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Status of Women Canada Ministerial Transition Book
Gender-based Analysis

Background

Gender-based analysis (GBA) is an analytical competency for the examination of policies, programs, or initiatives for their potential impacts on diverse groups of women and men. Status of Women Canada (SWC) is the lead for the implementation of the Government’s commitment to the application of GBA in the decision-making process, flowing from the 1995 ratification of the Beijing Platform for Action. Federal organizations are required to demonstrate that gender considerations have been taken into account in documents submitted for approval by Cabinet, as well as in submissions to the Treasury Board.

SWC’s primary role is building GBA capacity across federal organizations. This includes the development and provision of tools and training to 35 federal departments and agencies. Basic GBA training is available to officials and the general public through an online course, developed by SWC, on the SWC website. To date, over 2500 federal officials have completed the course.

In 2009, the Auditor General released a report assessing the application of GBA across the federal government, and found little evidence of its impact on decision-making. In response, SWC, along with the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) and the Privy Council Office (PCO), developed the Departmental Action Plan on GBA. For the past 5 years, this Plan has served as a blueprint for the implementation of GBA Frameworks in federal departments and agencies. While SWC provides guidance and expertise, and works to create networks of GBA knowledge, accountability for GBA ultimately rests with each individual organization.

Current status

The Auditor General conducted a follow-up audit on GBA in 2015, re-assessing the implementation of GBA across government and the commitments made under the Action Plan by SWC, TBS and PCO. The report is scheduled to be tabled in January 2016. The draft report, which has been shared with SWC, highlights the need for more robust implementation of GBA across government with increased monitoring and reporting by SWC and Central Agencies.

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