ARCHIVED - Status of Women Canada - Report

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Minister’s Message

As Minister for Status of Women, I am pleased to present the 2009–2010 Departmental Performance Report for Status of Women Canada (SWC). In 2009–2010, SWC collaborated with a wide range of partners to address Government of Canada priorities.

To achieve meaningful results for women in Canada, the agency focussed on three priority areas: women’s economic security and prosperity, violence against women and girls, and women’s leadership and decision-making roles, and gave particular emphasis to issues faced by Aboriginal women. I am also encouraged by the continuous progress here in Canada to support women in Afghanistan.

I am pleased to report that the status of women in Canada continues to progress. Women increasingly contribute to Canada’s economic prosperity through their impressive gains in higher education, labour force participation, employment rate, income and entrepreneurship. While I am proud of these gains, there is more work to be done to ensure all women and girls across Canada live free from violence and abuse. We are committed to working with partners and stakeholders to raise awareness and support projects that will make a difference in this area.

Sustained efforts by SWC, in tandem with such partners as Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) and the Privy Council Office (PCO), have been made to strengthen gender-based analysis (GBA), integrating it more systematically into the processes of developing and implementing public policy, programs, and service delivery. Enhancing GBA continued to position Canada as a world leader in this key strategy.

SWC’s investments at the local, regional and national levels addressed the economic and social situation of women and their participation in democratic life through projects that directly supported women in their communities.

I am confident that the results achieved this past year have improved the lives of many women in Canada. SWC will continue to build on these achievements and strengthen our shared commitment to building a society where women enjoy a life free from violence, benefit from and contribute to the economic prosperity of our country and play leadership roles in nation-building.

Rona Ambrose, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Public Works and Government Services and
Minister for Status of Women
 

Section I – Overview

1.1 Raison d’Être and Responsibilities

The Office of the Coordinator, Status of Women, was established in 1976 with the mandate to coordinate policy with respect to the status of women and to administer related programs (Order in Council 1976-779). As a small federal agency, Status of Women Canada (SWC) carries out its responsibilities strategically, ensuring that its policy and program functions are aligned with Government priorities. SWC collaborates with a wide range of stakeholders, building synergies with other federal organizations and taking advantage of non-governmental organizations, provincial/territorial and international exchanges and best practices.

In 2009–2010, SWC focussed on three priority areas: women’s economic security and prosperity, ending violence against women and girls, and promoting women’s leadership and decision-making roles. Aboriginal women’s issues were addressed through a range of policy and program activities that supported violence prevention; enhanced economic opportunities; and improved treatment of Aboriginal women when in contact with the justice system.

Because women’s issues permeate society, SWC functions within a complex environment by means of policy, gender-based analysis (GBA) and program investments. SWC fostered the integration of gender equality in the development and implementation of policy, programs, and legislation both at home and abroad, providing advice across government and to stakeholders. To achieve this, SWC fostered synergies, for example, by coordinating federal input to crucial international fora.

In 2009–2010, SWC, with TBS and PCO, began to oversee the phased-in implementation of the Ministerial Action Plan for Gender-Based Analysis (GBA Action Plan) to enhance federal accountability for gender equality. The year-over-year success of the GBA Action Plan can build on continued collaboration with central agencies and federal organizations. By continuing to share its expertise, SWC helped other federal organizations integrate GBA more systematically into their work and decision-making processes, with the aim of reducing inequalities between women and men in Canada.

The two components of the SWC Women’s Program provided financial and professional assistance to Canadian organizations to carry out projects at local, regional and national levels that addressed the economic and social situation of women and their participation in democratic life.
 

1.2 Strategic Outcome and Program Activity Architecture
 

Strategic Outcome: Equality for women and their full participation in the economic, social and democratic life of Canada

The chart below illustrates SWC’s Program Activity Architecture (PAA). The PAA is a major component of the Management, Resources and Results Structure (MRRS) and is used to provide financial and non-financial information with regard to performance. It depicts the alignment between resources and the two SWC program activities (PAs), and demonstrates how each PA links to expected results and contributes to the agency’s strategic outcome.

Program Activity Architecture (2009–2010)

 

The first PA is Strategic policy analysis, planning and development. The expected results of this PA are: increased policy effectiveness in addressing women’s issues and gender equality; sustainable capacity of federal departments to apply GBA; and increased integration of women’s issues in the formulation of policies and programs. This PA is aligned with the Government of Canada outcome: Government Affairs (a transparent, accountable and responsive federal government).

The second PA is Women’s participation in Canadian society and its expected result is “increased participation of women in their communities.” To achieve this result, SWC provides financial and professional assistance to Canadian organizations to carry out projects designed to provide information, knowledge and tools, to develop skills and to facilitate access to opportunities and networks. In the shorter term, the results of this PA are measured by the empowerment of women to identify and remove barriers to their full participation in their communities. This PA is aligned with the Government of Canada outcome: Economic Affairs (income security and employment for Canadians).
 

1.3 Summary of Performance

 
2009–2010 Financial Resources ($ millions)
 

Planned spending	Total authorities	Actual spending
31.4	32.2	31.6

 

 
2009–2010 Human Resources (FTEs)
 

Planned	Actual	Difference
94	90	4

 

 
Strategic Outcome: Equality for women and their full participation in the economic, social and democratic life of Canada
 

Performance indicators		Targets	2009–10 Performance
Representation of women in senior decision-making positions in the public and private sectors		1% increase per year	There is steady progress toward SWC’s strategic outcome, with increased representation of women in the labour market, decision-making positions and entrepreneurship. For example: Close to 73% of women who worked were in full-time employment, up from 71% in 1998. As of February 2009, women accounted for 41% of the senior and executive ranks in the federal public service, compared to 26% in 1999. Of all small and medium-sized enterprises, 47% have one or more female owners. In 2009, women made up 47 percent of the labour force, with 73 percent of working women in full-time jobs, up from 71 percent in 1998.
Representation of women in the labour market, including access to support programs and services for entrepreneurship		1% increase per year
Participation of women in political processes/systems at the local, provincial and federal levels		1% increase per year	While the progress toward or achievement of these results cannot be entirely achieved by SWC acting alone, Section II of this report demonstrates how the agency contributes to these outcomes.
Program activity	($ millions)					Alignment to Government of Canada outcomes
	2008 –09 Actual spend- ing	2009–10
		Main esti- mates	Plan- ned spend- ing	Total author- ities	Actual spend- ing
Strategic policy analysis, planning and development	3.1	1.7	1.7	1.9	1.6	Transparent, accountable and responsive federal government
Women’s participation in Canadian society	29.3	24.9	25.9	25.9	23.4	Income security and employment for Canadians
Internal services	—	3.0	3.8	4.4	6.61
Total	32.4	29.6	31.4	32.2	31.6

 

In comparison with planned spending, the increase in total authorities is explained by the inclusion of the 2008–2009 eligible operating budget carry-forward, collective agreements and pay list requirements.

Planned spending within each program activity included forecasted expenditures which were funded centrally through internal services. This mostly explains the variance between planned spending and actual spending within each program activity.
 

1.4 Contribution of Priorities to Strategic Outcome

In implementing its operational and management priorities, SWC was guided by its three areas of focus: women’s economic security and prosperity, violence against women and girls, and women in leadership and decision-making roles. While balancing multi-year commitments, SWC ensured that Aboriginal women’s issues were integrated, as a cross-cutting theme, in all its policy and program activities.

Given the audit of GBA practice in government, undertaken by the Office of the Auditor General, SWC has put a particular focus on working toward the strengthening of the overall federal approach to GBA. In close collaboration with central agencies and key federal organizations, SWC engaged in interdepartmental consultations, forging synergies on specific issues and strengthening the advisory role in policy.

In 2009–2010, work on the Values and Ethics Framework continued with the objective of developing a Code of Conduct for the agency. Building on the previous-year activities, emphasis was placed on consultations with staff in order to finalize SWC’s Code of Conduct. Meetings were held with a sampling of staff from directorates to determine how the TBS Model Organizational Code of Conduct for Public Sector organizations could inform SWC’s process. Training sessions were also offered to staff on workplace conflict resolution as part of on-going promotion and prevention activities on values and ethics. The Advisory Committee on Values and Ethics is currently engaged in crafting the agency’s Code of Conduct.

 
Operational Priorities
 

Priority	Type	Status	Linkages to strategic outcome
Develop an action plan to advance equality for women	New	Mostly met   As SWC continues to work toward a federal Action Plan to Advance Equality for Women, three key areas2 were used to guide the implementation of its operational priorities.	Equality for women and their full participation in the economic, social and democratic life of Canada.
Invest in projects that address the three priority areas: women’s economic security and prosperity, violence against women and girls, and women in leadership and decision-making roles	Previously committed	Met all   SWC-funded projects demonstrated progress toward the expected results by providing women with access to opportunities, improving the quality and/or availability of services for women who experience violence and by informing and supporting women to assume leadership roles.

 

 
Management Priorities
 

Priority	Type	Status	Linkages to strategic outcome
Develop and implement a Corporate Risk Profile	New	Mostly met   While SWC continues to manage risks using existing tools, efforts are underway to implement integrated risk management by updating the agency’s CRP, developing risk management capacity and enhancing accountability for risks.	Equality for women and their full participation in the economic, social and democratic life of Canada.
Continue work on the Values and Ethics Framework	Previously committed	Mostly met   Building on the previous-year activities, SWC consulted with staff, provided training and engaged its Advisory Committee to complete work on the agency’s Code of Conduct.
Enhance areas for improvement identified in the Management Accountability Framework (MAF) assessment	New	Mostly met   SWC continued to enhance its management capacity by taking specific measures to address areas of management identified for improvement through the MAF assessment.

 

1.5 Risk Analysis

Context

The need for SWC to persist in fostering equal participation by women in the Canadian economy, society, and leadership continued. SWC fulfills its mandate in an external context which was characterized by steady progress on advancing the status of women, despite equality gaps between women and men in certain areas.

Women in growing numbers continued to enter the labour force; occupy well-paying jobs; move up the corporate ladder; and become entrepreneurs. For example:

• In 2008, the employment rate for women increased to almost 64 percent, up from 60 percent in 1998;
• In 2009, women made up 47 percent of the labour force, with 73 percent of working women in full-time jobs, up from 71 percent in 1998;
• In business and finance, women occupied 51.1 percent of professional occupations³;
• At 55 percent, women outnumbered men in federal public service positions, holding 56 percent of knowledge-based jobs and 40 percent of executive positions, including 12 of the 29 deputy minister positions;
• In Canada, four out of five businesses were started by women.
   

As a result, women today are in a better position to contribute to their family earnings and to their country’s economic growth and prosperity. Advances were tempered, however, by such persistent equality gaps in key areas as:

ECONOMIC PROSPERITY AND SECURITY
 

• The wage gap remained. In 2008, women earned 84 cents for each dollar earned by men, with more vulnerable women experiencing the greatest economic insecurity.
• Women’s part-time employment rates were higher than those of men in every age group. In 2009, 25% of women aged 15 years and over worked part-time compared to 11% of men.

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS

Canadian data shows that violence against women remained high.

• In 2007, nearly four times as many women as men were killed by a current or former spouse. Of all police- reported violent crimes, 12 percent were incidents of spousal violence, with women accounting for 83 percent of these victims.
• The rate of domestic sexual assault was four times higher for girls than for boys.
• Violence against Aboriginal women occurred at three times the rate of other women in Canada.

LEADERSHIP AND DECISION-MAKING ROLES
 

• In January 2010, in democratic leadership in Canada, women held 21 per cent of the seats in the House of Commons, 34 per cent of Senate seats, 27 per cent of Cabinet posts.
• In private sector leadership in 2009, no women were found on the boards of 40 percent of the Financial Post 500, where, overall, women held only 14 percent of the board seats. Board seats are a pivotal determinant of career advancement for all women.
   

Operating Environment

In 2008–2009, SWC participated in the tri-annual Management Accountability Framework (MAF) assessment for the second time. While the MAF Round VI assessment recognized SWC’s strong performance, it also identified areas that required improvement. A priority noted for SWC was corporate risk management, including the need to develop a Corporate Risk Profile (CRP), enhance risk management capacity and management accountability for key risks.

In its Report on Plans and Priorities for 2009–2010, SWC committed to implementing integrated risk management during the reporting year. Although the absence of a robust CRP remains a significant risk to SWC, the agency continued to mange risks effectively during the reporting year by using existing risk mitigation tools. At the same time, work continues to implement integrated risk management in the organization, including updating the current CRP. SWC will also deliver staff training, develop tools and ensure management accountability for risks so as to ensure that risk information is integrated in its decision-making process and operational activities.
 

1.6 Expenditure Profile

In 2009–2010, SWC spent a total of $31.6 million to carry out its PAs, to achieve expected results and to advance its planned strategic outcome. As seen in the chart below, SWC had a very slight year-over-year decrease in spending from 2005–2006 to 2006–2007. In 2007–2008, the sharp decrease in year-over-year planned spending was a result of SWC’s participation in the Expenditure Restraint exercise. The sharp increase in year-over-year authorities was a result of additional funding made available to SWC through Budget 2007. SWC was unable to fully expend the Budget 2007 funding since it was received late in 2007–2008. The increase in spending in 2008–2009 and beyond reflects the fact that SWC received this new funding earlier in the Estimates process.

 

1.7 Voted and Statutory Items
 

Vote # or statutory item (S)	Truncated vote or statutory wording	($ millions)
		2007–08 Actual spend- ing	2008–09 Actual spend- ing	2009–10 Main esti- mates	2009–10 Actual spend- ing
85	Operating expenditures	8.4	9.4	8.6	9.8
90	Grants and contributions	15.2	22.0	19.9	20.5
101	Pursuant to Section 24.1(1) of the Financial Administrative Act, to forgive a debt	0.7	—	—	—
(S)	Contributions to employee benefit plans	0.9	1.0	1.1	1.3
(S)	Minister for Status of Women motor car allowance ($2000 per fiscal year, starting 2008–09)	—	0.0	0.0	0.0
Total		25.2	32.4	29.6	31.6

 

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