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LEARNING FROM EXPERIENCE: LESSONS IN MAINSTREAMING EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

SECTION 6 MAINSTREAMING IN CANADA

Canada provides a case of a well established and integrated strategy for mainstreaming gender equality at Federal, Provincial and Territorial levels. There is apparent high level political will, strong legislation concerning gender equality and a long standing commitment to integrating gender equalities considerations into the policy making process. The Canadian government has had a long-standing formal commitment to the analysis of policy impacts on women. As early as 1976, all federal initiatives and decisions had to be assessed for their impact on women.

The legal foundation for gender equality was strengthened when the equality provisions of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms came into force in 1985. Sections 15 and 28 of the Charter outline a minimum standard of gender equality with which all governments in Canada (federal, provincial, and territorial) must comply in their legislation and programmes. It is argued that the equality provisions of the Charter have provided momentum for the application of gender-based analysis in the development of legislation. Champions of mainstreaming point out that gender-based analysis can prevent costly legal challenges under the Charter, while at the same time promote sound and effective public policies. ¹⁷⁸

In 1995, a systematic approach to gender mainstreaming was formally articulated in the Federal Plan for Gender Equality (see Fig. 6.1 below) which was presented to the UN Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. This approach was stated as a commitment to implementing gender-based analysis in the development of policies, programmes and legislation. Further commitments were made to develop analytic tools, training approaches and data for undertaking gender-based analysis.

The Federal government and the Provincial government of British Columbia are regarded as pioneers of mainstreaming tools in much of the emerging literature about mainstreaming. The Canadian Gender-based Analysis and the British Columbia Gender Lens frameworks have been widely used elsewhere; and inform the Commonwealth Secretariat Office's Gender Management System (see section 2 of this report).

Canadians use the term 'gender-based analysis' to describe gender mainstreaming activity, analysis and research. Gender-based analysis (GBA) is defined by Status of Women Canada as:

• A process that assesses the differential impact of proposed and/or existing policies, programmes and legislation on women and men. GBA makes it possible for policy to be undertaken with an appreciation of gender differences, of the nature of relationships between women and men and of their different social realities, life expectations and economic circumstances.
• A tool for understanding social processes and for responding with informed and equitable options. Gender-based analysis compares how and why women and men are affected by policy issues, and challenges the assumption that everyone is affected by policies, programmes and legislation in the same way regardless of gender.

Figure 6.1 Federal Plan for Gender Equality

Canada has a federal system in which the federal government has responsibility for policy and programmes in certain sectors, the provinces in others and some responsibilities are shared. Some policy areas of particular concern to women are largely the responsibility of provincial governments, these include: employment standards and benefits; social services; education; and marital property. Federal government responsibilities include: monetary and fiscal policy; trade; national health standards; and unemployment insurance.

Since important gender equality issues are often affected by actions of more than one level of government, intergovernmental collaboration is seen as crucial to promote coherence between federal and provincial/territorial approaches. Since 1982, partnership and collaboration have existed among the federal, provincial and territorial governments to advance women's equality through the efforts of the Ministers Responsible for the Status of Women. Meeting on an annual basis, Ministers have, among other things, worked together on policy issues and raised public awareness on areas of concern to women. For example, a joint initiative of Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers responsible for the Status of Women resulted in the 1997 publication entitled Economic Gender Equality Indicators.

FEDERAL LEVEL

The following section draws upon the questionnaire response of the Status of Women Canada/ Condition Féminine Canada (SWC). SWC is a department of the federal government reporting to the Secretary of State (Status of Women). It provides expertise and strategic advice on gender equality to the Secretary of State, and also advises Ministers, Departments and Agencies on issues affecting women. SWC currently has a staff of around a hundred and takes a leadership role in gender mainstreaming/gender-based analysis activities.

The Canadian case for mainstreaming

According to SWC, the aim of the gender-based analysis process is to integrate a gender perspective into policy analysis and development. The gender-based analysis process:

• is intended to be one aspect of a comprehensive approach to policy development and to enhance the quality of current analysis;
• integrates gender into each step of the policy development process; is easy to use;
• is not a check-list: the questions and examples are meant to stimulate reflection and further inquiry;
• relies on the existing expertise and abilities of those involved in policy development and analysis; and,
• assumes that those responsible for policy development and analysis will adapt the method to their own style and circumstances.

Co-ordination of Mainstreaming

SWC is the key co-ordinating mechanism for mainstreaming in terms of both fostering partnerships between departments and jurisdictions, and amongst other stakeholders and NGOs; and in terms of co-ordinating policies and programmes and developing tools and techniques. A Director of Gender Based Analysis has been appointed for two years to promote greater understanding and use of gender-based analysis across government departments and agencies. The role of the Director is to encourage and assist other federal departments and agencies to set up their own processes to ensure that gender-based analysis is incorporated into all of their policy and programme development activities. Specific actions that will be pursued include:

• working with departments to create action plans to integrate gender-based analysis in their work;
• developing training modules for departments and other interested parties;
• establishing accountability and evaluative processes to assess progress made;
• building a resource library, developing further reference materials and tools for the use of departments, and encouraging them to develop and use their own sectoral tools; and
• establishing appropriate interdepartmental mechanisms to advance implementation.

The Director chairs an Interdepartmental Committee on Gender-Based Analysis (IDC on GBA), a focal point for co-ordination, facilitation and support of gender-based analysis activities across federal government departments and agencies. Comprised of gender specialist representatives from a variety of federal departments, including Justice, Health, Citizenship and Immigration, Human Resources Development, Indian and Northern Affairs, Canadian Heritage and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the committee is active in identifying and sharing GBA information and resources, including best practices on implementing GBA and gender-based analysis training tools.

SWC also promotes debate and understanding of gender-based analysis through policy discussion at roundtables and workshops with both government and non-government actors.

Although SWC has a leadership role, all other government ministries are responsible for implementing the government's commitment to gender-based policy analysis within their own departments. Several ministries had established an office or unit on women's issues before 1995, and the 1995 commitment to gender-based analysis has encouraged others to take a similar step. Examples include:

The Women's Health Bureau of Health Canada promotes gender-based analysis of policies and programmes within Health Canada by developing health sector-specific tools and training, and by providing advice and resource materials. It has 15 staff. Its work is strengthened by inputs from five Centres of Excellence for Women's Health (see below).

• Human Resources Development Canada has a Women's Bureau that was initially established in 1954, in what was then the Department of Labour. The staff of the Women's Bureau work as policy and programme advisors to departmental officials on the practice of gender-based analysis.
• The Department of Justice established the Office of the Senior Advisor on Gender Equality in 1996. The Office consists of a Senior Advisor plus two gender equality analysts. Major activities include: designing analytical tools to conduct gender equality analysis in the areas of litigation, legal opinion, legislative drafting, policy and programme development, and management practices and policies; developing and offering training modules on the application of gender equality analysis in law; designing awareness mechanisms; and contributing to the analysis of all substantive issues arising in the Department to ensure that they are examined from a gender equality perspective.
• The Office of the Senior Advisor on Aboriginal Women's Issues and Gender Equality was established by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada in 1998 and is assisted by a department-wide Advisory Committee on Gender Equality (ACGE), including representatives from both regional offices and headquarters.
• The International Women's Equality Section of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade functions as the focal point on issues of gender equality and women's human rights within the Department. It also serves to integrate these issues into foreign policy development, Canada's input into world conferences and the work of multilateral organisations.
• The Gender Equality Division of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) is the agency's focal point for gender equality. Its activities include the development of mechanisms to mainstream gender perspectives into CIDA's management, planning and performance assessment systems; contributing to the Agency's knowledge base on gender equality; participation in conferences and international policy dialogue on gender equality; and the management of information on gender equality issues, particularly lessons drawn from gender equality policy implementation in developing countries.

These offices and advisors have been instrumental in assisting departments to formulate their own specific strategies for gender-based analysis and gender-equitable policies. Two specific examples which illustrate gender mainstreaming strategies at the sectoral level are described below:

Health Canada

On March 8, 1999, the Minister of Health launched Health Canada's Women's Health Strategy, a framework to guide Health Canada in addressing biases and inequities in the health system. The strategy's main objectives are:

• To ensure that Health Canada's policies and programmes are responsive to sex and gender differences, and to women's health needs;
• To increase the knowledge and understanding of women's health, and women's health needs;
• To support the provision of effective health services to women; and
• To promote good health through preventive measures and the reduction of risk factors that most imperil the health of women.

The strategy provides for the development of tools, methods and training materials appropriate to the health sector to assist in implementing gender-impact assessments. Health Canada is assisted by the Centres of Excellence for Women's Health, several of which have undertaken projects to survey and analyse existing tools and curricula, upon which health sector-specific tools and programmes will be developed.

Justice Canada

The Department of Justice established its Gender Equality Initiative in 1996 with the goal of preventing and eliminating systemic gender discrimination in the Canadian Justice system, and in the policies and practices of the Department of Justice. Since then, Justice Canada has:

• Adopted the policy of the department of justice on gender equality analysis;
• Established a network of over 55 gender equality specialists to act as resource persons for their colleagues on the application of a gender-equality analysis in their area of responsibility; and
• Prepared diversity and justice: gender perspectives, a manual of " critical questions to be asked at each step of policy development, litigation, prosecutions, legal advice and legislative and regulatory drafting processes to ensure that gender is taken into account, inequality is identified and remedies are developed."

Mainstreaming day to day

A range of different actors are involved in mainstreaming on a day to day basis. They include policy makers and people (often from Human Resources division of departments) who act as gender equality focal points in a select number of departments. Most departments have also used experts to assist analysis, most often academics coming from sector disciplines.

Timely, policy relevant research is seen as a crucial component of the Canadian mainstreaming strategy.

All stages of the gender-based analysis process - from the development and analysis of policy options and recommendations to the indicators used in the policy evaluation - depend on the availability and accessibility of timely, policy-relevant research. There are many individuals, agencies and institutions participating in the development of research which addresses the impact of gender on women and men's status in diverse sectors of Canadian life. ¹⁷⁹

Key contributors at the federal level in this area of policy research include:

• Policy Research Fund: SWC's Policy Research Fund (PRF), launched in 1996, aims to support forward-thinking, independent, and nationally-relevant policy research on gender equality issues and by so doing 'improve the quality of public debate and policy deliberations on gender equality.' Approximately $1.2 million annually is available for research, translation, publication and report distribution. The research is funded on a competitive, call-for-proposal process. A small, non-governmental external committee (nominated by constituents) plays a key role in identifying priorities and research themes, choosing research proposals to be funded and exercising quality control over the final research products.
• Statistics Canada: Statistics Canada's role in compiling and disseminating gender-disaggregated data is a crucial component in the development of relevant policy research for gender-based analysis. In partnership with the Policy Research Fund at SWC (see above), Statistics Canada published Finding Data on Women: A Guide to Major Sources at Statistics Canada, a document which provides information on gender-disaggregated data sources that can be used in carrying out gender-based analysis.
• Centres of Excellence for Women's Health: In 1996, in response to the lack of research in the area of women's health, Health Canada's Women's Health Bureau established five Centres of Excellence for Women's Health across Canada. The Centres of Excellence have been provided with six-year federal funding to conduct policy-based research on women's health and to facilitate collaboration on women's health policy research among academics, community agencies, health professionals, service providers and women themselves.
• Policy Research Secretariat: The Policy Research Initiative (PRI), housed in the Policy Research Secretariat, brings together over thirty federal departments and agencies, organised into four interdepartmental research networks - Growth, Human Development, Social Cohesion, and Global Challenges and Opportunities.
• The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC): is Canada's federal funding agency for university-based research and graduate training in the social sciences and humanities. SSHRC plays a key role in sponsoring research which informs gender-based analysis work.

Consultation

Consultation and the participation of groups and individuals in the policy making process have been identified as an important plank of any mainstreaming strategy. Consultation with external organisations was not new to Canadian policy making but expanding the range of groups with which officials consult, including women's groups, has been a new feature.

Canada has a well developed network of over 1,500 women's organisations, which plays a significant role in gender mainstreaming and setting local, regional and national agendas for gender equality. As CSW state:

The importance of violence against women on the public policy agenda is an excellent example of how women's voices and experiences have shaped legislation, policies and programmes in recent years. This contribution could not have occurred without thousands of individuals in communities donating their time and expertise to improve the lives of women. ¹⁸⁰

SWC run a network of regional representatives who maintain regular contact with women's organisations across Canada. SWC's Women's Program also provides financial and administrative support to a wide range of community, regional, provincial and national organisations: in 1997-98, a total of 348 projects and organisations were funded with grants totalling $8.165 million. Further, non-monetary support for groups and individuals includes assistance with identifying alternative funding sources, information-sharing on best practices, direction on organisational development and institutional change, and direct involvement in the development and implementation of projects.

Consultation provides the government with information about the ideas and concerns of Canadian women on public policy issues affecting them. For example, as part of consultations on proposed changes to Canada's pension system, SWC organised a policy roundtable focused on gender implications. The roundtable brought together departmental representatives, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and provincial governments. Women's organisations also participate in the public consultations on the annual federal budget held by the Department of Finance, or meet with the Minister of Finance and other key Cabinet Ministers, including the Secretary of State (Status of Women), to provide their input.

In 1996, SWC undertook a series of consultation meetings with groups across Canada, seeking advice on various aspects of its work. One outcome of that process was the production of a Discussion Paper on types of formal and informal consultation approaches, their frequency and their resource implications. The Discussion Paper was circulated to women's organisations and other equality-seeking organisations, and their comments have been taken into consideration for the Consultation Policy that SWC will soon be launching.

Consultations on policy issues and options with women's and other equality-seeking organisations, as well as civil society, is an important part of gender-based analysis. Such consultations complement the technical aspects of analysis with qualitative means of ensuring that conclusions and proposals reflect women's views. Perceptions of the value of such consultations among NGOs are influenced by the extent to which they believe that their views are heard and responded to, particularly given that consultations can be a time and resource-consuming process for all parties involved. ¹⁸¹

Training needs and methodologies

The development of tools and methodologies - particularly tools and methodologies specific to particular ministries and policy sectors - is widely recognised as a major requirement for effective mainstreaming around the world.

According to mainstreaming co-ordinators in Canada a gender mainstreaming/gender-based analysis strategy differs from previous equalities strategies in a number of respects: firstly, it is systematic rather than ad hoc; secondly, it does not start solely from an inequality situation but aims at all policy sectors, including those which may appear gender neutral on the surface (for instance, tax policy); thirdly, it is a process and not an end on to itself and may result in women specific measures and/or integrative type results; fourthly, it involves not only equalities specialists but also a wider group of policy actors, including those 'ordinary' folks involved in day-to-day policy analysis and development. SWC caution that although this involvement can be seen as a strength of mainstreaming it can also sometimes be a weakness, 'if training is not provided to these actors they may not be able to detect discrimination or develop policies in support of equality'. ¹⁸²

The Canadian response has been to provide intensive and ongoing training and to devise a general framework for the implementation of gender-based analysis upon which specific departments could build. SWC prepared a manual entitled Gender-Based Analysis: A guide for policy-making (see Section 2 of this report for more details). Since then several sector-specific manuals have been produced. They include:

• Human Resources and Employment: the Women's Bureau has undertaken resource and research initiatives, such as the development of a Gender-Based Analysis Guide (1997) and a Gender-Based Analysis Backgrounder (1997);
• Legal Analysis: A Department of Justice manual entitled Diversity and Justice: Gender Perspectives, provides guidance in taking up gender equality issues in policy development, litigation, prosecutions, legal advice, and legislative and regulatory drafting processes;
• International Development Co-operation: the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) which has considerable experience of implementing an agency-wide approach to gender analysis, has recently produced a Guide to Gender-Sensitive Indicators, with an accompanying project level handbook;
• Aboriginal Affairs: Indian and Northern Affairs Canada has developed a Gender Equality Policy, a manual for the application of gender equality analysis, and modules for training within the department.

Monitoring and Evaluation

Robust systems of monitoring and evaluation have been highlighted by experts, such as the Council of Europe Expert Group, as crucial components of an effective mainstreaming strategy. Canada has devoted attention to gender equality indicators which are seen as important for measuring progress toward gender equality, and for identifying differences between women and men in factors that influence well-being. A joint federal-provincial/territorial initiative resulted in the 1997 publication of Economic Gender Equality Indicators (EGEIs), a set of benchmarks to assess the relative status of women and men, and to measure change over time. Indices included make comparisons between women and men in such areas as earnings, income from all sources, paid and unpaid work, education and training. According to SWC, the indicators work best, for policy purposes, when taken as a set because the interaction of income, work and learning is usually more complex for women than it is for men. The indicators deliberately challenge traditional assumptions and male norms, in favour of a more inclusive standard, and find new ways of using existing data to highlight realities that are often obscured.

For example, until recently, there has been little data to describe the organisation of work and its implications. Public debate and public policy tended to be based on untested and often faulty assumptions. The picture provided by the set of indicators reflects the overall gendered structure of our society - that is, women work longer hours than men, they are pursuing training and higher education to a greater extent than men, but their earnings and income are still far lower than men's. The major factor in this disparity has been shown to be the social and economic organisation of the care of children and other dependants. ¹⁸³

Provincial and Territorial Governments

Provincial and Territorial governments have also developed policies and established mechanisms to promote consideration of gender equality issues in policy formulation. Some Provincial and Territorial governments have created action plans to implement the Beijing Platform for Action within their jurisdictions. Many have made a formal political commitment to integrate gender-based analysis in their policies and programmes. Some of the approaches taken by other governments are discussed below. The Provincial Government of British Columbia is of particular note.

BRITISH COLUMBIA

The information in this section is largely derived from the questionnaire responses from the Ministry of Women's Equality, British Columbia; the Ministry's web site; and the questionnaire response from Status of Women Canada.

British Columbia has developed an integrated programme for gender equality in government. In 1993, it introduced gender-based analysis across government - into all legislation, policy and programme development - by formalising a process for the inclusion of a gender impact analysis in all Cabinet submissions. This has meant that across government, each new policy, programme and legislative proposal for Cabinet consideration must include an analysis of the differential impacts on women and men and of whether the policy recommendation supports equality for women: an equity impact assessment. Equity impact assessmentsrefer to an analysis of implications not only in the area of gender but also sustainable development, social, regional and community issues, other equity groups, and health. This reflects the international UN recommendation of 'an active and visible' policy of mainstreaming a gender perspective in all policies and programmes which was endorsed in the Platform for Action at the UN Fourth World Conference on Women at Beijing in 1995.

Government-wide efforts to achieve gender equality are co-ordinated by a number of central agencies and the Ministry of Women's Equality (see below), but work is initiated and implemented in all ministries. The Ministry of Women's Equality was established in British Columbia in 1991 and is Canada's first and only free-standing ministry dedicated to equality for women.

The primary mainstreaming instrument is Gender Lens: A Guide to Gender-Inclusive Policy and Program Development (revised 1997) to support policy and programme makers to recognise the potential impacts of public policy and to design policies and programmes that recognise the experiences of women and effectively meet the needs of women and men. It aims to achieve equal outcomes for women and men by recognising that equal treatment may not necessarily produce equitable results because women and men have different life experiences. The Ministry also provides expert advice and conducts training sessions. A fuller discussion of the Gender Lens tool can be found in Section 2 of this report. A Disability Lens and an Aboriginal Lens have also been developed.

Co-ordination

British Columbia's strategy for integrating gender-inclusive analysis into policy and programme development was endorsed by the Cabinet (elected ministers) and is supported by Government Caucus (elected ministers and officials) and senior officials. Overall responsibility is held by Cabinet Operations, which provides policy, operational and administrative support services to the Premier and Cabinet. The Co-ordination of Agencies, Boards and Commissions Branch, responsible for liaison and administrative support for independent public agencies, boards and commissions and the government's commissions of inquiry, is responsible for ensuring that gender balance is considered in all public appointments.

The strategy is co-ordinated through the Government Policy and Communications Office (GPCO), the office which provides strategic planning and policy advice and operational support to Cabinet and Cabinet committees. It receives the ongoing support of the Ministry of Women's Equality in assisting GPCO and ministries to conduct gender-inclusive analysis.

The Ministry of Women's Equality (MWE), the GPCO and Cabinet Operations are involved on a day to day basis, as well as any line ministry preparing a Cabinet submission. The Co-ordination of Agencies, Boards and Commissions Branch is involved whenever public appointment recruitment and appointment processes are underway.

Some of the people working in these areas would have been involved in equalities work prior to the introduction of mainstreaming. However, according to the MWE, work is now more 'co-ordinated, integrative and consistent'. Gender-inclusive analysis was certainly new to some of the line ministry staff.

MWE provides advice to ministries and the Government Policy and Communications Office. It conducts training sessions on gender-inclusive analysis to strengthen government's ability to work from a gendered perspective. It has also developed tools such as Gender Lens: A Guide to Gender-Inclusive Policy and Program Development to support policy makers in understanding the concept of gender equality; in recognising the potential impacts of public policy; and in designing policies and programmes which incorporate the experiences and perspectives of women.

MWE worked in consultation with, or relied on, the work of academics and other organisations and jurisdictions in developing the Gender Lens training tool (i.e. organisations such as the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the United Nations and other governments across Canada and the world, particularly Status of Women Canada, New Zealand and Australia, and Scandinavian countries).

Training

British Columbia invested in a comprehensive programme of training in recognition that policy and programme developers needed help to integrate a gender-inclusive analysis into their work. For example, in 1994, MWE undertook a series of 14 training sessions across government involving 150 policy and programme developers. Training continues, as requested or required, and has been expanded to include professional schools such as university social work classes. MWE staff also give individual assistance to policy and programme developers working on specific projects.

According to MWE mainstreaming has effected certain changes in terms of the way that people think about their work and the way that policy is formulated.

Implementing gender-inclusive analysis is an ongoing process. It has raised awareness of the differences in women's and men's lives, particularly those that lead to social and economic inequality for women, and of the need to examine our own values, biases and experiences that influence our work. It has increased the sensitivity to the differential impact of policies on women and men and demonstrated how a consideration of these differential impacts can lead to more informed decision-making, increased efficiency and effectiveness, and the removal of barriers to women's full participation in society, to the benefit of all.

Gender mainstreaming (through the process of integrating gender-inclusive analysis in all phases of policy/programme development cycle) has also clearly strengthened the policy development process overall. An assessment of differential factors affecting women and men are considered in the identification of an issue; the defining of goals and outcomes; the identification of information and consultation needs; the research - including cross-departmental work and consultation with external agencies; the development and analysis of options and recommendations; the communications strategy; and policy/programme evaluation. ¹⁸⁴

Concrete examples

Some concrete examples and outcomes using gender-inclusive analysis in policy/programme development in British Columbia are outlined below.

1. THE JUSTICE GENDER EQUALITY INITIATIVE

An example of mainstreaming in operation can be seen in the Ministry of the Attorney General's Gender Equality Initiative aimed at securing equality for women in law and the administration of justice. It works with the Ministry for Women's Equality and with other ministries, including Skills, Training and Labour; Social Services; Health; Education; Aboriginal Affairs; and the ministry responsible for immigration and multiculturalism, who develop policy and provide related services that have a direct effect on women's experience of the justice system in BC. In addition to the provincial government, other justice system partners - the police, the judiciary, the legal community and numerous non-governmental organisations - are recognised to play key roles that affect women's experiences of the justice system and are involved in the initiative.

The Ministry produces an annual report of its progress which also serves as a basis for annual consultation with those individuals and groups interested in the priorities and proposed activities that comprise the Gender Equality Plan. Key areas of work since 1994 have included domestic violence, child abuse and sexual abuse, and community safety. Changes have also been made to the British Columbia benefits legislation (in respect of income assistance and poverty reduction initiatives) and Family Maintenance Enforcement Programme (a provincial programme permitting the enforcement of wage garnishing orders) as a result of consultation and Gender Lens analysis. For example, new regulations have made it easier for the courts to obtain information about assets of the absent parents, and overdue payments are subject to interest charges. The changes ease the ordeal of pursuing support and help provide financial stability for children whose parents separate. In 1997/98, the programme collected more than $86 million in child support payments. In addition, British Columbia has led the way in addressing the problem of enforcing orders beyond provincial boundaries. To assist in locating persons in default on child support payments, they negotiated an agreement on behalf of all jurisdictions across Canada that provides access to motor vehicle information through the Inter provincial Records Exchange database. ¹⁸⁵

2. Highway Constructors Limited:

An equity component was built into large infrastructure projects such as the Vancouver Island Highway Project to ensure that women and other equity groups received their share of employment and training opportunities. Equity initiatives on the highway project included active recruitment from the communities along the highway; provision of education and awareness-raising regarding equity, diversity and harassment; training for equity groups and welfare recipients for jobs on the project in the areas of labouring, heavy equipment operations and truck driving; training support such as upgrading or life skills and workplace training and support.

At the time of the project onset, it was estimated that women comprised less than one per cent of those working in construction occupations. Monitoring reports for the Vancouver Island Highway Project indicate that between July 1994 and March 1999, 15 per cent of total workers hired were from one of the equity groups (women - 6 per cent; First Nations people 7 per cent; visible minorities - 2 per cent; and people with a disability - 1 per cent).

When this same model was applied to another infrastructure project, the High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes Construction Project, 'equity hires' between July 1997 and March 1999 represented 23 per cent of all hires (women, 11 per cent; First Nations people, 5 per cent; visible minorities, 8 per cent; and people with a disability 0 per cent).

3. Industry, Training and Apprenticeship Commission (ITAC)

In 1997, the government of British Columbia established the Industrial Training and Apprenticeship Commission (ITAC) to create:

An industry driven training and apprenticeship system that is accessible and responsive; assesses the needs of the British Columbia labour market; increases the number of skilled persons in designated trades and occupations; and increases the proportion of under-represented groups in designated trades and occupations. ¹⁸⁶

To help achieve these aims, the Deputy Minister of Women's Equality sits as a member of the commission's board; an Equity in Apprenticeship Committee was formed; and a gender-inclusive lens has been applied both to the development of strategies and to joint initiatives between ITAC, business, labour and education.

According to the Ministry of Women's Equality , the results have been positive: in 1998, 24 per cent of new apprentices in British Columbia were female (118/506) as compared with only 8 per cent in the previous year (26/326).

Joint projects have been run, such as one between the British Columbia Institute of Technology, the Ministry of Women's Equality and ITAC which helped to fund training for women in aluminium ship welding. When twelve women graduated from the programme in 1998, they became the second group of women trained with the skills to construct the new fast ferries at Vancouver Shipyards.

4. AGENCIES, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS

The Co-ordination of Agencies, Boards and Commissions Branch is responsible for ensuring that gender balance is considered in all public appointments. In March 1999, 1,377 women out of 3,258 appointees held positions on community agencies, boards and commissions; of the 380 chairs or vice-chairs, 119 are women.

MAINSTREAMING IN OTHER CANADIAN PROVINCES AND TERRITORIES

The following section gives brief information on mainstreaming strategies in other Canadian provinces and territories:

Alberta

Conducts gender-based analysis on an informal basis with other departments, primarily through involvement on interdepartmental committees.

Saskatchewan

The province has produced a gender-inclusive analysis guide. It also holds workshops on gender-inclusive analysis. GBA also incorporates the diversity of aboriginal and non-aboriginal perspectives.

Manitoba

The Manitoba Women's Directorate has taken a pivotal role in facilitating the incorporation of gender analysis in the development of government policy and programmes, through the development of a 'hands on' guide to assist in the implementation of gender-inclusive analysis in all departments, along with a training workshop to accompany the guide. A pilot workshop was held in June of 1999 for Senior Policy staff from government departments and received an overwhelming response. A second workshop was sponsored in October 1999.

Ontario

The Secretary of Cabinet issued a directive to departments to consult the Ontario Women's Directorate when a substantial impact on women is anticipated in relation to a submission to Cabinet. Consultations with departments and analysis of gender impacts occur through the involvement of the Ontario Women's Directorate on inter ministerial committees or through established links with other departments; at other times it is done on an informal basis (for example, through work with analysts in other departments).

Québec

The Ministère du Conseil Exécutif (executive council), the Secrétariat du Conseil du Trésor (Treasury Board Secretariat) and the Secrétariat à la Condition Féminine (Status of Women Secretariat) are jointly responsible for the work of the interdepartmental committee for the integration of gender-differentiated analysis (GDA) into the public policy process of the Government of Quebec. A steering committee composed of deputy ministers ensures the involvement of senior officials, the taking of decisions on proposed recommendations, the adoption of necessary instruments, the implementation of strategies and the dissemination of selected approaches. In addition to consulting with academics and non-governmental organisations, the working group reviewed the literature and examined experiences in Europe, Oceania and North America. It also reviewed governmental and departmental mechanisms governing the adoption of legislation, policies, programmes and other measures. Two pilot projects are underway.

The Quebec Ministère des Finances (finance department) is developing a statistical tool to analyse the impact of fiscal policies on women and on men .The pilot project run in 1999 examined the impact of certain personal taxation policies on women and men, respectively. Tax payers have been classified according to sex, type of household and other socio-economic variables, these fiscal statistics have then been used to assess the effect of various tax concessions. The final phase of the project was concerned with developing examples of how to make use of such statistics throughout the Department of Finance. ¹⁸⁷

Mainstreaming the needs of elderly persons: The Quebec Ministère de la Santé et des Services Sociaux (Health and Social Services Department) is integrating GBA into the Guidelines for dependent elderly persons. The project involves the Quebec government together with regional health and social services boards and will feed into the reorganisation of all long-term services for the elderly. The project's main aim has been to map the position of elderly women and elderly men in respect of factors such as income, isolation, longevity, type of incapacity and level of dependency in order to devise the appropriate strategy for each group. The project recognises that care of elderly people is also a gendered issue, therefore the needs of carers - predominantly women - are also being taken into account. Health and social service professionals, elderly people, groups of women and academic gender experts have all been consulted in the drafting of the guidelines.

Another aim of the project is to devise a gender analysis approach which is suitable for politicians and public officials in the Department of Health and Social Services and its network. Monitoring will be carried out in the year following implementation to find out to what extent the network is using the guidelines. Training and awareness raising courses will then be devised to meet identified needs. According to the project organisers, whilst mapping work has been successful and there is high level political will, resistance is anticipated at implementation stage in some of the regional and local authorities and boards in Quebec, especially if the implications are to redistribute resources. 'It is a question of changing people's mentalities.' ¹⁸⁸

New Brunswick

The Executive Council Office has prepared a guide on gender-based analysis and a statistical profile on New Brunswick women that have been sent to all departments for use in evaluating the gender impact of policies and programmes.

Nova Scotia

The Advisory Council on the Status of Women undertakes policy analysis and information-sharing with other departments. It is establishing an interdepartmental working group to examine resource and training needs to develop a more formal approach to gender-based analysis as part of the policy process within the government.

Prince Edward Island

An interdepartmental policy forum, with representatives from each department of the provincial government, was established in 1996. In its first year of operations the policy forum examined and evaluated a number of tools to improve the integration of gender considerations in policy and programme making directions, which had been developed in other jurisdictions and sectors. It has not as yet developed or adopted any one tool.

Newfoundland

The Women's Policy Office has developed gender analysis guidelines. It has offered assistance to other departments on the use of these guidelines, through workshops. A preliminary analysis of follow-up surveys conducted with workshop participants indicates that 28.5 per cent of respondents reported that they are using the gender inclusive analysis guidelines, and another 32 per cent are applying some aspects of the knowledge and skills they gained from the workshops in their policy and programme work. The Women's Policy Office is also involved in assisting other departments with gender based analysis through involvement on interdepartmental committees.

Yukon

The government is committed to carrying out an awareness of gender considerations. The Cabinet has emphasised the need to consider impact on women and aboriginal populations in the preparation of Cabinet submissions and in public consultations. This has been encouraged through the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Social Issues and the strong support of their Minister, whose responsibility for several portfolios, including Justice and Education, has made collaboration easier. Gender-based analysis is carried out on an informal basis with assistance from the Women's Directorate.

Northwest Territories

The Women's Advisory Office works on an informal basis with policy analysts in other departments to ensure the integration of gender considerations in their work.

Nunavut

The new territory of Nunavut, formed in April, 1999, is exploring gender-based analysis resources, tools and training through the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth.

CANADIAN LESSONS

In our experience, we've found that the process of implementing effective gender-based analysis depends on: high level support within government to implement and hold line ministries accountable; capacity to do gender-based analysis (ongoing training; training tools such as Gender Lens and A Facilitator's Guide for Workshops on Gender Lens; collection of gender disaggregated data); managing the process (ongoing liaison and co-ordination between the Government Policy and Communications Office and the Ministry of Women's Equality; reporting of policy/programme outcomes; management of emerging issues; and, in a broader context, development of indicators to assess progress made toward gender equality. ¹⁸⁹

Lessons can be drawn from both the Canadian and the British Columbian case about the criteria for successful mainstreaming. They include:

• Political commitment to the principles and goals of mainstreaming (a social justice strategy to create a fairer society; respect for diversity). For example, the Canadian Government has endorsed mainstreaming in the Federal Plan for Gender Equality; Ministers and politicians in British Columbia have maintained and supported the strategy since 1993;
• High level support within government to implement and hold line ministries accountable. For example, in British Columbia each new policy, programme and legislative proposal for Cabinet consideration must include an Equity impact assessment, thisrefers to an analysis of implications not only in the area of gender but also sustainable development, social, regional and community issues, other equity groups, and health. The Ministry for Women's Equality In British Columbia, is clear that the introduction of a Cabinet requirement for gender-inclusive analysis to be done has been critical for ensuring that this analysis be done well, on a consistent basis, and with some accountability measures in place;
• Building capacity to do gender-based analysis (ongoing training; development of tools; support for departments to develop their own sectoral tools; collection of gender disaggregated data; timely policy relevant research; expert support). For example, the Canadian Justice Department has established a network of 55 gender equality specialists to assist their colleagues in mainstreaming. Canada has also established research centres of excellence for Women's Health established to meet policy information needs in this area;
• Realistic resources. For example, the Status of Women Canada currently has 100 staff;
• Managing the process (ongoing liaison and co-ordination between relevant departments and at different levels of government; sharing of resources and good practice). In both cases, women's policy machinery, plays a vital co-ordinating role. At Federal level, a Director of Gender Based Analysis has been appointed to co-ordinate the strategy and maintain momentum;
• Communication and consultation with women's groups and equity groups; For example, women's organisations are consulted on the annual federal budget. Both governments consult widely with women and maintain extensive contact with women's organisations;
• Systems of reporting, monitoring and evaluating outcomes. For example, a joint federal-provincial/territorial initiative resulted in the 1997 publication of Economic Gender Equality Indicators (EGEIs), a set of benchmarks to assess the relative status of women and men, and to measure change over time. Indices include comparisons between women and men in such areas as earnings, income from all sources, paid and unpaid work, and education and training; and
• Management of emerging issues. This has included adapting to changing political and economic circumstances. For example, greater devolution to provincial/ territorial government level has meant that several key policy areas are no longer within the jurisdiction of the federal government and there is variability in the degree to which gender based analysis is implemented. ¹⁹⁰ In addition, government at all levels in Canada - in line with governmental trends in much of Northern and Western Europe - has been undergoing restructuring and 'downsizing' which can, without care, lead to a deprioritising of equalities work.

Significant progress has been made in both governments towards establishing a 'positive environment' for implementing the policy commitment to gender-based analysis, and in increasing understanding and debate both within and outside government on a broader range of policy options; however both report difficulties and outstanding concerns. Despite much progress in developing data that reflects women's experiences, initiatives in gender-based analysis have revealed major gaps that inhibit assessments of issues and policy options. Although there is commitment, implementation has, in practice, been uneven both within sectors and across sectors. Resistance has been encountered within the various departments, offices and ministries, which is attributed to three common reasons: policy/programme developers do not understand the need for gender analysis; or they raise issues of resources in terms of time, budgets, shortage of data and lack of expertise; or officials have the will but lack the requisite skill. The following ongoing challenges have been identified:

• Progressing with the development of analytic resources for gender-based analysis. For example, SWC continues to work closely with Statistics Canada and other departments on data development and dissemination, in order to improve data information on women and men in Canada. Further work is also seen as required to refine indicators, and to develop indicators that reflect the social diversity of the population and recognise that factors such as Aboriginal status, disability, race, age, family status, and rural or urban location, can interact with gender in different ways. There is a concern that the Economic Gender Equality Indicators discussed earlier over-represent progress by not sufficiently addressing the situation of less advantaged women who are experiencing deterioration in their economic circumstances.
• Accomplishing systematic application of gender-based analysis. In both governments, there is an emphasis upon ongoing training and capacity building, enhanced gender statistics and gender-based research and sector specific tools (see above) in order to reduce resistance and improve implementation. Working towards clear definitions and shared meanings amongst the diverse actors involved in mainstreaming is seen as another means of building 'ownership'.
• Making effective use of limited resources for stimulating gender-based analysis. While SWC and MWE argue that they can and do influence other departments, they seldom possess the direct authority to lead policy development. The sheer number and complexity of policy issues associated with gender equality means that gender expertise has to be 'home grown' within departments.
• Promoting further policy links and mutual respect between governments and NGOs.
• Maintaining commitment during political change. The successful implementation of this approach depends on the political commitment of the party in power. In the Canadian case, commentators note that support has in reality been varied. Canada used to have a Parliamentary Committee on the status of women and persons with disabilities. This was disbanded in the eighties. In many instances parliamentarians are seen as more supportive than party or governmental leaders. Therefore, the demise of the committee was viewed by critics as slippage on the gender equality front. Some advocates have called for a direct yearly reporting to Parliament on the status of Canadian women. Other institutional mechanisms have been abandoned or changed at the federal level - for example, the Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women, an arms length women's issues research body, was shut down in the mid-nineties and its research funding transferred to the (internal governmental) Status of Women Canada. Status of Women Canada now reports to a Secretary of State, instead of a Cabinet Minister, which is seen as further evidence of downgrading. ¹⁹¹ However there is also evidence that commitment to gender based analysis is firm. For example, as noted earlier, The Federal Plan for Gender Equality (1995-2000), represents a very public statement of commitments and a framework for the future. This plan can be used as leverage to ensure that the political and organisational momentum for mainstreaming is maintained.
• Maintaining Momentum: Other challenges identified relate to maintaining momentum, that is the need to continue to increase understanding across all departments of the need and benefits of gender-inclusive analysis on an ongoing basis as staff and priorities change; and keeping up with the demand or need for training on gender-inclusive analysis; and ensuring the collection of gender-disaggregated data.

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