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Status of Women Canada - Report

Minister's Message

Photograph of the Honourable Rona Ambrose, P.C., M.P., Minister for Status of Women

As Canada's Minister for Status of Women, I am proud to be part of a government deeply committed to improving the lives of women and girls across Canada. Through the work of Status of Women Canada, we remain focused on promoting equality for women and girls and ensuring their full participation in the life of our country.

In 2013–14, Status of Women Canada will continue to focus on three priority areas: improving women's and girls' economic security and prosperity; ending violence against women and girls; and supporting the advancement and increased representation of women and girls in leadership and decision-making roles.

The Women's Program of Status of Women Canada is building on the demonstrated success of its support for projects that meet our priorities for women and girls. As it continues its highly successful use of targeted calls for proposals, SWC is able to respond to emerging and long-standing issues, ensure community organizations can focus on issues impacting women and address their specific needs. The targeted calls also help connect communities and create opportunities for collaboration to effectively advance gender equality across Canada.

The Government of Canada remains committed to protecting women and girls from all forms of violence. We are proud of our outstanding record and will continue to target various forms of violence against women and girls in Canada, such as violence committed in the name of "honour."

As announced in Budget 2012, Canada will soon benefit from the advice of leaders from the public and private sectors on how to effectively promote women's increased representation on corporate boards across Canada.

Also, building on the momentum of October 11, 2012, the inaugural International Day of the Girl (IDG), our government will work to help girls continue to realize their full potential as the bright promise of their families and our country. The International Day of the Girl will continue to provide a unique opportunity for SWC to address the challenges faced by girls and to ensure that they have every chance for success.

I am therefore proud to present the Report on Plans and Priorities for 2013–14 for Status of Women Canada.

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

Section I: Organizational Overview

Raison d'être

The Office of the Co-ordinator, Status of Women, known as Status of Women Canada (SWC), is a federal government agency that promotes equality between women and men in all aspects of Canadian life. The mandate of SWC is "to coordinate policy with respect to the status of women and administer related programs" (1976).

SWC is responsible for exercising leadership and working in partnership to promote and advance equality by: supporting community-based action and innovation that will lead to equality by helping to create conditions for success for women and girls in Canada; providing expert advice on gender equality and Gender-based Analysis in the development of effective programs, policies and legislation for all Canadians; promoting commemorative dates relating to women and girls in Canada; and supporting Canada's efforts to meet international obligations.

SWC works to promote and advance equality for women and girls, focusing its efforts in three areas: improving women's and girls' economic security and prosperity; ending violence against women and girls; and supporting the advancement and increased representation of women and girls in leadership and decision-making roles. While SWC focuses on these three areas, the agency is able to address specific issues such as engaging men and boys in ending violence, increasing women's participation in non-traditional industries or assisting women in rural and remote communities.

Responsibilities

SWC is the primary federal agency responsible for supporting the government's agenda to advance equality for women and girls. In fulfilling its mandate, the agency works with a wide range of organizations, building synergies with key stakeholders, collaborating with different levels of government and engaging the private and voluntary sectors.

SWC functions in a complex environment where women's and girls' issues permeate society. To bring about concrete results and enduring benefits for Canadians, the agency carries out its mandate strategically, working in partnerships, focusing its efforts where there is a clear potential for making a difference in the lives of women and girls in Canada, and ensuring its policy intervention and program investments are aligned with Government of Canada priorities.

In its policy function, SWC plays the role of a knowledge broker and facilitator, offering advice and strategic support, conducting policy analysis, providing input and making strategic interventions at both domestic and international levels.

SWC also leads in building capacity for the use of Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA+), a method for examining the intersection of sex and gender with other identity factors. When applied to government work, GBA+ can enhance our understanding of how women and men in Canada experience public policy and can help to build more responsive initiatives. SWC works in collaboration with key stakeholders to facilitate the consideration of gender and diversity dimensions in the development of policies and programs across government.

Through the Women's Program, SWC provides financial and professional assistance to organizations to carry out projects that advance equality and the full participation of women and girls. SWC supports community-based action and innovation by investing resources where there is a clear potential for making a difference in the lives of women and girls in Canada.

To raise awareness of the key milestones in the history of women, SWC promotes commemorative dates such as: International Women's Day (March 8), Women's History Month (October), the International Day of the Girl (October 11), Persons Day (October 18) and the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women (December 6).

SWC's regional offices are located in Montréal (serving Quebec), 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 office, also serving Nunavut, and the Ontario regional office are located within the headquarters in the National Capital Region
(cfc-swc.gc.ca).

In 2013–14, SWC estimates its budgetary expenditures to be $29.6 million. Of this amount, approximately $28.4 million requires approval by Parliament. The remaining $1.2 million represents statutory forecasts and does not require additional approval.

Strategic Outcome and Program Alignment Architecture

Program Alignment Architecture chart

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Organizational Priorities

This table sets out each of Status of Women Canada's established priorities for 2013–14, links those priorities to the strategic outcome, and gives details of the nature of the priority (new, ongoing), of the reasoning behind the priority, and of how the priority will be pursued.

Priority	Type	Strategic Outcome
Addressing violence against women and girls	Ongoing	Equality between women and men is promoted and advanced in Canada
Description
Why is this a priority? Violence against women and girls continues at high rates. It causes harm to individuals, families and society and is associated with enormous economic impacts, estimated at almost $7 billion annually¹. The government remains committed to addressing the serious problem of violence against women and girls. Plans for Meeting the Priority Provide funding and professional assistance to organizations to carry out projects that address specific issues such as a lack of participation of men and boys in the solution to violence against women and girls; Work with other federal organizations, provinces and territories and civil society to address persistent and emerging issues; and Collaborate with key partners to develop and disseminate information on the nature, extent and impacts of violence against women and girls, building on the release of Measuring Violence against Women: Statistical Trends and new SWC web content in this area.
Priority	Type	Strategic Outcome
Increasing representation of women in leadership roles	Ongoing	Equality between women and men is promoted and advanced in Canada
Description
Why is this a priority? In Canada, women continue to assume leadership roles in growing numbers. However, further efforts are still needed to close existing gaps in public and private institutions. Plans for Meeting the Priority Provide funding and professional assistance to organizations to support projects that encourage women's and girls' participation in leadership and decision-making roles; Advance understanding of the benefits of women's leadership in business and democratic life, and examine and exchange knowledge with key partners, at the provincial and territorial levels, about ways to remove barriers to women's representation in leadership roles; and Support ministerial leadership and collaboration with the private and public sectors to promote women's participation on corporate boards, as committed to in Canada's Economic Action Plan 2012, which announced the creation of an Advisory Council for Women on Boards.
Priority	Type	Strategic Outcome
Strengthening implementation of Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA+)	Ongoing	Equality between women and men is promoted and advanced in Canada
Description
Why is this a priority? The Government of Canada is committed to applying GBA+ to the design of policies, programs and initiatives to ensure they are inclusive and reflective of the realities of diverse women, men, boys and girls in Canada. SWC plays a leadership role in supporting federal organizations to integrate gender and diversity considerations into their decision-making processes, thereby ensuring the development of inclusive and responsive legislation, policies and programs. Plans for Meeting the Priority Lead implementation of the Departmental Action Plan on Gender-based Analysis, supporting participating departments and agencies in developing and implementing frameworks for applying GBA+.
Priority	Type	Strategic Outcome
Empowering girls to realize their potential	Previously committed	Equality between women and men is promoted and advanced in Canada
Description
Why is this a priority? Girls in Canada are strong and resilient. They are well positioned to achieve their potential and to contribute to their communities given their overall success in school. However, they are more likely than boys to be victims of family violence; to experience a greater decline in self-esteem as they enter adolescence; and to be victims of bullying. Concerted effort is needed to remove these barriers and enable girls to realize their full potential. Plans for Meeting the Priority Work with partners to inspire greater awareness of the issues and challenges facing girls, and in so doing, inform the development and delivery of policies and programs that respond to girls' unique needs.
Priority	Type	Strategic Outcome
Modernizing programs and services for Canadians	Previously committed	Equality between women and men is promoted and advanced in Canada
Description
Why is this a priority? Through continuous innovation and transformation, SWC seeks to ensure efficiency, accountability and effective allocation of resources to achieve results. Plans for Meeting the Priority Implement information management initiatives to safeguard SWC's information as a strategic asset; and Continue to enhance the Women's Program management and accountability to achieve better results and greater impact.

Risk Analysis

SWC continues to monitor its planning and operating environments to ensure that its policy and program interventions remain effective, it continues to respond to the needs of women and girls and its efforts have maximum impact across Canada.

Planning Context

In Canada, the foundations of equality for women and girls remain strong. Data from sources such as Women in Canada: A Gender-based Statistical Report 6th Edition (2010–11) show steady progress toward equality for women and girls and reveal areas where further progress is required, including but not limited to:

Violence:There has been steady progress in Canada's response to this complex issue. However, women are still more likely than men to experience family and intimate partner violence, with young women and Aboriginal women at a particularly high risk. Women make up almost 90 per cent of all victims of sexual assaults reported to the police, with girls more than four times as likely as boys to be a victim of a sexual offence committed by a family member. Therefore, it is imperative that efforts continue to address the root causes of violence against women and girls.
Leadership:Women continue to assume leadership positions in Canada. Today, Canada has women premiers in six of its provinces and territories while in Parliament women make up 24.7 per cent of elected officials, an increase from previous elections². However, women remain under-represented in decision making roles in key areas. For example, as of May 2011, women represented only 16 per cent of mayors; 25 per cent of city councilors and held merely 14.4 per cent of board seats in the Financial Post 500 firms.
Economic Security and Prosperity:Women have made advances in improving their economic security and prosperity. In 2009, women comprised 51.2 per cent of business and financial professionals, up from 38.3 per cent in 1987. In 2007, while 47 per cent of Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) were wholly or partly owned by women, only 16 per cent of these SMEs were majority owned by women.³ More needs to be done to ensure women's contributions to the economy are maximized.

Operating Environment

SWC faces the same challenges in delivering on horizontal files as other small organizations. As such, the agency needs to focus its efforts to best serve Canadians. In 2013–14, the agency will use its Corporate Risk Profile to manage potential risks and ensure effective implementation of its organizational priorities, achievement of its planned results and progress toward its strategic outcome.

Planning Summary

This table summarizes, in millions of dollars, Status of Women Canada's total budgetary expenditures for 2013–14 as set out in the Main Estimates, and its planned spending for fiscal years 2013–14, 2014–15, and 2015–16.

**Financial Resources (Planned Spending – $ millions)**
Total Budgetary Expenditures (Main Estimates) 2013–2014	Planned Spending 2013–2014	Planned Spending 2014–2015	Planned Spending 2015–2016
29.6	29.6	29.7	29.6

This table summarizes, in full-time equivalents, Status of Women Canada's planned staffing for fiscal years 2013–14, 2014–15, and 2015–16.

**Human Resources (Full-Time Equivalents – FTEs)**
2013–2014	2014–2015	2015–2016
96	96	96

The Planning Summary tables link Status of Women Canada's strategic outcome and its programs with Government of Canada outcomes, and for each program, it shows actual spending for two prior years, forecast spending for the fiscal year just ended (2012–13) and planned spending for the next three fiscal years (2013–14, 2014–15, and 2015–16).

Planning Summary Table *
Program	Actual Spending 2010– 2011	Actual Spending 2011– 2012	Forecast Spending 2012– 2013	Planned Spending			Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes
Program	Actual Spending 2010– 2011	Actual Spending 2011– 2012	Forecast Spending 2012– 2013	2013– 2014	2014– 2015	2015– 2016	Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes
Strategic Outcome: Equality between women and men is promoted and advanced in Canada
Leadership, expertise and advice	N/A	N/A	N/A	2.1	2.2	2.2	Government affairs: A transparent, accountable and responsive federal government⁴
Advancing equality for women	N/A	N/A	N/A	24.3	24.3	24.2	Economic affairs: Income security and employment for Canadians⁵
Strategic Outcome: Equality for women and their full participation in the economic, social and democratic life of Canada
Strategic policy analysis, planning and development	2.0	2.0	1.9	N/A	N/A	N/A	Government affairs: A transparent, accountable and responsive federal government
Women's participation in Canadian society	22.7	21.6	24.4	N/A	N/A	N/A	Economic affairs: Income security and employment for Canadians
Subtotal	24.7	23.6	26.3	26.4	26.5	26.4
*Due to changes in SWC's Program Alignment Architecture for 2013–14 and future years, the breakdown of actual spending by Program for 2010–11 and 2011–12 reflects a different architecture.

**Planning Summary Table for Internal Services ($ millions)**
Program	Actual Spending 2010– 2011	Actual Spending 2011– 2012	Forecast Spending 2012– 2013	Planned Spending
Program	Actual Spending 2010– 2011	Actual Spending 2011– 2012	Forecast Spending 2012– 2013	2013– 2014	2014– 2015	2015– 2016
Internal Services *	5.5	5.8	4.0	3.2	3.2	3.2
Subtotal	5.5	5.8	4.0	3.2	3.2	3.2
*Planned spending within Internal Services is less than in previous years due to changes in the Program Alignment Architecture for 2013–14.

**Planning Summary Total ($ millions)**
Strategic Outcome Programs and Internal Services	Actual Spending 2010– 2011	Actual Spending 2011– 2012	Forecast Spending 2012– 2013	Planned Spending
Strategic Outcome Programs and Internal Services	Actual Spending 2010– 2011	Actual Spending 2011– 2012	Forecast Spending 2012– 2013	2013– 2014	2014– 2015	2015– 2016
Total	30.2	29.4	30.3	29.6	29.7	29.6

Expenditure Profile

Actual spending from 2009–10 to 2011–12 includes all Parliamentary appropriations: Main Estimates, Supplementary Estimates and transfers from Treasury Board such as the operating budget carry forward adjustment.

2009–10 actual spending was at its highest due to re-profiled transfer payment funding from fiscal year 2008–09.

2012–13 forecast spending increased as SWC received $250,000 as part of the Government Advertising Plan for 2012–13 to support an Internet search optimization strategy for a website.

For fiscal years 2013–14 to 2015–16, total spending corresponds to planned spending as supplementary funding remains unknown.

Departmental Spending Trend

Line graph of actual, forecast and planned spending for 2009–10 to 2015–16.

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Estimates by Vote

For information on our organizational appropriations, please see the
2013–14 Main Estimates publication⁶.

Contribution to the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy

SWC will consider the environmental effects of initiatives subject to the Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals. In 2013–14, SWC has no plans to develop any policy, plan or program proposal requiring the production of a public statement. The Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals may be found at http://www.ceaa.gc.ca/default.asp?Lang=En&n=B3186435-1.