Development, Disability and Inclusion; and the President of the Treasury Board have been mandated to support this work and will be critical partners in advancing the plan.
- To advance work on this mandate letter commitment, WAGE has begun engaging with relevant federal partners to plan for an engagement process with a range of internal and external stakeholders, that will begin in the Fall of 2022. The objective of this process is to provide opportunities for meaningful participation of diverse people, including civil society organizations and equity experts, in strengthening the framing and parameters of GBA Plus so that it better reflects the lived experiences of all people in Canada.
- Other recent inputs to strengthen GBA Plus include Senator Mary Jane McCallum’s (ISG) introduction of Bill S-218 in November 2021. The Bill proposes to include a provision in the Department for Women and Gender Equality Act to require the Minister for WAGE to examine every Government Bill introduced in either Houses of Parliament and to table a statement that sets out potential effects of the Bill on women, particularly Indigenous women. As of October 2022, Bill S-218 is in Second Reading.
Gender Budgeting
- The Canadian Gender Budgeting Act came into force in December 2018, enshrining gender budgeting in the federal government’s budgetary and financial management process. The Act has three key requirements:
- Reporting on new budget measures: The Minister of Finance must table, before each House of Parliament, on any of the first 30 days on which that House is sitting after the day on which a budget plan is tabled in Parliament, a report on the impacts in terms of gender and diversity of all new budget measures described in the plan, if an assessment of the impacts is not included in the budget plan or any related documents that the Minister has made public.
- Analysis of tax expenditures: The Minister of Finance must annually make available to the public analysis of impacts in terms of gender and diversity of the tax expenditures, such as tax exemptions, deductions or credits that the Minister considers appropriate.
- Analysis – programs: The President of the Treasury Board must annually make available to the public analysis of impacts in terms of gender and diversity of the existing Government of Canada expenditure programs that the President, in consultation with the Minister of Finance, considers appropriate.
- Similar to recent budgets and fiscal updates, Budget 2022 includes a gender budget statement and the publication of more than 200 GBA Plus summaries of budget measures. Because the statement and analysis are made public, they serve to induce gender and equality-oriented accountability across departments and agencies. Publication of GBA Plus has been in place since 2019 and since that time, there has been marked improvement in the application of GBA Plus to budget proposals.
- Most (78%) GBA Plus were initiated early or mid-stage of the initiative, which is indicative of the continuous efforts to better integrate GBA Plus earlier and throughout the budget process.
- The GBA Plus of Budget 2022 includes reports of 12% of budget measures where a potential barrier to access or participation for a specific group was identified. Of these, the vast majority (85%) included steps to reduce barriers or facilitate access and participation.
GBA Plus as part of the implementation of the Impact Assessment Act
- WAGE supports the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada and partner departments on the implementation of the 2019 Impact Assessment Act. This legislation requires that proponents of major initiatives, including resource projects, apply GBA Plus to project planning and implementation to assess potential project impacts on different groups of people.
- Through this legislation, WAGE is working to ensure that the negative impacts of projects are mitigated, including those related to gender-based violence, and that the benefits of these projects are felt equally among different groups of people.
- Both Indigenous Services Canada and Crown-Indigenous Relations Canada are important partners in the implementation of this legislation and in the application of GBA Plus from an Indigenous perspective.
Overview of Progress on Previous OAG Audits and Parliamentary Committee Recommendations on GBA Plus
Issue/question:
What is the government doing to address recommendations to improve GBA Plus?
Key messages:
- GBA Plus is the result of a sustained commitment and continuous improvement. The Government of Canada has made significant progress, incrementally increasing the scope, scale, and quality of GBA Plus application throughout decision-making.
- This progress was informed by a number of reviews and studies. Canada is also one of few countries to have regularly audited GBA Plus implementation.
- Through these studies, the government has also benefitted from insights on opportunities for improvement, including doing GBA Plus earlier in the policy process and increasing the availability of disaggregated data.
- The Government of Canada will continue to improve the application of GBA Plus to ensure that diverse needs are met and no one is left behind.
Background:
Recommendations in previous reports:
- The 2009 audit of by the Auditor General of Canada reviewed GBA practices in nine departments and found uneven implementation of GBA and little evidence of its influence on decision-making. The Auditor General made several recommendations for improving the application of GBA Plus, including:
- Requiring written summaries in MCs and TB Submissions of how GBA Plus was incorporated
- More formal assessments by central agencies of the quality of GBA Plus in decision-making documents
- Developing guidance to communicate to departments the expectation of applying GBA Plus to decision-making
- Providing sufficient resources to Status of Women Canada (now WAGE) to enable it to monitor and assess the application of GBA Plus by departments
- The 2015 Report of the Auditor General of Canada, “Implementing Gender-Based Analysis”, highlighted the need to do more to fully implement GBA as a rigorous practice across government. In particular, the Auditor General made several recommendations, including:
- Taking concrete actions to identify and address barriers to applying GBA Plus
- Assess and report on the application of GBA Plus and its impacts; and
- Assess and assign sufficient resources within Status of Women Canada (now WAGE) to deliver its GBA Plus mandate
- Following the 2015 audit, the Standing Committees on Public Accounts (PACP) and Status of Women (FEWO) released separate reports on the state of GBA Plus in the Government of Canada. FEWO recommendations included calls for improved governance, legislated requirements for GBA Plus, the promotion of intersectional GBA Plus, mandatory GBA Plus training, and requirements that GBA Plus be integrated in cabinet documents as well as departmental plans and reporting. PACP recommendations stressed the need for mandatory requirements to complete GBA Plus in MCs and TB submissions and to report back to the Committee on progress. Interim and final progress reports were provided to both committees in March 2017 and 2018 respectively. In response to reports on GBA Plus implementation by the PACP and FEWO, the Government committed to update both Committees on progress. The Department has done so by providing updates on Action Plan commitments through an interim report in 2017, and a final report in 2018.
- The Government of Canada commissioned the OECD to undertake a review of the gender equality ecosystem, including GBA Plus application, governance and budgeting practices. The review, released in June 2018, provided a number of recommendations for GBA Plus, including:
- Expanding the mandate of WAGE to expand the focus from solely women and include a focus on broader issues to align with the broad nature of GBA Plus, as well as the resources for WAGE to become the government’s policy hub on issues of gender equality, GBA Plus and intersectionality.
- Clarifying authority and responsibility to strengthen consideration of gender equality and intersectionality in Cabinet decision-making.
- Developing a data strategy to address data-related barriers to GBA Plus and support progress under the Gender Results Framework.
- Establishing criteria for assessing the quality of GBA Plus.
- Supporting departments in the early application of GBA Plus in policy development and ensure GBA Plus is applied throughout the policy cycle.
- Making GBA Plus reports public in a manner that is respectful of Cabinet confidence.
- That the OAG consider GBA Plus in all performance audits, and that Parliamentary committees integrate GBA Plus considerations in their work.
- The 2022 Report of the Auditor General of Canada on GBA Plus highlighted persistent gaps and the need to do more to fully implement GBA as a rigorous practice across government. In particular, the Auditor General made several recommendations, including:
- That TBS and PCO provide timely and documented feedback to departments and agencies on the application of GBA Plus in their Memoranda to Cabinet and Treasury Board submissions and should share this feedback with WAGE. Departments and agencies should then make future cycle improvements to strengthen the application of GBA Plus.
- Women and Gender Equality Canada should ensure its efforts as a leader and centre of expertise help to advance GBA Plus across all of the federal government.
- PCO and TBS should ensure all departments and agencies appropriately implement the GBA Plus Framework and report publicly on their progress.
- PCO, TBS and WAGE should work with departments and agencies to ensure that disaggregated data is sought, compiled, and used in the design, delivery, and measurement of all policies, programs, and initiatives.
- WAGE, with the support of PCO and TBS, should comprehensively monitor and publicly report on the status of GBA Plus implementation across the federal government, including plans to advance GBA Plus implementation.
- TBS should issue guidance to departments and agencies for reporting GBA Plus in their departmental results report that requires complete, accurate, and consistent results that can contribute in a meaningful way to analysis on the progress of GBA Plus implementation and impacts.
- WAGE, in collaboration with other responsible departments and agencies and central agencies, should
- develop specific and measurable targets for the results frameworks that it leads and to which it contributes; and
- develop and implement a plan and monitor results to improve the availability of data for the intersectional identity factors relevant to all indicators used in related frameworks.
Progress on previous report recommendations:
- WAGE, in collaboration with central agencies, line departments and other GBA Plus delivery partners, has made significant progress on all previous recommendations related to GBA Plus noted above. In particular:
- Templates for MCs, TB Submissions, federal budget submissions, and annual departmental plans and results reports require documentation from all departments and agencies as to the findings of GBA Plus and how it was considered in the development and implementation of policies, programs, services and other federal initiatives (2009 audit). In addition, the GBA Plus for federal budget submissions and annual departmental plans and results reports are made public (2015 FEWO report; 2015 PACP report; 2018 OECD report).
- GBA Plus application has also been legislated through various pieces of legislation, which also serve to clarify roles and responsibilities for applying GBA Plus (2015 FEWO report; 2018 OECD report). In particular, GBA Plus application has been legislated through the Canadian Gender Budgeting Act, the Impact Assessment Act, the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Accessible Canada Act.
- Moreover, in recent years, the Government has implemented a number of non-legislative requirements for the application of GBA Plus (2015 FEWO report; 2015 PACP report), including:
- The Directive on Results, which requires program officials, in establishing, implementing, and maintaining Performance Information Profiles for programs to include GBA Plus (where relevant).
- The Cabinet Directive on Regulation requires federal departments and agencies to undertake an assessment of social and economic impacts of each regulatory proposal on diverse groups of Canadians.
- The Policy on Transfer Payments requires departments and agencies ensure that transfer payment programs are designed and delivered to be inclusive and gender- and diversity-sensitive and respond to government policy objectives and priorities.
- Ministerial mandate letters since 2019 have required all Ministers to apply GBA Plus to decision-making.
- In 2019, TBS issued guidance to line departments communicating expectations for applying GBA Plus to evaluations of programs (2015 FEWO report; 2015 PACP report; 2018 OECD report).
- In 2019, WAGE collaborated with PCO and TBS to develop criteria for assessing the quality of GBA Plus (2018 OECD report). These criteria allowed WAGE and the central agencies to make formal assessments of the quality of GBA Plus in decision-making documents (2009 audit). These criteria also allowed for the development of guidance by central agencies with respect to expectations for the application of GBA Plus in decision-making documents (2009 audit).
- In 2016, WAGE established whole-of-government governance structures and other mechanisms for identifying barriers to GBA Plus application, and for monitoring and reporting on its implementation and impacts. For example, WAGE established an interdepartmental network of GBA Plus Champions at the senior executive level, as well as a committee of GBA Plus focal points, who meet quarterly to discuss promising practices, barriers to implementation and strategies for addressing barriers. In addition, WAGE and the Canada School of Public Service established an interdepartmental Learning Advisory Working Group, as well as a Capacity-building Working Group in order to provide advice to WAGE, CSPS and central agencies on addressing barriers and strengthening departmental capacity (2015 audit; 2015 FEWO report; 2018 OECD report).
- WAGE assesses and reports on GBA Plus application annually through information gathered from these governance committees, as well as from the annual GBA Plus Implementation Survey, initiated in 2016.
- The results are shared annually with all Deputy Ministers through the Public Service Management Accountability Committee. In addition, WAGE has shared results of early implementation surveys through its departmental website. Finally, PCO and TBS each undertake an annual review of a sample of MCs and TB Submissions to assess the quality of GBA Plus application. Reports are produced and shared with WAGE (2015 audit).
- In order to support departments in the early application of GBA Plus in the policy cycle, to address persistent barriers to GBA Plus application, and to strengthen GBA Plus and intersectionality considerations in cabinet and other decision-making documents, WAGE has developed a series of tools, resources and training since 2012. In particular:
- In 2021, WAGE, central agencies and other GBA Plus delivery partners disseminated a Step-by-Step Guide and Compendium of tools on intersectional factors to consider when doing GBA Plus. The Step-by-Step Guide emphasized the need to do GBA Plus in order to inform policy/program options, at the earliest stages of the policy and program development cycle, and to carry GBA Plus through to monitoring and evaluation (2018 OECD report; 2015 audit; 2015 FEWO report);
- WAGE developed a job aid on intersectionality to strengthen GBA Plus application and intersectionality considerations (2018 OECD report);
- Since 2017, WAGE has published 8 microlearning videos on the application of GBA Plus to specific issues, in order to address barriers in capacity to understand how to do GBA Plus (2015 audit). These videos, posted on WAGE’s website, focus on topics such as how to do GBA Plus; GBA Plus of climate change; GBA Plus of concussion prevention and treatment; and intersectionality (2015 audit; 2015 FEWO report; 2018 OECD report).
- WAGE, the Canada School of Public Service and other GBA Plus delivery partners have designed and delivered three GBA Plus courses to build public service capacity to apply GBA Plus. These courses include an Introduction to GBA Plus; an intermediate GBA Plus course; and an applied GBA Plus course (2015 audit; 2015 FEWO report; 2018 OECD report).
- WAGE provides ad-hoc technical advice and training to central agencies and line departments on the application of GBA Plus (2015 audit; 2018 OECD report).
- In December 2018, through the Department for Women and Gender Equality Act, the Government of Canada expanded the mandate of the former Status of Women beyond women’s equality, to include broader considerations of gender equality and intersectional considerations (2018 OECD report). In addition, the legislation clarified WAGE’s authority for strengthening GBA Plus application and for promoting a greater understanding of intersectionality (2018 OECD report).
- In successive federal budgets since 2016, WAGE has secured additional financial and human resources to assist it in fulfilling this GBA Plus mandate (2009 audit; 2015 audit). As of October 2022, WAGE’s GBA Plus unit has 17 full-time equivalent positions delivering on the GBA Plus mandate.
- Having identified GBA Plus as a persistent barrier to its optimal application (2015 audit, 2022 audit), the Government of Canada has made significant investments in improving the availability and access to disaggregated data (2018 OECD report). For example, through successive federal budgets since 2016, WAGE invests nearly $10 million annually in disaggregated data and research to inform GBA Plus.
- In addition, in 2018, the Government of Canada announced investments in a new Centre for Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics at Statistics Canada. In 2019, this Centre launched a Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics Hub where all disaggregated data are housing, categorized and made accessible in various analytical formats.
- In federal Budget 2021, the Government of Canada announced $170 million to Statistics Canada to support a Disaggregated Data Action Plan (2018 OECD report; 2022 audit).
Outstanding recommendations:
- Despite the significant progress identified above, there are several outstanding recommendations noted in the above reports, on which work is currently underway by WAGE, central agencies and other GBA Plus delivery partners. These include:
- Making GBA Plus training mandatory (2015 FEWO report). According to the 2020 GBA Plus Implementation Survey, just over 50% of federal departments and agencies have mandated GBA Plus training for specific functional communities.
- Completing the Disaggregated Data Action Plan and addressing data barriers to GBA Plus implementation (2018 OECD report; 2022 audit)
- Ensuring GBA Plus is done early in the policy/program development cycle (2018 OECD report). According to the 2020 GBA Plus Implementation Survey, just over 40% of federal initiatives are done early in the development process. This is consistent with the GBA Plus report of recent federal budgets.
- Assessment and reporting on the quality and impacts of GBA Plus (2009, 2015, and 2022 audits).
- WAGE is working with central agencies to develop an action plan that includes innovative and concrete actions to address these outstanding and/or persistent issues. This action plan will be shared with the Public Accounts committee by late November 2022.
Gender-based Analysis Plus: Roles, Responsibilities and Tools
Issue/question:
Who is responsible for applying GBA Plus in decision-making within the federal government and what resources are in place to support its application?
Suggested response:
- All Ministers are accountable for implementing GBA Plus across their portfolios and it’s the responsibility of every public servant to ensure that GBA Plus informs decision-making.
- Various federal departments and agencies are responsible for the monitoring and oversight of GBA Plus application, including Women and Gender Equality Canada and the three central agencies. In addition, there are key delivery partners who support departments’ capacity to apply GBA Plus, including the Canada School of Public Service for training, and Statistics Canada for data.
- While there are a number of tools and training to ensure that public servants understand how to apply GBA Plus to decision-making, we know there is always room for improvement. Following the May 2022 audit report from the Auditor General, WAGE is working with central agencies and other GBA Plus delivery partners to identify persistent barriers and additional supports needed to improve GBA Plus application.
Key information:
Investment
No funding information
Results
N/A
Project examples
N/A
Background:
Roles in GBA Plus
- Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) supports the whole-of-government implementation of GBA Plus through the development of training and tools to support federal departments and agencies in applying GBA Plus. The department is also responsible for monitoring the government’s implementation of GBA Plus and for providing technical advice and guidance to central agencies and line departments on the application of GBA Plus. The Privy Council Office, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, and other departments can directly consult Women and Gender Equality Canada as a centre of expertise when applying GBA Plus or developing related internal policies, guidance, and plans.
- The Privy Council Office (PCO) has the responsibility to review department and agency submissions, such as Memoranda to Cabinet, which are presented to Cabinet for approval. These submissions are important steps in the policy life cycle of government. Analysts in the Privy Council Office guide departmental and agency staff to add and adjust content when they are submitting funding requests or other proposals. This role of the central agencies is to ensure that departments and agencies apply GBA Plus in their proposed policy, legislative, and program initiatives.
- The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) has the responsibility to review department and agency Treasury Board submissions, which are presented to Cabinet for approval. These submissions are important steps in the policy life cycle of government as they provide details on design, implementation and monitoring of federal initiatives.
- Under section 5 of the Canadian Gender Budgeting Act, once a year, the President of the Treasury Board, in consultation with the Minister of Finance, must make available to the public an analysis of the impacts of existing Government of Canada programs in terms of gender and diversity that they consider appropriate. As the administrative arm of the Treasury Board, the secretariat supports the President in fulfilling this request.
- The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat is also responsible for the implementation of the Policy on Results and, through this policy, the integration of GBA Plus into corporate planning and reporting, program evaluations and performance measurement.
- Finance Canada leads on gender budgeting under the Canadian Gender Budgeting Act. Under the Act, the Minister of Finance must table before each House of Parliament a report on the impacts in terms of gender and diversity of all new budget measures, if an assessment of the impacts is not included in the budget plan or any related documents that the Minister has made public. In addition, the Minister of Finance must annually make available to the public analysis of impacts in terms of gender and diversity of the tax expenditures. As the Government of Canada’s centre of expertise on gender equality, WAGE works with Finance Canada on the implementation of the Canadian Gender Budgeting Act and the drafting of the Statement on Gender Equality and Diversity.
- Federal departments and agencies are required to integrate GBA Plus into all decision-making, including Memoranda to Cabinet, Treasury Board Submissions, federal budget proposals, and regulations.
Resources available to federal departments and agencies training:
- Foundational GBA Plus training is available to all federal departments/agencies, as well as the general public, through the course Introduction to GBA Plus, available on the WAGE website. This course is also available to federal public servants through the Canada School of Public Service’s learning platform.
- Since this course was introduced in 2012, nearly 225,000 public servants, parliamentarians and their staff completed the Introduction to GBA Plus online course.
- In addition, a more advanced course on how to apply a comprehensive and intersectional GBA Plus is available to federal public servants through the Canada School of Public Service.
- Since this course was introduced in February 2021, over 500 federal public servants have completed the virtual, instructor-led course.
Resources
- Since 2017, the following tools and resources have been made available to federal public servants and the general public, through WAGE’s website:
- Job Aid on Intersectionality
- Inclusive event planning job aid
- Microlearning video - Top 10 Don’ts of GBA Plus
- Microlearning video – Safer and stronger Canada at home and in the word
- Microlearning video – Does climate change affect us all the same way?
- Microlearning video – Applying GBA Plus to Concussion Prevention and Treatment
- Microlearning video - GBA+ in action at the Canadian Coast Guard
- Microlearning video – GBA Plus step-by-step
- Microlearning video – GBA Plus – Beyond sex and gender
- Microlearning video – GBA Plus – Equality or Equity?
- Guidance on developing a GBA Plus Framework within line departments
- In addition, in June 2021, WAGE released a new suite of tools to support public servants in applying rigorous intersectional GBA Plus. This suite was comprised of a Step-by-Step Guide and Quick Reference tool with key questions to consider when doing GBA Plus, as well as a Compendium of tools on each of the individual identity factors to consider when doing GBA Plus. These tools included key statistics and considerations for each factor. These tools were intended to help federal public servants better understand how to apply GBA plus from an intersectional perspective.
GBA Plus and COVID-19
- Throughout the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, WAGE worked with partners across government to help ensure that GBA Plus was applied to response measures. This included:
- Creating a COVID-19 Task Team within WAGE to provide support to departments in applying GBA Plus. The task team compiled research and data to inform GBA Plus; developed tools to support departmental capacity to apply GBA Plus; and provided technical advice and guidance on GBA Plus.
- Sharing with federal departments and agencies a knowledge synthesis and comprehensive analysis of the gendered and intersectional impacts of COVID-19, to inform GBA Plus of response measures. WAGE also developed policy briefs, top 10 questions for doing a GBA Plus with COVID-19 response measures and other ‘quick fact’ GBA Plus resources.
- Co-chairing (with Canadian Heritage) the Equity-Seeking Communities and COVID-19 Task Force within the federal government. This provided a mechanism for federal departments to discuss the application of GBA Plus to policy/program development and implementation in the context of COVID-19. The Task Force was also leveraged as a venue to hear directly from individuals from diverse equity-deserving communities about their lived experience of the pandemic. This provided officials from across the Government of Canada with valuable insights on how different people were experiencing the pandemic and the public health and other measures implemented by various governments.
- Working with provincial/territorial government officials to support the application of GBA Plus to their COVID-19 response, including through the sharing of tools – such as the “Top 10 Questions for doing a GBA Plus in the Context of COVID-19” – and a knowledge synthesis of pandemic impacts on different populations.
- Hosting a special session of GBA Plus focal points from across the Government of Canada to discuss the application of GBA Plus to COVID-19 measures. This included facilitating an exchange on good practices, gaps and on challenges focal points were experiencing in supporting their departments robust application of GBA Plus in their responsive measures.
- Hosting a panel discussion, in collaboration with the Canada School of Public Service, entitled Achieving an Inclusive Pandemic Response with GBA Plus attended by 1,500 public servants.
Examples of the application of GBA Plus to initiatives
GBA Plus and Airport Security:
- The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) applied GBA Plus to the Primary Inspection Kiosks, which were created to improve border services for international travelers at Canada’s busiest airports. Throughout the planning phase, GBA Plus was used to inform the design and operation of the kiosk, to ensure that no group would be unfairly disadvantaged by the technology. While GBA Plus showed that most of the kiosk’s elements had minimal impacts on different groups, it found that facial authentication has the potential to impact people differently depending on their gender, age, mobility and ethnicity. For example, facial recognition technology does not work well on children, but its performance rapidly improves as a person ages. GBA Plus was used to develop a mitigation strategy, where travelers with match scores below a requirement are subject to visual inspection.
GBA Plus and Health Research:
- Research has found that gender and age are key variables in explaining the incidence, symptoms and recovery from traumatic brain injury. For example, after a concussion, females report experiencing more symptoms, greater cognitive decline and poorer reaction time. The highest incidence of concussion is found among children and adolescents, and adolescent females experience more concussions, different and more severe symptoms, and slower recovery. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research asks researchers who apply for funding – including that related to concussion research – to indicate if and how sex and gender are integrated into their research design.
GBA Plus and Climate Change:
- GBA Plus has been applied to key initiatives in Canada’s approach to climate change, as research shows that climate change impacts people differently depending on multiple intersecting factors. For example, as part of Canada’s Oceans Protection Plan, the Government is partnering with Indigenous and coastal communities to develop a world-leading marine safety system that meets Canada’s unique needs. GBA Plus is helping to ensure that under-represented groups in Canada’s Arctic, including diverse groups of Indigenous Peoples and women, play an active role in the design and delivery of emergency response and waterways management. In addition, GBA Plus has been applied to Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy, in recognition that women living in poverty disproportionately experience the impacts of climate change.
Application of Gender-based Analysis Plus
Issue/question:
How is the Government of Canada supporting the capacity of public
servants to apply GBA Plus to decision-making?
Suggested response:
- The Government of Canada has sustained its commitment to GBA Plus and continues to actively promote its application across government decision-making.
- That’s because GBA Plus is recognized as an effective part of government’s strategy to advance equality and to be responsive to the needs of diverse people through its programs and initiatives.
- GBA Plus is the result of more than 25 years of continuous improvement, which has resulted in the scope of its application increasing incrementally through a series of deliberate actions.
- This has included establishing legislative and non-legislative requirements so that GBA Plus is an integral part of government’s decision-making processes.
- In addition to making GBA Plus a requirement in Cabinet and other key decision-making documents, the Government has also invested in building capacity to ensure that GBA Plus is robust, intersectional, and supported by quality data and research.
- There is more to do on GBA Plus, to refine the tools and their application as we learn, including by talking to communities and stakeholders about knowledge and cultural factors that need to be taken into account in these analyses.
Key information:
Investment
No funding information
Results
N/A
Project examples
N/A
Background:
- Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) is an analytical tool used to support the development of responsive and inclusive policies, programs, and other initiatives. It is a process for understanding who is impacted by the issues we seek to address, identifying how initiatives could be tailored to meet diverse needs; and anticipating and mitigating any barriers to accessing or benefitting from the initiative.
- GBA Plus is intersectional in its design, which means that it goes beyond biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences to consider other factors, such as age, disability, education, ethnicity, economic status, geography, language, race, religion, and sexual orientation, as well as social context, including social norms, attitudes and systemic discrimination.
Efforts to advance government-wide capacity for robust GBA Plus
- The Government of Canada has sustained its commitment to Gender-based Analysis (GBA) for close to thirty years. It resulted from a 1995 federal commitment to its implementation in all federal departments and agencies in response to the UN’s Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action from the 4th World Conference on Women.
- In 2007, the revised Guide to Preparing Treasury Board Submissions made it mandatory for GBA Plus information to be included in all Treasury Board submissions.
- In 2011, the federal government rebranded GBA to GBA Plus. The ‘Plus’ was added to encourage consideration of the multiple factors that shape experiences and outcomes, beyond sex and gender. With this re-branding, the GBA Plus wheel was also introduced.
- In 2015, the Auditor General of Canada conducted a performance audit of GBA Plus which recommended to Status of Women Canada (now WAGE), Privy Council Office and Treasury Board Secretariat to work with all federal departments to identify barriers to GBA Plus implementation and to periodically assess and report on progress.
- In 2016, the Government of Canada developed the 2016-22 GBA Plus Action Plan, which implemented interdepartmental governance to support the implementation of GBA, a requirement for GBA Plus in Memorandum to Cabinet, and a recommitment to embed GBA Plus in Treasury Board submissions.
- In 2018, the Canadian Gender Budgeting Act passed. GBA Plus was legislated for all new annual budget measures, for tax expenditures, and for existing federal government expenditures.
- In 2019, GBA Plus commitments were included in all Ministerial mandate letters. This same year, the Impact Assessment Act came into force. GBA Plus is legislated for all major initiatives as part of impact assessments.
- Moreover, in recent years, the Government has implemented a number of non-legislative requirements for the application of GBA Plus, including:
- The Directive on Results, which requires program officials, in establishing, implementing, and maintaining Performance Information Profiles for programs to include GBA Plus (where relevant).
- The Cabinet Directive on Regulation requires federal departments and agencies to undertake an assessment of social and economic impacts of each regulatory proposal on diverse groups of Canadians.
- The Policy on Transfer Payments requires departments and agencies ensure that transfer payment programs are designed and delivered to be inclusive and gender- and diversity-sensitive and respond to government policy objectives and priorities.
- In September 2018, the Government launched Statistics Canada’s Centre for Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics in response to the growing demand for better intersectional data. The Centre houses quick facts, statistics and recent analysis related to gender equality and diversity. In 2021, Budget 2021 investments were made to strengthen the collection of disaggregated data to enable more robust GBA Plus. Amendments were made to the Policy on Transfer Payments to include GBA plus requirements in grants and contributions programs. Commitments were also made in Ministerial mandate letters to enhance the framing and parameters of GBA Plus.
- To monitor the application of GBA Plus across the federal government and to identify barriers to GBA Plus and opportunities to strengthen implementation, in 2016, WAGE introduced an annual GBA Plus implementation survey. The survey collects data from all federal departments and agencies on their GBA Plus governance, capacity, training, application, monitoring of GBA Plus and barriers. Information from this survey has been shared with Deputy Ministers as part of a process of continual improvement. Moreover, WAGE has used this information to identify new tools, training and other resources required to improve GBA Plus application by departments and agencies.
- In November 2018, WAGE hosted a GBA Plus Forum, bringing together more than 1,000 participants to share perspectives on strengthening GBA Plus. The Forum generated important insights, including the need for: inclusive engagement and opportunities for participation in decision-making; greater cultural competency; more awareness of the various factors to consider when doing GBA Plus; improved accountability; increased capacity for rigorous and intersectional analysis; and the need for a central focal point to facilitate ongoing progress on GBA Plus implementation.
- In 2017/18, the Government of Canada commissioned the OECD to undertake a review of the gender equality ecosystem, including GBA Plus application, governance and budgeting practices. The review provided a number of recommendations for GBA Plus, including:
- Expanding the mandate of WAGE to expand the focus from solely women and include a focus on broader issues to align with the broad nature of GBA Plus, as well as the resources for WAGE to become the government’s policy hub on issues of gender equality, GBA Plus and intersectionality.
- Clarifying authority and responsibility to strengthen consideration of gender equality and intersectionality in Cabinet decision-making.
- Developing a data strategy to address data-related barriers to GBA Plus and support progress under the Gender Results Framework.
- Establishing criteria for assessing the quality of GBA Plus.
- Supporting departments in the early application of GBA Plus in policy development and ensure GBA Plus is applied throughout the policy cycle.
- Making GBA Plus reports public in a manner that is respectful of Cabinet confidence.
- In addition to these recommendations, the OECD also called for the OAG to consider GBA Plus in all performance audits, and for Parliamentary committees to integrate GBA Plus considerations in their work.
- Insights from the annual implementation survey, the GBA Plus Forum, and the OECD study informed initiatives in the Government of Canada’s 2016-2020 GBA Plus Action Plan, which also responded to recommendations from Canada’s Auditor General’s 2015 performance audit of GBA Plus.
The Evolution of Gender-based Analysis Plus Within the Government of Canada
1995: Government Commitment to GBA
- Following the United Nations’ Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China, and with the endorsement of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the Government of Canada committed to conducting GBA on all policies and programs.
2007: GBA Mandatory in Submissions to TBS
- The 2007 revised Guide to Preparing Treasury Board (TB) Submissions made it mandatory for GBA information to be included in any TB submission.
2011: Rebranding to GBA Plus
- In 2011, the Government of Canada rebranded GBA to GBA Plus. The “Plus” was added to encourage consideration of the multiple factors that shape experiences and outcomes, beyond sex and gender. With this rebranding, the GBA Plus wheel was introduced.
2015: Auditor General Audit of GBA Plus
- This report recommended that Status of Women Canada, the Privy Council Office, and the Treasury Board Secretariat work with all federal organizations to identify the barriers to GBA Plus implementation and to periodically assess and report on progress.
2016: GBA Plus Action Plan
- The 2016–20 GBA Plus Action Plan included a requirement for GBA Plus in Memoranda to Cabinet and a commitment to embedding it into policy processes.
- GBA Plus being mandatory in TB submissions was reaffirmed.
- Governance to support GBA Plus was implemented. Training was expanded with Canada School of Public Service (CSPS).
2018: Budget 2018
- The Canadian Gender Budgeting Act passed in December 2018. GBA Plus is legislated for all new annual budget measures, for tax expenditures, and for existing expenditures.
2019: Mainstreaming GBA Plus
- GBA Plus commitments are included in all ministerial mandate letters.
- The Impact Assessment Act came into force. GBA Plus is legislated for all major initiatives as part of impact assessments.
2021-2022: Strengthening GBA Plus
- Commitments are made in ministerial mandate letters to strengthen the application of GBA Plus and to develop a process to evaluate its impacts.
- Budget 2021 makes investments to strengthen disaggregated data in order to inform GBA Plus.
- Amendments are made to the transfer payment policy to include GBA Plus requirements in G&Cs programs.
- WAGE, central agencies, and partner departments release new guidance and methodology for GBA Plus.
Committee Overview
The Senate Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology (SOCI)
The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology has the mandate to examine legislation and to study issues related to cultural affairs and the arts, social and labour matters, health and welfare, pensions, and housing. It is also responsible for considering fitness and amateur sport, employment and immigration, consumer affairs and youth affairs.
Over the past decade, the committee has undertaken a variety of special studies and produced several significant reports. In the area of health care, the committee has produced a variety of reports starting with its multi-phase study of Canada’s health care system in 2002, which had a particular focus on its long-term sustainability, and on the federal role in its reforms and renewal. Like the Romanow Royal Commission report released one month later, the committee’s final report made a significant contribution to the policy debate. As a result of its six-volume health care study, the committee was recognized as being a key site for the public discussion of health policy.
The committee has produced substantive reports following extensive studies dealing with mental health, prescription pharmaceuticals, forced adoptions following the Second World War, dementia in society and the incidence of obesity in Canada. Other significant reports on social issues included the application of the Disability Tax Credit and the Registered Disability Savings Plan, the federal role of a Social Finance Fund and the integration of robotics, artificial intelligence and 3D printing in the health care system. It also conducted a study into the government’s response into the COVID-19 pandemic.
The committee has reviewed bills which cover a wide variety of subjects reflecting the breadth of the committee’s mandate, with topics such as: health, food and drugs, citizenship and immigration, product and human safety, pensions and employment insurance, raising awareness of issues through designated days or weeks, amendments to the criminal code and other diverse topics. In recent years, the committee has examined the new Accessible Canada Act which enhances the full and equal participation of all persons, especially persons with disabilities; the Cannabis Act which provides for legal access to cannabis; and changes to the Corrections and Conditional Release Act which was the government’s response to two court decisions relating to administrative segregation. Senate public bills dealing with changes to the Blood Regulations and changing the National Anthem Act were also referred to the committee for review.
In addition to the consideration of various bills, in the 43rd Parliament, the committee studied:
- Study on the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic
- The future of workers in Canada
- The implementation and success of a federal framework on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by the Government of Canada
In addition to the consideration of various bills, during the 44th Parliament, the committee agreed to study:
- The Role of Gender-based Analysis Plus in the Policy Process
- Study on the Federal Framework for Suicide Prevention (ongoing)
- Study on the Canadian assisted human reproduction legislative and regulatory framework and any other related issues deemed relevant by the committee
Senate Committee meetings follow a somewhat less structured format than House of Commons Committees. For instance, there is no pre-approved order and time allotment for rounds of questions. The Chair may set out an intended plan at the beginning of the meeting if she feels it will be necessary but otherwise, they manage time based on allowing all members the opportunity to ask questions. The Chair is more likely to take time to ask questions than the Chair of a House committee and members tend to pick up the thread of the previous Senator’s question more often than in House Committees.
SOCI Members
Independent Senators Group (ISG):
Ratna Omidvar, Chair ISG - (Ontario)
In April 2016, Prime Minister Trudeau appointed Ms. Omidvar to the Senate of Canada as an independent Senator representing Ontario. As a member of the Senate’s Independent Senators Group she holds a leadership position as the Scroll Manager. Ratna Omidvar is an internationally recognized voice on migration, diversity and inclusion. She came to Canada from Iran in 1981 and her own experiences of displacement, integration and citizen engagement have been the foundation of her work.
Senator Omidvar is the founding Executive Director and currently a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Global Diversity Exchange (GDX), Ted Rogers School of Management, Ryerson University. GDX is a think-and-do tank on diversity, migration and inclusion that connects local experience and ideas with global networks. It is dedicated to building a community of international leaders who see prosperity in migration.
Senator Omidvar is the current Co-Chair of the Global Future Council on Migration hosted by the World Economic Forum and serves as a Councillor on the World Refugee Council. She is also a director at the Environics Institute, and Samara Canada and is the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council’s Chair Emerita and was formerly the Chair of Lifeline Syria.
Senator Omidvar is co-author of Flight and Freedom: Stories of Escape to Canada (2015), an Open Book Toronto best book of 2015 and one of the Toronto Star's top five good reads from Word on the Street. She is also a contributor to The Harper Factor (2016) and co-editor of Five Good Ideas: Practical Strategies for Non-Profit Success (2011). Senator Omidvar received an Honorary Degree, Doctor of Laws, York University in 2012.
Senator Omidvar has also been recognized by the Globe and Mail, by being named as its Nation Builder of the Decade for Citizenship in 2010. She was named to the inaugural Global Diversity List sponsored by The Economist magazine in 2015, as one of the Top 10 Diversity Champions worldwide. In 2016, she also received Lifetime Achievement Awards from CivicAction and the Canadian Urban Institute, honouring her strong commitment to civic leadership and city building.
Interests:
- Immigration and Integration, and Refugees
- The Charitable Sector
- Poverty Reduction
- Senate Modernization
Stan Kutcher ISG - (Nova Scotia)
Appointed to the Senate in December of 2018 by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Senator Kutcher is a leading psychiatrist and professor who has helped young people successfully manage major mental illnesses. Dr. Kutcher studied history and political science before earning a medical degree from McMaster University. He continued his education in Toronto and in Edinburgh, Scotland before returning to Canada and joining the University of Toronto.
It was there that he made his first of many major contributions to Canadian health care, taking Sunnybrook Hospital’s adolescent psychiatry division and transforming it into an innovative clinical and research facility. He also pioneered research into the causes of and treatments for youth with major mental illnesses such as bipolar illness, schizophrenia and depression.
Dr. Kutcher then became Head of the Psychiatry Department at Dalhousie University followed by appointments as Associate Dean for International Heath and the Sun Life Financial Chair in Adolescent Mental Health.
In addition to his professional practice, Dr. Kutcher has served on the board of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia and the board of the Spryfield Boys and Girls Club. He also led the development of a national youth mental health framework for Canada as a member of the Child and Youth Advisory Committee of the Mental Health Commission of Canada.
Dr. Kutcher has also received numerous awards and honours for his work, including the Order of Nova Scotia, the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry’s Naomi Rae-Grant and Paul D. Steinhauer Advocacy awards, the McMaster University Distinguished Alumni Award and the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada’s John Ruedy Award for Innovation in Medical Education.
Interests:
- Mental Health
- Bipolar Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder
Rosemary Moodie ISG - (Ontario)
Appointed to the Senate in December 2018 by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Senator Moodie is a Jamaican-born paediatrician and neonatologist. After graduating from the University of the West Indies, she completed postgraduate training in Paediatric and Neonatal/Perinatal Medicine at Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.
She is senior neonatologist, clinical teacher and associate professor in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Toronto. She is Fellow of Royal College of Physicians of Canada and Fellow of American Academy of Pediatrics. Her research has focused on the social determinants of breastfeeding practice and she has written extensively on regional health services and physician human resource planning.
Senator Moodie is a well-recognized national and international medical leader. She has supported organizations and stakeholders in policy development and advocacy to improve health equity and expand quality health care access to the most vulnerable, underserved and marginalized population. Her work included Corporate Chief of Paediatrics and Medical Director of the Regional Maternal Child Program Rouge Valley Health System; Maternal, Child, Youth, and Gynaecology Lead for Central East Local Health Integration Network; and regional and provincial committees, such as the Child Health Network and Provincial Council of Children’s Health. Her expertise also includes health care planning locally and internationally.
Further, Senator Moodie is an Accreditation Canada hospital surveyor with extensive experience improving the quality of health care delivery across Canada and worldwide.
Senator Moodie has been a strong advocate for woman and girls. Her contributions to reducing social inequities and health disparities among children and communities have been significant. She is on the Board of Directors for the inaugural board of Providence Healthcare, St. Joseph’s Health Centre, and St. Michael’s Hospital (Unity Health Toronto) and the ScotiaBank Jamaica Foundation.
Interests:
- Reducing social inequities and health disparities among children
- Affordable housing
- Children and Youth
- Race-based data collection
Chantal Petitclerc ISG - (Quebec - Grandville)
Senator Chantal Petitclerc was appointed to the Senate on March 18, 2016, by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The Honourable Chantal Petitclerc is not only an internationally renowned athlete, but also a compassionate person. When she was 13 years old, she lost the use of her legs in an accident. While Petitclerc was developing her skills as a wheelchair athlete, she pursued her studies, first in social sciences at the CEGEP de Sainte-Foy and then in history at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. She overcame adversity and many obstacles to become a proven leader in the sports world. Her gold medals in the Paralympic Games, Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games, the various awards and accolades she has received, and her appointment as Team Canada’s Chef de Mission for the Rio Paralympic Games are all markers of her success.
Her many achievements and her personal journey have also made her an in-demand public speaker, recognized across Canada. She has been the spokesperson for Défi sportif AlterGo for 17 years, and is an ambassador for the international organization Right to Play. A tireless advocate for the contributions people with disabilities have made to our society, she plays a definitive role in building a more inclusive society. Her example inspires people to overcome their obstacles and achieve their full potential.
Through her experiences, Senator Petitclerc has also learned a lot about the particular characteristics of various communities, as well as how decisions are made at the national level. As someone who has functional limitations herself, she has a good understanding of the needs of various minority communities and would like to ensure their voices are heard. The Senator is a Companion of the Order of Canada and a Knight of the Order of Quebec. She received the Lou Marsh Trophy for Canadian Athlete of the Year and was inducted into the Canadian Paralympic Hall of Fame. She has also received four honorary doctorates. In addition, Senator Petitclerc sits on various committees and boards of directors, where she provides her dynamic and unique perspective.
Interests:
- Persons with disabilities
- Accessibility
- Agriculture and forestry
- Federal Framework on Post-traumatic Stress
- Disorder
Donna Dasko ISG – (Ontario)
Donna Dasko was appointed to the Senate by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on June 6, 2018.
She is a respected national pollster, media commentator, and private sector business leader with considerable public policy experience. She holds a Ph.D. and MA from the University of Toronto and a BA (Hons) from the University of Manitoba.
Dr. Dasko was formerly Senior Vice-President of Environics Research Group Ltd, and built the firm from a small consultancy into one of Canada’s leading research firms. During her career, she led major research studies for federal and provincial departments and agencies, private sector clients, and NGOs, in areas including the economy, budget priorities, tobacco control, health promotion, national unity, and many others. She was a leader in developing media-sponsored polling including the Globe-Environics Poll and election and special feature polling for the CBC.
As a community volunteer, she served in many roles including President of St. Stephen’s Community House, Director of the United Way of Greater Toronto, Governor of the Canadian Unity Council (devoted to Canadian unity and federalism), Chair of the National CEO Roundtable for the Alzheimer Society, and Advisor to GreenPac (which promotes environmental leadership).
Dr. Dasko’s passion for the promotion of women in politics has guided much of her advocacy. She is a Co-Founder and former National Chair of Equal Voice, a non-partisan organization aimed at electing more women in Canada. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF), which promotes equality rights for women. In 2015, she co-founded the Campaign for an Equal Senate for Canada, an initiative to promote a gender-equal Senate. She works with National Democratic Institute on issues related to women in politics internationally.
She is a Senior Fellow at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy and taught in its Master’s program before her Senate appointment. She is a member of Statistics Canada’s Advisory Committee on Social Conditions.
Dr. Dasko was born and raised in Winnipeg. She has two children, a daughter and son.
Interests:
- Gender equality and national unity
- Tobacco control and health promotion
Progressive Senate Group (PSG):
Patricia Bovey, Deputy Chair PSG - (Manitoba)
Senator Patricia Bovey was appointed to the Senate by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on November 10th, 2016. Prior to being appointed to the Senate, Senator Bovey was a Winnipeg-based gallery director and curator, art historian, writer, professor and, for many years, a management consultant in the arts and not-for-profit sector.
Former Chair of the Board of Governors of the University of Manitoba, she has served on the Boards of the National Gallery of Canada (2005 – 2009) and the Canada Council for the Arts (1990-1993); the 1986 Withrow/Richard Federal Task Force on National and Regional Museums; the National Board for the Canadian Center for Cultural Management at the University of Waterloo (2002-2010); is a past Chair of the Board of Governors of Emily Carr University and of the Canadian Art Museum Directors Organization. She was a member of the Public Art Committee of the City of Winnipeg (2003-2007), and of the Mayor’s Task Force on Public Art to develop Winnipeg’s Public Art Policy (2002-2003). Former member of the Board of the University of Manitoba Press, she presently serves on the Eckhardt-Gramatté Foundation. She served as Board Chair of the Centre for Contemporary Canadian Art, and was a member of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation; the Manitoba Rhodes Scholarship and Loran Scholarship Selection committees; the board of Manitoba Artists in Healthcare and the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra.
Senator Bovey was a recipient of the 2015 Winnipeg Arts Council Investors Making a Difference Award, Senator Bovey’s honours include her appointment as Fellow of the UK’s Royal Society for the Arts, and as Fellow of the Canadian Museums Association; the Canada 125 Medal; the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal; Winnipeg’s 2002 Woman of Distinction for the Arts; the Canadian Museums Association Distinguished Service Award; the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts Medal; and the 2013 Association of Manitoba Museum’s inaugural Award of Merit.
Bovey’s consulting since 2005 has focused on governance, policy development and strategic and business planning for galleries, museums and multi-disciplinary arts organizations.
Interests:
- Poverty reduction
- Access to social and educational programs
- Environmental preservation
- Implementation of a universal basic income
Jane Cordy PSG - (Nova Scotia)
Senator Cordy was appointed to the Senate by the Right Honourable Jean Chrétien on June 9th, 2000. She was born in Sydney, Nova Scotia and is a graduate of the Nova Scotia Teachers College and Mount St. Vincent University. She taught elementary school for 30 years in Nova Scotia, teaching in Sydney, New Glasgow and the Halifax Regional Municipality.
Senator Cordy has served as vice-chair of the Halifax-Dartmouth Port Development Commission and was also the chair of the Board of Referees for employment insurance. She also served on the Board of Phoenix House for Youth and also served as a Board Member of Mount Saint Vincent University.
Senator Cordy is a past president of the Nova Scotia Women’s Liberal Commission. She also served on Prime Minister Chrétien’s task force on seniors.
Senator Cordy is a past chair of the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association and served as an international vice president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly representing North America on the executive. She is also a vice president of the Civil Dimensions of Security Committee in the Assembly. Senator Cordy continues to be involved with the NATO Parliamentary Association as well as the Canada-U.S. Parliamentary Association.
Senator Cordy has a particular interest in issues related to mental health, multiple sclerosis, seniors and aging, NATO and Gender Security, education and children. She was a member of the senate committee which published a report “Out of the Shadows at Last” a study of the issues relating to mental health, mental illness and addictions. She was also a member of the special senate committee on the implications of an aging society in Canada.
Senator Cordy lives in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia with her husband Bob. They have two adult children, Alison and Michelle, and four grandchildren.
Interests:
- Mental Health
- Sexual harassment and misconduct in the Canadian military
- Seniors
- Autism
Canadian Senators Group (CSG):
Dennis Glen Patterson CSG - (Nunavut)
Dennis Patterson (Nunavut) is a former Premier of the Northwest Territories who has dedicated his career to bettering the lives of people throughout Canada’s North. He was appointed to the Senate in 2009 by the Right Honourable Stephen Harper.
In his distinguished 16-year career as a member of the Legislative Assembly in the Northwest Territories Mr. Patterson served in many capacities including Minister of Education, Minister of Health and Social Services and Minister of Justice, culminating in his service as Premier between 1987 and 1991.
During his time in public office Mr. Patterson played a key role in the settlement of the Inuvialuit final agreement and the Nunavut final land claim agreement. Mr. Patterson also served as a leader of the more than twenty-year campaign which led to the establishment of Nunavut as Canada’s newest territory in 1999. Prior to entering politics, Mr. Patterson practiced law and was appointed founding Executive Director of the Legal Services Centre, Maliiganik Tukisiiniakvik Society, in Iqaluit.
After serving as Premier, Mr. Patterson established a private consulting firm, was admitted to the Law Society of Nunavut in 2001 and since 2003 has been a Trustee and, until September, 2015, was the Chair of Governance, Compensation and Nomination Committee of the Northern Property Real Estate Investment Trust.
Interests:
- Nutrition North
- Natural resources
- Carbon tax
- Defence policy
- Electoral reform
Josée Verner CSG - (Quebec - Montarville)
Josée Verner was first elected as a Member of Parliament in 2006 and re-elected in 2008. In February 2006, Ms. Verner was appointed Minister of International Cooperation and Minister for La Francophonie and Official Languages. In August 2007, she was named Minister of Canadian Heritage, Status of Women and Official Languages. In addition, in May 2008, she was reappointed Minister for La Francophonie.
In October 2008, she was named minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, President of the Privy Council for the Queen of Canada, Minister for La Francophonie as well as Minister responsible for the region of Quebec.
In June 2011, she was appointed to the Senate of Canada by the Right Honourable Stephen Harper.
Ms. Verner has spent close to twenty years in communications and the public service.
Interests:
- Official languages
- Status of women
- Environment and Natural Resources
Conservative Party of Canada (C):
Rose-May Poirier C - (New Brunswick - Saint-Louis-de-Kent)
Prior to entering provincial politics, Rose-May Poirier was a successful businessperson, working as an insurance representative for Assomption Vie and as an executive VIP manager for Tupperware Canada. During her career, she received numerous distinctions as a sales leader, manager and recruiter, including leading one of the top sales teams in Canada and as one of the best salespeople in North America.
Her political career began at the municipality level where she served two terms on the Saint-Louis de Kent town council. In 1999, Rose-May Poirier made the jump to provincial politics, representing the people of Rogersville-Kouchibouguac for three terms. As a MLA of the Progressive - Conservative Party, Senator Rose-May Poirier was the 1st women to chair the P.C. caucus. Upon her re-election on June 9, 2003, she was appointed Minister of the Office of Human Resources and 2 years later, in February 2006, she was named Minister of Local Government and Minister responsible for Aboriginal Affairs.
Appointed to the Senate in 2010 by the Right Honourable Stephen Harper, Senator Poirier was previously the Senate Conservative Caucus Chair and the Vice Chair of the National Conservative Caucus from 2011 to 2015. She took back the role as the Senate Conservative Caucus Chair in December 2019.
Senator Poirier currently sits on the Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology and as Deputy Chair of the Standing Committee on Official Languages.
In her community, Senator Poirier has given a lot of her time to various causes: Child Find, Children’s Wish Foundation, Heart and Stroke Foundation, George L. Dumont Tree of Hope campaign and the Friends of the Moncton Hospital as well as economic development for the Kent region.
Interests:
- Official languages
- Human resources
- Support for ChildrenCharitable Sector
Non-affiliated:
Marilou McPhedran Non-affiliated - (Manitoba)
Born and raised in rural Manitoba, Canada, called to the Bar of Ontario (1978-2007), named a Member of the Order of Canada (1985) in recognition of her co-leadership in the successful campaign for stronger gender equality protections in the Canadian constitution and appointed to the Senate of Canada by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2016, Marilou McPhedran is a legally trained advocate and educator who specialized in teaching and developing systemic and sustainable change mechanisms to promote equality and diversity, having co-founded several internationally recognized non-profit Canadian organizations, such as LEAF - the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund, which has conducted constitutional equality test cases and interventions for 30-plus years, METRAC - the Metropolitan Action Committee on Violence Against Women and Children, and the Gerstein Crisis Centre for homeless discharged psychiatric patients.
She founded the International Women’s Rights Project in 1998 and the Institute for International Women’s Rights at Global College in 2009 - based on her intergenerational models “evidence-based advocacy” and “lived rights”. When Chief Executive Officer of a Federal Centre of Excellence based at York University, Canada, she directed staff and programs that included a cyber research network on women’s health and rights.
She has developed human rights courses online and in the classroom and has chaired three independent inquiries into the sexual abuse of patients (1991-2015), co-investigated and coauthored applied research, including: the first international study to assess impact of the UN Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women in ten countries (1998-2000); What about accountability to the patient? (2001), the National Study on Rural, Remote and Northern Women’s Health in Canada (2001-2003); the textbook, Preventing Sexual Abuse: a Legal Guide for Health Care Professionals (2004); a strategy paper for Canada’s ambassador to the UN, Engendering the ‘Responsibility to Protect’ Doctrine (2005); Women’s Constitutional Activism in South Africa and Canada (2009 International Review of Constitutionalism); 28-Helluva Lot to Lose in 27 Days: The Ad Hoc Committee and Women’s Constitutional Activism in the Era of Patriation (2015).
Her authorship includes: the 2006 National Journal of Constitutional Law article, Impact of S.15 equality rights on Canadian society: beacon or laser?; the 2007 Supreme Court Law Review article A Truer Story: Constitutional Trialogue; and the 2014 Michigan State Law Review article, Complements of CEDAW - U.S. foreign policy coherence on women’s human rights and human security.
A pioneer in research and advocacy to promote human rights through systemic reform in law, medicine, education, governance, she chaired the 2006 international Forum on Women’s Activism in Constitutional Reform, held the Ariel F. Sallows Chair in Human Rights at the University of Saskatchewan College of Law, was appointed Chief Commissioner of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission in 2007, and was Principal (Dean) of The University of Winnipeg Global College in Manitoba from June 2008 to July 2012, then served as the Human Rights Fellow in the UNFPA Geneva Liaison Office and taught as a Visiting Professor at the UN-mandated University for Peace in Costa Rica in 2012-13.
From 2008 to 2019, she was a tenured full professor at the University of Winnipeg. She was the founding director of the Institute for International Women’s Rights at Global College from 2009 to 2016 and the creator / director of the annual ‘Human Rights UniverCity’ summer institute based at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights from 2011 to 2018.
Interests:
- Gender equality
- Status of women
- Women’s rights and human security
- Legal reform
Patrick Brazeau Non-affiliated - (Quebec-Rentigny)
Born in Maniwaki, Quebec, Patrick Brazeau is a member of the Algonquin community of Kitigan Zibi. Patrick was National Chief of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples (CAP) from February 2006-January 2009.
As CAP’s National Chief, Patrick was a vocal proponent of the repeal of section 67 of the Canadian Human Rights Act. Repealing section 67 granted the same protective measures for human rights to citizens living under the Indian Act granted to all other since 1978.
He was named to the Senate in December 2008 by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and currently sits as an Independent Algonquin Senator. He is the third youngest Senator ever appointed and is currently the youngest sitting Senator.
Patrick believes that all must work together to find ways to support those with mental health difficulties. He speaks openly about his own personal experiences hoping to inspire others to seek help when they need it. He is a founding member of the board of directors of the Montreal-based Aquarium Foundation, a not-for-profit, charitable organization dedicated to promoting the well-being of today’s children, adolescents and young adults.
He supported the efforts to hold an inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Patrick is a vigorous advocate of accountability, responsibility and transparency regarding Indigenous affairs. He is vocal proponent for the replacement of the Indian Act with more progressive legislation that aims to reconstitute true historical First Nations, including jurisdiction over their own affairs. Patrick is always seeking ways to reform the system of Indian Reserves and believes Reparation before Reconciliation is needed by the federal government for Indigenous generational survivors and their families.
Patrick served in the Canadian Armed Forces (Naval Reserve/HMCS Carleton). He holds a diploma in Social Sciences from Heritage College and has also studied Civil Law at the University of Ottawa.
Interests:
- Mental health
- Indigenous Affairs
- Youth
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