Minister for Women and Gender Equality's appearance at the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women (FEWO) - June 15, 2021

On this page

• Speaking Notes for the Honourable Maryam Monsef, P.C., M.P. Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development for an appearance before the Standing Committee on the Status of Women (FEWO) on the Supplementary Estimates A
• Issue: Gendered impacts of COVID-19
• Issue: COVID-19 funding for women's shelters, and sexual assault centres
• Issue: Gender-based analysis Plus
• Issue: Women's economic security
• Issue: Senior women
• Issue: Feminist response and recovery fund
• Issue: Rural women
• Issue: GBV and rural broadband
• Issue: Preventing and addressing gender-based violence
• Issue: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women And Girls (MMIWG)
• Issue: Human trafficking
• Issue: Gender wage gap
• Issue: Women in STEM and non-traditional employment
• Issue: Women in leadership and decision-making positions
• Issue: Government of Canada's gender equality accomplishments
• Issue: Mandates Of Ministers responsible for Women And Gender Equality & diversity and women and youth
• Issue: WAGE funding
• Issue: Canada's position on gender indexes
• Issue: Federal-Provincial-Territorial (FPT) Forum of ministers responsible for the status of women – ongoing and future engagement
• Issue: United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW)
• Issue: Canada's role in the generation equality forum
• Issue: Recent evidence on the state of gender equality
• Issue: Gender results framework
• Issue: 2021-22 Departmental financial overview
• Issue: 2021-22 Main estimates
• Issue: Main estimates from 2015-16 to 2021-22
• Issue: 2021-22 Supplementary estimates (A)
• Issue: 2021-22 Departmental Plan
• The House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women (FEWO)

Speaking Notes for the Honourable Maryam Monsef, P.C., M.P. Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development for an appearance before the Standing Committee on the Status of Women (FEWO) on the Supplementary Estimates A

Opening remarks

Madam Chair and Honourable members:

Thank you for the invitation to be here today to update you on Supplementary Estimates A and how they will allow Women and Gender Equality Canada to continue advancing our important mandate.

Before we begin, I would like to acknowledge that I'm speaking with you from Michi Saagiig, Anishinabek Territory.

All of us here know that when we create the right conditions for women, girls and gender diverse people to succeed in all aspects of their lives, we create a brighter future for everyone.

The focus of our work at Women and Gender Equality Canada is on advancing equality with respect to sex, sexual orientation and gender identity through the inclusion of people of all gender identities and expressions in Canada's economic, social and democratic life.

It is my honour to be entrusted with overseeing progress on this portfolio. The work currently underway helps promote a safer, more inclusive and more productive society for all of us.

COVID-19

In the past few years, we've seen women and girls take amazing and unprecedented strides to drive positive change in their schools, workplaces and communities. 

Unfortunately, as we are all aware, this past year has been a very difficult time for women and girls. The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified gaps in our systems and has amplified existing inequalities. COVID-19 is the most serious public health crisis Canada has ever faced and it has the potential to roll back hard-won gains on gender equality.

My department delivered $90 million in emergency COVID-19 aid to over 1,200 organizations across the country providing critical supports and services to those experiencing gender-based violence. Since April 2020, nearly 800,000 women and children experiencing violence had a place to turn to because of this funding.

Women, particularly Indigenous women, Black women, women of colour, members of Two-Spirit and LGBTQ communities, and women living with disabilities or in rural or remote communities are among those hardest hit by the pandemic.

Women suffered job losses at almost double the rate of men. They have also faced reduced hours of work and have had to take on additional unpaid care responsibilities at home.

This April, as certain parts of the country experienced economic shutdowns due to the third wave, women once again lost jobs at nearly double the rate of men.

Young women have been particularly impacted by job losses. Latest data tells us that their employment is still about one eighth below pre-COVID levels. Immigrants, persons belonging to groups designated as visible minorities and Indigenous peoples have also been hard hit by job losses during the pandemic.

In a time of greater isolation, there have also been widespread reports of an increase in intimate partner and other forms of violence, as well as unprecedented barriers for those seeking help. For example, Vancouver's Battered Women's Support Services saw a 400% increase in calls between April and May of last year.

Government actions

We know that we can't let the pandemic roll back the clock on women's participation in the workforce, nor backtrack on the social, economic, political and cultural gains women and allies have fought so hard to secure.

The Government of Canada is taking strong action to ensure that women and girls are safe, working, thriving and present at decision making tables at this critical moment in our history.

To help parents, and especially mothers, return to work, we're investing $30 billion towards a Canada-wide early learning and childcare system – building on the over 40,000 new childcare spaces we've created to date. The Government is working on making childcare more affordable, reducing parents' fees by 50% by the end of 2022, and targeting an average of $10 a day by 2026. The Government has also made an important commitment to support the childcare workforce, who are predominantly women.

Affordable housing is essential for economic fairness and sustainable, inclusive growth. To ensure that housing remains affordable to those most vulnerable to the pandemic, the Government is providing an additional $2.5 billion over seven years to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and $1.3 billion in reallocated funding to support affordable housing.

To help women entrepreneurs grow and adapt their businesses, Budget 2021 commits $146.9 million to strengthen the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy.

This funding will provide women entrepreneurs with access to financing, mentorship and training. The Government will also work with financial institutions to develop a voluntary code to help support the inclusion of women and other underrepresented entrepreneurs as clients in the financial sector.

To ensure that everyone, no matter who they are or who they love, is treated with respect and dignity, is safe, and has equal opportunities to succeed, Budget 2021 invests $15 million over 3 years for a new LGBTQ2 Projects Fund. This funding will support community-informed initiatives to overcome key issues facing LGBTQ2 communities.

The Government of Canada remains strongly committed to the ongoing work to prevent and address gender-based violence. We know that women's safety is the foundation from which all progress must be built and have made historic investments to address the root causes and systemic issues that perpetuate gender-based violence in our country.

To further this objective, we are investing $601.3 million over five years to advance the development of our first-ever National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence. In doing so, we will work collaboratively with provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous partners, as well as civil society, frontline service providers, researchers, the private sector and, most importantly, survivors of gender-based violence.

As part of this investment, Women and Gender Equality Canada will receive $103 million through Supplementary Estimates (A) to:

• Provide direct funding to support gender-based violence organizations across Canada,
• shore up the capacity of Indigenous women's and 2SLGBTQQIA+ organizations,
• support crisis hotlines,
• enhance the Gender-Based Violence Program to bolster initiatives to stop human trafficking and to engage men and boys,
• advance gender-based violence research and mobilization, and
• establish a dedicated secretariat to coordinate efforts towards the National Action Plan.

The Government's funding for the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence will also support several additional federal efforts at the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), the Department of Justice Canada (DOJ), The RCMP and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). This work will include support for interventions to prevent family violence, legal advice and legal representation for victims and survivors of sexual assault and intimate partner violence, enhanced investigations of online child sexual exploitation, and increased support for new Canadians facing family and gender-based violence.

Conclusion

Madam Chair, we are fulfilling our mandate to drive systemic change that promotes a fairer and more productive society, not only for women and girls, but for people of all gender identities and expressions.

I hope to continue our productive collaboration and to carry on benefiting from your recommendations to build on this momentum.

I will be happy to take your questions.

Issue: Gendered impacts of COVID-19

• COVID-19 does not discriminate in 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, women lost jobs at almost twice the rate of men. When the economy started to reopen in May 2020, increases in employment for men were more than double that of women. In May 2021, women's employment remained 4.2% lower than pre-COVID levels, compared to 1.9% for men.
• Young women have experienced significant employment losses during the pandemic and have been slower to gain back jobs, with employment 14.5% below pre-pandemic levels in May 2021, compared to 7.8% for young men.
• Women who are shouldering increased care responsibilities at home due to the pandemic, such as caring for elderly parents or children when schools, classrooms, or daycares are closed, face additional hurdles to joining the workforce.
• 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 so that our initiatives are designed for those who need it most.
• The federal government allocated $100M in funding to over 1,200 organizations including women's shelters, Indigenous shelters, sexual assault centres, other organizations providing supports to those experiencing GBV.
• Women and Gender Equality Canada launched the $100M Feminist Response and Recovery Fund to support projects to increase women and girls' participation in Canada's economic, social, democratic and political life post-COVID-19.
• Moving forward, the Government has committed to help build back better by:
  • Investing $601.3M to advance a new National Action Plan to End GBV;
  • Investing $30B to establish a Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care System support women's labour market participation and their responsibilities as caregivers;
  • Creating an Action Plan for Women in the Economy to help more women get back into the workforce and ensure a feminist response to the pandemic; and
  • Investing $146.9M to strengthen the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy to increase access to financing, mentorship, and training.

Background

GBA Plus and the COVID-19 response

• Throughout the pandemic, the government has included intersectional gendered considerations in response measures. To date, WAGE:
  • Co-chairs (with Canadian Heritage) an interdepartmental taskforce on equity-seeking groups;
  • Works with PT partners on applying the GBA Plus lens to COVID-19 initiatives;
  • Hosted a special session of the GBA+ Interdepartmental Committee to facilitate sharing of information and best practices;
  • Co-hosted a panel discussion, entitled Achieving an Inclusive Pandemic Response with GBA+, attended by 1500 public servants.
• The government followed through on commitments to gender budgeting, transparency and accountability of GBA Plus in the 2020 Fall Economic Statement and in Budget 2021. 

Gendered impact on employment

• In Canada, women comprise the majority of workers employed in service industries, which experienced large employment declines due to COVID-19.
  • Women comprised the majority (62.5%) 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%).
  • In May 2021, core-aged women and men were within 2.2% and 1.2% of their February 2020 employment levels, respectively.
  • Young women's economic recovery has faced challenges throughout COVID-19. As of May 2021, young women's employment remained 14.5% below their pre-COVID February 2020 employment levels, compared to 7.8% for young men.
• Women continue to shoulder a greater share of unpaid domestic and care work responsibilities.
• Women, particularly immigrant and visible minority women, are over-represented in low-income occupations that have been deemed as essential and are disproportionately exposed to COVID-19.

Response measures

• Until October 2020, the Canada Emergency Response Benefit provided $2,000 a month to workers who lost income as of result of COVID-19.
• Since September 2020, the Government amended the Employment Insurance program and created the Canada Recovery, Canada Recovery Sickness, and Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefits to support Canadians.
• WAGE launched the $100M Feminist Response and Recovery Fund, which will invest in systemic change projects to support a feminist response and recovery from the impacts of COVID-19. This Fund will ensure that Canada's recovery is inclusive of diverse women by prioritizing projects tackling barriers faced by 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.
• Budget 2021 proposed several initiatives to foster economic recovery, such as:
  • $146.9 million to strengthen the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy;
  • $15 million for a new LGBTQ2 Projects Fund dedicated to supporting community-informed initiatives;
  • $30 billion towards establishing a Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care System.
    

Gender-Based Violence

• Preliminary police service data indicates that domestic disturbance calls increased by 5% between March 2020 to February 2021 when compared to the March 2019 to February 2020 period. During the same time period, sexual assaults decreased by 25% and physical assault decreased by 13%; this includes assaults perpetrated by family members and non-family members.
• A survey of victim services shows that over half (54%) of responding organizations reported an increase in the number of victims of domestic violence they served between March and July 2020.
• With increased time spent online, young women and children may be at a greater risk of technology-facilitated violence, with one organization reporting an 81% increase in reporting of online child sexual exploitation made to their tipline over April-June 2020.

GBV response measures

• WAGE has implemented measures to support those who need help most, providing $90 million to organizations providing supports and services to those experiencing gender-based violence.
• This funding has supported over 1,200 organizations across the country, helping nearly 800,000 women and children. Funding is being used, for example, for protective equipment, child-minding, helping women find alternative housing, paying overtime for employees and additional staff coverage, and capacity-building.
• Budget 2021 proposes $601.3 million to advance a new National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence, including $415M to WAGE:
  • $200 million to support GBV organizations;
  • $105 million to enhance WAGE's GBV Program;
  • $14 million to establish a secretariat to coordinate the work of developing and implementing the National Action Plan;
  • $11 million for GBV research and knowledge mobilization;
  • $55 million to bolster the capacity of Indigenous women and 2SLGBTQQIA+ organizations to provide GBV prevention programming; and
  • $30 million for crisis hotlines.

Intergovernmental work on COVID-19 recovery

• Federal, provincial and territorial Ministers responsible for the Status of Women have had multiple engagements on the challenges of addressing gender-based violence during the pandemic and with the stay-at-home guidelines. All jurisdictions have put measures in place to provide emergency supports and have taken concrete steps to help those experiencing violence.
• The FPT Ministers responsible for the Status of Women met in January 2021 and discussed COVID-19's gendered and intersectional impacts. The Ministers reiterated the importance of their collective work on gender equality and the use of Gender-Based Analysis Plus to guide initiatives through the pandemic, taking into account the perspectives of National Indigenous leaders and representatives and the 2SLGBTQQIA communities.
• FPT Ministers also endorsed the Joint Declaration for a Canada free of Gender-based Violence. Through the Joint Declaration, Ministers agreed to advance a National Action Plan comprising five pillars: 1) support for survivors and their families; 2) prevention; 3) promotion of responsive legal and justice systems; 4) support for Indigenous-led approaches and informed responses and 5) social infrastructure and enabling environment.

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

• COVID-19 has created unprecedented challenges for those experiencing gender-based violence and the organizations that provide supports and services to them.
• Our government moved swiftly to ensure those facing gender-based violence have a safe place to turn.
• To date, the government has provided a total of $100 million in emergency funding to over 1,200 organizations, including shelters, Indigenous shelters on and off-reserve, sexual assault centres, women's organizations and other organizations delivering essential frontline supports to women and children experiencing violence and abuse across the country. The Department for Women and Gender Equality contributed an additional $9.5M from its G&C's program budget to support the high demand.
• Since April 2020, this funding has helped frontline organizations maintain capacity so that nearly 800,000 women and children experiencing violence had a place to turn.
• This funding has ensured the continuation of critical services for those in need.

Background

Initial $50 million:
On March 18, 2020, the Prime Minister announced a new set of economic measures to help stabilize the economy and help Canadians affected by the impacts of this challenging period.

These measures, delivered as part of the Government of Canada's COVID‑19 Economic Response Plan, will provide up to $27 billion in direct support to Canadian workers and businesses, plus $55 billion to meet liquidity needs of Canadian businesses and households through tax deferrals to help stabilize the economy. Combined, this $82 billion in support represents more than 3 per cent of Canada's GDP. This wide-ranging support helps ensure that Canadians can pay for rent and groceries, and helps businesses continue to pay their employees and their bills during this period of uncertainty.

This support included up to $50 million to women's shelters, sexual assault centres and organizations providing gender-based violence supports and services to increase their capacity as first responders during the current health crisis, as well as to prevent outbreaks or manage them should they occur in their facilities. This included funding for facilities in Indigenous communities.

Of this amount, $10 million was provided to Indigenous Services Canada's (ISC) existing network of 46 emergency shelters on reserve and in Yukon to support Indigenous women and children experiencing violence.

Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) received $40 million. The funds were distributed as follows:

• $20.54 million to Women's Shelters Canada (WSC) to distribute to over 430 women's shelters across the country (outside of Quebec).
• $3 million to Canadian Women's Foundation (CWF) to distribute to over 90 sexual assault centres across the country (outside of Quebec).
• $6.46 million to the Government of Quebec to distribute to over 150 women's shelters and organizations in support of victims of sexual and domestic violence in the province.
• $10 million to CWF to distribute to over 340 organizations across Canada (outside of Quebec) that provide supports and services to those experiencing gender-based violence.

Due to high demand, a supplement of $2.3 million from WAGE's Gs&Cs program budget was provided to the Government of Quebec to distribute funds to additional eligible organizations within the province.

Additional $50 Million:
On October 2, 2020, an additional $50 million investment to fund organizations providing supports and services to those experiencing gender-based violence was announced, bringing the total investment to $100 million. The funding, provided through WAGE, includes:

• $10 million for women's shelters and sexual assault centres to help them continue to provide their critical services safely:
  • $6.8 million to WSC for women's shelters outside of Quebec.
  • $1 million to CWF for sexual assault centres outside Quebec.
  • $2.2 million to the Government of Quebec for shelters and sexual assault centres in that province.
• $10 million to support organizations providing services related to gender-based violence to Indigenous people off-reserve:
  • $8.9 million to WSC for off-reserve women's shelters and Indigenous GBV organizations outside of Quebec.
  • $1.1 million to the Government of Quebec for off-reserve women's shelters in that province.
• $25 million for women's organizations and other organizations delivering GBV supports, to help limit the spread of COVID-19, and to address the increased demand for services:
  • $19.6 million to CWF for women's organizations and other organizations delivering GBV support outside of Quebec.
  • $5.4 million to the Government of Quebec for women's organizations and other organizations delivering GBV support in that province.
• Up to $5 million to support the mobilization of grassroots and community organizations to further coordinate and support their important work.

Due to high demand, a supplement of $7.2 million from WAGE's Gs&Cs program budget was provided to CWF to distribute funds to additional eligible women's organizations and other organizations delivering GBV support outside of Quebec.

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

• The COVID-19 outbreak shed light on many inequalities and on the need for government to have rigorous tools to identify and respond to the needs of diverse people and groups.
• GBA Plus is the tool that has helped guide government decision-making, ensuring that investments are responsive, fair and support the diverse needs of Canadians, especially those who need it most.
• Budget 2021 contains the GBA Plus summaries of over 300 budget measures, describing how equality issues were considered in the government's effort to build a better, fairer, more prosperous, and more innovative future.
• As the lead department for GBA Plus, Women and Gender Equality Canada will continue to work with federal departments to strengthen the implementation of GBA Plus so that its principles of equality, fairness and inclusion are embedded in all decision-making. This will help ensure that everyone can participate equally in Canada's economic recovery, regardless of their gender, race, indigeneity, disability, sexual orientation or other factors.

Background

GBA Plus is an analytical tool to support the development of responsive and inclusive initiatives, including policies, programs, legislation, regulations, and other initiatives. It is a process for understanding who is impacted by an issue and/or 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. Applying GBA Plus to initiatives ensures that diversity considerations are embedded throughout the decision-making process, allowing for responsive and inclusive initiatives that meet the needs of diverse groups of people. GBA plus considers many factors, including age, economic status, education, ethnicity, gender, geography, language, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation.

As a centre for expertise for GBA Plus, Women and Gender Equality Canada works to:

• Promote a greater understanding of GBA Plus as a tool for advancing fairness, equality, and inclusion;
• Provide guidance, develop tools and training, and support the implementation of GBA Plus across and federal departments and agencies; and
• Contribute to evidence-based practices, including those related to policy and program development, and gender budgeting.

Federal departments and agencies are currently required to integrate GBA Plus into all Memoranda to Cabinet, Treasury Board submissions, legislation, regulations, and budget proposals. Furthermore, GBA Plus is now included in key legislation, including the Impact Assessment Act, the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Accessible Canada Act.

In their January 2021 mandate letters, Ministers were instructed to "apply Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) in the decisions that you make and consider public policies through an intersectional lens in order to address systemic inequities including: systemic racism; unconscious bias; Gender-based discrimination; barriers for persons with disabilities; discrimination against LGBTQ2 communities; and inequities faced by all vulnerable populations. Whenever possible, you will work to improve the quality and availability of disaggregated data to ensure that policy decisions benefit all communities."

Minister Monsef's 2019 and 2021 mandate letters included specific commitments to strengthen GBA Plus and its application, calling on the Minister to:

• "With the support of the Minister of Middle Class Prosperity and Associate Minister of Finance and the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, work with the Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth on a process of evaluating Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) 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." (January 2021 mandate letter)
• "Work to ensure that rigorous Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) is performed on all Cabinet proposals from every department….Continue to work with the Minister of Finance and work with the Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth to improve the quality and scope of GBA+ in future budgets."(December 2019 mandate letter)

Budget 2021 included more than 300 GBA Plus summaries and analyses were more sophisticated than previously seen. Amongst the improvements:

• Budget 2021 saw a greater proportion of GBA Plus being performed in earlier stages; and
• Just under 10 per cent of measures identified a possible negative impact on some groups through their GBA Plus. For roughly half of these measures, a responsive approach was developed. Where negative impacts were unlikely, over 15 per cent of measures incorporated a proactive approach to reduce potential barriers to access.

In addition to improvements made to the analysis of individual initiatives, the overall Budget was informed by GBA Plus, which led to important and strategic investments to advance equality, including:

• Targeted investments to address differential impacts of the pandemic, such as: a $15 federal minimum wage; affordable housing; taking action to end gender-based violence; supporting youth and small businesses, taking action on systemic racism; investing in Indigenous peoples and reconciliation; investing in child care, job creation and in green jobs.
• Providing funding to Statistics Canada, Justice Canada and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council to ensure the sustainability and rigour of GBA Plus by improving access to disaggregated data. This includes $172 million to Statistics Canada to implement a Disaggregated Data Action Plan; $6.7 million to Justice Canada and Statistics Canada to improve the collection and use of disaggregated data; and $12 million to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council to fund academic research into systemic barriers facing diverse groups.

The Office of the Auditor General recently released its planned Performance Audits of Government Services and Programs. Among the areas proposed for review is "Gender-Based Analysis Plus and Inclusivity," with a report anticipated in 2022. The OAG has launched the audit and WAGE, along with Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS), Privy Council Office (PCO) and Finance Canada, is currently supporting auditors in the planning phase of the audit. The insights and recommendations will provide valuable input into how the Government of Canada can continue to strengthen its approach to GBA Plus, which in turn can help the government deliver on its equality, diversity and inclusion objectives.

Meanwhile, WAGE, in collaboration with TBS and PCO, has worked to advance GBA Plus through the 2016-2020 Action Plan on GBA Plus, which responded to the 2015 audit on GBA+ implementation by the Auditor General. WAGE, TBS and PCO made progress on all recommendations made by the Auditor General; however, notable achievements include:

• GBA Plus 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;
• WAGE introduced the GBA Plus Implementation Survey to monitor progress on GBA Plus across federal departments;
• TBS and WAGE developed guidance on integrating GBA Plus into evaluations, which was published in 2019;
• In November 2018, WAGE hosted the first GBA Plus Forum, which had 1,000 participants online and in-person; and
• WAGE collaborated with Statistics Canada and Finance Canada to develop a website dedicated to the Gender Results Framework.

The coming year will provide important opportunities to continue to assess the implementation of GBA Plus and to promote a greater understanding of GBA Plus as an intersectional analysis. WAGE has been developing new tools to strengthen the understanding and application of GBA Plus as an intersectional analysis, including a Step-by-Step Guide for doing GBA Plus, and a set of documents to provide further information on considering various factors in GBA Plus. Over the next year, WAGE will work with other departments on additional initiatives to strengthen GBA Plus, including: a plan to improve access to disaggregated data to inform GBA Plus; enhanced training for public servants through the School; additional tools to promote a greater understanding of GBA Plus as an intersectional analysis; and collective work to design and implement frameworks and approaches to measure the impacts of GBA Plus on government initiatives.

Issue: Women's economic security

COVID specific measures:

• Women are key to Canada's economic recovery. As Canada moves towards recovery, Budget 2021 proposes a plan to drive economic growth, increase women's participation in the workforce, and offer each child in Canada the best start in life, including:
  • Investing $30 billion over 5 years and $8.3 billion ongoing to create a Canada-wide early learning and childcare system;
  • Establishing a federal minimum wage of $15 per hour in the federally regulated private sector;
  • Enhancing the Canada Workers Benefit to support low- and modest-income workers;
  • Investing in employment programs such as $960 million over 3 years to deliver training to small- and medium-sized businesses to recruit and retain a diverse workforce; and
  • $15 million over two years to extend the Racialized Newcomer Women Pilot to improve employment outcomes.
• In addition, the Government continues to address women's economic vulnerability during COVID-19 through the creation of 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.

WAGE specific investments to date:

• Through the Women's Program, the Department for Women and Gender Equality funds projects to address systemic barriers for women, including through improving women's economic security.
• 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.
• Since November 2015, WAGE has invested $62.3M in over 93 projects to improve women's and girls' economic security and prosperity. In 2019-20, funded projects resulted in:
  • Over 350,000 women gaining access to services and supports, providing them better opportunities in education, employment, health, and social services;
  • Nearly 400,000 people gaining skills and knowledge to create more equitable conditions for women in various spheres; and
  • Changing policies and institutions, as well as creating conditions 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. Women lost jobs in March 2020 at almost twice the rate of men (-6.9% vs. -3.7%). In May 2021, women's employment remained 4.2% lower than pre-COVID levels, compared to 1.9% for men. 
  • School and daycare closures also impact women's ability to participate in the labour force or continue their education (as care work typically falls disproportionately to women). The pandemic could challenge women's labour force attachment in the future.

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 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, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists; 80% of medical lab technologists; and 70% of light duty cleaners, who clean and disinfect hospitals, among other places.

Response measures include:

• The Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB), the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB) and the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB), which provide support to Canadians whose income is affected by the pandemic. These evolved from the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), which provided immediate assistance to Canadians not eligible for Employment Insurance (EI) benefits.
• Additional assistance to families with children by temporarily boosting Canada Child Benefit payments.
• 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.

Budget 2021 commitments

• A Canada-Wide Early Learning Child Care System: $30 billion over 5 years and $8.3 billion ongoing to help families gain access to affordable and quality childcare.
• Expanding the Canada Workers Benefit to support about 1 million additional Canadians in low-wage jobs. This means for the first time, most full-time workers earning minimum wage will receive significant support from this benefit.
• $960 million over 3 years, beginning 2021-22, for a new Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program to help design and deliver training relevant to the needs of businesses, especially small and medium-sized ones, and diverse employees.
• $15 million over 2 years, starting 2021-22, to extend the Racialized Newcomer Women Pilot initiative, which will continue to improve employment outcomes and career advancement of this population.

Ongoing government initiatives

Other initiatives supporting women's economic security, including:

• The Poverty Reduction Strategy, targeting 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 2019, the poverty rate fell from 14.5% to 10.1%.
• 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 in 2017.
• EI flexibilities so that parents can receive extra weeks of EI parental benefits and can share raising their children.
• Introduced in 2016, the Canada Child Benefit 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.

WAGE initiatives

• Budget 2019 announced $160 million over five years, starting in 2019-20, 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 a Call for Proposals under the Women's Program entitled Feminist Response and Recovery Fund: a $100 million investment in systemic change projects to support a feminist response and recovery from the impacts of COVID-19, particularly for underrepresented 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. This could include (but is not limited to) 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.
  • passed Bill C-14, which 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 residents 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. This Bill received Royal Assent on May 6, 2021.

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 Feminist Response and Recovery Fund to provide the flexibility for organizations to be responsive to the broad and diverse systemic issues that need to be tackled to build back better, support a feminist response and recovery from the pandemic, and advance gender equality across Canada.
• This Fund will ensure that Canada's recovery is inclusive of diverse women by prioritizing projects tackling barriers faced by 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.

Background

 Women's program

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.

Budget 2019 announced $160M over five years for 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.

Feminist response and recovery fund

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, women have faced increased job losses and 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 is also widespread evidence that incidences and severity of some forms of gender-based violence (GBV) may be increasing during the COVID-19 pandemic; particularly intimate partner violence (IPV). These impacts have been even more pronounced amongst women with intersecting marginal identity factors.

In February 2021, the Department launched the $100M Feminist Response and Recovery Fund call for proposals, 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. Systemic change projects seek to modify one or more elements within a system in a way that will allow for 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.

This call for proposals provides the flexibility for organizations to be responsive to the broad and diverse systemic issues that need to be tackled to build back better, support a feminist a response and recovery from the pandemic, and advance gender equality across Canada.

Funding will prioritize proposals which address barriers for underrepresented women, including those who are Indigenous, racialized, newcomers, members of official language minority communities, seniors, young women and girls, women who are members of LGBTQ2 Communities, low-income, living with a disability, and living in a rural, remote, or northern community.

The call for proposals closed on March 25, 2021, and assessment of applications is currently underway with an aim to flow funding as quickly as possible to organizations. Approximately 900 applications were received, representing an ask of over $375M.

Issue: Rural women

• The Government of Canada recognizes the particular needs and challenges of people in rural and remote communities, including diverse women and girls, especially now during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Women and girls living in rural and remote areas face higher rates of violence, including sexual assault, family violence and intimate partner violence.
  • Budget 2021 announced an additional $415 million to Women and Gender Equality Canada, over five years, to continue to advance a National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence which will include a focus on ensuring that anyone facing gender-based violence, including those in rural and remote areas, has reliable and timely access to services.
• The Government is proposing up to an additional $146.9 million over four years to strengthen and accelerate the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy, as well as $22 million over three years to support the National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association's Indigenous Women's Entrepreneurship Initiative.
• Budget 2021 proposed an additional $1 billion over 6 years to continue to implement the Universal Broadband Fund to connect 98% of Canadians to high-speed Internet by 2026, with the goal of connecting all Canadians by 2030. These investments in social infrastructure are key to supporting women's independence, their economic prosperity and stability, and empowering them to leave violent situations.
• A significant health gap exists between rural and urban women. The Government of Canada is working to ensure that every Canadian, including those living in rural and remote areas, has access to a family doctor or primary health care. Through Budget 2021, the Government has proposed:
  •  a new National Institute for Women's Health Research to improve health outcomes and eliminate the gaps in quality of care; and
  • $45 million to community-based organizations to help make sexual and reproductive health care information and services more accessible for vulnerable populations, including providing travel and support to individuals who have to go long distances to access abortion care.

Background

• Women living in rural and remote areas face particular challenges that preclude economic security and prosperity, including lower labour force participation rates, lower employment rates, and over-representation in low-income situations. Canadian rural communities are more likely to be older, Indigenous, or comprised of an official language minority group. Women living in rural areas also experienced the highest overall rates of intimate partner violence in Canada with rates that were significantly higher than their urban counterparts (789 versus 447 per 100,000 population).

WAGE initiatives

• In 2017, the Government of Canada launched It's Time: Canada's Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence, a whole-of-government effort that coordinates federal efforts and complements the work of provincial and territorial governments to end GBV. It recognizes that women in rural and remote communities are among the populations more at risk of GBV, and helps to coordinate supports for these populations, given the lack of access to services in rural and remote areas. 
• The Government is developing a National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence (GBV National Action Plan), which will aim to address the root causes and systemic issues that perpetuate GBV, as well as the factors that serve as barriers to accessing reliable and timely supports, services and protections. A core pillar of the National Action Plan is focused on "social infrastructure and enabling environment", including in rural and remote areas. Budget 2021 proposed investments of $415 million over 5 years to advance the GBV National Action Plan.
• The Women's Program funds projects that address the systemic barriers women and girls face to full economic, social and political participation. Since November 2015, WAGE has invested approximately $31.7M to support 43 rural projects through the Women's Program.
• On February 11, 2021, the Department launched a call for proposals under the Women's Program, called the 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, including women living in rural communities. 

COVID-19 response

• In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government has announced several investments to support rural, remote and northern communities, including supports to the agricultural sector and other affected sectors that provide essential services to Canadians. Measures include:
  • A national AgriRecovery initiative of up to $125 million in funding to help producers faced with additional costs incurred by COVID-19, such as managing livestock backed up on farms.
  • $59 million dedicated towards improving health and safety conditions for migrant workers on Canadian farms.
  • $34.3 million to Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency to assist Northern businesses and communities in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon.
  • $431.3 million to support the national network of Community Futures Development Corporations, which specifically targets small businesses and rural communities across the country.
  • In response to the housing affordability and homelessness issues during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Canada announced a $1 billion Rapid Housing Initiative under the National Housing Strategy, to rapidly create up to 3,000 new affordable housing units across the country that will serve populations living in situations of vulnerability, like women and children experiencing violence, or people at risk of becoming homeless.
    • To date, nearly 40% of all units supported under the Rapid Housing Initiative have been targeted to Indigenous peoples.

Broadband

On November 9, 2020, the Government of Canada announced additional funding of $750 million for the Universal Broadband Fund, bringing the total investment to $1.75 billion. With Budget 2021, this amount grew to $2.75 billion in total funding.

The Government will work with partners to connect Canadian households and businesses in rural and remote communities over the next six years, starting in 2021-22, with additional investments supporting a more rapid rollout of broadband projects. These investments will make a difference in the lives of women and girls living in rural, remote, and northern communities, allowing them to better run their businesses and have better access to information, resources and support online.

Childcare

A significant barrier to rural women's access to employment and education opportunities is the lack of early learning and child care options in rural areas.

WAGE has been working closely with ESDC on the early learning and childcare (ELCC) system and will ensure that the particular challenges faced by rural women are taken into account.

Budget 2021 proposes new investments totaling up to $30 billion over the next 5 years, and $8.3 billion ongoing for ELCC and Indigenous ELCC to reduce fees for parents with children in regulated child care by an average of 50% by 2022, with a goal of $10/day by 2026.

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. With the investments in Budget 2021, the now $2.75 billion 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: Preventing and addressing gender-based violence

• Everyone has the right to live free from violence. Ending gender-based violence requires effort from everyone in Canada.
• It's Time: Canada's Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence, launched in 2017, committed over $200 million in new investments and over $40 million per year ongoing to advance efforts to prevent gender-based violence, support survivors and their families, and promote responsive legal and justice systems.
• The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the need for a National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence and amplified its urgency.
• The Department for Women and Gender Equality is currently engaging federal, provincial, territorial and Indigenous partners, and civil society to advance the development of the National Action Plan. In January 2021, Ministers responsible for the Status of Women endorsed the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministerial Joint Declaration for a Canada Free of Gender-Based Violence.
• Budget 2021 includes over $3 billion over five years and $194.4 million ongoing to advance initiatives that prevent and address gender-based violence, including:
  • $601.3 million over five years to advance a new National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence;
  • $2.2 billion over five years and $160.9 million ongoing to help build a safer, stronger and more inclusive response to the tragedy of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls; and
• $236.2 million over five years and $33.5 million ongoing to Department of National Defence and Veterans Affairs Canada, including $158.5 million over 5 years and $29.9 million per year ongoing from existing resources, to expand work to eliminate sexual misconduct and gender-based violence in the military and support survivors.

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.
• Early accomplishments under the Strategy include:
  • Amending the Canada Labour Code to strengthen existing frameworks for the prevention of harassment and sexual violence in the workplace (ESDC);
  • Strengthening sexual assault provisions in the Criminal Code (Justice Canada);
  • Creating the Sexual Assault Review Team, which has completed a review of over 30,000 "unfounded" sexual assault case files (RCMP);
  • Launching the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking in partnership with many departments, including WAGE and Public Safety, and through which WAGE received funding to develop the Continuum of Care – Prevention and Interventions for Vulnerable Populations initiative;
  • Piloting a cultural awareness and trauma-informed GBV training for all RCMP employees (RCMP);
  • Launching the GBV Program, which has provided funding to 60 projects to develop and test promising practices to support victims and survivors of GBV and their families (WAGE);
  • Launching the GBV Knowledge Centre's online platform in December 2018 (WAGE); and
  • Developing 3 national surveys to establish baselines on the prevalence of different forms of GBV, provide a deeper understanding of GBV in Canada, and measure progress over time (WAGE and StatsCan).
• 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 to deal with a full spectrum of reprehensible behaviours, ranging from teasing and bullying to sexual harassment and physical violence; requires employers to respond, record, and report harassment and violence, and support employees affected by them; and provides 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 members of at-risk communities. While everyone in Canada has been urged to stay at home, home is not safe for all, particularly women or their children who experience family or intimate partner violence.
• 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. The Canadian Centre for Child Protection reported that the organization saw an 81% spike over April, May and June 2020 in reports of online sexual exploitation of Canadian children to their national hotline (Cybertip.ca). This rise in some forms of GBV since the beginning of the public health crisis has come to be recognized nationally and internationally as the "GBV shadow pandemic."
• Many organizations providing GBV-related supports and services have reported a significant increase in demand since the beginning of the pandemic. Others have seen a decrease in demand for their services, raising concerns that those experiencing GBV cannot or are not reaching out for help.
• The Government of Canada provided $100 million in emergency funding to over 1,200 organizations across the country providing critical supports and services to those experiencing GBV to ensure the continuity of services during the pandemic. Since April 2020, nearly 800,000 women and children experiencing violence had a place to turn to because of this funding.
• The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted the landscape, including exacerbating existing shortfalls in multiple systems and sectors, thereby increasing the need for and urgency of a national approach 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 the GBV Strategy and move forward to develop a National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence (GBV National Action Plan), with a focus on ensuring that anyone facing gender-based violence has reliable and timely access to protection and services, no matter where they live.
• 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 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 as the country builds back better.
• To advance these efforts, Budget 2021 includes:
  • $601.3 million over five years to advance a new National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence, including:
    • $200 million over two years to support gender-based violence organizations (WAGE)
    • $105 million over five years to enhance the GBV Program (WAGE)
      • This will include funding to engage men and boys, stop human trafficking, support at-risk populations and survivors, and provide support for testing and implementing best-practices.
    • $14 million over five years for a dedicated secretariat to coordinate ongoing work towards the development and implementation of the GBV National Action Plan (WAGE)
    • $11 million over five years for GBV research and knowledge mobilization (WAGE)
    • $55 million over five years to bolster the capacity of Indigenous women and 2SLGBTQQIA+ organizations to provide gender-based violence prevention programming aimed at addressing the root causes of violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+people (WAGE)
    • $30 million over five years so crisis hotlines can serve the urgent needs of more Canadians to prevent the escalation of GBV (WAGE)
    • $50 million over five years to design and deliver interventions that promote safe relationships and prevent family violence, including intimate partner violence, child maltreatment, and elder abuse (PHAC)
    • $85.3 million over five years to support a national program for independent legal advice and independent legal representation for victims of sexual assault, as well as to support pilot projects for victims of intimate partner violence (JUS)
    • $28.4 million over five years to support supervision services for parenting time in cases of separation and divorce (JUS)
    • $20.7 million over five years, to enhance the ability to pursue online child sexual exploitation investigations, identify victims and remove them from abusive situations, and bring offenders to justice—including those who offend abroad (RCMP)
    • $2 million over five years, to increase access to information and support for new Canadians facing family and gender-based violence, including enhancing the availability of anti-violence resources (IRCC)
• Other related Budget 2021 investments include:
  • $2.2 billion, over five years, and $160.9 million ongoing to respond to the Tragedy of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
  • $8.2 million over three years for the Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence to increase support and research for frontline initiatives and programming that prevent and counter radicalization to violence, including violent misogyny (PS)
  • $250 million in funding under the National Housing Co-Investment Fund, which will be allocated to support the construction, repair, and operating costs of an estimated 560 units of transitional housing and shelter spaces for women and children fleeing violence (CMHC)
  • Budget 2021 proposes to provide $236.2 million over five years, and $33.5 million per year ongoing, including $158.5 million over 5 years and $29.9 million per year ongoing funded from existing resources to expand work to eliminate sexual misconduct and gender-based violence in the military and support survivors (DND/VAC)
• The National Action Plan will align with and amplify other federal initiatives and 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 co-developed and Indigenous-led 2021 Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan: Ending Violence Against Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People, 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 include:
  • An evidence-based definition of family violence;
  • Amendments that set out a list of specific factors that a court must consider when deciding what would be in a child's best interests. 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)

• The Government of Canada is committed to reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. 
• In response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action and the decades long advocacy from families and survivors, the Government of Canada launched the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people in 2016.
• As part of the Government of Canada's immediate response to the interim report of the National Inquiry, 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, Two-Spirit and LGBTQQIA+ people.
• In response to the Calls for Justice in the National Inquiry's Final Report, released in June 2019, the Government of Canada committed to developing a National Action Plan to address violence against Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit and LGBTQQIA+ people.
• WAGE supported Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada's efforts to co-develop this plan with Indigenous families and survivors, women, girls, Two-Spirit and LGBTQQIA+ groups, organizations, provinces, and territories.
• On June 3^rd 2021, the second anniversary of the Final Report, the co-developed and Indigenous-led 2021 Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan: Ending Violence Against Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People was launched.
• The Federal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People is the federal government's contribution to the National Action Plan.
• WAGE has also been mandated to develop a National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence, and will be working to ensure that the two national action plans are aligned and complement one another.

Background

• In response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action and the decades long advocacy from families and survivors, the Government of Canada launched the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people (the National Inquiry) in 2016. This inquiry included all provinces and territories and the federal government. It brought together Indigenous leaders, families and survivors, communities, knowledge keepers, experts and institutions from across the country to study and discuss the underlying social, economic, cultural, institutional, systemic and historical causes, policies and practices for this ongoing violence.
• In November 2017, 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 took 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.
• 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 called 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.
• In response, 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.
• On June 3^rd 2021, the second anniversary of the Final Report, the co-developed and Indigenous-led 2021 Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan: Ending Violence Against Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People (the National Action Plan) was launched.
• The Federal government, provinces, territories, municipalities, Indigenous governments, organizations and communities across the country worked together to contribute to the national action plan. It is an evergreen document that will be updated regularly and constitutes a major step in ending violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. With the integral involvement of the family and survivors, the national action plan is built with a focus on the principle "nothing about us, without us." This upholds and prioritizes their voices and truths and places them at the centre of co-development. It builds on proven and promising community-led initiatives from across the country.
• The Federal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People is the federal government's contribution to the National Action Plan.
• The Federal Pathway is designed to be inclusive, holistic and continually updated. It is anchored in principles that build on the National Inquiry's Principles for Change and include:
  • Respect for the human rights of Indigenous Peoples;
  • Leadership of Indigenous families, survivors, women and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people;
  • A holistic approach;
  • Self-determined, Indigenous-led, grassroots solutions and services;
  • Cultural safety and humility;
  • A trauma-informed approach; and,
  • A focus on dignity and supporting power and place – this includes rights to culture, health, safety and justice.
• A plan to implement the Federal Pathway will be co-developed with Indigenous partners, with the goal of ending violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. The work will address four interconnected thematic areas: culture, health and wellness, human safety and security, and justice.

National action plan re: gender-based violence

• 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 continues to work with CIRNA to ensure the two national action plans are aligned and complement one another.

Issue: Human trafficking

• Human trafficking is a heinous crime that disproportionately impacts women and girls, at-risk populations, as well as their families and communities.
• The Government of Canada is committed to preventing and addressing all forms of gender-based violence, including supporting those at risk of experiencing and those who have experienced human trafficking.
• In September 2019, the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking was introduced to address this crime. Funding for the National Strategy builds on a previous investment to establish Canada's Human Trafficking Hotline, a multilingual service operating to connect victims and survivors with social services, law enforcement, and emergency services, as well as receive tips from the public.
• 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, victims, and survivors.
• Budget 2021 includes $105 million over 5 years for WAGE to enhance its Gender-Based Violence Program, including increased funding for initiatives to stop human trafficking and support at-risk populations and survivors.

Background

Human trafficking, also referred to as "trafficking in persons," involves recruiting, transporting, transferring, receiving, holding, concealing, harbouring, or exercising control, direction, or influence over a person, for the purpose of exploitation, generally for sexual exploitation or forced labour.

Canada has been identified as a source, destination, and transit country for human trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labour. Human trafficking is a highly gendered crime and a form of gender-based violence as women and girls accounted for 97% of police-identified victims in Canada between 2009 and 2018; with 45% of all victims between the ages of 18 and 24 and 28% being girls under the age of 18. 
In September 2019, the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking (National Strategy) was launched by the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, with investments of over $57 million over five years and $10 million per year ongoing. It takes a whole-of-government approach that will:

• Empower victims and survivors to regain self-confidence and  control over their lives;
• Prevent more of these crimes from taking place;
• Better protect those who are most at-risk of being trafficked;
• Prosecute human traffickers for their heinous crimes; and
• Embrace partnerships with provinces and territories and other  organizations to maximize impact.

The National Strategy builds on the investment to establish the National Human Trafficking Hotline and advances a number of new and expanded initiatives implemented by Public Safety, the Canada Border Services Agency, the Department for Women and Gender Equality (WAGE), Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Public Services and Procurement Canada, and the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada.

Through the National Strategy, WAGE received $10 million over 5 years and $2 million per year ongoing (redacted) to develop the Continuum of Care – Prevention and Interventions for Vulnerable Populations initiative. The initiative provides funding to eligible organizations to develop and implement promising practices to enhance empowerment supports for at-risk populations and victims/survivors of human trafficking, including women and girls, Indigenous women and girls, LGBTQ2 and gender diverse people. Following a July 2020 call for proposals, 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 63 projects, WAGE will be funding 43 projects, for a total of $14M. This brings WAGE's investment in addressing human trafficking to $17M since 2017.

Budget 2021 includes $105 million over 5 years for WAGE to enhance its GBV Program, with funding going to initiatives that engage men and boys, combat human trafficking, and provide support for at-risk populations and survivors. 

Issue: Gender wage gap

• Closing the gender wage gap is crucial to advancing gender equality and economic recovery. 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.
• To stop the pandemic from widening the existing gap, Budget 2021 proposes to:
  • Invest $30B over five years and $8.3B ongoing, to build a Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child-care System;
  • Support more women entering and succeeding in STEM and skilled trades, including $250M over three years to upskill and redeploy workers to meet the needs of growing industries;
  • Invest $470 million over three years to establish a new Apprenticeship Service, through which employers in the construction industry and Red Seal trades will be incentivized to hire underrepresented Canadians, including women and persons with disabilities; and
  • Introduce measures to address potential biases and barriers in staffing processes, such as amending the Public Service Employment Act.
• These proposals build on existing Government initiatives, such as proactive pay equity legislation and pay transparency measures.

Background

 A number of factors may contribute to the gender wage gap:

• Societal norms and biases influence the value of jobs and wages, with work done by women being undervalued;
• Gender bias and discrimination in business practices prevent women from achieving their full economic potential, such as advancing to senior management positions; and,
• Insufficient options for child care and elder care result in women doing more unpaid caregiving and having less time for paid work.

A report released by Statistics Canada showed that the largest factors explaining the gender wage gap were the uneven distribution of men and women across industries and women's overrepresentation in part-time work. Similar to other studies, a large part of the gap remained unexplained. The study also found the narrowing of the gap between 1998 and 2018 was largely explained by changes in the distribution of men and women across occupations and women's increased educational attainment.

According to Statistics Canada:

• In 2020, women earned 0.89$ for every dollar earned by men.
• In 2018, when comparing average hourly wages of both part-time and full-time employees, Indigenous women earned 0.80$ for every dollar earned by men (Indigenous or not Indigenous) while immigrant women earned 0.82$ for every dollar earned by men (immigrant or not immigrant).

In Canada, women, Indigenous people, racialized people, LGBTQ2 people, and people with disabilities, continue to be under-represented in higher wage positions of influence, which contributes to the wage gap.

Budget 2021: The Government proposes a public consultation to adapt and apply the Canada Business Corporations Act diversity disclosure requirements to federally regulated financial institutions. These requirements currently apply to federally incorporated organizations.

Fall Economic Statement 2020: The Government proposes to provide $33M over three years, starting in 2021-22, to support the 50-30 Challenge – a call to action to businesses across Canada to increase diverse representation on corporate boards and in senior management. The Government also announced it will invest $6.6M to support a task force on modernizing the Employment Equity Act to ensure Canada's economic recovery is equitable, inclusive, and fair.

Existing supports

Proactive Pay Equity legislation creates a regime that will ensure that women and men working in federally regulated workplaces, including the federal private sector, the federal public service, parliamentary workplaces, and Ministers' offices, receive equal pay for work of equal value.

Pay Transparency measures will provide Canadians with more information on pay practices of employers in the federally regulated sector, including converting existing pay information filed by federally regulated employers under the Employment Equity Act into more user-friendly online content, making existing wage gaps more evident.

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.
• 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.
• Budget 2021 proposes a number of important investments to support women and other marginalized communities in skilled trades, including:
  • $470M over three years for Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) to establish a new Apprenticeship Service, through which employers will see their incentive doubled when they hire women, racialized Canadians, or persons with disabilities; and
  • $55M over three years for ESDC to develop a Community Workforce Development Program, which will dedicate 75% of its funding to projects that support underrepresented groups. 

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%).
• Budget 2021 proposes a number of important investments to support women and other marginalized communities in the skilled trades, including:
  • $470M over three years for Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) to establish a new Apprenticeship Service that would help first-year apprentices in construction and manufacturing Red Seal trades connect with opportunities at small and medium-sized employers. To boost diversity in the construction and manufacturing Red Seal trades, this incentive will be doubled for employers who hire women, racialized Canadians, or persons with disabilities.
  • $55M over three years for ESDC to develop a Community Workforce Development Program, which will support communities to develop local plans that identify high potential growth organizations and connect these employers with training providers. Some 75% of the national stream's funding would be dedicated to projects that support underrepresented groups. 

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 positions

• The Government of Canada continues to advance gender equality and diversity in all spheres of leadership and decision-making.
• Budget 2021 proposes to:
  • Introduce amendments to the Public Service Employment Act to affirm the importance of a diverse and inclusive workforce and avoid biases and barriers in hiring; and
  • Launch a public consultation on measures that would adapt and apply the Canada Business Corporations Act diversity requirements to federally regulated financial institutions. 
• These build on existing efforts, such as:
  • Launching the 50-30 Challenge to promote diversity within Canadian corporations;
  • Requiring federally incorporated organizations to disclose information on the diversity of their board of directors and senior management to shareholders; and
  • Implementing an open, transparent, and merit-based selection process for Governor in Council appointments, which has resulted in significant gains for women, who now comprise over 50% of the Governor in Council population.

Background

In 1990 and 1995 the United Nations Economic and Social Council passed a resolution calling on governments, political parties, trade unions, as well as professional and other representative groups to adopt a 30% minimum proportion of women in leadership positions, with a view to achieving equal representation. Canada has yet to achieve this goal in most forms of leadership, whether in elected office, or the private or public sectors.

On May 1, 2018, Bill C-25 received Royal Assent. This Bill amends the Canada Business Corporations Act to require corporations to disclose diversity information to their shareholders, including representation of women, Indigenous Peoples, visible minorities, and persons with disabilities on their boards of directors and senior management teams.

• Budget 2021 proposes a public consultation on measures that would apply these requirements to federally regulated financial institutions. The objective is to promote greater gender, racial, ethnic, and Indigenous diversity among senior ranks of the financial sector and ensure more Canadians have access to these opportunities.
• In addition, Budget 2021 proposes that Crown corporations will be required to implement gender and diversity reporting, starting in 2022.

In Canada's business community, women, Indigenous people, racialized people, LGBTQ2 people, and people with disabilities are under-represented in positions of influence. The Government has proposed a number of investments to rectify this:

• Budget 2021 proposes to provide $60 million over three years, starting in 2021-22, to the Canada Media Fund to increase support for productions led by people from equity deserving groups working in the Canadian audiovisual industry.
• In the Fall Economic Statement, the Government proposed to provide $33M over three years, starting in 2021-22, to support the 50-30 Challenge (a call to action to businesses across Canada to increase diverse representation on corporate boards and in senior management).
• In the Fall Economic Statement, the Government committed $6.6M to support a task force on modernizing the Employment Equity Act. The task force will have a mandate to study, consult, and advise on how a renewed Act can help ensure Canada's economic recovery is equitable, inclusive, and fair.

The current Governor in Council population is made up of over 50% women, 6% Indigenous Peoples, 4% persons with a disability, and over 10% persons who identify as a visible minority.

The Department for Women and Gender Equality (WAGE), through its Women's Program, supports projects that address systemic barriers impeding women's progress and advancement, including increasing women's representation in leadership and decision-making roles.

Since 2015, Department for Women and Gender Equality has invested over $32 million through its Women's Program in more than 65 projects to advance women's representation in leadership and decision-making roles, including over $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.

Issue: Government of Canada's gender equality accomplishments

• The Government continues to build on progress made towards gender equality with historic achievements and initiatives.
• Key achievements and investments include:
  • 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 establish a proactive pay equity regime within the federal public and private sectors;
  • Making a historic investment of $160M over 5 years to help build the capacity of women's organizations, including through the $100M Feminist Response and Recovery Fund;
  • Creating the first-ever federal program specifically dedicated to advancing LGBTQ2 equality; and
  • Advancing the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence with a $601.3M investment announced in Budget 2021.

Background

Key government achievements

• In the last few years, the Government of Canada provided structural and legal backing for gender equality in a number of areas, including:
  • Creating the first-ever federal ministerial position fully dedicated to gender issues;
  • Legally implementing a process to destroy the records of convictions for offences involving consensual sexual activity between people of the same sex;
  • Prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of gender identity under the Canadian Human Rights Act, as well as hate crimes motivated by gender identity under the Criminal Code; and
  • The Canadian Gender Budgeting Act came into force, enshrining gender budgeting in the government's budgetary and financial management processes, guided by the Gender Results Framework.

Key women and gender equality investments

• Budget 2019 invested $20M over three years to build the capacity of Canadian LGBTQ2 organizations to address the unique needs and persisting disparities among LGBTQ2 Canadians.
  • In 2019, WAGE entered into seven agreements, totalling $2.24 million, with seven leading organizations to undertake work to advance LGBTQ2 equality in Canada, including increasing the readiness of the sector for a call for proposals (CFP). The CFP for the LGBTQ2 Community Capacity Fund was launched across the country on March 5, 2020, and closed on May 14, 2020. In February 2021, the Government of Canada announced approximately $15 million in funding for 76 LGBTQ2 community-led projects across Canada through the Fund. This included 70 new projects and amendments for 6 of the national projects funded in 2019. 
• An investment of $160M over five years, starting in 2019‑20 to enable community action supporting projects to advance equality for women.
  • The $100M Feminist Response and Recovery Fund Call for Proposals was launched in February 2021, to support women's recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • $30M has been allocated to strategic matched partnerships, resulting in $60M towards gender equality.
• It's Time: Canada's Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence, launched in 2017, committed over $200M over 5 years and $40M ongoing to establish, launch, and expand the Strategy. Key WAGE accomplishments to date include:
  • 60 projects have been funded to develop and test promising practices to support victims and survivors of GBV and their families;
  • As of March 2021, the GBV Knowledge Centre's online platform has been visited close to 99,000 times since its launch in 2018; and
  • Three national surveys were developed to establish baselines on the prevalence of forms of GBV among different populations, providing a deeper understanding of GBV in Canada and allowing us to measure progress.
• As part of the COVID-19 response, the Government provided $100M in emergency funding to over 1,200 organizations across Canada providing critical supports and services to those experiencing GBV.
  • Since April 2020, this funding helped nearly 800,000 women and children experiencing violence.
• Reinforcing the Government's commitment to end GBV, Budget 2021 announced $601.3M over five years towards a National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence, of which WAGE will receive $415M. 

International

• At the Women Deliver 2019 Conference, the Prime Minister announced up to $1.4B in new annual funding by 2023 to support women's and girls' health around the world.
• As part of its role in the Generation Equality Forum (GEF), on July 1, 2020, Canada was named co-lead for the Action Coalition on Feminist Movements and Leadership, along with the Netherlands and Malawi.
• At the Mexico Forum in Spring 2021, a blueprint for each Action Coalition was made public. These six blueprints are the result of international public consultations led by UN Women and the work of all Action Coalition leads to develop these actions and identify potential commitments. They form the basis for the GEF's 2026 vision and action plan. At the Mexico Forum, Canada announced the launch of the Global Alliance on Feminist Movements and Leadership, which the Ford Foundation is supporting by investing $15 million in the Equality Fund. Canada also announced a $10 million investment in the UN Women Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women.
• Canada along with other Action Coalition leaders and commitment makers will be announcing commitments at the Generation Equality Forum in Paris to be held from June 30 to July 2, 2021.

Issue: Mandates Of Ministers responsible for Women And Gender Equality & diversity and women 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 Plus, 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 Plus, through a number of legislative initiatives, including:
  1. The Canadian Gender Budgeting Act, formalizing GBA Plus in decisions related to budgeting, taxation and expenditures; and
  2. New legislation related to Environmental Assessments, Energy, Fisheries and Immigration that require consideration of GBA Plus.
• 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 Plus 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 795 projects have been funded for more than $300 million to ensure that everyone can participate fully as members of Canadian society. This includes:
  • Projects under the Capacity-building Fund, which supported women's and Indigenous organizations across Canada to continue providing essential supports to women and their families.
  • Projects under the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Commemoration Fund, which provided support to help honour the lives and legacies of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls and LGBTQ2 people.
    
  • Projects related to developing and testing promising practices to support survivors of gender-based violence and their families in communities across Canada.
  • Projects supporting national LGBTQ2 organizations through the LGBTQ2 Community Capacity Fund to help build stronger organizations, networks and infrastructure.
  • Projects supporting LGBTQ2 community organizations through the LGBTQ2 Community Capacity Fund to help place them on solid footing, strengthening their ability to undertake their important work.
  • Projects to prevent and address human trafficking through the development and implementation of promising practices in support of at-risk populations and survivors, in support of the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking.
• In 2019-20 alone, 6 million people benefitted from the important work of these organizations. 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.
• To date, the government has provided a total of $100 million in emergency funding to over 1,200 organizations, including shelters, Indigenous shelters on and off-reserve, sexual assault centres, women's organizations and other organizations delivering essential frontline supports to women and children experiencing violence and abuse across the country. $90 million of that funding was delivered through the Department for Women and Gender Equality. WAGE contributed an additional $9.5M from its G&C's program budget to support the high demand. Since April 2020, this funding has helped frontline organizations maintain capacity so that nearly 800,000 women and children experiencing violence had a place to turn.
• Building on this historic funding, Budget 2021 proposes a total of $601.3M over five years, towards a National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence, including $415M for WAGE. Additionally, Budget 2021 pledges $15 million for a new LGBTQ2 Projects Fund to support LGBTQ2 community initiatives.

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.
• 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.
• The call closed on March 25, 2021 and assessment of applications is being finalized. Approximately 900 applications were received, representing an ask of over $375M.

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 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

• 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.

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 over 5 years and $2 million per year ongoing to develop the Continuum of Care – Prevention and Interventions for Vulnerable Populations initiative.
• Following a July 2020 call for proposals, 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 63 projects, WAGE will be funding 43 projects, for a total of $14M 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. This brings WAGE's investment in addressing human trafficking to $17M since 2017.

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 violence.
• To date, the government has provided $100 million in emergency funding to over 1,200 organizations, including shelters, Indigenous shelters on and off-reserve, sexual assault centres, women's organizations and other organizations delivering essential frontline supports to women and children experiencing violence and abuse across the country. $90 million of that funding was delivered through the Department for Women and Gender Equality. WAGE contributed an additional $9.5M from its G&C's program budget to support the high demand for a total of $99.5M for WAGE.
• 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);
  • $40.83 million to Canadian Women's Foundation to redistribute to sexual assault centres, women's organizations, and other organizations providing supports and services to those experiencing GBV (outside of Quebec), with $7.2 million coming from WAGE's Gs&Cs program budget;
  • $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, with $2.3 million coming from WAGE's Gs&Cs program budget.
  • $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 1,200 organizations, including women's shelters, Indigenous shelters, sexual assault centres, women's and other organizations providing services and supports to those experiencing gender-based violence across the country.

Budget 2021 proposed investments for WAGE programming

• Reinforcing the Government's commitment to end gender-based violence, Budget 2021 proposes to build on Budgets 2017 and 2018 with a total of $601.3M over five years towards a National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence (GBV National Action Plan). This includes $415M for WAGE, starting in 2021-22.
  • Of this, $390M will be provided to eligible organizations to support the following: 
    • $200  million over 2 years to WAGE to support GBV organizations.
    • $105 million over 5 years to WAGE to enhance the GBV program, for initiatives to engage men & boys; stop human trafficking; support at-risk populations and survivors; and provide support for testing and implementing best-practices.
    • $55 million over 5 years to WAGE to bolster the capacity of Indigenous women and 2SLGBTQQIA+ organizations to provide gender-based violence prevention programming aimed at addressing the root causes of violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+people.
    • $30 million over 5 years to WAGE so crisis hotlines can serve the urgent needs of more Canadians to prevent the escalation of GBV during the pandemic.
  • $14 million over five years will go towards the establishment of a dedicated secretariat to coordinate the ongoing work towards the development and implementation of the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence, and to continue engagement with provinces, territories, municipalities, Indigenous peoples, gender-based violence experts, stakeholders and, most importantly, survivors of gender-based violence.
  • $11 million over five years for WAGE will go towards GBV research and knowledge mobilization.
• Finally, Budget 2021 also pledges $15 million over 3 years for WAGE, starting in 2021-22, for a new LGBTQ2 Projects Fund dedicated to supporting community-informed initiatives to overcome key issues facing LGBTQ2 communities, such as accessing mental health services and employment support.

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 $900,000 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 establishing and solidifying 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. These activities are expected to fortify sector knowledge and access to data, strengthen networks, advance intersectionality and build internal organizational human resource and strategic planning capacity. 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 $650,000 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 $1,505,000 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:

Envision Counselling & Support Centre Inc., SK – Christa Daku, Executive Director

"The Safer and Stronger funding has enabled Envision Counseling and Support Centre to accommodate more counsellors in our rural office locations in Southeast Saskatchewan. The organization has responded to the COVID-19 crisis by adding counselling programs with greater accessibility for clients experiencing gender based violence and other mental health struggles, becoming more relevant in our communities, and more able to reach a greater number of women, girls and individuals who are struggling with GBV.

This surge in clients has resulted in inadequate office space for counsellors. There is a lack of privacy to hold in-person sessions or remote sessions. With this funding, Envision Counselling was able to reconfigure office space to respond to the increased need in our communities, adding privacy and functionality for video or telephone counselling."

Islanders Working Against Violence, BC - Kisae Petersen, Executive Director

"The COVID funding has made such a difference to our residents at the Transition House and Second Stage House. At our transition house, these funds have been used to purchase toys, art materials, books for each child to use in their own room. This has provided additional childcare staffing which has supported the mothers during school closures and allowed them to attend important legal and health appointments.

At our Second Stage House, we helped a mom and son with technology so that he could participate with his online learning when the schools were closed. We've also created a garden program so that women can be outside and experiencing the joy of growing food and flowers.

Lastly, Women Shelters Canada's distribution of WAGE funds was very skillful at making these funds available quickly and professionally."

Hope Haven, NL - Nicole Young, Executive Director

"COVID-19 has taken its toll on all facets of society and created many barriers for women experiencing violence. The quick response of funds for Women's Transition houses across Canada gave our Transition House in Labrador the ability to address our specific needs quickly and effectively. A major barrier for our area was that initially there was no transportation in our community as taxis came off the road and we do not have public transportation. The funding helped us address this major gap and allowed us to safely arrange transportation for women seeking our services. It also helped us address PPE needs, supporting women in isolation, additional staffing when needed and aided in ramping up cleaning protocols. We were able to address concerns and barriers for women in our community as the needs came up."

Ganohkwasra Family Assault Support Services, ON - Sandra Montour, Executive Director

"Ganohkwasra Family Assault Support Services is extremely grateful to WAGE for their financial support. First of all, thank you for remembering that shelters are indeed congregate living settings. I have been listening to the media and it is only recently that I have heard anything recognizing shelters as congregate living environments. Our staff and residents are at an increased level of risk for COVID-19, simply because of the shared living arrangements of our facilities. Secondly, I would like to mention that Ganohkwasra, as an on-reserve facility, has continued to provide services to women and families throughout the pandemic, on site, at our facility.

As a rural service, we are not privileged with having hotel accommodations close by so families can isolate for 14 days. We have had to figure out how to provide residents with a safe living environment, inclusive of providing basic and personal needs; isolation, quarantine, COVID-19 testing, as well as providing vital VAW programs and services. Therefore, the financial support provided by WAGE has been absolutely KEY in purchasing items that we are not funded to purchase, such as safe PPE; electronics for the bedrooms so we can continue to provide support and programming to our women and families who are in isolation and/or quarantine; as well as plexiglass barriers and thermal cameras that immediately take people's temperatures as they pass. Also, we can now provide weekly deep cleaning and sanitizing for everyone's safety. Therefore, on behalf of our staff and residents, Niawen:kowa (Big Thank You) for all you have done and all you are doing for the shelters!"

Issue: Canada's position on gender indexes

• The Government of Canada has committed to advancing gender equality in order to ensure that no one is left behind.
• Canada serves as a global leader, as demonstrated in several international rankings.
• In the World Economic Forum's 2021 Global Gender Gap Report Canada placed 24^th overall – up 6 places since 2015.
• On Equal Measures' 2019 Sustainable Development Goals Gender Index, Canada ranked 8^th out of 129 countries on progress towards gender-related targets towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
• We know there is still more work to be done—ensuring that women's voices are included in key decision-making roles, in business and in government; closing the gender wage gap; increasing economic security; and preventing and addressing gender-based violence.

Background

Across the world, countries are taking steps to advance gender equality, understanding that gender equality is not only a human right, it grows economies and benefits everyone.

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, the World Economic Forum's 2021 Global Gender Gap Report ranked Canada 24^th out of 156 countries. The report, now in its 15^th year, benchmarks the evolution of gender-based gaps in four areas: economic participation and opportunity; educational attainment; health and survival; and political empowerment.

Canada ranked five places lower in this year's report than in the 2020 Report, however Canada's gender parity score in 2021 was the same as in 2020. This signals that the drop is due to the relative improvement of other countries  – not because we are doing worse. For example, countries such as Lithuania and Belgium, whose rankings have increased 25 and 14 places since 2020, respectively, have experienced improvements in political representation, which has played a critical role in their advancement in the rankings.

• In the Economic Participation and Opportunity dimension, Canada ranked 40^th overall, a drop from the 30^th spot in 2020. 
• In Educational Attainment, Canada tied first with many countries, the same as in 2020.
• In Health and Survival, Canada ranked 100^th overall, gaining 5 spots compared to 2020. The Health and Survival subindex is the area where gender gaps are smallest on average, and countries' performances are significantly more concentrated: scores vary among a concentrated set of values between just 93% and 98%.
• In Political Empowerment, Canada was ranked 29^th in 2021, compared to 25^th last year, even though Canada's score was higher this year.

Equal Measures' Global Report in 2019 introduced the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Gender Index. This tool examines the state of gender equality based on 51 indicators across the SDGs. Canada ranked 8^th out of 129 countries, with highest scores obtained in areas such as health and strong institutions, and lower scores in areas such as climate action and partnerships for the SDG goals.

In 2019, the OECD's Social Institutions and Gender Index 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.

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: appointing the first gender-balanced federal Cabinet, 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. It 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.

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 1,200 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 38^th 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.

38^th 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.
• (redacted)

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)

• The 65^th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW) was held virtually from March 15 to 26, 2021. Select in-person formal procedural meetings were limited to New York-based delegates.
• The 65^th Session focused 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".
• As Head of Delegation for Canada, Minister Monsef delivered our National Statement, and participated in UN Women's Ministerial Roundtable as well as various side-events with Canadian civil society organizations.
• A key outcome of this year's UNCSW was the Agreed Conclusions. Civil society organizations were meaningfully engaged and their advice informed Canada's negotiating positions. Canada was successful in securing strong language on Indigenous women and girls, and COVID-19 and its disproportionate impact on women and girls.
• The Agreed Conclusions also recognize the critical role that women have played in COVID-19 response efforts, as well as in economic recovery and growth, and emphasizes that it is necessary to strengthen the full, equal, and meaningful participation and leadership of women, including women with disabilities, in all stages of COVID-19 response and recovery.

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 national Indigenous leaders, representatives and youth.
• The 65^th Session of the UNCSW (UNCSW 65) was held virtually from March 15 to 26, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Only two in-person procedural meetings (opening session and closing plenary) took place with the participation of two New York-based officials per delegation. The priority theme for UNCSW 65 was "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 outcome was the Agreed Conclusions, which were negotiated by Member States in support of this year's priority theme. The document made linkages to other UN functions and conventions, including the Sustainable Development Goals, the Beijing Platform for Action, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Canada was successful in securing strong language on our two key priority areas for the text, namely Indigenous women and girls, and COVID-19 and its disproportionate impact on women and girls. These additions included expanded language to further include Indigenous women and girls, including their discrimination and exclusion from public life and decision-making. The language on the COVID-19 pandemic acknowledged the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on women and girls, and its deepening of pre-existing inequalities and vulnerabilities that perpetuate multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination. Civil society was meaningfully engaged throughout the negotiations of the Agreed Conclusions and their advice was sought to inform Canada's negotiating positions.
• Since the 14 CSOs selected for last year's UNCSW were unable to participate due to the onset of the pandemic, they were given the opportunity to participate again in this year's virtual UNCSW. No open nomination process for CSOs was launched this year as a result. WAGE remained committed to supporting the active engagement of civil society in the UNCSW. In addition to involving CSOs in the negotiations of  the Agreed Conclusions, Canada sponsored many side events on priority themes for CSOs, weekly debriefs were provided to CSOs on UNCSW 65 events and a celebratory event was held with Minister Monsef and Canada's Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Bob Rae, to seek their views on UNCSW 65.
• Looking ahead to the 66^th session of the UNCSW (UNCSW 66) in March 2022, the priority theme will be achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes, and will also feature a renegotiation of the Commission's methods of work. The Department has started planning for UNCSW 66 and will be interested in engaging with Canadian CSOs and international partners to host side events related to gender and climate change.

Issue: Canada's role in the generation equality forum

• 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 launch of the Generation Equality Forum to maintain the momentum following the 25^th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (Beijing+25) in 2020.
• The Forum seeks to accelerate progress to advance gender equality over the next 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.
• As a leader of the Action Coalition on Feminist Movements and Leadership, Canada has been working with partners, including other countries, civil society, and the private sector, to develop tangible actions and commitments to make real progress in this area.
• Canada along with other Action Coalition leaders and commitment makers will be announcing commitments at the Generation Equality Forum in Paris to be held from June 30 to July 2, 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"), convened 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.

Launched at the Mexico Forum held virtually in March 2021, the GEF agenda focuses 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 are intended to be innovative partnerships among civil society, Member States, international organizations and the private sector. Each Action Coalition is expected to develop and implement a set of transformative and measurable actions over a five (5) year period.

In 2020, Canada became 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. In February 2021, Malawi and Gucci also joined the Action Coalition as leaders.

As an Action Coalition leader, Canada is expected to make concrete commitments to advance priority areas identified by the Action Coalition. 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.

At the Mexico Forum, a blueprint for each Action Coalition was made public. These six blueprints are the result of international public consultations led by UN Women and the work of all Action Coalition leads to develop these actions and identify potential commitments. They form the basis for the GEF's 2026 vision and action plan. At the Mexico Forum, Canada announced the launch of the Global Alliance on Feminist Movements and Leadership, which the Ford Foundation is supporting by investing $15 million in the Equality Fund. Canada also announced a $10 million investment in the UN Women Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women.

Domestically, consultations were held in spring 2021 with provinces and territories, national Indigenous leaders and representatives, as well as civil society on Canada's overall approach in the GEF, including in its role an Action Coalition leader. In particular, Canadian youth were consulted via Plan International Canada's annual Youth Summit (May 15-16, 2021) and a broad range of stakeholders were consulted during a Joint Ministerial Dialogue co-hosted by Ministers Monsef and Gould (May 18, 2021). Additionally, WAGE has funded five CSO-led initiatives: two multi-year projects as part of the department's Beijing +25 engagement strategy (Canadian Partnership for Women and Children's Health and Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women) as well as three Town Halls on Beijing +25 priorities held in early 2021 by Dr. Betsy McGregor and the DisAbled Women's Network Canada.

Issue: Recent evidence on the state of gender equality

• Since 2015, the Government of Canada has made gender equality a key government priority and recent data shows progress for women in areas such as political representation, labour force participation, and hourly wages.
• 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 almost 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 3% reduction 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 — a percentage increase of over 25%.
• However, the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to roll back these gains.
  • In March 2020, women lost jobs at almost twice the rate of men. As the economy began to open in May 2020, men gained back jobs at more than twice the rate of women. In May 2021, women's employment remained 4.2% lower than pre-COVID levels, compared to 1.9% for men. 
  • Research suggests that the pandemic may have rolled back gains in women's economic opportunities, given the fact that more women, particularly those in low-paying jobs, moved out of employment during the pandemic.
• The Government will continue its progress to build a feminist, intersectional Action Plan for Women in the Economy that will work to push past systemic barriers and inequities.

Background

• Some recent studies have shed light on factors related to gender equality:
  • A recent Power Gap analysis conducted by the Globe and Mail found women, and especially racialized women, are underrepresented both at the highest levels of decision-making and in other leadership positions in public-sector workplaces in Canada. The study looked at the representation of women in municipal and provincial governments, universities and publicly-owned corporations and found women are hitting the glass ceiling as mid-level managers, well below the executive level. The study also found that men made more than their female counterparts with the same title, and the gap steadily widened on the way to the top.
  • 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. In 2019, over one third (35.6%) of women who entered an apprenticeship program that year 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-dominated jobs. Finally, the findings suggested that the gender wage gaps are smaller among new hires than within the entire workforce; however, five years into a new job, the gender wage gap widened in most occupation groups.
• COVID-19 has impacted women in Canada differently and more severely than men. 
  • In March 2020, the monthly decline in employment for women aged 15 and older (-6.9%, -623,000) was almost double that of men (­3.7%, ­373,500). In May 2020, as the economy began to reopen in much of the country, employment increased more than twice as fast among men (+2.5%, +217,000) than women (+1.1%, +85,300). In May 2021, women's employment remained 4.2% lower than pre-COVID levels, compared to 1.9% for men. 
  • Young women (aged 15-24) have been particularly hard hit by economic shutdowns during the pandemic. From February to April 2020, employment among young women declined by 37.6%, compared to 31.0% among young men. As of May 2021, young women remained further below their pre-COVID February 2020 employment levels (-14.5%) than young men (-7.8%).
  • As of March 2021, the employment level of core-aged mothers whose youngest child is under 6 years old was 88.7% of their pre-pandemic February 2020 level (or a deficit of 130,500 jobs), compared to 90.1% (or a deficit of 130,900 jobs) for core-aged fathers whose youngest child is under 6 years old. 
• 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 duties or helped children with homework, while 19% of men reported being mostly responsible for this task.
• Data collected by Statistics Canada showed that between March 2020 and January 2021, a sample of 14 police services reported a 20% decrease in sexual assaults, including those committed by non-family members (-22%) and by family members (-9%), when compared to the same time period 12 months ago (i.e. March 2019 to January 2020).
• The Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability (CFOJA) reported that a total of 160 women and girls were killed by violence in Canada in 2020. The police identified an accused in 148 of these homicides – 128 of the accused (90%) were men.
• The impact of the pandemic was felt unevenly across service providers. According to a crowdsourcing survey conducted by Statistics Canada among organizations who provide services to victims of violence, 31% of respondents indicated that the number of people they served had increased between March and July 2020, while 46% responded that they saw a decline in the number of new clients and 31% responded that they saw no changes.

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 Plus, 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: 2021-22 Departmental financial overview

• The Government continues to invest in people, the economy and COVID-19 relief to help ensure Canada's future success.
• The Government of Canada is committed to building a country free of gender-based violence. Budget 2021 proposes to invest $601.3 million over five years, starting in 2021-22, to advance towards a new National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence.
• 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 to support the capacity-building and community-level work of Canadian LGBTQ2 organizations, both starting in 2019‑20.
• The Department for Women and Gender Equality will receive $228.6M in fiscal year 2021-22, including $164.1M in Grants and Contributions.
• Since 2015, the Government has made investing in the vital work of grassroots and community organizations a priority.
  • In 2021-22, the Department's budget for Grants and Contributions to support the work of equality-seeking organizations is more than eight times what it was in 2015‑16.
  • This is the result of investments in new programming, including the advancement of a new National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence, 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 2021-22 Department Budget Overview includes the Main Estimates and the Supplementary Estimates (A) adjustments.
• The total funding of $228.6 M to be received in 2021-22 relates to:
  • Advancement of a new National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence ($100.6M)
  • Increasing the capacity and sustainability of the Women's Movement ($64.6M)
  • Gender-Based Violence against women and girls ($21.1M)
  • Advancing Gender Equality – Budget 2019 ($18.4M)
  • LGBTQ2 Community Capacity Fund ($7.5M)
  • Evidence-based policy to advance gender equality and undertake research and data collection to support Gender-based Analysis Plus ($4.0M)
  • National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking ($2.6M)
  • Other ($2.7M)
  • Statutory funding (Employee Benefit Plan and Minister's salary & car Allowance $7.1M)

*Total amounts have been rounded.

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 $164.1 in 2021-22. 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, the LGBTQ2 Community Capacity Fund and Budget 2021

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 $125.6M in funding from the 2021-22 Main Estimates, representing a decrease of $4.3M from the previous year's Main Estimates.
• The majority of the funding is for Grants and Contributions to support capacity building of women's organizations and the furthering of women's participation in Canadian society.

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.

The Main Estimates confirm requests for resources that have already been approved by the Treasury Board.

The Department will receive $125.6M in total funding for 2021-22:

• $45.4M 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 received from the previous Main Estimates:

The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Commemoration Fund was funded over three years, starting in 2018-19. The end of the Fund in 2020-21 accounts for most of the $4.2M variance.

Issue: Main estimates from 2015-16 to 2021-22

Text version

Women and gender equality budgets from 2015-16 to 2021-22

	2021-22Table note *	2020-21	2019-20	2018-19	2017-18	2016-17	2015-16
Operating	57.4	49.0	47.4	41.6	22.1	14.2	10.4
Grants & Contributions	164.1	79.4	65.8	29.3	20.8	20.6	19.5
Grants & Contributions - COVID-19	0	18.7	0	0	0	0	0
Statutory	7.1	4.5	4.2	2.8	1.7	1.5	1.3
Statutory - COVID-19	0	71.3	0	0	0	0	0
Total Budgetary	228.6	222.9	117.4	73.7	44.7	36.3	31.2
Variance Operating %	17%	3%	14%	88%	55%	38%
Variance G&C %	107%	21%	125%	41%	1%	6%
Variance Statutory %	58%	7%	48%	62%	20%	15%
Variance Total % (w/o COVID-19)	72%	13%	59%	65%	23%	17%

Issue: 2021-22 Supplementary estimates (A)

• The Government continues investing in people, the economy and COVID-19 relief to help ensure Canada's future success.
• The Government of Canada is committed to building a country free of gender-based violence. Budget 2021 proposes to invest $601.3M over five years, starting in 2021-22, to advance towards a new National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence.
• Through Supplementary Estimates (A), the Department for Women and Gender Equality will receive $103M towards a new National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence in 2021-22.

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.
• This is the first Supplementary Estimates to be published in 2021-22 and, as such, is identified as Supplementary Estimates (A). The 2021-22 Supplementary Estimates (A) were tabled in Parliament on May 27, 2021.
• The associated Appropriation Act should receive Royal Assent by the end of June 2021. This will provide federal organizations with additional funding needed early in the fiscal year.
• Via the Supplementary Estimates (A), the Department will receive $88.6M in Grants and Contributions, $12.0M in Operating expenditures and $2.4M for the Employee Benefits Plan, for a total of $103M. This represents the current year amount of the funding announced in Budget 2021 to advance the development of a National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence (GBV).
• The following investments were included for WAGE in Budget 2021 to advance the development of a National Action Plan to End GBV.
  • $200M over 2 years to support gender-based violence organizations;
  • $105M over 5 years to enhance the GBV Program, with a focus on initiatives that engage men and boys, combat human trafficking, support at-risk populations and survivors, and provide support for testing and implementing best practices;
  • $55M over 5 years to bolster the capacity of Indigenous women and 2SLGBTQQIA+ organizations to provide gender-based violence prevention programming aimed at addressing the root causes of violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people;
  • $30M over 5 years for crisis hotlines to serve the urgent needs of more Canadians to prevent the escalation of GBV;
  • $14M over 5 years for a dedicated secretariat to coordinate ongoing work towards the development and implementation of the National Action Plan to End GBV; and
  • $11M over 5 years for GBV research and knowledge mobilization
• The Budget 2021 investment of $15 million over 3 years, starting in 2021-22, for a new LGBTQ2 Projects Fund is not included in these Supplementary Estimates. We anticipate that it will be included in Supplementary Estimates (B).

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 Plus throughout federal government decision-making processes, including: work on a process of evaluating GBA Plus 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 43^rd Parliament, the committee has studied:

• Sexual misconduct within the Canadian Armed Forces;
• Challenges faced by women living in rural communities:
• Women's unpaid work:
• Impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on women;
• Midwifery services across Canada
• Implementation of the Pay Equity Act.

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: