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Strengthen the full participation of women in the economic, social and cultural life of Canada
In 2008–2009, SWC sought to achieve a single strategic outcome: strengthen the full participation of women in the
economic, social and cultural life of Canada. While different players across the federal government do also contribute
to this outcome, SWC plays a crucial role in its realization. As such, the agency has developed a Performance Measurement
Framework to monitor progress, identify gaps and make adjustments to ensure this outcome. To monitor progress toward the
strategic outcome, SWC uses performance indicators that demonstrate the extent to which women are represented in senior
decision-making positions, the labour market and non-traditional occupations. To support this strategic outcome, SWC carries
out two program activities, as discussed below.
2008–2009 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Financial Resources ($ millions) | Human Resources (FTEs) | ||||
Planned | Total | Actual | Planned | Actual | Difference |
spending | authorities | spending | |||
2.5 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 24 | 24 | — |
Expected | Performance | Targets | Perfor- | Performance | |
results | indicators9 | mance | summary | ||
status | |||||
|
Strategies/ policies/ initiatives are developed with key departments that address the situation of women in Canada | 100% | Met all | SWC is making
progress toward these expected results through:
|
|
|
Percentage of other depart- ments with increased capacity to incorporate GBA into their policy and program activities |
|
As indicated in its Management, Resources and Results Structure (MRRS), SWC provides advice, strategic policy analyses, training and develops partnerships to support federal departments and central agencies in meeting the specific needs of women. It also helps build their capacity to integrate GBA in their policies, programs and services. This is done through the Program Activity, strategic policy advice and partnerships. This Program Activity is linked to the Government of Canada’s outcome, Government Affairs. As such, SWC contributes toward an efficient and effective operation of government machinery, which is demonstrated by federal institutions that are equipped with the knowledge, expertise and tools required to integrate gender considerations in policy formulation, program development and service delivery and to address differential impacts adversely affecting women.
In 2008–2009, SWC implemented a number of initiatives to help build GBA capacity within federal institutions, as demonstrated by the increased number of departments and agencies that sought and/or received the agency’s assistance in this area. As a result, there is evidence of increased familiarity with GBA among federal institutions. As well, with the enhanced GBA challenge functions of central agencies, there is greater focus on accountability for gender equality within the federal government. As central agencies’ capacity to exercise their challenge function continues to grow and departments become more familiar with the expectations of GBA and its implementation, these combined activities are expected to lead to improved policy positions and strategies, strengthening women’s participation. This will, in turn, contribute to SWC’s strategic outcome: strengthen the full participation of women in the economic, social and cultural life of Canada.
New or improved policy positions and strategies: The discussion below shows how the initiatives carried out during the reporting year contributed to the achievement of SWC’s expected result: new or improved policy positions and strategies.
Sustainable capacity of other government departments and agencies to apply GBA: In 2008–2009,
SWC continued to provide assistance in the form of GBA trainers and training materials, tools, workshops and expertise to
different federal organizations. Departments such as Human Resources and Skills Development Canada and Indian and Northern
Affairs Canada continued to look to SWC for leadership, capacity building, expertise and support related to GBA. Others
such as Industry Canada are beginning to build GBA capacity. Departments such as Department of National Defence or central
agencies (the Privy Council Office, Treasury Board Secretariat, Department of Finance) continue to build a stronger GBA
foundation. Other organizations (the Office of the Auditor General, the Parliamentary Research Branch, and the Parliamentary
Standing Committee on the Status of Women) required specific assistance in GBA, relevant to their mandate or specific initiatives.
To determine the extent to which SWC is achieving the expected result through this Program Activity, a performance analysis
was carried out for 2008–2009 with the following key findings:
Evidence of growing recognition of GBA as an important tool to integrate gender considerations in policy formulation,
program development and service delivery (e.g. the recommendation for the Office of the Auditor General to conduct an audit
of the implementation of GBA in federal institutions).
In 2008–2009, the Standing Committee on the Status of Women tabled a report on GBA entitled Towards Gender-Responsive
Budgeting: Rising to the Challenge of Achieving Gender Equality. One of the recommendations in this report was for
the Office of the Auditor General to conduct an audit on the implementation of GBA in federal organizations. The report
of the Auditor General was tabled in June 2009 and will be reported on more fully in the 2009–2010 Departmental Performance
Report. While it is too early to assess the impact of this recommendation, it is further evidence of SWC’s progress
in promoting GBA within federal institutions.
2008–2009 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Financial Resources ($ millions) | Human Resources (FTEs) | ||||
Planned | Total | Actual | Planned | Actual | Difference |
spending | authorities | spending | |||
29.2 | 32.9 | 29.3 | 65 | 65 | — |
Expected | Performance | Targets | Perfor- | Performance | |
results | indicators9 | mance | summary | ||
status | |||||
|
Proportion of funded projects that demonstrate level of women’s participation in their communities | 10% of projects | Met all | More than 80% of the completed projects demonstrated results that showed increased awareness and knowledge acquisition among women in identifying barriers that impede their participation in society.10 With increased knowledge, there is evidence of women seeking further opportunities to become full participants in Canadian society. |
In fulfilling its mandate, SWC seeks to achieve an enduring benefit for Canadians: strengthen the full participation of women in the economic, social and cultural life of Canada. This strategic outcome flows from the agency’s two Program Activities, which are designed to achieve enabling results (focused on public policies, programs and services) and empowering results (focused on women).
Through this Program Activity, SWC provides financial and professional assistance to projects at local, regional and national levels. These projects are diverse in nature and scope, target different groups, address a range of issues and apply a variety of strategies. The projects are designed to achieve results that demonstrate awareness, knowledge and skills acquired by women to identify and address barriers to their participation in society. The Program Activity is linked to the Government of Canada’s outcome, Economic Affairs.
In 2008–2009, SWC initiatives empowered women by providing them with the tools to identify, address and remove barriers
to their full participation in Canadian society. These results will, in turn, contribute to SWC’s strategic outcome:
strengthen the full participation of women in the economic, social and cultural life of Canada. Since 2007, SWC-funded
projects have had a direct impact on more than 140,000 women and indirect impact on over 1.6 million in three key areas:
women’s economic security and prosperity, violence against women and girls and women’s leadership and decision-making
roles.
In 2008–2009, SWC continued to build on the results achieved through the organizational change process of the previous years to enhance the efficient delivery of its funding program. The examples below demonstrate continued efficiency in key Program areas:
SWC has also achieved concrete results that demonstrate progress toward its strategic outcome. The following is a performance analysis for the reporting year, which demonstrates the achievement of the expected result for this Program activity.
In 2008–2009, SWC provided a total of $20,873,303 in grants and contributions to support 350 projects, 98 of which were completed last fiscal year. In addition to the completed projects, SWC also provided financial and professional assistance to 144 ongoing11 and 108 new12 projects. Of the total funding expended, 84 per cent came from the Women’s Community Fund (WCF) and 16 per cent from the Women’s Partnership Fund (WPF).
By using a sampling of the projects completed in 2008–2009, a performance analysis was conducted to determine the extent to which SWC is achieving its expected result and making progress toward its strategic outcome. Of the projects analysed, 50 per cent addressed issues related to women’s economic security and prosperity, 42 per cent violence against women and 8 per cent women’s leadership and decision-making roles. These projects targeted different groups, including Aboriginal women, immigrant women, single mothers and senior women. For example, in 2008–2009, a number of projects addressed issues pertaining to Aboriginal women, including economic security, violence and leadership roles. Through SWC-funded projects, Aboriginal women gained valuable work experience through voluntary assignments and were provided with opportunities to gain knowledge about cultural transmission, inter-generational communication, life and parenting skills and others. In an effort to address violence against Aboriginal women, SWC supported projects designed to inform Aboriginal women on ways to prevent abuse, violence and to increase their safety.
The degree to which the expected result of this Program Activity is achieved is demonstrated by the application of the knowledge acquired and skills developed by women to identify and remove barriers that impede their participation in society. Given that this is an intermediate result, it is expected that, at this level, targeted women would have acquired increased understanding to identify and address the barriers facing them. It is, therefore, demonstrated by attitudinal shifts, changes in practices and increased levels of participation by women in their communities. It should be noted, however, that this result is not entirely attributed to SWC given that its achievement can also be influenced by other factors.
The performance analysis shows that SWC is making gradual progress toward this result. The agency has exceeded its target,13 with 88 per cent of its completed projects having demonstrated raised awareness or knowledge acquisition among women in identifying and/or removing barriers to their participation in their communities. The qualitative results were also evident as women, equipped with new knowledge, skills and practices, sought further opportunities to become full participants in society. Performance reports submitted by funding recipients highlighted a number of success stories:
While the discussion above is focused on those indicators that demonstrate achievement of the expected result at the intermediate level, the following summary analysis demonstrates the achievement of two other short-term results and their contribution to the intermediate result.
Short-term result | Performance indicator |
---|---|
Increased awareness among women in identifying and/or removing barriers to their participation in their communities | Proportion of funded projects that demonstrate raised awareness or knowledge acquisition among women in identifying and/or removing barriers to their participation in their communities |
The following is a highlight of the key indicators of the first short-term result:
The second short-term result is achieved through the WPF which supports collaborative projects that facilitate partnerships
and leverage resources.
Short-term result | Performance indicator |
---|---|
Increased collaboration with other federal departments, levels of government, non-governmental organizations and the private sector. | Proportion of funded
projects involving partners |
In 2008–2009, six collaborative projects were completed, resulting in partnerships with: two federal departments, six provincial governments, four private companies and three non-governmental organizations. With the partnerships being developed through the WPF, SWC is gradually building a sense of ownership on women’s issues among Canadian institutions in the public, private and voluntary sectors. The following are examples of partnerships developed through the 2008–2009 collaborative projects:
Through the WPF, SWC continues to increase the resources invested for gender equality and to diversify the sources of funding for projects that support the full participation of women in society. In 2008–2009, SWC succeeded in leveraging $378,275 in financial and in-kind contributions for WPF-funded projects that were completed during the reporting year. With the leveraged resources and SWC’s funding of $329,582, the agency succeeded in doubling the funds invested in collaborative projects.
Sisters in Spirit: A sub-activity,14 Sisters in Spirit (SIS) is a five-year research, education and policy initiative designed to increase public knowledge and understanding about race and gender-based violence against Aboriginal women, which often leads to their disappearance or death. SWC administers the funds and plays monitoring, liaison and advisory roles, focusing on commitment to and support for strategic partnerships with federal departments. The initiative is being implemented by the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC).
In 2008–2009, SWC joined NWAC in various SIS activities, including community engagement workshops and vigils, linking with the RCMP regarding trafficking risks to Aboriginal women, educating the international community about issues affecting Aboriginal women and sharing best practices. As part of its efforts to address the root causes of violence against Aboriginal women, SWC also participated in different interdepartmental groups, including: two Sub-Committees of the F/P/T Working Group on Aboriginal Justice (i.e. the F/P/T Subcommittee on Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women, the F/P/T Subcommittee on Healing); the Family Violence Initiative (FVI) Interdepartmental Working Group; the FVI Working Group on Aboriginal Family Violence and the Interdepartmental Working Group on Trafficking in Persons.
A formative evaluation of this initiative, completed in 2008–2009, shows that SIS has begun to build a strong case for its approach, laid a solid foundation for its continued work and has earned a good reputation based on its expertise and leadership. Some of the key SIS results are:
This report shows that 2008–2009 was a period of continuing progress in terms of achieving expected results. However, the analysis has also identified challenges in key areas.