ARCHIVED - Status of Women Canada

• Previous Page
• Table of Contents
• Next Page

This page has been archived.

Section II – Analysis of Program Activities for the Strategic Outcome

To fulfill the Government of Canada's commitment to building a society that is inclusive of all Canadians, SWC promotes the full participation of women in the economic, social, and cultural life of Canada. This revised strategic outcome flows from SWC's legal mandate to coordinate policy and administer related programs with respect to the status of women, which is strengthened by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Canada's commitments to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and the Beijing Platform for Action.

Given SWC's experience, size, and resources, strong partnerships with other federal departments and with provincial and territorial governments, women's and other voluntary organizations, the private sector and civil society are important to ensure women's full participation in the economic, social, and cultural aspects of society. Two main program activities that help in focusing the Department's efforts are promoting equitable public policy and building knowledge and organizational capacity on gender equality.

As mentioned in previous public reports, the 2007–2008 program year signals the start of a revised operations framework for both the funding program and SWC's internal functions. These revised operations will influence the nature of SWC's activities and lead to a slightly different reporting format for its program activity architecture. Nonetheless, according to the guidelines, the information that follows remains structured according to the current program activity architecture:

• To promote equitable public policy
• To build knowledge and organizational capacity on gender equality

Indicator: Progress in priority areas identified by SWC.

Program Activity 1: Promote Equitable Public Policy

Financial resources ($ Millions) ^a

Planned spending	Total authorities	Actual spending
2.6	2.7	1.8

Human resources (FTEs) ^a

Total authorities	Actual	Difference
23	10	13

^a   Since developing its Program Activity Architecture, SWC has refined its resources allocation to better align to its program activities. Hence, in 2006–2007, some total authorities and actual figures continued to reflect this shift.

SWC's work on promoting equitable public policy focuses on horizontal work across the federal, provincial, and territorial governments. The goal is to influence the development of policies, programs, legislation, and services that respond to the diversity of women's lives.

Expected result: The government develops and implements federal initiatives that narrow inequalities between women and men and that expand opportunities for women.

Performance indicator: The number of federal initiatives that significantly advance gender equality.

RESULTS: Successfully met.

SWC continued to work toward ensuring women's full participation. In 2006–2007, it adopted a more targeted and coordinated approach with other federal government departments to focus on issues related to Aboriginal women. SWC also continued work on initiatives relevant to women's economic security and to violence against women. During implementation of the governance review findings, the Department streamlined its work around its refocused priorities:

• SWC continued to collaborate with the Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC) in the Sisters-in-Spirit Initiative, which is explained in more detail at sub-activity 1.1 and the second part of Table 7. SWC's contribution supports NWAC's work with other Aboriginal organizations and the federal government on activities aimed at determining the actual number of missing and murdered Aboriginal women, understanding the root causes of racialized and sexualized violence, and implementing programs, services, and practices aimed at reducing and ultimately eliminating violence against Aboriginal women. SWC also worked with its provincial and territorial partners to advance these same goals. With federal partners, SWC helped to develop collaborative strategic plans, consulting key informants and providing advisory services to NWAC. Through the Sisters-in-Spirit Joint Interdepartmental Working Group, SWC sought to enhance the capacity of NWAC and other Aboriginal organizations to participate in the development of policies to combat violence against Aboriginal women.
• In 2006–2007, SWC worked in collaboration with Statistics Canada to inform the development of indicators and benchmarks on women's progress in Canadian society, with a specific focus on Aboriginal women and economic security. SWC will continue to work on such indicators with a wider range of partners.
• Given the horizontal mandate of SWC and the responsibility of all departments to incorporate GBA into their policy and program development processes, SWC continued to work with the central agencies to increase accountability (within existing government reporting mechanisms) across a broad range of sectors. Included was preliminary work with the Treasury Board Secretariat on incorporating gender considerations into the MAF for all federal department submissions. Starting July 2007, the Treasury Board Secretariat required that submissions to Treasury Board consider the GBA component.

Interdepartmental collaboration of this kind is expected to increase in the coming years, given the implementation of the Partnership Fund to address issues of common interest.

Sub-activity 1.1: Perform Gender-based Policy Analysis

Sub-activity 1.1 focuses on influencing public policy development through GBA and the provision of advice and recommendations in federal policy areas, particularly those related to women's economic security, Aboriginal women, and violence against women.

Expected result: Federal government policies that advance gender equality.

Performance indicator: Percentage of policy recommendations made by SWC that are accepted by federal departments.

RESULTS:

In 2006–2007, SWC continued in its role of influencing public policy development through GBA and the provision of advice and recommendations to other federal government departments. The nature of the work is such that the projects initiated in 2006–2007 involve long-term engagement by SWC that will eventually lead to concrete results. In line with SWC's more targeted approach, SWC influenced public policy through a number of activities:

• Sisters-in-Spirit Initiative: SWC played a funding, monitoring, liaison, and advisory role with NWAC to help ensure that the goals of the Sisters-in-Spirit Initiative are realized. In 2006–2007, SWC co-chaired with NWAC the Joint Working Group of the Sisters-in-Spirit Initiative, which met quarterly. The Joint Working Group identifies areas for collaborative work to improve services for Aboriginal women by all federal departments. As a result of this support, NWAC successfully implemented a community-based research work plan, designed communication tools and curriculum kits for community workshops to Aboriginal organizations, held consultations with stakeholders for the development of their strategic plans, and trained members of the organization in GBA using materials provided by SWC. With the assistance of SWC, NWAC identified in their strategic plan socio-economic policy areas related to Aboriginal women for potential attention by the Government of Canada.
  
  As a result of SWC funding, NWAC has been able to develop a culturally relevant GBA framework in collaboration with Aboriginal communities and to assess the impacts of policies, programs, and legislation on Aboriginal women and men alike.
  
  Further, within the research and data collection area of the initiative, NWAC has exceeded its established yearly targets, using community-based research and family interviews to validate the number of missing and murdered women and to document their lives at the time they went missing. This information is critical and will inform future strategies to keep Aboriginal women safe.
  
  In support of the Sisters-in-Spirit initiative, NWAC Youth developed a Youth Council Violence Prevention Toolkit >>>
  
  In support of the Sisters-in-Spirit initiative, NWAC Youth developed a Youth Council Violence Prevention Toolkit that provides Aboriginal youth–and girls in particular–with violence prevention information and tools to protect themselves and their communities. The toolkit, which also provides community organizations with tools to promote violence prevention to youth, includes a Facilitator's Guide, information sheets, and exercises that cover topics such as domestic and relationship violence, date violence, sexual assault, emotional and psychological violence, bullying, and community action plans for easy implementation. Because NWAC and government departments have worked regularly and collaboratively with federal partners on the Sisters-in-Spirit initiative, many of the federal departments, including SWC, are working to support the implementation of the toolkit across Canada.
  
  Through the public education and awareness strategy of the Sisters-in-Spirit initiative, NWAC has also gained the support of Aboriginal men >>>
  
  Through the public education and awareness strategy of the Sisters-in-Spirit initiative, NWAC has also gained the support of Aboriginal men. The new Brothers in Spirit group encourages Aboriginal men to speak out about violence against Aboriginal women and about missing and murdered Aboriginal women. (NWAC can be contacted at 1-800-461-4043 or reception@nwac-hq.org.)
  
• Aboriginal Horizontal Framework: The Aboriginal Horizontal Framework, a government-wide overview of Aboriginal-direct programming and spending by the Government of Canada (led by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and Treasury Board Secretariat), was gender-disaggregated on a recommendation from SWC even if the way in which gender inequalities may be affected by various issues is not explored within the report. The intent of the framework is to address how the real challenges can be resolved and lead to an improved quality of life. For more information, visit http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/aaps-aapd.
  
• Women with disabilities: SWC is a member of a federal interdepartmental working group examining options to promote accessibility and the full participation in society of persons with disabilities. SWC has provided gender-disaggregated data that has been incorporated into the discussion documents informing the group's ongoing work, and SWC will continue to provide gender analysis as options are developed.
  
  SWC made recommendations on the need to understand the scope and nature of trafficking and solicitation in terms of victims' needs and service provision issues >>>
  
  
• Trafficking in persons: SWC is also a core member of the Interdepartmental Working Group on Trafficking in Persons. Co-chaired by the Departments of Justice and of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT), the group comprises 16 federal departments and agencies and is responsible for coordinating Canada's anti-trafficking activities. In 2006–2007, SWC was a key contributor to government activities on trafficking and solicitation, providing insights into the realities faced by the women involved in such issues. Specifically, SWC made recommendations on the need to understand the scope and nature of trafficking and solicitation in terms of victims' needs and service provision issues, leading to the incorporation of the recommendations into the government response to the report on trafficking by the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights.

Sub-activity 1.2: Coordinate Federal Government Activities and Report on Progress

Sub-activity 1.2 focuses on coordinating federal activities and reporting on progress. This coordination signals a continued effort by SWC to work with federal departments and provincial and territorial governments on the development and implementation of federal actions related to Aboriginal women, women's economic security, and violence against women. In addition, SWC continued to report domestically and internationally on progress related to government commitments, such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.

Expected result: Federal departments are engaged in a cohesive, consistent approach to developing and implementing government policies to advance gender equality.

Performance indicator: The number of departments engaged in implementing a new approach to achieving gender equality.

RESULTS:

Given that many policy areas of concern to women are the responsibility of provincial and territorial governments, SWC works closely with its provincial and territorial counterparts. For 2006–2007, the Ministers and Senior Officials Responsible for the Status of Women forums continued to work on initiatives relevant to Aboriginal women, such as developing action plans on specific issues related to Aboriginal women's treatment in the justice system and on the promotion of leadership roles. These forums also worked on a variety of other initiatives related to the issue of violence against Aboriginal women:

• Aboriginal Policy Forum: The Federal/Provincial/Territorial (FPT) Ministers Responsible for the Status of Women initiated and hosted a landmark event, the Policy Forum on Aboriginal Women and Violence: Building Safe and Healthy Communities, which took place in Ottawa on March 27–28, 2006. This forum brought together more than 250 delegates representing First Nations, Inuit, and Métis organizations, plus advocates, policy-makers, and FPT officials. SWC partnered in funding the forum with the Department of Justice, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, the RCMP, and Indian Residential Schools Resolution Canada (at http://www.irsr-rqpi.gc.ca/english/index.html).
  
  The forum provided an opportunity for participants to explore ways to build their individual capacity and to take collective or individual action to prevent and address violence against Aboriginal women. In the case of FPT representatives, it also raised awareness of the issue of violence against Aboriginal women and the effects of various policies. The forum created a dialogue on policy and program initiatives between government officials and Aboriginal women's organizations, promoted the sharing of promising practices on violence prevention, and showcased programs and services from across the country that are making a difference.
  
  The findings of the forum have informed SWC's work, as well as that of its provincial and territorial counterparts. In particular, the forum informed the planning for both the National Aboriginal Women's Summit which took place in June 2007 (http://www.laa.gov.nl.ca/ laa/naws/agenda.htm), and the action plans of the FPT Ministers Responsible for the Status of Women, confirmed in July 2007.
  
  Measuring Violence Against Women: Statistical Trends 2006" is a tool that sheds new light on the prevalence of violence among women in Canada >>>
  
  
• Measuring violence against women: In 2006, the FPT Ministers Responsible for the Status of Women also released Measuring Violence Against Women: Statistical Trends 2006, a tool that sheds new light on the prevalence of violence among women in Canada, including individual analyses of violence against Aboriginal women. Given SWC's priority of combating violence against women, this tool informed the work of SWC and its provincial and territorial counterparts in 2007–2008. For more details, refer to http://www.statcan.ca/english/research/85-570-XIE/85-570-XIE2006001.htm.
  
• International obligations: In collaboration with other government departments, SWC completed Canada's combined 6th and 7th Reports to the United Nations (UN) committee responsible for monitoring States Parties' compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. The report specifically addressed the recommendations of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (based on Canada's 5th report submitted in 2003), which included SWC's work on improving women's economic security; improving the legal, economic, and social situation of Aboriginal women; increasing accountability for implementation of GBA and for tracking results. The combined 6th and 7th report was submitted to the UN in May 2007 and will be reported on in SWC's 2007–2008 Departmental Performance Report (DPR).

Program Activity 2: Build Knowledge and Organizational Capacity on Gender Equality

Financial resources ($ millions) ^a

Planned spending	Total authorities	Actual spending
22.2	22.5	22.5

Human resources (FTEs) ^a

Total authorities	Actual	Different
108	83	25

^a   Since developing its Program Activity Architecture, SWC has refined its resource allocations to better align to its program activities. Hence, in 2006–2007, some total authorities and actual figures continued to reflect this shift.

Program activity 2 focuses on developing the knowledge and capacity of a number of stakeholders so that they are better prepared to address, in a coordinated manner, gender-based issues of significance to Canadian society.

SWC uses a number of different avenues to provide gender-based information. For example, SWC has developed custom-made GBA training that is available to all federal government departments. The GBA training tool helps to ensure that federal policies reflect gender considerations throughout the development process, rather than just as add-ons once policies are finalized. SWC has commenced work with the three central agencies–the Treasury Board Secretariat, the Privy Council Office, and the Department of Finance–to ensure that GBA is an integral part of their planning and reporting processes.

In 2006–2007, through its grants and contributions program, SWC also continued to support women's and volunteer organizations so as to facilitate the full participation of women in Canadian society. SWC provides funding for projects that contribute to the achievement of such strategic outcome, to supporting government priorities, and to giving Canadians value for money. Through this aspect of program activity 2, SWC seeks to advance the full participation of women by increasing knowledge and organizational capacity and by ensuring that women are the direct beneficiaries of project outcomes.

SWC's policy research activities in 2006–2007 focused on creating a strong knowledge base with emphasis on women's economic security and on Aboriginal women. This knowledge base supported SWC's policy role in providing guidance on complex policy and programming issues affecting women in Canada. SWC continued to share its policy research with other federal departments and with stakeholders such as academics and non-governmental organizations.

Expected result: Knowledge and gender equality capacity gaps are addressed by federal departments, non-governmental organizations, and others.

Performance indicators: The number of groups taking action on gaps and achieving their stated results. The number of policy-makers aware of targeted research findings. The number of new research citations.

RESULTS: Successfully met.

In 2006–2007, the Policy Research Fund (PRF) published several research reports, with the goal of increasing understanding among federal government departments and stakeholders such as academics and non-governmental organizations of the impact of various policies on women's economic security (PRF reports can be found at http://www.swc-cfc.gc.ca/pubs/pubspr/index_e.html). Subsequent to the implementation of the governance review recommendations, which sought to bring more cohesion to SWC's contribution to policy development, the Research directorate was merged with the Policy and Gender-Based Analysis directorates. Although the PRF was discontinued, SWC still carries out internal policy research activities and will publish the reports from six outstanding projects.

At the 11th International Metropolis Conference, held in October 2006 in Lisbon, Portugal, SWC jointly organized (with Metropolis Project Canada, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and the Department of Integration and Diversity in the Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion, Norway) a day-long workshop on women and migration issues. This occasion was the first time since the inception of the Metropolis Project that a full-day, gender-specific policy research workshop had been held at the annual international conference. In collaboration with the Public Health Agency of Canada, SWC prepared and published a summary of the workshop proceedings. The summary, which can be read at http://www.swc-cfc.gc.ca/pubs/pubspr/0662451341/200610_9780662451341_e.pdf includes contributions from an international panel of experts.

In partnership with the Research Directorate of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, SWC created a plain language summary of pre-conference workshop presentations on Bill C-31 jointly organized by SWC and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada at the March 2006 Aboriginal Policy Conference. The documents will be made public in 2007–2008.

Sub-activity 2.1: Gather, Generate, and Disseminate Gender Equality Information

Sub-activity 2.1 focuses on assisting federal departments and agencies in setting up processes and structures in capacity-building and in creating tools to integrate GBA into their policy and program development activities.

Expected result: Integration of GBA into government initiatives.

Performance indicator: Selected federal departments possess an increased capacity to conduct GBA.

RESULTS:

To provide leadership on the implementation of GBA and to ensure its sustainability across government, SWC maintains its shift in focus from individual to institutional capacity building. Building upon the joining of the Gender-Based Analysis directorate with the Policy and Research directorates, SWC intends to provide advice to departments and central agencies on applying GBA in key initiatives.

The report on GBA by the Standing Committee on the Status of Women and the response to the report by the government both highlighted the accountability role to be played by central agencies and the need to integrate GBA into select priority areas, in partnership with the appropriate departments. Informed by the report and the response, SWC worked closely with central agencies in 2006–2007 on capacity building adapted to their mandates, including the application of GBA to a select number of policies. For example, where data permitted, the Department of Finance applied GBA to the 2007 federal budget. The results will be reported in their DPR.

Further, SWC undertook with partners a joint exploration of links between GBA and various reporting mechanisms. For example, SWC and the Treasury Board Secretariat have been exploring the effects of the application of GBA on the Management, Resources, and Results Structure and on the MAF from an operational perspective. Their goal is to ensure that gender outcomes can be tracked and that departments can be held accountable for the integration of GBA.

SWC continued to respond to demands for its GBA training by providing capacity-building support to other federal departments, to provincial governments, and to other stakeholders, including Human Resources and Social Development Canada, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, the Canadian Evaluation Association, the Assembly of First Nations, the Saskatchewan Women's Policy Office, and the Newfoundland and Labrador Women's Policy Office. Almost 75% of attendees to the 2005–2007 sessions indicated that, as a result of their SWC training, they would be able to explain the basic concepts and tools for applying GBA. In addition, 75% indicated that they would be able to apply GBA in their area of work as a result of the training.

Although it is too early to report on policy or program outcomes attributable to the integration of GBA, capacity building is an essential component in enabling departments to integrate GBA into their initiatives and central agencies to play their challenge function. Given the evaluation results subsequent to the training sessions, an increased capacity to conduct GBA has resulted from the successful GBA activity.

SWC also responded to international requests for training. As part of a five-year capacity-building project (funded by Canadian International Development Agency) that was undertaken between SWC and the Russian government under the Governance Advisory and Exchange Program, SWC provided GBA training to government officials and non-governmental representatives from the Komi region of Russia in April 2006.

Sub-activity 2.2: Fund Research and Community-based Action

Sub-activity 2.2 focuses on funding research and community-based action that addresses selected issues of significance to the status of women in a coordinated manner, and on supporting stakeholders in their efforts to ensure the full participation of women in Canadian society.

Expected result: Knowledge of and engagement in gender equality are enhanced.

Performance indicator: The number of organizations that have achieved their stated funding objectives.

RESULTS:

Women's Program: In 2006–2007, the WP provided grant funding to more than 250 projects at the local, regional, and national levels while pursuing its annual contribution with the NWAC (the Sisters-in-Spirit Initiative is described in more detail in Table 7). These 250 projects included those that were newly approved, in progress, and completed.

A review of a quarter of the projects approved in 2006–2007 indicated that more than 12,000 women are participating in, or have already benefited from, their participation in these projects >>>

With the introduction of changes to the WP in September 2006, an increased focus was placed on direct benefits for participating women. A review of a quarter of the projects approved in 2006–2007 indicated that more than 12,000 women are participating in, or have already benefited from, their participation in these projects.

The completed projects were assessed to determine the nature and scope of WP investment, the extent to which the projects succeeded in achieving their expected results, and the contributions of these projects to WP and SWC outcomes. (Project assessment is conducted using data from recipient reports at the completion of a project. An internal tool–a closeout assessment form–is used to collect project performance data that is later analyzed for planning and reporting purposes.)

More than 50% of the completed projects addressed SWC priority issues (some projects addressed more than one priority population): 

         

*   "Other" includes projects focused on increasing women's participation in decision-making bodies in a variety of forums, including government, regional health and education councils, and other organizations.

According to project performance reports submitted by funding recipients, in 2006–2007, 97% of the completed projects succeeded in achieving the expected outcomes*:

*   Chart shows achievement of certain specific outcomes by the completed projects that achieved at least one outcome, and therefore the illustrated percentages add to more than 100%.

The others were assessed to have fallen short of expected results and were studied further for lessons learned. Different projects provided different insights, but some common elements were identified, the key element being an effective risk management strategy. SWC plans to actively monitor grants to ensure adequate progress of project implementation and to identify new risks and possible mitigation strategies. Such strategies could address at an earlier stage issues such as delays in project completion or partial or lack of achievement of expected results.

WP resource investment ensures that funded projects address issues and use strategies that are relevant to women in their diversity. Most of the projects funded in 2006–2007 (105 of 107 projects) therefore targeted all women. These projects included activities in which women of various backgrounds could participate and had outputs and outcomes with a direct impact on women in general. Where a targeted approach was required, the WP provided funding for projects that focused on specific groups.

During the 2006–2007 fiscal year, 50% of the 107 projects approved for WP funding addressed the needs of new priority populations (some projects addressed more than one priority population):

*   Chart shows populations served by the approved projects that served at least one targeted population, and therefore the illustrated percentages add to more than 100%. "Other/all women" includes projects that are intended to address the issues of all women or a specific group such as young women or women with disabilities.

Projects addressing the concerns of aboriginal women

In line with Government of Canada priorities, SWC worked closely with Aboriginal women's organizations to increase their capacity to mobilize and act on issues related to violence, poverty, and self-governance. SWC also continued its work with women in general on improving their economic stability. For example, the Pauktuutit Inuit Women's Association (http://www.pauktuutit.ca) carried out a national project called Violence Against Women, which demonstrates significant progress on promoting "zero tolerance" of family violence in eleven Northern communities. One of the outcomes of this project is evidence of a significant shift from denial, inaction, and shame to zero tolerance of violence against women in the targeted communities.

The final project report submitted by the recipient provided a series of indicators to demonstrate achievement of the expected outcomes. Specifically, seven Inuit communities established committees of concerned citizens and service providers to address family violence at the community level. Twenty-one Inuit women volunteers who enhanced their capacity through the project remain actively engaged in providing guidance and support to the committees. After the project was completed, some of the indicators identified included a counselling program for couples, monthly information-sharing meetings, plans to deal with alcohol abuse, a community kitchen for women, the re-opening of a shelter, and the passing of a motion by the town council of Rankin Inlet declaring "zero tolerance" of violence against women. Local radio call-in shows were used to mobilize community members. Other indicators show an increased openness in discussing family violence in the community.

The project sought to address barriers to women's participation in natural resource management, particularly as members of fishing and hunting boards. Experienced hunters are mostly men, but women are more active in fishing and in sewing and repairing clothing essential for the hunting and fishing industries. While the actual numbers have not increased, there are indicators of growing community awareness of the need to increase women's representation on the boards responsible for natural resource management. The data provided show that seven women from the four Inuit communities will help facilitate women's involvement in resource management boards.

North End Women's Centre (http://www.newcinc.org/) focused on issues of financial literacy for women, particularly Aboriginal women, in the North End of Winnipeg. The Centre implemented various programs with the direct involvement of women and worked with bankers and others in the financial industry to increase women's understanding of financial issues and access to financial and government services related to their economic security. As a result of the project, 35 women increased their money management skills, and the Centre developed a better understanding of the issues faced by women. During the project, the Centre worked with other partners to establish a community bank, which is now providing banking services to women clients.

Intercultural Grandmothers Uniting is a network of First Nations, Métis, and other older women that was established in 1993 to build bridges of understanding, respect, friendship, and trust between the races and the generations. An SWC-funded project enabled the organization to develop an action plan and to identify potential partners such as Aboriginal Family Services (Regina), Care from the Core (Regina), and Thomson and Balcarres community schools to carry out activities that address issues such as poverty and marginalization among senior women and racism and violence against youth.

Projects addressing women's economic security

The Women Building Futures (http://www.womenbuildingfutures.com) project in Alberta, focusing on the economic security of women, sought to improve the employment opportunities of women in the construction trades. The strategy of the project was to build the confidence of employers in this industry to hire and retain women in the construction trades. An immediate result was that collaborative partnerships developed among potential employers, key to the success of the project. The result of these partnerships with industry associations and employers has been a significant increase in the number of employers coming to Women Building Futures with offers of employment for their students. For example, 185 employers contacted the organization to hire the 15 recent women graduates.

The Urban Core Support Network in Saint John, New Brunswick, carried out a project addressing issues of economic security among women (http://www.ahsc. health.nb.ca/CHC/urbancore.shtml). This project was designed for women striving to make the transition from income assistance to employment. The output, a paper titled Making Work Pay in New-Brunswick–Poverty Uncovered: Reality and ReSolution was made available to the target group with the objective of creating awareness of the challenges faced by women. About 100 women on social assistance were beneficiaries of this project.

As a result of this project, the provincial government made a commitment to removing the existing barrier that prevents about 100 social assistance recipients from entering the labour force. The government is also reviewing the report with the aim of considering the group's recommendations. The outcome achieved–shifting thinking towards creating an income supplement program for low-income women with dependents working full time in New-Brunswick–had a direct impact on women making the transition to sustained self-sufficiency.

Examples of other projects with delivered outcomes

Under its previous terms and conditions, WP funding was invested with the objective of producing outcomes such as institutional change (increased role of women in decision-making processes), public policy (increased engagement by women in public policy processes), public understanding (enhanced understanding of women's equality), and enhanced organizational effectiveness (increased capacity of women's organizations to bring women's issues and voices to various forums). A closeout assessment form was used for the projects completed in 2006–2007 to determine the nature and scope of their outcomes and the extent to which they contributed to WP outcomes.

The WP assessment of the 143 completed initiatives showed that 28 projects achieved outcomes in "institutional change" and that 23 others succeeded in facilitating the participation of women in public processes. Twenty-six projects enhanced the organizational capacity of women's groups to play an effective role in advancing women's issues, and 19 others enhanced public understanding of the equality issues pertaining to women. Of the 143 projects, 96 reported one outcome, 43 reported multiple outcomes (two or more), and 4 did not report outcomes, citing various problems, among others, instability of the organization, and weakened capacity to carry out the project as planned.

The Riverdale Immigrant Women's Centre (RIWC) and the Working Skills Centre carried out a project designed to facilitate entry of internationally trained teachers (ITTs) into the education system. The two organizations worked with several stakeholders to identify and address a series of barriers faced by such teachers. The immediate outcome of this project was an increased awareness among ITTs about the certification processes and other requirements to enter the teaching profession in Ontario. In addition, with the collaboration of the Ontario College of Teachers and the Ontario Teachers' Federation, steps were taken to facilitate the re-entry of ITTs into the teaching profession. There are also indicators of a long-term impact given the partnership developed between RIWC, Teaching English as a Second Language, the Ontario Teachers' Federation, and the Ontario College of Teachers.

In Québec, l'Alliance des communautés culturelles pour l'égalité dans la santé et les services sociaux (http://www.accesss.net/) carried out a project to create awareness of the extent of family violence among ethnocultural communities by improving awareness of the issues related to marital violence between women and men in those communities.

The project engaged a large number of men and women in various activities as both committee members and individuals. Members of ethnocultural communities had the opportunity to discuss and identify community-based solutions and to develop intervention mechanisms.

A project called Bridging the Gaps between Criminal Harassment, Victimization, and the Criminal Justice System Approach was carried out by Family Services Regina Inc., focusing on criminal harassment behaviours, policies, and legislation. As a result of this project, there are indicators of increased understanding of the early warning signs of criminal harassment and increased capacity to provide the required services to victims of criminal harassment. In response to the project's research findings, the Regina Police Services committed to examining how criminal harassment cases are investigated and to work with SWC to address policy issues related to such crime. A partnership between the two organizations is expected to lead to improved services for victims of criminal harassment.

As part of this project, an advisory panel of experts in the field of indicator development was created to inform the development of a framework for gender equality indicators and to identify areas where indicators of progress are needed. In addition, two technical papers on designing indicators and on national and international best practices in indicator development were completed for distribution to advisory panel members.

Women's program redirection

In 2006–2007, SWC took measures, as per its commitment, to follow up on the findings of the WP summative evaluation; others such as the Standing Committee on the Status of Women, and SWC and Ministerial consultations; and the Government's commitment to enhanced accountability for grants and contributions management.

Program framework: The mandate, objectives, and outcomes of the WP were streamlined through the renewal process with the aim of linking WP impact more closely with women participating in funded projects. As a result, the WP focus was redirected toward key areas (economic, social, and cultural situation of women) to achieve the full participation of women in Canadian society. As well, outcomes were designed to have a more direct effect on women in their communities. In response to the WP evaluation, SWC started a process to develop a coherent performance measurement strategy. The foundation for this endeavour–a performance measurement framework–has already been developed and is part of the Integrated Results-based Management and Accountability Framework/Risk-Based Audit Framework (RMAF/RBAF). As a tool for the renewed WP direction, a Performance Measurement Framework was developed with performance indicators to measure the direct impact of WP outcomes on women. Using this framework, the WP will be able to demonstrate the Program's impact on the economic, social, and cultural situation of women.

Program requirements: The category of eligible recipients was expanded to enable for-profit organizations to play a role in facilitating the full participation of women in Canadian society. All eligible activities were revised so that WP resources could be invested in those that have a more direct impact on women.

Program delivery: The savings achieved through the government's efficiency review exercise were invested back in the grants and contributions budget, bringing the total funding level from $10.8 million to $15.3 million. To manage the increased budget effectively, the WP delivery model was redesigned, introducing two new components:

• The Women's Community Fund is a grant and contribution fund of $12.3 million for eligible recipients to carry out projects at the local, regional, or national level. This Fund solicits applications using calls for proposals targeted to priority issues and women's populations.
• The Women's Partnership Fund is a contribution fund of $3.0 million for collaborative projects that involve partners such as public institutions and non-governmental organizations. This Fund operates through an ongoing intake of funding requests, which undergo an internal review process.

Program administration: The government's efficiency savings also led to renewed WP administration with more efficient and structured management strategies; a greater investment in, and use of, information technology; a standard application and review process; and funding investment more targeted toward SWC priorities.

Policy research fund

In 2006–2007, the PRF published eleven of the independent research reports funded during the period to seek further knowledge regarding the effect of various policies on one of SWC's priority issues, women's economic security. The reports addressed such topics as social capital and immigrant women, employer-supported volunteerism, and low-income women and the Canada Social Transfer. These, and other outstanding independent reports, can be accessed at http://www.swc-cfc.gc.ca/pubs/ pubspr/index_e.html.

In March 2006, a partnership was struck between SWC and Statistics Canada for a joint five-year (2006–2011) Gender Equality Indicators Initiative. The goal of this initiative was to develop a series of indicators of progress towards gender equality in key areas and to promote the use of such indicators for evidence-based policy-making. The work was anticipated to involve regular production of indicators and technical papers over the five-year period to monitor progress on key gaps between women and men, to provide data for use in GBA of policy and programs, and to help promote accountability. Although discontinuation of the PRF halted work in 2006, progress on the existing material will be reported in the next DPR.

• Previous Page
• Table of Contents
• Next Page