Status of Women Committee on Feb. 14th, 2008

[Hélène Dwyer-Renaud]

We haven't seen that, because what's interesting is that it is not tied to the individual. It's not like the position leaves with Robert, for example. It seems that the central agencies, if I'm correct, have entrenched the function of it within their department. So it's as if it was almost a position—we can't really use that term—but it is very much a responsibility that is there as a permanent responsibility inside the central agencies.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Would that be true of the analysts, too, within departments? We did hear on Tuesday that analysts come and go, and there was that possibility that the consistency might not be there or that the perspective that once was applied might change and shift.

[Hélène Dwyer-Renaud]

I come back to how I was answering Ms. Minna. That's the $64 million question. Does having an infrastructure, a gender focal point inside a department, work better than, for example, a department that doesn't have one but has made it a responsibility for all the officials in the department to have the training to become experts and to put it into their job? Depending on my days, sometimes it's good to have a gender focal point and sometimes it's not.

I've worked as a gender focal point in a department, and you do sometimes get ghettoized in a situation and you're not always part of what is going on in terms of the important issues that you'd like to be able to sink your teeth into, whereas when you have the accountability very high in a department and you have a deputy minister who basically says to all of his or her officials, “You must practise gender-based analysis, I want to see proof of this, and I want to see it in my business plans”...that's the model of CIC, for example.

I think it was Madame Bougie who commented about CIC. You can go to CIC's website, and every year they post their annual report. In their annual report—it's getting better and better—they provide their gender-based analysis as part of the report.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Thank you.

Now we go to Mrs. Grewal, for five minutes.

[Nina Grewal, Conservative, Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

How do we ensure that gender-based analysis is being appropriately done in central agencies and in government departments? Could you please comment on that?

[Hélène Dwyer-Renaud]

I think that's where we know that it is happening. Where we want to become more expert is in following the practices. In the future, we would like to improve our monitoring.

For many years, Status of Women Canada played a capacity-building and support role. We continue to do that. But now, with the relationship we've built with the central agencies, we have permission to become a little bit stronger in our resolve to get better reporting on the practices. I see this as an important part of our future approach.

[Nina Grewal, Conservative, Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC]

I see.

In your view, is it important to have research related to budgets, government expenditures, and government revenues? If so, why?

[Hélène Dwyer-Renaud]

I'm sorry, you asked if it was important to have research?

[Nina Grewal, Conservative, Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC]

Is it important to have research related to budgets, government expenditures, and government revenues? And why?

[Hélène Dwyer-Renaud]

The argument would be the same as for any issue that comes through government. One needs to know the impact on women compared with men. One needs to know if this will make a difference in respect of the legislation or the budget that is going to come through. It's definitely an important part of the process. It's not the only part, but it's an important part.

[Nina Grewal, Conservative, Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC]

Thank you.

Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Do you want to share your time?

[Nina Grewal, Conservative, Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC]

Yes, I'd like to share my time with Mr. Stanton.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Mr. Stanton, you have a few minutes.

[Bruce Stanton, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I was just looking at the government response to this committee's report on gender-based analysis in the 38th Parliament. There was also a second report that this committee obtained from the minister at that time, Bev Oda.

In the September 2005 government response, the government of the day made reference to an interdepartmental committee on gender equality. Then, in the second response, the government referenced a similar structure, and they called it a steering committee on gender equality. Could you give us an update on where either of these two sit? Is there still such a thing?

[Hélène Dwyer-Renaud]

The names have changed a little bit. There has always been what is called an interdepartmental committee on gender equality. It consists of about 24 departments and is chaired by Status of Women Canada. Its purpose is to bring the departments on board, to let them know what's going on, and to effect an overall exchange of government initiatives from a gender equality perspective.

[Bruce Stanton, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

How often does it meet?

[Hélène Dwyer-Renaud]

It usually meets about once a year, but it can be more often. For example, when we have years like the years of review under the UN, we may have meetings more often. The work is a little more entailed, and Status of Women Canada has to report on the work of 24 departments. But it touches base at least once a year. It should meet soon, so it can look at the project on indicators, because that project affects all departments.

[Bruce Stanton, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Sorry, go ahead.

[Hélène Dwyer-Renaud]

There is also an interdepartmental committee on gender-based analysis. It's smaller and has always included the more active departments. But we certainly don't stop any membership. We accept any department willing to sit there. The newcomers that we're all excited about are the central agencies. We have the cascading effect of the gender equality group and the gender-based analysis group.

With gender-based analysis, we have the steering committee that includes the three central agencies. In the 2005 response there was a call for champions across the board in all departments. By 2006, we realized this was not feasible, but the three central agencies said they could continue to have champions and agreed to be on the steering committee.

[Bruce Stanton, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

I have one final question.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

You have time for a very quick one.

[Bruce Stanton, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

In the last two years, has there been any diminishing of the structures around which GBA is provided, in the system of checks and balances, to ensure GBA across the departments?

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

You may give a very short answer.

[Hélène Dwyer-Renaud]

From an accountability point of view, no, I think it has increased. From a practice point of view, that's the $64 million question.