Status of Women Committee on Nov. 24th, 2020

[Nancy Gardiner]

To clarify, out of the capacity-building fund, 250 projects are specifically focused on that program or that element of our programming.

You're right. We do hear that there's a lot of support for the capacity-building fund and we know that organizations really are in need of that type of support to continue their important services. We are really happy that we were able to support over 250 projects of those organizations that applied and to provide them with continuing essential supports for women and those who use the services of those organizations.

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

You said these organizations come to you and express a need for that core funding. How do you think that could help them with future planning, especially when we see projections of how COVID-19 might not be the only pandemic that we will see?

Going forward, how would that core funding help organizations that help women?

[Nancy Gardiner]

I totally recognize your point. The support through the capacity-building fund allowed these organizations to have multi-year funding, which is something that is relatively recent for some of these women's organizations, as well. Even that enabled them to do planning for three to four years to support the work that they're doing. It also allowed them to diversify some of their funding sources, not just from governments, federal, provincial and other.

We understand that during COVID that's been a huge issue for these organizations. The support that we were able to provide to organizations during the COVID period gave them just that additional amount they needed, because there were limited amounts of availability for fundraising and things like that.

[The Chair, Conservative, Marilyn Gladu]

That's your time. I'm sorry.

Now we will go into our second round of questioning, beginning with the honourable Alice Wong for five minutes.

[Alice Wong, Conservative, Richmond Centre, BC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I would like to thank the deputy minister and her staff for coming to answer some of our very tough questions.

I'd like to ask whether the deputy minister could send my office a list of projects they have approved in the City of Richmond, which is the most diversified in the whole nation. Perhaps you could direct whoever is in charge to send me a list of the projects and the funding for women's organizations. As you said, they are dying for funding and yet fundraising is such a challenge. In fact, they asked me if I could help. Of course, as the MP, I'm trying my best. This is one request.

I want to get back to some really burning questions. Long-term care homes have been hard hit by COVID. Elderly women, especially those living in those seniors homes, probably need a lot of help, and need different departments to work together. I'm wondering if you could shed some light on whether there are any intergovernmental or interdepartmental efforts to handle these challenges in long-term care home situations.

[Nancy Gardiner]

Thank you very much for your question.

We've worked together before in other departments, and we've spoken a lot about this issue, for sure. We often work very closely with our ESDC colleagues, because in that department they have a lot of support for some of the programming you're speaking about. One example is the $9 million that was provided through the United Way to support services for Canadian seniors.

When we are talking about some of these difficult issues, we work interdepartmentally to see which department can look after which need. During COVID, we've been working very closely with colleagues at ISC and CIRNAC, ESDC, Public Safety and many departments to see where we can actually get programming that's going to meet the needs of our vulnerable populations.

Specifically for us, at Women and Gender Equality, we provide support and funding for organizations that are providing direct services to women and children, particularly around the COVID response. Your point is very well taken in terms of our working better and more closely with our interdepartmental colleagues to ensure we're meeting the needs of all of these folks, depending on the department's priority.

[Alice Wong, Conservative, Richmond Centre, BC]

Thank you very much. I'm glad to hear that, especially about the United Way's 211. I was the first minister, during my time as the minister, to initiate that. I'm glad that finally, after all these years...because I was no longer in the office after 2015. Thank you very much for that.

Still, it's not all national yet. There are still regions where 211 is not available. I'm hoping your department will keep working on that so that more seniors and the volunteers who are helping seniors can start using that line.

My other question is about caring for the caregivers. We know that a lot of women are caregivers, formally and informally, especially those who are actually doing unpaid jobs, like helping to look after a sick kid or helping to look after seniors at home. Some of them are now reluctant to send their seniors to long-term care because of the death toll. They need physical and/or mental support, as well. Is there any specific funding? I know there's a tax credit, but that doesn't meet all their needs. Could you, again, tell us what else your department can do to help these informal family caregivers?

[Nancy Gardiner]

As we talked about earlier, we at WAGE for sure have been able to provide supports for organizations that are providing critical services, specifically, though, for those individuals fleeing violence. However, there has been a lot of support provided for women's organizations to enhance their capacity.

We'll check. That is part of our mandate. Specific support to care workers or for those individuals providing that particular function is not within our area of work, but we can check to see what other sources could be available to you, or maybe we could—

[The Chair, Conservative, Marilyn Gladu]

Thank you very much.

Your time is up.

[Nancy Gardiner]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Marilyn Gladu]

I now give the floor to Mr. Serré for five minutes.

[Marc Serré, Liberal, Nickel Belt, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thanks to all the witnesses, who have been working diligently behind the scenes for several years, even decades, for gender equality.

I thank you for your commitment and your ongoing work in the field.

My first question is on GBA+. It has been around for 25 years, but governments weren't utilizing it. In the 2016 fall economic statement of our government, we committed to utilize it as an all-of-government approach. Our budget 2017 was the first budget ever in Canadian history that had a gender chapter in the budget itself.

We heard from witnesses. They may not be aware of what our government has done regarding the analysis, so I want the opportunity here for you to explain a bit about the process you undertake with all other departments to ensure that our legislation, budgets and programs have a GBA+ lens to them.

[Nancy Gardiner]

I'm going to let my colleague Lisa Smylie answer that question for you.

Thanks very much.

[Lisa Smylie]

Thank you for the question.

I'll start by talking about what GBA+ is and what GBA+ is not.

GBA+ is a tool that we use to take a look at how people are impacted by issues differently, how different groups are impacted differently, so that we can develop tailored, targeted policies, programs and other initiatives. It's also a tool we use to take a look at our programs for barriers or unintended negative impacts so that we can help mitigate them.

GBA+ is not a once-and-done analysis. You don't do GBA+ at the beginning to develop a program and then forget about it. In fact, you do GBA+ throughout your implementation. You're constantly looking at your programs and monitoring them, and re-evaluating and pivoting your programs, to respond to different impacts.

That is really important, because doing GBA+ on a program that exists, like the CERB, for example, once it's been implemented, is not an indicator of failure. It means we're doing GBA+ as we should be doing it.

In terms of how we go about doing GBA+ and our department's role in it, we developed a set of tools and training for other departments so that they can implement GBA+ as they are developing and implementing their initiatives in the context of COVID.

Here at WAGE, we developed a tiger team. Early in the pandemic, we took a look at gendered and intersectional impacts. We collected all of that evidence and we shared it with other federal departments so that they could use it in developing and tailoring their programs. We developed a set of tools to guide their GBA+. Then, as you pointed out, the GBA+s were published in the economic and fiscal update 2020.

WAGE is responsible for supporting Finance Canada in the gender analysis of the budget and the GBA+ process in gender budgeting.

[Marc Serré, Liberal, Nickel Belt, ON]

Thank you.

I want to ask two questions. I know I have a minute left, Madam Chair. I'm going to ask one question that you could answer in a written submission afterwards.

I want to understand this. First, in 2015, what was the overall budget for Status of Women? Second, what was the overall budget in 2019 for Status of Women? Third, what is the overall budget for 2020 because of COVID? Are you able to provide us later on with those three numbers on the revenue side to help us with our study?

My last question here, in 30 seconds, is on men and boys. We announced a budget of $1.8 million in 2018. What are we doing and what can we do more of to get men and boys involved?

I think we have 15 seconds before Madam Chair says anything.

[Nancy Gardiner]

We'll come back to you with your first question, if that's okay. We'll provide some written documentation on that.

Yes, the men and boys area has been a very critical area of our engagement in terms of the gender-based violence national action plan. We were able to—

[The Chair, Conservative, Marilyn Gladu]

Forgive me for interrupting you, but your time is up.

Ms. Larouche, you have the floor for two and a half minutes.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

I thank our witnesses for being here today.

It's always interesting to have the opportunity to speak with you.

A women's entrepreneurship program was announced this past September. As we have seen during the pandemic, it is still too difficult for women to get into business and be true women entrepreneurs.

Have you had discussions with Ms. Joly's and Ms. Ng's departments to see if the program could be adapted?

[Nancy Gardiner]

Thank you for your question.

Yes, as you have just indicated, the women's entrepreneurship strategy is not a strategy that falls within WAGE but is very critical to some of the success, obviously, of women small business owners. There's an investment at this point of nearly $5 billion. We work very closely with our interdepartmental colleagues, as one of your colleagues mentioned earlier, just to make sure we have that connection on the ground.

We know that the women's entrepreneurship fund has invested approximately $30 million directly in women-owned and -operated businesses. We know that a lot of this response is really important around the COVID crisis because of the large numbers of women who actually own and operate small businesses.

I'm going to check with my colleagues to see if there's anything further to add.

We're okay.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Gender equality tends to be lacking in SMEs. A lot of women still need to find their place and be encouraged through various programs.

We also know that the 2021 budget includes transfer payments of $57.5 million for women's programs from Women and Gender Equality Canada.

What types of projects and programs will receive grants and contributions under the women's program?

[Nancy Gardiner]

It does not fall within Women and Gender Equality's mandate. We would have to go back to the Department of ISED for specifics on some of the details related to those projects.

[The Chair, Conservative, Marilyn Gladu]

Thank you.

Now we'll go to Ms. Mathyssen for two and a half minutes.

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

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Many provinces have domestic violence leave. However, the federal government does not have an overarching leave strategy for women who are experiencing domestic violence. I'm wondering if there are any conversations, plans, planning projects or what have you to explore the idea of federal domestic violence leave, and specifically paid domestic violence leave.

[Nancy Gardiner]

I'll turn to my colleague.

[Danielle Bélanger]

Thank you for the question.

The government did change the laws to provide five days of paid leave to workers in federally regulated workplaces for survivors of family violence or for the parent of a child who is a victim of family violence. Over time, that is something that has come into place.

In provinces and territories, I know there are some discussions ongoing. We recognize that there is some uneven application. However, in terms of the Government of Canada, we certainly wanted to ensure that those laws of five days of paid leave were implemented for federally regulated workplaces.