Part I - Introduction

1. The present report outlines key measures adopted in Canada from April 1999 to March 2006 to enhance its implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). As Canada updated the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women during its January 2003 appearance, the primary focus of this report is from January 2003 to March 2006 (with occasional references to developments of special interest that occurred up to July 2006).

2. In order to improve the timeliness and relevance of reporting to United Nations treaty bodies, effort has been taken to keep this report concise and focused on selected key issues where there are significant new developments and where information is not already provided within reports under other treaties to which Canada is a party. Where detailed information is available in other reports, these reports are referred to, but, with few exceptions, the information is not repeated in this report.

3. The key issues addressed in this report are as follows: gender-based analysis, social policy, health, legislative and labour issues, violence against women and girls, Aboriginal women, and immigrant and refugee women.

4. These issues were identified through an examination of the Concluding Observations by the Continuing Committee of Officials on Human Rights, the principal federal-provincial-territorial body responsible for intergovernmental consultations and information sharing on the ratification and implementation of international human rights treaties.

5. The views of non-governmental organizations were sought with respect to the issues to be covered in this update report. The following organizations responded to that invitation: FAFIA (Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action), Women Elders in Action (WE*ACT), DAWN Ontario (the Disabled Women's Network Ontario), the Assembly of First Nations, and the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs.

6. Federal, provincial and territorial governments routinely consult with civil society in the development of legislation, policies and programs that relate to the provisions of the CEDAW. Examples of such consultations are included in Appendix 1.

7. Information on jurisprudence of relevance can be found in Appendix 2 to the present report.

8. The Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and Canada's previous reports were provided to all federal departments and provincial and territorial governments. Canada's reports are available to the public on the Web site of the Department of Canadian Heritage at http://www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/pdp-hrp/docs/index-eng.cfm.

9. Detailed information about the implementation of human rights in Canada and Canadian federalism can be found in Canada's Fourth Report on the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (http://www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/pdp-hrp/docs/escr/index-eng.cfm), as well as Canada's Core Document (http://www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/pdp-hrp/docs/core-eng.cfm).

Statistical information

10. According to Statistics Canada, slightly more than half of all people living in Canada are women or female children. In 2004, there were a total of 16.1 million females in Canada, representing 50.4 percent of the overall population that year. Census data show that, in 2001, three percent of the total female population reported they were either North American Indian, Métis or Inuit, while 14 percent identified themselves as being members of a visible minority. Females also make up the majority of the Canadian population with disabilities; in 2001, 13.3 percent of Canadian females had a disability.

11. Statistics show that women are playing stronger roles in the workplace (see below), have made dramatic gains in the proportion of persons with a university degree and have somewhat higher literacy skills, on average, than the male population. Statistics also show that the average earnings of employed women are substantially lower than those of men, women make up a disproportionate share of the population with low incomes and are much more likely than men to work part time.

12.Additional statistical information can be found in the following documents, which are being submitted with the present report:

Low-income rate

13. Overall, the low-income rate[1] among females in Canada has been steadily declining since the mid-1990s, from 16.5 percent (or 2,420,000 women) in 1996 to 11.7 percent (or 1,833,000 women) in 2004. This downward trend has occurred in all provinces. Between 1996 and 2004, rates have also dropped in all age categories:

  • For girls 18 years and under, a decrease from 18.1 percent (or 623,000) to 12.6 percent (or 413,000);
  • For women 18 to 64, a decrease from 16.6 percent (or 1,550,000) to 12.3 percent (or 1,262,000) and
  • For women 65 and over, a decrease from 13 percent (or 248,000) to 7.3 percent (or 159,000).

14. The low-income rate for single mothers has also declined considerably in recent years, from 52.7 percent (or 303,000) in 1996 to 35.6 percent (or 196,000) in 2004. The low-income rate for children living in families headed by single mothers has also fallen, from 55.8 percent (or 522,000) to 40 percent (or 367,000) over the same period.

Employment

15. According to Statistics Canada's report Women in Canada, the increased participation of women in the paid work force has been one of the most significant social trends in Canada. There were 7.5 million Canadian women with jobs in 2004, twice the figure in the mid-1970s. Overall, 58 percent of all women aged 15 and over are part of the paid work force, up from 42 percent in 1976. In contrast, the proportion of men who were employed fell during this period from 73 percent to 68 percent. As a result, women accounted for 47 percent of the employed workforce in 2004, up from 37 percent in 1976.

16. The majority of employed women continue to work in occupations in which women have traditionally been concentrated. In 2004, two-thirds of all employed women were working in teaching, nursing and related health occupations, clerical or other administrative positions, and sales and service occupations. However, women have increased their representation in several professional fields. In 2004, women made up over half of those employed in both diagnostic and treatment positions in medicine, related health professions and in business and financial professional positions. There has also been a long-term increase in the share of women employed in managerial positions; 37 percent of all those employed in managerial positions were women, up from 30 percent in 1987.

17. Women are much more likely than their male counterparts to work part time. In 2004, 27 percent of the total female workforce were part-time employees, more than double the proportion of just 11 percent among employed men.

Non-standard employment

18. In 2005, 37.3 percent of employed Canadians worked in non-standard employment. The following provides a breakdown for women:

  % of Women
As a proportion of all non-standard workers 50.7%
As a proportion of permanent part-time workers 73.3%
As a proportion of seasonal workers 36.3%
As a proportion of temporary, term, or contract workers 54.3%
As a proportion of casual workers 60.8%
As a proportion of own account, self-employed and unpaid family members 38.6%
As a proportion of self-employed with employees 26.6%

Education

19. Education and skills are key determinants of labour market outcomes for individuals. In Canada, females have outpaced their male counterparts in high-school completions, and young women are more likely than young men to pursue and complete post-secondary education. These strong education trends have helped women make gains in the labour market.

20. There has been a dramatic increase in the proportion of the female population with a university degree in the past several decades. In 2001, 15 percent of women aged 15 and over had a university degree, up from just three percent in 1971. While women are still slightly less likely than men to have a university degree, the gap is narrower than in past.

Women with disabilities

21. Women with disabilities, like men with disabilities, face multiple barriers to entering standard employment. The employment rate for women with disabilities has, however, improved significantly from 38 percent in 2001 to 43 percent in 2003.[2] Furthermore, the average earnings for women with disabilities also rose from $21,400 in 2001 to $24,400 in 2003. Despite the gain in earnings, women with disabilities continue to have lower employment rates and lower income levels than men with disabilities.[3]

22. Women with disabilities have also made gains in educational attainment. The percentage of women with disabilities with a post-secondary diploma has risen from 37 percent in 2001 to 41 percent in 2003; for women without disabilities 46 percent had a post-secondary diploma in 2001, rising to 49 percent in 2003.[4]

Immigration

23. As outlined in the table below, of the 262,236 new permanent residents admitted to Canada in 2005, 51.27 percent (134,452) were female and 48.73 percent (127,784) were male. There are proportionately more women than men in the Family Class, while the total figures for the other three categories seem to indicate a relatively balanced mix of the two sexes. Additional information is available in Facts and Figures 2005 – Immigration Overview: Permanent and Temporary Residents, available online at http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pub/facts2005/index.html.

Immigrant Category Male Female Total
Number % Number %
Total Economic Class
(including dependants)		 80,905 51.76 75,405 48.24 156,310
Total Family Class 25,047 39.54 38,305 60.46 63,352
Total Protected Persons 18,565 51.9 17,203 48.1 35,768
Total Humanitarian and Compassionate Grounds/ Public Policy 3,267 48 3,539 52 6,806
Total 127,784 48.73 134,452 51.27 262,236
Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Facts and Figures 2005.

Violence against women

24. In 2004, seven percent of women (six percent of men) reported experiencing spousal violence at least once during the previous five years, representing an estimated 653,000 women. Between 1999 and 2004, there was a slight decline in the level of spousal violence against women (eight percent to seven percent), and no significant change in the level of spousal violence against men.

25. Women are more likely than men to experience more serious forms of violence. In 2004, twice as many women as men were beaten by their partners; four times as many were choked, and twice as many reported ongoing assaults.

26. Female victims of spousal violence are also more likely than males to suffer physical injury. In 2004, 44 percent of female victims reported they had been injured as a result of the violence compared to 19 percent of male spousal violence victims. Female victims of spousal violence were also more than three times more likely than male victims to fear for their lives (34 percent versus 10 percent).

27. Victimization surveys reveal that the majority of spousal violence incidents are not one-time occurrences, and women are more likely than men to report being targets of 10 or more violent spousal episodes. However, only 28 percent of incidents are reported to police. The rate of reporting tends to depend on the severity and frequency of the violence, and whether children were witnesses.

28. The spousal homicide rate for both male and female victims has fallen over the past three decades, with the rate for female victims dropping 57 percent and down 68 percent for male victims. Like non-lethal violence, women are also more likely than men to be killed by their spouse. The rate of spousal homicide against females has been three to five times higher than the rate for males.

29. Aboriginal women in Canada experience much higher rates of spousal violence; according to the 2004 General Social Survey, 24 percent of Aboriginal women reported being victims of spousal violence over the previous five-year period, more than three times the rate for non-Aboriginal women (seven percent) and higher than the rate for Aboriginal men (18 percent). Spousal homicide rates are almost eight times higher for Aboriginal women than for non-Aboriginal women (4.6 and 0.6 per 100,000 population, respectively).

Gender-based Analysis

30. Gender-based analysis (GBA) is increasingly being used by governments in Canada. Over the years, the focus in implementing gender-based analysis has evolved from building individual capacity to working with organizations, including government departments and agencies, to ensure they are able to make GBA a sustainable function. Please see Appendix 3 for an overview of federal, provincial and territorial approaches to gender-based analysis. Where appropriate, additional information is provided in the respective government's section of this report.

Pay equity

31. Federal, provincial and territorial governments in Canada ensure equal pay for equal work through a combination of pay equity legislation, labour standards, human rights legislation and policies. Please see Appendix 4 for an overview of federal, provincial and territorial approaches.

Federal-provincial-territorial collaboration

32. Federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) governments collaborate through various FPT fora on policies and programs that serve to implement the provisions of the CEDAW. Some of these fora discuss general issues, while others focus on specific issues that can be found in the CEDAW and the concluding observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, for example, health or social services.

Status of Women

33. Over the past three years, Federal-Provincial/Territorial Ministers responsible for the Status of Women have made the situation of Aboriginal women, in particular their vulnerability to violence, a priority for action on access to programs and services, public education and policy development. In March 2006, the Policy Forum on Aboriginal Women and Violence:Building Safe and Healthy Communities brought together over 250 delegates representative of First Nations, Inuit and Métis organizations, advocates, policy-makers, and federal, provincial and territorial officials. The Forum provided an opportunity to explore ways to build capacity and take collective or individual action to prevent and address violence against Aboriginal women. It also provided an opportunity for: dialogue on policy and program initiatives between government officials and Aboriginal women's organizations; sharing best practices on violence prevention; and, showcasing successful programs and services. The Forum allowed participants to provide additional insight into challenges and to identify possible solutions on improving service delivery, public education, etc.

Continuing Committee of Officials on Human Rights

34. Through the Continuing Committee of Officials on Human Rights (CCOHR), federal, provincial and territorial governments consult and share information on international human rights treaties, to enhance domestic implementation of Canada's international human rights obligations. All the international human rights treaties to which Canada is a party, including the CEDAW, are standing items on the agenda of the CCOHR. By facilitating sharing of information and best practices, the CCOHR ensures awareness of treaty obligations, including the views of treaty bodies, which can influence policy and program development, and in turn contribute to the implementation of the treaties. The CCOHR also facilitates the preparation of Canada's reports to the UN on its implementation of human rights treaties and discussion of the concluding observations.

Justice

35. Since the mid-1980s, all provinces and territories have implemented directives or guidelines to police and Crown prosecutors with respect to domestic violence cases including: pro-charging policies, which require charges to be laid where there are reasonable and probable grounds to believe that an offence has been committed; and, pro-prosecution policies, which require a prosecution where there is a reasonable prospect of conviction and it is in the public interest to prosecute. A FPT Working Group of Justice Officials reviewed these policies and found that, properly interpreted and applied, they have improved the criminal justice system's response to domestic violence. The final report Spousal Abuse Policies and Legislation: Final Report of the Ad Hoc Federal-Provincial-Territorial Working Group Reviewing Spousal Abuse Policies and Legislation (April 2003) is available at http://canada.justice.gc.ca/en/ps/fm/reports/spousal.html. In April 2004, Justice Canada implemented its revised Crown Counsel Prosecution Policy on Spousal Abuse, which is applicable in the territories.

36. Justice Canada, together with its federal/provincial/territorial partners, developed guidelines for police, Crown prosecutors and other criminal justice personnel on the investigation, charging and prosecution of criminal harassment cases - sometimes referred to as "stalking." First released in December 1999 and revised in March 2004, A Handbook for Police and Crown Prosecutors on Criminal Harassment has been distributed to police, Crown Attorneys, victim services, corrections, the judiciary and other criminal justice personnel across Canada. The Handbook is available online at: http://canada.justice.gc.ca/en/ps/fm/pub/harassment/index.html.

Health care

37. Federal, provincial and territorial governments continue to work together to improve access to health care in Canada. See Canada's Fifth Report on the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights for information on these initiatives.

38. The following is an update on some of the key commitments of the 10‑Year Plan to Strengthen Health Care:

  • Governments committed to establish evidence-based benchmarks for medically acceptable wait times in five areas: cancer, cardiac care, diagnostic imaging, joint replacements and sight restoration. In December 2005, provinces and territories announced a set of common performance goals for the provision of certain medical treatments and screening services.
  • Governments have developed action plans to address health human resources issues, and have made these plans public. For example, in December 2005, Saskatchewan released Working Together: Saskatchewan's Health Workforce Action Plan (http://health.gov.sk.ca/hplan_health_workforce_action_plan.pdf) and New Brunswick released Health Human Resource Planning: Gaining Momentum (http://www.gnb.ca/0051/pub/pdf/3582e-final-web.pdf). Manitoba issued its action plan, Manitoba's Health Human Resources Plan: A Report on Supply in April 2006.
  • There was agreement on the development of a National Pharmaceuticals Strategy (NPS), including options for catastrophic drug coverage, a national drug formulary, and a range of other initiatives to improve the cost-effectiveness of prescription drugs. In July 2006, provincial and territorial Ministers of Health met to discuss the NPS, and identified seven steps in its development.
  • First Ministers and national Aboriginal leaders met in November 2005 and agreed to the goal of closing the gap in health status between Aboriginal peoples and other Canadians.

Promotion of the Convention

39. The Government of Canada promotes a greater understanding of human rights, fundamental freedoms and related values. Funding assistance and technical advice are provided to non-governmental organizations and community groups for activities that educate the public about human rights. Various human rights materials, including the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the principal international human rights instruments, and Canada's periodic reports to the United Nations under the various UN human rights treaties to which it is a party are distributed free of charge. A Web site provides information on human rights in Canada, and includes on-line copies of the human rights instruments, Canada's periodic reports to the United Nations, and the concluding observations made by each UN Committee on Canada's reports (see http://www.pch.gc.ca/pdp-hrp/index-eng.cfm).

40. The Government continues to support the efforts of developing countries to promote and implement the CEDAW. For example, since February 2003, the Canadian International Development Agency has been supporting a $10.5 million, five-year program to specifically support the implementation of CEDAW in seven countries in South East Asia: Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Philippines, Thailand, Timor Leste and Vietnam.

41. Examples of provincial and territorial initiatives include the following: the Government of the Northwest Territories states its commitment to CEDAW in its public policy Equality of Men and Women in the Northwest Territories, posted on its Web site. In the annual report published by the Women's Policy Office in Newfoundland and Labrador, shared commitments to CEDAW are identified.

International co-operation

42. While the CEDAW does not include an obligation related to the prevention of discrimination against women in the international development policy of the State, Canada has continued to mainstream gender equality throughout its international cooperation. Canada has been active in promoting women's rights and equality between men and women in various international fora and with developing country partners. Canada has underlined that gender mainstreaming and gender-based analysis must inform natural disaster response and risk management, including both policies and programming. Canada has also continued to stress the need for gender analysis in project proposals for relief funding in response to natural disasters and complex emergencies.

43. Canada supports its multilateral partners, including the United Nations and international financial institutions, to strengthen their results for gender equality, including through gender mainstreaming. For example, Canada helped fund the UNDP's gender mainstreaming evaluation, which was completed in 2006, and finalized a joint institutional approach with Sweden and the United Kingdom to support UNICEF that includes gender equality as a critical area of work. Similarly, funding was provided in 2003 to the Asian Development Bank's Gender and Development Trust Fund, which has enabled it to strengthen the institutionalization of gender mainstreaming in its work.

44. The Government of Canada has continued its leadership role in the area of policy development and research initiatives on women, peace and security issues focussing on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security. Canada's response to the UN Secretary General's request for information on the full implementation of Resolution 1325 was submitted in July 2004 (http://www.international.gc.ca/humanitarian-humanitaire/). In 2006, Canada undertook an assessment of its gender equality training for personnel involved in Peace Support Operations. The results of this assessment will be included in Canada's Action Plan for the Implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.

45. Canada has also integrated gender equality into its development cooperation with countries in conflict, post-conflict, and reconstruction, for example, support for victims of sexual violence, technical assistance in the area of gender equality, which resulted in the creation of family violence units in police forces and the establishment of women's shelters, and research on the involvement of girls in fighting forces. Findings from this research have influenced UN training and programming on disarmament, demobilization and reintegration.

Note:

  • [1] The post-income tax version of the Low Income Cut-offs (LICOs) is the low-income measure most widely known and used for poverty analysis in Canada. See response to question 11 on the list of issues for the review of Canada's Fifth Report on the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights ( http://www.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cescr/docs/canada_5threport.pdf).
  • [2] Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics.
  • [3] People with disabilities not currently in the labour force, but who wish to work, cite various barriers that prevent them from working. Physical barriers, negative attitudes, inadequate workplace accommodation measures and their interaction with a health condition all prevent people with disabilities from achieving their potential for adequate employment. Of the people with disabilities who were out of the labour force, 28 percent stated that their condition did not completely prevent them from working or looking for work. The percentage of this 28 percent who are women is not known.
  • [4] Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics

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