Women and Gender Equality Canada, known as Status of Women Canada from 1976 to 2018, is a department of the Government of Canada. Previously an agency under the Department of Canadian Heritage, it gained department status after a vote in December 2018 passed the Budget Implementation Act, 2018, No. 2, which included legislation in favor of evolving the agency into a department and increasing its power, duties, and functions to those concerning not just women, but all gender identities. The purpose of the department is to "advance equality with respect to sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression through the inclusion of people of all genders, including women, in Canada’s economic, social, and political life" as well as the intersection of these with other identities such as ethnicity, age, socio-economic level, disability, and others. The department partners with other areas of government, both federal and provincial, as well as civil and private organizations in order to achieve this. It is currently headed by the Minister for Women and Gender Equality, Maryam Monsef.
History
A Minister responsible for the Status of Women was first appointed in 1971 by Prime MinisterPierre Trudeau, when the Royal Commission on the Status of Women recommended a representative for women be established in the federal government. There has been an office and a coordinator since 1970, initially established in the Privy Council Office, until it became a full departmental agency in 1976. The Status of Women pioneered several initiatives since its conception, many of which are still in place today. Some significant initiatives include the Gender-based Analysis Plus program and It’s Time: Canada’s Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence.The agency also led the celebration in 2016 of the . Status of Women Canada' has led events like Women’s History Month, International Day of the Girl, and October 18, the day that Women were officially recognized as legal persons, appropriately called Persons Day. During the administration of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the agency experienced a number of budget cuts totaling 5 million dollars, as well as significant restructuring including changes to which organizations were eligible to receive the agency’s funding and instructions to close 12 of its 15 offices across Canada. Feminism and issues related to equality became the center of attention in the 2015 Federal Election, with the Liberal party platform promising a focus on gender and women’s issues, particular focus was given to the promise of a gender balanced cabinet. With feminism being a priority of the Liberal government, Status of Women Canada was provided with $41 million over six years to increase their capacity. As part of this, Statistics Canada will get $6.7 million over five years to create a new Center for Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics.
Future Initiatives
The Department has vowed to continue their work with GBA+ in the coming year, including implementing a GBA+ Awareness Week as well as investing in the Women's Program, and continuing its work with It’s Time: Canada’s Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence and other Gender Based Violence initiatives. It also plans to continue making progress towards the passage of Bill C-65.
