This page has been archived.
Information identified as archived on the Web is for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It has not been altered or updated after the date of archiving. Web pages that are archived on the Web are not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards. As per the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada, you can request alternate formats on the "Contact Us" page.
I am proud to present the Report on Plans and Priorities for 2011–2012 for Status of Women Canada.
Our government has laid a strong foundation for advancing the full participation of women in the economic, social and democratic life of our country. We take pride in our efforts, and we are committed to continuing this important work.
Partnership is essential as we effectively address the issues facing women. Status of Women Canada has, and will continue to focus on building partnerships within the federal family and beyond, with provincial and territorial governments, non-governmental organizations and others. In this way, we can optimize on Status of Women Canada’s effectiveness in advancing equality for women and their full participation in the economic, social and democratic life of Canada.
Our Government remains committed to creating conditions for success for women to play an active role in and to contribute toward the economic prosperity of our country, the social well being of its people and the democratic life of our society. For my part, I continue to engage with Canadians, highlighting the progress we have made in advancing the status of women and to bring to their attention the new and emerging challenges.
Status of Women Canada will continue to play a crucial role in supporting the Government agenda to advance equality for women. In 2011–2012, the agency, through the Women’s Program, will invest in three priority areas: ending violence against women and girls, improving women’s economic security and prosperity and promoting women’s leadership and decision-making roles. The agency will continue to reach out to women in rural and remote areas and in Aboriginal and immigrant communities.
A crucial part of our strategy is the effective application of gender-based analysis (GBA) across federal departments and agencies. Since the tabling of the GBA Action Plan in October 2009, Status of Women Canada has been working with departments to implement components of the Plan to ensure policies, programs and legislative initiatives address the needs and interests of women as well as men. This important work will continue over the coming year.
On December 6, 2010, Canada’s National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women, I issued a call to action to all Canadians to show leadership in the efforts to end violence against women and girls. In making this call, I said: Ending violence against women should be the shared responsibility of all of us: government, citizens, police, the justice system, media, non-profit groups, the private sector and community organizations.
We will, therefore, target and invest in initiatives designed to end violence in families, communities and
in our society. We will also use new and existing partnerships to support horizontal initiatives that bring
about lasting solutions to this problem. At the same time, I encourage Canadians to be part of the efforts
to end violence against women and girls in our society and around the world.
Rona Ambrose, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Public Works and Government Services and
Minister for Status of Women
The Government of Canada established the Office of the Coordinator, Status of Women, 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). Status of Women Canada (SWC) is thus the primary federal agency responsible for supporting the Government’s agenda to advance equality for women. In fulfilling its mandate, the agency works with a wide range of organizations, building synergies with key stakeholders, collaborating with different orders of government and engaging the private and voluntary sectors. SWC also helps fulfill Canada’s international obligations related to gender equality.
SWC functions in a complex environment where women’s issues permeate society. There is on-going demand for its intervention and the needs to be met are diverse and multiple. Given this context, the agency carries out its mandate strategically, working on partnerships, focussing its efforts where the need is greatest, ensuring its policy intervention and program investments are aligned with Government of Canada priorities and to bring about concrete results and enduring benefits for Canadians. As such, in 2011–2012, SWC will maintain its focus on three priority areas: improving women’s economic security and prosperity, ending violence against women and girls and promoting women’s leadership and decision-making roles. While focusing on key areas, these priorities allow SWC to address issues specific to diverse groups, such as Aboriginal and immigrant women, women with disabilities and urban and rural women and girls.
In its policy function, SWC plays the role of a knowledge broker, offering advice, building capacity for gender-based analysis (GBA), conducting policy analysis, providing input and making strategic interventions at both domestic and international levels. SWC works in collaboration with key stakeholders to facilitate the consideration of gender dimensions in the development of policies and programs.
SWC, through the Women’s Program, provides financial and professional assistance to Canadian organizations. By focusing on areas where the need is greatest, SWC invests resources where there is a clear potential for making a difference in the lives of Canadian women.
SWC’s regional offices are located in Montreal (serving Quebec and Nunavut), Moncton (serving New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador), and Edmonton (serving Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Northwest Territories and Yukon). The National and Ontario regional offices are located within the headquarters in the National Capital Region. (http://www.swc-cfc.gc.ca)
2011–2012 | 2012–2013 | 2013–2014 |
---|---|---|
29.4 | 29.4 | 29.4 |
2011–2012 | 2012–2013 | 2013–2014 |
---|---|---|
94 | 94 | 94 |
Performance indicators | Targets |
---|---|
Representation of women in senior decision-making positions in the public and private sectors | 1% increase per year |
Representation of women in the labour market, including access to support programs and services for entrepreneurship initiatives | |
Participation of women in political processes/systems at the local, provincial and federal levels |
Program activity | ($ millions) | Alignment to Government of Canada outcomes | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Forecast spending 2010– 20112 |
Planned spending | ||||
2011– 2012 |
2012– 2013 |
2013– 2014 |
|||
Strategic policy analysis, planning and development | 2.1 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.8 | Government Affairs (a transparent, accountable and responsive federal government) |
Women’s participation in Canadian society | 25.2 | 24.2 | 24.2 | 24.2 | Economic Affairs (income security and employment for Canadians) |
Total planned spending | 26.0 | 26.0 | 26.0 |
Program activity | ($ millions) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Forecast spending 2010–20112 |
Planned spending | |||
2011– 2012 |
2012– 2013 |
2013– 2014 |
||
Internal services | 3.6 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.4 |
Total planned spending | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.4 |
Priority | Type | Links to strategic outcome | Description3 |
---|---|---|---|
Strengthen the implementation and use of gender-based analysis (GBA) in the federal administration (PA1.1) |
Ongoing | Equality for women and their full participation in the economic, social and democratic life of Canada |
This is a priority to enable a growing number of organizations and actors to integrate GBA more systematically into their work and decision-making processes. Plans to meet priority:
|
Domestic collaboration, engagement of FPT partners, strategic international interventions (P.A.1.1) |
Ongoing |
This is a priority to engage domestic stakeholders in addressing gender considerations in decision-making processes. Where appropriate, SWC will also engage internationally to advance domestic and foreign policy priorities. Plans to meet priority:
|
|
Strategic interventions to address issues in priority areas:
|
Ongoing |
This is a priority to support organizations to carry out projects that address issues pertaining to equality for women. Plans to meet priority:
|
|
Proceed with the renewal of the WP Terms and Conditions (PA 1.2) |
New |
This is a priority in preparation for the renewal of the WP in 2011–12 Plans to meet priority:
|
Priority | Type | Links to strategic outcome | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Streamline Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) processes to enhance quality and cut response time | New |
This is a priority to ensure that SWC meets its legislative requirements under the ATIP Acts. Plans to meet priority:
|
Canada continues with its strong performance in advancing the status of women, ranking among the countries leading in gender equality. In its 2010 Global Gender Gap Index, the World Economic Forum ranked Canada 20th, up from 25th, for its overall performance in gender equality. Data obtained from Women in Canada: a gender-based statistical report (2010–2011), Statistics Canada, shows steady progress toward equality for women in Canada:
While there is evidence of continued progress in advancing the status of women in Canada, sustained efforts are needed to close gaps in key areas, as highlighted below. As well, SWC recognizes the need to address the challenges unique to women from vulnerable groups. For example:
As highlighted above, SWC operates in a complex environment where gains in advancing equality for women are tempered by gender equality gaps in key areas. At the same time, as a small agency with limited resources, SWC continues to face internal challenges associated with a growing demand for its policy and program intervention, competing priorities, change management, human and financial resource pressures, governmental and central agency requirements. Given this context, SWC uses a risk-based approach to ensure the effective implementation of its plans and priorities, achievement of the expected results and continued progress toward its strategic outcome.
SWC has risk management tools to mitigate potential risks. Moreover, the agency will introduce its Corporate Risk Profile (CRP) in 2011–2012, moving toward an enterprise-wide risk management. This tool will provide a corporate-wide view of the strategic, operational, financial and legal risks to the agency. It will also serve as a tool to communicate, understand and manage SWC’s key risks.
In 2011–2012, SWC plans to spend $29.4 million. Compared to forecast spending of $30.9 million in 2010–2011, this represents a decrease of $1.5 million due, in most part, to the end of re-profiled grant and contribution funding from 2008–2009.
Spending was at its highest in 2008–2009 due to re-profiled transfer payment funding from the previous fiscal year and the additional resources obtained through Budget 2007. As can be seen in the following chart, the slow decline in spending, in the following fiscal years, reflects the end of this re-profiled funding and the end of a five-year transfer payment program in 2009–2010.
Actual spending from 2007–2008 to 2009–2010 includes all Parliamentary appropriations: Main Estimates, Supplementary Estimates and transfers from Treasury Board such as carry forward adjustments.
For the period 2011–2012 to 2013–2014, total spending corresponds to planned spending. At this point, supplementary funding remains unknown. In 2011–2012, SWC will continue to respect the cost containment measures announced in Budget 2010 and will follow the Treasury Board guidelines, including the Directive on the Management of Expenditures on Travel, Hospitality and Conferences.
Estimates by Vote are presented in the 2011–2012 Main Estimates which are available at:
http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/est-pre/20112012/me-bdp/info/info-eng.asp.