This page has been archived.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.
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)
As Minister of State (Status of Women), I am pleased to present Status of Women Canada’s Departmental Performance Report for 2008–2009. The report provides a summary of Status of Women Canada’s accomplishments during the reporting year. It also demonstrates how the agency supports the Government of Canada in advancing equality for women and ensuring their full participation in Canadian society.
Emerging from a period of organizational transition in 2008–2009, Status of Women Canada enhanced the efficiency of its policy and program functions.
The agency began the very important task of developing a Federal Action Plan for Women to ensure a vibrant Canadian society that benefits from the full participation and contribution of women. Various initiatives were launched to facilitate its implementation. Interdependent, the three pillars of the Action Plan are: improving women’s economic security and prosperity, ending violence against women and girls, and, encouraging women in leadership and decision-making roles.
In 2008–2009, we saw progress in all areas but nowhere more significantly than in women’s economic security and prosperity. Indeed, during the current global economic crisis, Canadian women have become key players in our country’s economic recovery, due in part to their increased labour force participation and in part to their high rate of entrepreneurial engagement in domestic and international markets.
In 2008–2009, through strategic partnership and innovative projects, Status of Women Canada stepped up its efforts to provide women with opportunities to play active leadership roles and to build their economic security, thereby contributing to Canada’s prosperity. Collaborative projects—such as WEConnect Canada’s Opening Doors to Corporate Markets: An Education, Training, Coaching and Mentoring Program, Equal Voice’s Experiences project and the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance’s Supporting Women’s Leadership in the Advanced Technology Sectors—were launched during the reporting year, all specifically designed to remove barriers to women’s participation in the economy and to bring about systemic change in key areas. The results of these initiatives will be highlighted in the next Departmental Performance Report.
Fundamental to the Action Plan is the integration of gender-based analysis, which takes inter-sectionality into account, in the delivery of services and in the development of policies, programs and legislation across government. Thanks to Status of Women Canada’s sustained efforts, the Government of Canada is a recognized world leader in gender-based analysis and central agencies are now taking a more active role in ensuring accountability for its application within the federal public sector. This has led to an increased demand for the agency’s assistance in the form of information, training, tools and expertise. Status of Women Canada also maintained its role of promoting the integration of gender-based analysis in the work of various decision-making bodies, including federal/provincial/territorial and international fora.
Status of Women Canada continued to reach out to women in all parts of the country with opportunities to become full participants in their communities and in Canadian society. Through the Women’s Program, the agency provided financial and professional assistance to projects at the local, regional and national levels. These projects, many employing innovative strategies, targeted diverse groups of women and girls and addressed a wide range of issues. Since 2007, SWC-funded projects have had a direct impact on more than 140,000 women and girls and an indirect impact on over 1.6 million women and girls.
Status of Women Canada’s funding of the Sisters in Spirit initiative has enabled the agency to develop partnerships with key players, to increase public awareness and knowledge and to promote policy initiatives on violence issues pertaining to Aboriginal women and girls (First Nations, Inuit and Métis). SWC’s contribution to Sisters in Spirit is in addition to numerous projects and partnerships across the country, supported by Status of Women Canada, to address the unique concerns and challenges of Aboriginal women. These projects range from providing leadership skills to teaching financial literacy, to working to prevent violence against women. The projects are creating the conditions for Aboriginal women to participate fully in Canadian society.
To help facilitate the leadership roles of Aboriginal women, SWC is providing financial and professional assistance to Equal Voice’s project, entitled “Getting to the Gate: National Aboriginal Module” designed to increase the presence of Aboriginal women in decision-making bodies where their voices are severely under-represented. With the active involvement of 15 Aboriginal organizations, this project is focused on providing culturally relevant knowledge to empower Aboriginal women so as to assume leadership roles.
In 2008–2009, 15 per cent of the projects completed addressed issues specifically relevant to immigrant women, including their social and economic integration. These projects sought to promote the economic security of immigrant women who were familiarized with the labour market through knowledge acquisition, mentorship and leadership skills. SWC funding was also made available for projects designed with a specific focus on culturally relevant approaches to understanding and dealing with violence.
I am both pleased and proud of the progress we have made during this pivotal and forward-looking year. By working together in a concerted and strategic way, we are ensuring that women and girls have opportunities to realize their potential and participate meaningfully in Canadian society.
The Honourable Helena Guergis, P.C., M.P.
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)
The Office of the Coordinator, Status of Women, plays a primary role in advancing equality for women in Canada. To play this role effectively, the agency works in collaboration with a wide range of partners such as federal departments and agencies, provincial/territorial governments, the private and voluntary sectors as well as international organizations.
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.” The strategic outcome for 2009–2010 has been modified as “Equality for women and their full participation in the economic, social and democratic life of Canada.” SWC has already started carrying out initiatives that contribute toward this strategic outcome. The results of these initiatives will be highlighted in the 2009–2010 performance report.
The strategic outcome for 2008–2009 is supported by two Program Activities. The first, strategic policy advice and partnerships, involves the provision of strategic policy advice and analyses, training and tools as well as the development of partnerships to support federal departments and central agencies in integrating gender-based analysis (GBA)1 in their policies, programs and services.
The second Program Activity, financial assistance for projects to improve social, economic and cultural outcomes for women, involves the provision of funding and professional assistance for projects at local, regional and national levels. It also facilitates strategic partnerships to remove systemic barriers and to encourage women’s full participation in society, the economy and in the democratic life of Canada and leverages resources to support equality for women. This Program Activity is supported by two sub-activities: the Women’s Program and the Sisters in Spirit initiative.
SWC has a governance structure through which specific accountabilities are attributed to Executive Committee members. As a decision-making body, the Executive Committee ensures the efficient management of SWC, the achievement of the agency’s expected results and progress toward its planned strategic outcome. The Executive Committee is supported by other committees that play advisory and operational roles.
The SWC head office is located in the National Capital Region. Other regional offices are located in Montreal (serving
Quebec and Nunavut), Moncton (serving New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador), Edmonton
(serving Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and Yukon) and Ottawa (serving Ontario
and national organizations). (http://www.swc-cfc.gc.ca)
The chart below illustrates the Program Activity Architecture (PAA) of SWC2. It reflects the agency’s strategic outcome, program activities and sub-activities. As a framework, the PAA serves to allocate and manage resources, align program activities, elaborate expected results and advance the SWC strategic outcome. While distinct in design and delivery, the two Program Activities are complementary in their contributions to the achievement of the strategic outcome, which is: Strengthen the full participation of women in the economic, social and cultural life of Canada.
The first Program Activity—development of strategic policy advice and partnerships – is expected to achieve
enabling results that are demonstrated through cross-cutting partnerships that lead to policy positions and strategies
that promote gender equality. This Program Activity is also designed to achieve enhanced GBA ability and stronger accountability
for gender equality within federal institutions. The second Program Activity – financial assistance for projects to
improve social, economic and cultural outcomes for women – is designed to achieve empowering results that
demonstrate the extent to which women are provided with opportunities to participate in the economic, social and cultural
life of Canada.
Planned spending | Total authorities | Actual spending |
---|---|---|
31.7 | 36.1 | 32.4 |
Planned | Actual | Difference |
---|---|---|
89 | 89 | 0 |
Performance | Targets | 2008–2009 Performance |
---|---|---|
indicators3 | ||
|
1% increase per year |
In 2008–2009, SWC made progress toward its strategic outcome, as shown by the following evidence:
|
Program | 2007– | 2008–2009 ($ millions) | Alignment to | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
activity | 2008 | Main | Planned | Total | Actual | Government |
Actual | esti- | spend- | Auth- | spend- | of Canada | |
spend- | mates | ing | orities | ing | Outcomes4 | |
ing | ||||||
Strategic policy advice and partnerships |
2.0 |
2.5 |
2.5 |
3.2 |
3.1 |
Government Affairs |
Financial assistance for projects to improve social, economic and cultural outcomes for women |
23.3 |
22.3 |
29.2 |
32.9 |
29.3 |
Economic Affairs |
Total |
25.3 |
24.8 |
31.7 |
36.1 |
32.4 |
|
Plus: Services received without charge |
1.2 |
N/A |
1.4 |
N/A |
1.4 |
|
Total departmental spending |
26.5 |
24.8 |
33.1 |
36.1 |
33.8 |
|
Operational | Type | Status | Linkages to |
---|---|---|---|
priorities | strategic5 outcome | ||
Building strategic partnerships with federal departments, other levels of government and international bodies to ensure women’s full participation and to assist central agencies and departments in applying a gender-perspective to policy and program development. | Ongoing | Successfully
met Through new and/or existing strategic partnerships, SWC continued to influence policies and programs so as to address issues that affect women. Through sustained efforts, SWC enhanced central agency role in ensuring accountability for gender equality and increased GBA capacity among federal institutions. |
SO:Strengthen
the full participation of women in the economic, social and cultural life of Canada PA 1:Strategic policy advice and partnerships |
Funding specific projects through the Women’s Program and the Sisters in Spirit (SIS) initiative | Ongoing | Successfully
met In 2008–2009, SWC-funded projects provided opportunities to women to identify and address barriers that impede their participation in society. SIS increased awareness about violence against Aboriginal women. |
SO:Strengthen
the full participation of women in the economic, social and cultural life of Canada PA 2:Financial assistance for projects to improve social, economic and cultural outcomes for women |
Developing accountability mechanisms to monitor and measure progress | Ongoing | Successfully
met By putting in place effective control mechanisms, SWC is making progress toward integrated risk management and increased capacity for accountability for results. |
SO:Strengthen the full participation of women in the economic, social and cultural life of Canada |
Management | Type | Status | Linkages to |
priorities | strategic outcome | ||
Strengthening the organizational structure to ensure alignment between government and SWC accountabilities | Ongoing | Successfully
met By modernizing infrastructure and systems, SWC is ensuring that its decision-making processes meet government requirements for accountability. |
SO:Strengthen the full participation of women in the economic, social and cultural life of Canada |
SWC fulfills its mandate within a context where the overall status of women has advanced on the one hand while gender
equality gaps remain on the other. Moreover, SWC works in a complex environment characterized by an increasing demographic
diversity among women, the emergence of new issues and the growing demand for its financial and professional support. As
such, SWC assesses its strategic context and operating environment in order to identify opportunities and challenges and
to manage the associated risks. The strategic context allows SWC to focus its activities and invest resources in areas where
the need is the greatest and intervention is most needed. As such, SWC has already achieved concrete results within the
three pillars of the Action Plan, thereby advancing its strategic outcome.
Labour market participation: In Canada, women’s labour market participation and rate of employment have increased consistently over time. Indeed, all increases in Canadian labour force participation over the past 30 years can be attributed to women. As a result, the labour market gap has narrowed significantly, with women’s participation now approaching that of men. Concurrently, women are increasingly choosing self-employment and entrepreneurship. In 2007, women made up 35 per cent of all self-employed individuals, a significant increase from 30 years ago when it was 27 per cent.6
Effects of recession: Past and current experiences show that recessions affect women and men differently. Women tend to be less vulnerable to job loss during recession largely because they are not concentrated in those industries that are hardest hit by recession, such as manufacturing and construction. However, while women are generally less affected than men, some groups of women are more vulnerable compared to others. For example, the labour market participation rate among young women (aged 15–24) dropped from 67.1 per cent to 65.8 per cent between October 2008 and March 2009. Also, unemployment among established immigrant women (with more than five years of residence) increased from 6 per cent to 7.7 per cent during the same period.
Additionally, seniors who depend on investment incomes have been particularly impacted by the current global financial
crisis. In Canada, women make up the majority of seniors (57 per cent of seniors over 65 and 69 per cent of those 85 and
over).
Violence against women and girls is one of the serious issues facing our society. Women are the most likely victims of police-reported violence across Canada. Young women experience the highest rates of violence. Aboriginal women are particularly vulnerable. (The spousal homicide rate among Aboriginal women is more than eight times that for non-Aboriginal women. Aboriginal women are three times more likely to experience spousal violence than non-Aboriginal women.)
The participation of women in political, economic and social life and in decision-making processes has been increasing steadily in Canada.
There is, however, much to be done to enhance both the presence of and participation by women in Canada’s political,
judicial, public and financial institutions. Also, the representation of women in provincial and territorial legislatures
(21 per cent) falls short of the 30 per cent minimum mark put forward by the United Nations to ensure that women’s concerns
are adequately reflected in decision-making processes. In 2009, the representation of women in Canadian municipal councils
stands at 23 per cent.
Action Plan: In 2008–2009, having moved beyond the transition period, SWC continued to consolidate the results achieved through the organizational change process. As such, during the reporting year, the agency conducted work to develop a Federal Action Plan for Women with a focus on three pillars:
Minister of State: In 2008–2009, the appointment of a Minister of State responsible exclusively for the Status of Women portfolio represented an opportunity for a stronger voice on issues of concern to women in the government agenda, a more visible role for SWC and partnerships with key players to produce sustainable improvements for women in areas of priority.
These opportunities have yielded concrete results in different ways. For example, the 27th annual meeting of the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers Responsible for the Status of Women, co-chaired by the Minister of State (Status of Women), identified the urgency of exploring ways to facilitate women’s labour force participation and economic security, with particular emphasis on increasing women’s participation in non-traditional occupations and sectors of employment, considered actions toward improving the lives of First Nations, Inuit and Métis women, both on and off reserve, and discussed measures to address violence against women in Canada.
As well, the Minister of State (Status of Women) continues to support efforts to establish an international governance model for shelters, which will develop international links among communities of practice in Canada and globally, thereby increasing their capacity to serve women who experience violence. A number of strategic initiatives, established through partnerships, are currently in progress7 and will be highlighted in the 2009–2010 Departmental Performance Report.
After her appointment, the Minister of State reached out to women across the country to share her views about status of women in Canadian society and internationally. On behalf of the Government of Canada, in November 2008, she signed on to the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) campaign, Say NO to Violence Against Women.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Status of Women continued to provide an opportunity for sustained
dialogue on gender equality, thereby keeping decision-makers informed of issues pertaining to women’s participation in society
and facilitating government action on equality for women.http://www2.parl.gc.ca/CommitteeBusiness/CommitteeHome.aspx?Cmte=FEWO&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=40&Ses=2
Risk Management: In 2008–2009, SWC conducted sessions with employees to develop an integrated risk management approach and to augment risk-based decision-making processes. As well, risk identification, assessment and mitigation tools were routinely used in carrying out the two SWC Program Activities. Work began to develop a Corporate Risk Profile (CRP) and to identify risks and mitigation strategies (see table). This CRP will be completed in 2009–2010.
Key risk | Mitigation measure | Linkage to PA |
---|---|---|
HR capacity: SWC’s HR capacity to deliver on its mandate, achieve expected results and advance toward its long-term planned outcome. |
|
PA 1 PA 2 |
Program reach: The ability of SWC to respond to the growing demand for financial and professional assistance. |
|
PA 2 |
Recipient capacity: The capacity of funding recipients to achieve results that contribute to SWC’s expected results and strategic outcome. |
|
PA 2 |
Values and ethics: a shared sense of vision and a set of values to guide its work. |
|
PA 1 PA 2 PA 3 |
In 2008–2009, SWC spent a total of $32.4 million to carry out its Program Activities, to achieve expected results and to advance toward its planned strategic outcome.
Authorities and subsequent spending in 2007–2008 and 2008–2009 have increased from previous fiscal years as a result of additional funding made available to SWC through Budget 2007 to invest in projects as a proactive measure to achieve concrete outcomes in key areas such as women’s economic security and prosperity and violence against women and girls.
In 2007–2008, SWC did not expend fully funding received through Budget 2007 as it was received late in the fiscal year. The increase in spending in 2008–2009 from 2007–2008 reflects the fact that SWC received this new funding earlier in the Estimates process, along with $4.9 million ($2 million in December 2007 and $2.9 million in March 2008) re-profiled from 2007–2008 to 2008–2009 in Gs&Cs.
Vote # or | Truncated Vote or | 2006–07 | 2007–08 | 2008–09 | 2008–09 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Statutory | Statutory Wording | Actual | Actual | Main | Actual |
Item | Spending | Spending | Estimates | Spending | |
(S) | |||||
100 | Operating expenditures | 11.1 | 8.5 | 7.5 | 9.4 |
101 | Pursuant to Section 24.1(1) of the Financial Administration Act, to forgive a debt | — | 0.7 | — | — |
105 | Grants and contributions | 11.6 | 15.2 | 16.3 | 22.0 |
(S) | Contributions to employee benefit plans | 1.3 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
Total | 24.0 | 25.3 | 24.8 | 32.4 |
Strengthen the full participation of women in the economic, social and cultural life of Canada
In 2008–2009, SWC sought to achieve a single strategic outcome: strengthen the full participation of women in the
economic, social and cultural life of Canada. While different players across the federal government do also contribute
to this outcome, SWC plays a crucial role in its realization. As such, the agency has developed a Performance Measurement
Framework to monitor progress, identify gaps and make adjustments to ensure this outcome. To monitor progress toward the
strategic outcome, SWC uses performance indicators that demonstrate the extent to which women are represented in senior
decision-making positions, the labour market and non-traditional occupations. To support this strategic outcome, SWC carries
out two program activities, as discussed below.
2008–2009 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Financial Resources ($ 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.
% | 2009 | 2008 | |
---|---|---|---|
Change | |||
ASSETS | |||
Financial assets | –38% | 61,193 | 98,279 |
Non-financial assets | –3% | 463,638 | 479,992 |
Total Assets | –9% | 524,831 | 578,271 |
LIABILITIES | |||
Total Liabilities | 21%a | 4,717,928 | 3,902,184 |
EQUITY | |||
Total Equity | 26% | (4,193,097) | (3,323,913) |
TOTAL | –9% | 524,831 | 578,271 |
% | 2009 | 2008 | |
---|---|---|---|
Change | |||
EXPENSES | |||
Total Expenses | 32% | 33,818,263 | 25,619,514 |
REVENUES | |||
Total Revenues | –28% | 145 | 202 |
NET COST OF OPERATIONS | 32% | 33,818,118 | 25,619,312 |
a The sharp increase in SWC’s Expenses and Liabilities is due to the increase in authorities as per Budget 2007. |
The Financial Statements of SWC can be found in the agency’s website at:
http://www.swc-cfc.gc.ca/account-resp/pr/fin/08-2009-eng.html.
The following supplementary information tables found in the 2008–2009 Departmental Performance Report can be found on the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat’s website at:
http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/dpr-rmr/2008-2009/index-eng.asp.
Table 1: User Fees/External Fees
Table 2: Details on Transfer Payment Programs (TPPs)
Table 3: Response to Parliamentary Committees and External Audits
Table 4: Internal Audits and Evaluations
In 2008–2009, SWC continued the process of modernizing its infrastructure and systems in order to provide senior management
with more accurate and reliable information to facilitate effective decision-making, thereby meeting accountability requirements
of the Government of Canada. Key departmental systems such as: the Network Operating software, security and suite of products,
the Free Balance financial system and the Human Resource Information System were modernized. As well, departmental financial
reporting and internal controls were improved to monitor compliance with departmental accountabilities.
As indicated in its Report on Plans and Priorities for 2008–2009, SWC enhanced its public affairs function in order to inform Canadians about its work and to respond to the increasing demand for information about gender-related subjects and government action on issues pertaining to women. As a result, in 2008–2009, SWC responded to an increased number of inquiries from the public and the media:
SWC was challenged to find innovative and effective methods to reach Canadians. This presented an ideal opportunity to rebrand and further develop SWC’s website, which had not been updated in recent years. With the goal of increasing SWC’s reach to Canadians, the new site was launched in December 2008 with the overall “common look-and-feel” theme for all Government of Canada websites.
In an effort to gain improved media coverage of Government of Canada achievements relating to women, SWC organized media events, showcasing projects that received support at local, regional and national levels. These events were publicized through media advisories and media releases. As a result, there has been increased media coverage of government activities related to gender equality.
Statutory Departmental Reports:
Status of Women Canada 2008–2009: Report on Plans and Priorities
Status of Women Canada 2007–2008 Departmental Performance Report
Contact Information: For questions on financial information provided in this DPR, please contact:
Cindy Paquette
Corporate Services
Telephone: 613-947-1453
Fax: 613-947-6113
E-mail: Cindy.Paquette@swc-cfc.gc.ca
For other questions, please contact:
Ainalem Tebeje
Communications and Strategic Planning
Telephone: 613-995-1811
Fax: 613-943-2386
E-mail: Ainalem.Tebeje@swc-cfc.gc.ca
For other information, please visit the SWC website: http://www.swc-cfc.gc.ca.
1 As an analytical approach, GBA takes into account the socio-economic situation of women and men in diverse population groups in order to determine differential impacts, thus informing the decision-making process. This is also known as intersectionality.
2 The PAA for 2009–2010 has been modified and changes will be reported on in the next Departmental Performance Report.
3 These performance indicators and the target are found in the MRRS approved by TBS for 2008–2009.
4 For details, refer to “Benefits for Canadians” in Section II.
5 The 2008–2009 priorities have contributed to the agency’s SO through specific results: strategic partnerships with various players, increased departmental capacity in applying GBA, enhanced central agency role in ensuring accountability for gender equality, increased awareness among women in identifying and addressing barriers.
6 Labour Force Survey 2007.
7 Examples of initiatives currently in progress: i) Supplier Diversity Initiative with WEConnect, ii) Experiences Program with Equal Voice.
8 This result was not identified in the 2008–2009 RPP. However, the MRRS of the agency shows that it is one of the expected results under Program Activity: Strategic policy advice and partnerships.
9 This performance indicator is found in the MRRS approved by TBS for 2008–2009.
10 The performance of SWC in 2008–2009 is comparatively similar to that of 2007–2008 in terms of the percentage of projects that succeeded in achieving the expected results.
11 These projects, approved in previous fiscal years, were under implementation during the reporting year.
12 These projects were approved in 2008–2009 and are currently being implemented.
13 10 per cent of funded projects that demonstrate level of women’s participation in their communities.
14 The expected result of this sub-activity is: engagement and support of other government departments in strategic partnerships on issues relating to human rights of Aboriginal women in the area of violence.