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The original version was signed by
The Honourable James Moore
Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages
The Honourable Helena Guergis
Minister of State (Status of Women)
The Canadian Heritage portfolio gives Canadians the opportunity to participate in society and to achieve their full potential. As a Canadian Heritage portfolio agency, Status of Women Canada is working to achieve these goals.
In recognition of the important roles women play in Canada—and of the need to build opportunities for women in every area of federal investment—the Prime Minister took the step of creating a distinctive Minister of State position. I am pleased to have been asked to assume this key role on behalf of Canadians.
Canada has made significant progress in enhancing women’s participation in the life of the country. Women have made gains in higher education, workforce representation, income, political participation and others.
With their increased participation in the labour force, women are making significant contributions to Canada’s economy. For example, Canada’s business sector is benefiting from the influx of women who comprise a significant proportion of those involved in leading small and medium-sized enterprises. Women’s participation in the economy is vitally important since Canada already faces challenges brought on by an ageing population and increasing labour shortages. These challenges are greatest in sectors that call for skilled trades people and knowledge workers—areas where women are starting to play an ever more significant role.
With the appointment of 11 women, we have achieved the highest representation of women ministers in Cabinet.
In spite of these gains, gender equality gaps remain in key areas. We need, therefore, to continue our efforts to promote women’s full and active participation in all aspects of Canadian society.
Canadian families, including women are experiencing the effects of the cur-rent global financial crises. If we are to emerge from this period of global economic turbulence successfully, Canada needs the contributions of every citizen more than ever before, and, the full participation of women.
In 2009–2010, Status of Women Canada will lay the groundwork for a federal Action Plan for Women to implement its strategic direction through partnerships spanning governments, civil society and private sector leaders, working with women to create the conditions for women to succeed. To that end, the agency has identified the following three-pillar strategic direction:
I invite you to read the Report on Plans and Priorities for 2009–2010 prepared by Status of Women Canada. This report shows Status of Women Canada’s commitment to ensuring continued progress in addressing gender equality and enhancing women’s participation in the country’s economy and in Canadian society, so that Canada can benefit from the contributions of all of its citizens, women and men alike.
The Honourable Helena Guergis
Minister of State (Status of Women)
In 1976, the Government of Canada established the Office of the Coordinator, Status of Women, with the mandate to coordinate policy with respect to the status of women and to administer related programs (Order in Council 1976-779).
Status of Women Canada (SWC) is the primary federal organization entrusted with the mandate to advance the status of women. It fulfills its mandate by working with a wide range of partners such as federal departments and agencies, provincial/territorial governments, non-governmental organizations and the private sector. In so doing, the agency seeks to achieve an enduring outcome for Canadians, i.e., equality for women and their full participation in the economic, social and democratic life of Canada. To achieve this strategic outcome, SWC uses its Program Activity Architecture to allocate and manage resources, to carry out two Program Activities, to achieve expected results and contribute to the long-term planned outcome.
The first Program Activity—strategic policy analysis, planning and development—involves training and tool development, policy analysis; and provision of advice and support to federal departments and agencies. It contributes to one of the Government of Canada outcomes: Government Affairs (http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pubs_pol/dcgpubs/mrrswebsite).
The second Program Activity—women’s participation in Canadian society—is carried out through two sub-activities: supporting women’s empowerment and building strategic partnerships. This Program Activity contributes to the Government of Canada outcome: Economic Affairs (income security and employment for Canadians).
The SWC Executive Committee, a corporate decision-making body, is composed of the Coordinator, the Deputy Coordinator and senior managers (i.e. Directors General of the Policy, Women’s Program, and Communications and Strategic Planning Directorates, the Director of Corporate Services, the Chief of Ministerial Services and Audit and Evaluation and Senior Advisor, Women and Economic Prosperity). The Executive Committee is supported by advisory and operational committees that undertake various tasks.
The SWC head office is located in the National Capital Region. SWC’s four regional offices are located in: Montreal (serving Quebec and Nunavut), Moncton (serving New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador), Edmonton (serving Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, Yukon) and the National Capital Region
(serving Ontario and national organizations).
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) as approved by Treasury Board and as displayed in the 2009–2010 Main Estimates.
The PAA serves as a basic structure through which SWC allocates and manages resources for the purpose of achieving expected results, as well as for reporting on results in Estimates and Public Accounts. This framework identifies SWC’s strategic outcome: Equality for women and their full participation in the economic, social and democratic life of Canada. As indicated
in its Management Resources and Results Structure (MRRS), SWC seeks to contribute to this long-term outcome through two Program Activities: Strategic policy analysis, planning and development, and Women’s participation in Canadian society. The results from these Program Activities show the extent to which SWC influences its strategic outcome and serve as indicators of progress
toward the planned result.
In 2008, SWC received Treasury Board approval for a revised PAA which will take effect in 2009–2010. The new PAA will affect Estimates and Public Accounts reporting starting next fiscal year and will establish reference levels for 2009–2010 and future years.
The two Program Activities were also amended to ensure that they are consistent with the Management, Resources and Results Structure of the agency.
The tables below show the summary of planned spending and planned human resources for the next three fiscal years.
2009–2010 | 2010–2011 | 2011–2012 |
---|---|---|
31.4 | 30.4 | 29.4 |
2009–2010 | 2010–2011 | 2011–2012 |
---|---|---|
94 | 94 | 94 |
Strategic Outcome: Equality for women and their full participation in the economic, social and democratic life of Canada | |
Performance indicators | Targets |
---|---|
Representation of women in senior decision-making positions in public and private sectors | 1% increase per year |
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 |
Program activity | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Forecast | Planned spending | Align- | |||
spending | ($ millions) | ment to | |||
($ millions) | 2009–2010 | 2010–2011 | 2011–2012 | Govern- | |
ment of | |||||
Canada | |||||
outcomes | |||||
1.1 Strategic policy analysis, planning and development | |||||
1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | Government Affairs | |
1.2 Women’s participation in Canadian society | |||||
27.8 | 25.9 | 24.9 | 23.9 | Income security and employment for Canadians | |
1.3 Internal servicesa | |||||
3.5 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.8 | ||
Total planned spending | |||||
33.0 | 31.4 | 30.4 | 29.4 | ||
a Budget 2007 provided additional $10 million annually to SWC as a proactive measure to achieve concrete outcomes in key areas, such as combating violence against women and girls and to enhance women’s economic security. |
Management priorities |
Type | Links to strategic outcome |
Description |
---|---|---|---|
Develop an Action Plan to Advance Equality for Women, in line with the three strategic objectives of SWC. | New | Equality for women and their full participation in the economic, social and democratic life of Canada | The Action Plan to Advance Equality for Women will consist of a range of initiatives consistent with the strategic objectives of SWC. |
Continue to invest in projects that address: women’s economic security and prosperity; women’s personal safety and security (ending violence against women); and women in leadership and decision-making roles. | Previously committed | Equality for women and their full participation in the economic, social and democratic life of Canada | This priority will be implemented by using the following approaches: Strategic Investment: By determining funding priorities, SWC will invest strategically in areas where the need is the greatest and where the potential to achieve results is the strongest. SWC will develop new partnerships and strengthen existing partnerships with public, non-profit and private sector organizations so that they may play a role in facilitating equality for women and their full participation in the Canadian economy and in society. Professional Assistance: SWC will deliver information/training sessions to applicants to help them develop high quality proposals, to ensure alignment between SWC direction and funding requests and to achieve expected results. SWC will also facilitate networking among groups with common goals and help organizations to work more effectively. Enhance Program Management and Accountability: SWC will continue to streamline the management of the Women’s Program and strengthen accountability through active project monitoring. To assist in developing SWC’s capacity in this domain, the agency has agreed to form part of the Committee led by the TBS for the federal Grants and Contributions reforms and Action Plan. |
Develop and implement a Corporate Risk Profile. | New | Equality for women and their full participation in the economic, social and democratic life of Canada | A corporate risk profile will enable SWC to use coherent, systematic and integrated risk management practices. Work is underway to develop the Corporate Risk Profile which will facilitate ongoing integrated risk management within SWC. |
Continue work on the Values and Ethics Framework. | Previously committed | SWC will develop further its Values and Ethics Framework. | |
Enhance areas for improvement identified through the Management Accountability Framework (MAF) assessment. | New | Equality for women and their full participation in the economic, social and democratic life of Canada | In an effort to enhance management excellence within the agency, SWC will follow up on the MAF assessment to identify areas that require improvement. |
In determining its plans and priorities for 2009–2010, SWC examined its planning context and operational environment in order to identify opportunities and potential risks and to develop effective mitigation strategies.
SWC fulfills its mandate within a context where progress has been made on the overall status of women, on the one hand, and gender equality gaps persist on the other. According to various studies, including Women in Canada, 5th Edition (2006), women have made gains in academic achievement,1 workplace representation,2 income3 and others. The economic returns of this progress could be substantial.
In spite of this progress, economic, social and other gaps between women and men persist. For example, women across all occupations continue to earn less than men. In 2007, women earned 84 cents for every 1 dollar per hour earned by men.4 In some cases, this gap is even wider and more persistent. Aboriginal women as well as immigrant women, senior women and women with disabilities remain disproportionately below the poverty line in Canada.
Gaps also persist with regard to women in leadership and decision-making roles.5 Women account for only 4.2 per cent of company heads, 7.3 per cent of senior executives and 12 per cent of board directors. Among Canada’s biggest companies, 75 per cent are run by men-only boards, men make up 94 per cent of the highest-paid Canadian executives and 97 of the top 100 public-owned companies have male chief executive officers.
In the public sector, women make up only about 22.4 per cent of the Members of Parliament in the House of Commons, about 34 per cent of members of the Senate, 41 per cent of federal deputy ministers and about 30 per cent of federally appointed judges. Women represented 33 per cent of Government in Council appointments between 2004 and 2007. This under-representation means considerable challenges to Canadian institutions as they develop policies, implement programs and deliver services that respond to citizen needs.
Canadian women also experience a disproportionate level of violence.6 Women and girls form the majority of victims of domestic abuse and violent crimes such as spousal homicide and criminal harassment. In particular, Aboriginal women in Canada face the highest rates of violence, including
racialized and sexualized violence.
In 2009–2010, having completed the key aspects of its organizational change, SWC will be looking beyond the transition period to solidify gains for women in Canada in specific areas of priority. The results achieved through the transformation of the organization include enhanced accountability on gender equality, better tools to meet the Federal Accountability Act requirements, a wider program reach, improved ability to develop strategic partnerships and to leverage resources and new strategic directions that are fully aligned with Government of Canada priorities. These results provide opportunities to further improve SWC’s performance, to strengthen its expected results and to make progress toward its strategic outcome. The lessons learned from the transition period will also be used to address gaps that affect the fulfillment of SWC’s mandate.
In Budget 2008, the Government announced “...an Action Plan that will advance the equality of women across Canada,” demonstrating further its commitment to achieving the full participation of women. In support of the Federal Action Plan for Women, SWC has already initiated strategic partnerships to advance women’s economic security and prosperity, to address violence against women and to increase the participation of women and girls in leadership roles across society.
The appointment of a Minister of State responsible exclusively for the status of women represents a unique opportunity for SWC. With this position, SWC will have not only an increased visibility but also a stronger voice for ensuring that women’s needs are given appropriate attention across the government’s agenda. With a position dedicated to the status of women, there is a greater possibility for collaboration with federal and provincial/territorial partners. The designation is intended to ensure that issues affecting women receive greater consideration in decision-making processes.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Status of Women continues to provide an opportunity for SWC to engage in a sustained dialogue on gender equality. This dialogue is important in that it not only keeps government abreast of evolving issues but facilitates government action on challenges that impede the full participation of women in Canadian society.
Risk assessment and mitigation strategies are performed routinely on an informal basis throughout the organization. Moreover, SWC officials are working to ensure that risk management is an integral factor applied in formal corporate decision-making processes. As such, SWC has started to develop a Corporate Risk Profile using a multi-phased assessment process, as described below:
Voted and statutory items
This table illustrates the way in which Parliament approved resources for the Office of the Coordinator, Status of Women.
Voted and Statutory Items displayed in the Main Estimates ($ millions) |
|||
---|---|---|---|
Vote # or | Truncated vote | Main estimates | |
statutory item(s) | or statutory wording | 2008–2009 | 2009–2010 |
85 | Operating expenditures | 7.5 | 8.6 |
90 | Grants and contributions | 16.3 | 19.9 |
(S) | Contributions to employee benefit plans | 1.0 | 1.1 |
Total | 24.8 | 29.6 |
Budget 2007 provided additional funding to SWC as a proactive measure to achieve concrete results in key areas, such as combating violence against women and girls and to enhance women’s economic security. These figures do not include additional, re-profiled funding expected through the supplementary estimates. Also, the figures do not include the budget for the Minister of
State (Status of Women), expected through the supplementary estimates.
The following analysis outlines how SWC allocates and manages resources to achieve the expected results identified under its two Program Activities and to contribute to its strategic outcome. The analysis also contains a discussion of plans and priorities surrounding the two Program Activities.
Strategic Outcome: Equality for women and their full participation in the economic, social and democratic life of Canada |
Human resources (FTEs) and planned spending ($ millions) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2009–2010 | 2010–2011 | 2011–2012 | |||
FTEs | Planned spending |
FTEs | Planned spending |
FTEs | Planned spending |
15 | 1.7 | 15 | 1.7 | 15 | 1.7 |
Expected results | Performance indicators | Targets | |||
Increased policy effectiveness in addressing women’s issues and gender equality | Number of departments that respond to women’s issues effectively through policy/program formulation and implementation | 3–5 departments per year | |||
Sustainable capacity of federal government departments to apply GBA | Percentage of other government departments with increased capacity to incorporate GBA into their policy and program activities | 3–5 departments per year | |||
Increased integration of women’s issues in the formulation of policies and programs | Number of new and improved policies and programs that respond to women’s issues | 3–5 policies per year |
The first Program Activity—Strategic policy analysis, planning and development—allows SWC to play a horizontal role across the federal government, to work in partnership with provincial-territorial counterparts and to engage in international activities to advance equality for women. The Program Activity is designed to achieve three distinct but complementary expected results. The cumulative result expected from this Program Activity is the integration of women’s issues and gender equality in decision-making processes, in policy formulation and analysis, in program initiatives, in outputs and results, and in international instruments.
Under this Program Activity, SWC delivers training, develops tools and offers advice and other assistance to departments and agencies in order to promote knowledge, enhance skills and equip personnel with the tools required for gender-based analysis. In playing this role, SWC seeks to build a sustained organizational capacity among federal departments and agencies so that they can carry out gender-based analysis in their policy and program initiatives. To monitor its progress in achieving this result, SWC uses indicators, such as the percentage of other government departments and agencies that have increased GBA capacity.
In its partnership role, SWC works in collaboration with federal, provincial-territorial and international partners and stakeholders in an effort to facilitate the integration of women’s needs and the application of a gender lens in decision-making processes.
In 2009–2010, SWC will implement the following operational priorities under Program Activity: Strategic policy analysis, planning and development:
Human resources (FTEs) and planned spending ($ millions) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2009–2010 | 2010–2011 | 2011–2012 | |||
FTEs | Planned spending |
FTEs | Planned spending |
FTEs | Planned spending |
32 | 25.9 | 32 | 24.9 | 32 | 23.9 |
Expected results | Performance indicators | Targets | |||
Increased participation of women in their communities | Proportion of funded projects that demonstrate level of women’s participation in their communities | 10% of projects | |||
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 for identifying and/or removing barriers to their participation in their communities | 10% of projects | |||
Increased partnerships with other federal departments, levels of government, NGOs and the private sector | Proportion of funded projects involving partners addressing women’s issues through joint projects | Approximately 10% of projects |
The second Program Activity—Women’s participation in Canadian society—facilitates the engagement of Canadian organizations in the ongoing efforts to advance equality for women and their full participation in the economic, social and democratic life of Canada. This engagement is made possible through financial and professional assistance to eligible organizations to carry out projects at local, regional and national levels in key areas such as women’s economic security and prosperity, addressing violence against women, and women in leadership and decision-making roles.
This Program Activity is delivered through two components: the Women’s Community Fund7 and the Women’s Partnership Fund8. Both components contribute toward an intermediate result: increased participation of women in their communities.
Also under this Program Activity, SWC, in collaboration with the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC), undertakes the Sisters in Spirit Initiative. Through this initiative, NWAC is working in collaboration with other Aboriginal women’s organizations, human rights associations and the federal government to carry out specific activities aiming at:
a) quantifying the actual number of missing and murdered women; b) understanding the root causes of racialized and sexualized violence; c) implementing a public awareness strategy; and d) influencing policy change and supporting policy development.
In 2009–2010, SWC will implement the following operational priorities under the Program Activity: Women’s participation in Canadian society:
Continue to invest in projects that address SWC strategic objectives: in 2009–2010, SWC will continue to provide financial and professional assistance to a wide-range of organizations to invest in projects that address: women’s economic security and prosperity, violence against women, and women in leadership and decision-making roles. This priority enables SWC to build on gains made in previous years and to address identified gaps. To achieve this result, SWC will employ a three-pronged approach:
In 2009–2010, the final year of the five-year undertaking, the Sisters in Spirit initiative remains a key priority for SWC. SWC will continue to build on the results achieved through the Sisters in Spirit initiative in order to address the underlying factors contributing to racialized, sexualized violence against Aboriginal women (i.e., violence perpetrated against Aboriginal
women because of their gender and Aboriginal identity) and their socio-economic, political and legal status. Under this initiative, SWC will work in collaboration with key government departments and NWAC, using the information/knowledge acquired through the initiative to lay the foundation for future action on emerging policy directions with respect to the four policy priorities of
the initiative: reducing violence; improving education and employment outcomes/reducing poverty; providing safe housing/reducing homelessness; and improving access to justice.
Internal Services are groups of related activities and resources that are administered to support the needs of programs and other corporate obligations of an organization. These groups are: Management and Oversight Services; Communications Services; Legal Services; Human Resources Management Services; Financial Management Services; Information Management Services; Information
Technology Services; Real Property Services; Materiel Services; Acquisition Services; and Travel and Other Administrative Services. It also includes the budget for the Office of the Minister of State (Status of Women).
2009–2010 | 2010–2011 | 2011–2012 |
---|---|---|
3.8 | 3.8 | 3.8 |
2009–2010 | 2010–2011 | 2011–2012 |
---|---|---|
47 | 47 | 479 |
In 2009–2010, SWC will implement the following priorities under its Internal Services Program Activity:
The following tables are located on the TBS website: http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/rpp/st-ts-eng.asp
In 2009–2010, SWC will move beyond the transition period and focus on solidifying gains to advance the participation of women in Canada’s economy, society and in decision-making and leadership roles. Of particular interest for the next fiscal year are a number of initiatives:
Since its creation in 1976, SWC has played an important role in advancing the overall status of women in Canada. The changes introduced in 2006 have further enhanced this role. In support of the Federal Action Plan for Women, SWC will implement a three-pillar strategy through a number of partnerships:
Improving women’s economic security and prosperity: The focus of this direction is to ensure that women benefit from and contribute to the economic growth and prosperity of Canada. This will require SWC to develop strategies that promote women’s attachment to the labour force, increase their participation in non-traditional occupations, ensure access to government benefits, and empower women to become full and active participants in this sector. SWC will, among others, assist in creating the conditions for success for women to become entrepreneurs, grow their businesses and participate in global trade and commerce, as well as in accessing procurement supply chains, and will encourage women and girls to develop the skills required in this sector. Examples of projects under this category include:
Ending violence against women: To end violence against women, SWC will continue to work with a wide-range of partners to address social issues that impact women, collaborate with government departments and other stakeholders to develop policies and measures to combat violence against women, and provide financial and professional assistance to organizations for projects that address violence against women and girls. In particular, SWC will continue to address violence against Aboriginal women by continuing the work accomplished in partnership with NWAC through the Sisters in Spirit initiative. Examples of projects under this category include:
Encouraging women in leadership and decision-making roles: In 2009–2010, SWC will work with key partners in creating conditions for success that facilitate the integration of women in key positions in Canadian corporate boards, public institutions and the private sector. It will, at the same time, invest in projects that prepare women to assume leadership and decision-making roles. This will include measures to promote awareness of future choices available to young girls to occupy key roles in the decision-making institutions across society.
Status of Women Canada Main Estimates: Report on Plans and Priorities
Status of Women Canada Performance Report
For other publications, please visit the SWC Web site: http://www.swc-cfc.gc.ca
For questions on financial information, contact:
Cynthia Paquette
Director, Corporate Services
Telephone: 613-947-1453
Fax: 613-947-6113
E-mail: cindy.paquette@swc-cfc.gc.ca
For other questions, contact:
Ainalem Tebeje
Manager, Planning and Reporting
Telephone: 613-995-1811
Fax: 613-943-2386
E-mail: ainalem.tebeje@swc-cfc.gc.ca
1 In 2006, 18% of women aged 15 and over had a university degree, up from 10% in 1991 and just 3% in 1971.
2 The participation rate of women in the labour force reached 62.4% in 2008, representing the highest level to date.
3 The average income of women in 2005 was almost 8% higher than the figure in 2000.
4 Labour Force Survey, 2008
5 Sources: Catalyst (2007). Census of Women Board Directors of the FP 500: Voices from the Boardroom; and Rosenzweig & Company (2008). Report on Women at the Top Levels of Corporate Canada.
6 In 2004, female victims accounted for 86% of sexual assaults, 69% of kidnappings or abductions, and 79% of criminal harassment incidents reported to the police.
7 The Women’s Community Fund provides grants and contributions to projects to address the economic and social situation of women and their participation in democratic life.
8 The objective of the Women’s Partnership Fund is to build partnerships between Status of Women Canada, eligible non-governmental organizations, public institutions and the private sector through collaborative contribution projects that address the economic and social situation of women and their participation in democratic life.
9 SWC is a small agency that functions with centralized services to deliver on all aspects of its corporate, communications and management functions. As such, human resources within these centralized Internal Services groups provide corporate, as well as directorate level services to SWC. It would be fair to say that 20%–25% of these resources provide directorate level services to SWC’s Policy and Program groups.