Part III - Measures Adopted by the Governments of the Provinces - Ontario

Article 2: Anti-Discrimination Measures

Legal aid

380. Legal Aid Ontario (LAO), an independent but publicly funded and publicly accountable non-profit organization, is mandated to administer the province's legal aid program. About 70 percent of LAO's family law clients are women. In 2005-2006, LAO spent $58.8 million on direct legal services (excluding administration costs) on representing family law clients. This represented 21 percent of LAO's total direct legal services during this period.

381. In 2005-2006, LAO issued about 29,000 certificates to individuals involved in family disputes. Duty counsel (i.e. lawyers in court who provide assistance and advice to unrepresented people) assisted about 136,000 people with family law matters at a total cost of nine million dollars. Advice lawyers provided two hours of legal advice, without charge, to 2,583 women in shelters at a total cost of $425,000.

382. During this period, Community legal clinics (funded by LAO in the amount of $57.7 million) provided over 146,000 direct legal services to people in poverty law areas such as social assistance and housing. One of the major initiatives that community legal clinics undertook in 2004-2005 was to work with the Ontario government to reform the social assistance system.

383. In 2004-2005, LAO launched a three-year $350,000 Domestic Violence Response Training Project to promote more co-ordinated and effective remedies for women facing domestic abuse. This project, co-funded by LAO and the Ontario Women's Directorate, will provide training to LAO and community legal clinic staff on best practices for identifying and providing effective services, including referrals, to victims of domestic violence.

Complaints of gender-based discrimination

384. Under the Human Rights Code, the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has the authority to enforce the right to freedom from discrimination on the ground of sex. This includes sexual harassment and solicitation, and unfair treatment relating to pregnancy, breastfeeding or gender identity. Although women form a majority of those who made complaints, any person can make a complaint relating to sex. Complaints may also be intersectional and may therefore cite multiple grounds. The figures provided include all complaints listing the ground of sex, regardless of the sex or gender of the complainant, or the presence of other grounds.

385. Between January 2003 and May 2006, the OHRC received 2,800 complaints relating to sex, representing 30.56 percent of all cases. During this period, the OHRC sent 160 complaints citing the ground of sex to the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal (OHRT), representing 27.77 percent of all cases referred. The table below includes a breakdown of these figures.

  Cases received by the Commission Cases sent to the Tribunal
Dates/Fiscal Year Number of cases % of all cases received at OHRC Number of cases % of all cases sent to OHRT
Jan.1 - March 31, 2003 142 23.12% 16 57.14%
2003-2004 878 35.86% 50 17.54%
2004-2005 880 36.54% 48 32.21%
2005-2006 732 30.34% 46 31.94%
April 1, 2006-May 1, 2006 168 26.96% 0 0.00%
  Total 2800 Average 30.56% Total 160 Average 27.77%

Aboriginal women

386. The OHRC's Aboriginal Human Rights Program has collaborated with the Union of Ontario Indians on two initiatives to promote awareness and understanding of the Human Rights Code among Aboriginal communities and enhance their access to the OHRC's services. The first involved the development and publication of a brochure about Code protections in three Aboriginal languages (Cree, Ojibway and Mohawk) as well as in English and French. This brochure was distributed to over 250  Ontario bands, organizations, and service providers. The second project resulted in the June 2005 publication of an article in the Union's Anishinabek News about how the OHRC can be of assistance in the event of discrimination or harassment.

Aboriginal women in custody

387. Aboriginal women are over-represented in adult correctional institutions (ages 18+). For example, in 2005-2006, Aboriginal female offenders represented 10.7 percent of Ontario's female sentenced admissions and 11.7 percent of Ontario female remand admissions. However, Aboriginal women over the age of 15 represent only 1.5 percent of the female population in Ontario.

388. The Government of Ontario has developed two new programs to help with rehabilitation of Aboriginal women offenders. The Orientation for Women Program, consisting of 10 sessions, is designed to encourage participants to take ownership of their lives in the past, present and future. The Women's Intensive Program, aimed at Aboriginal women who require more counseling to reduce their risk of recidivism, is designed to engage, encourage, motivate and support efforts of participants to rehabilitate by addressing factors underlying criminal behaviour (e.g. criminal thinking, substance use/abuse, anger, violence, partner relationships, parenting deficits, loss of culture) from an Aboriginal perspective. Aboriginal facilitators will deliver the programs both in institutional and community settings.

Back to Index of Articles

Article 3: Measures to Ensure the Advancement of Women

Violence against women and girls

389. Ontario expanded the Domestic Violence Court (DVC) program to 49 court jurisdictions with a plan to have a specialized DVC in all 54 jurisdictions. In 2005-2006, 39 Domestic Violence Community Coordination Committees received funding of $1.5 million to help foster better service system linkages.

390. A 2004-2005 study of reconviction rates found that offenders who appeared in a DVC were less likely than offenders who appeared in other Ontario courts to be reconvicted of a spousal or other violent offence and were more likely to be reconvicted of an administrative offence. Offenders who appeared in a DVC were more likely to receive a prison sentence for the original domestic violence conviction than offenders who appeared in other Ontario courts and they were more likely to receive a prison sentence for the reconviction. Also, a 2005-2006 evaluation of the Partner Assault Response program found positive attitude changes among offenders who completed the program.

391. The Government has evaluated the impact of the Model Police Response to Domestic Violence, the guidelines issued to deal with domestic violence, on the work of 51 municipal police services. The evaluation showed that the guidelines have produced positive results, such as strengthened working relationships with the police, crown attorneys, officials of Victim and Witness Assistance Program and Victim Crisis Assistance and Referral Services, and local shelters. The Ontario Provincial Police is carrying out a similar exercise to be completed by July 2007.

392. In 2003, a police policy was implemented requiring officers to complete a domestic violence risk indication tool, known as the Domestic Violence Supplementary Report, in all domestic violence occurrences, regardless of whether a charge is laid.

393. In 2005, the Ontario Provincial Police developed and implemented a family dispute reporting policy to help officers identify indicators for potential future abuses within families. While domestic violence occurrences cover any partnership that involves or had involved intimacy, family disputes include incidents of violence or threat of violence involving any non-intimate family members, including any variation of extended family members.

394. The Government established the Hate Crimes Working Community Group in December 2005 to advise on a broad-based strategy to address hate crimes and crime victimization. The Government also provided $200,000 to support the Joint Forces Hate Crimes/Extremism Investigative Team.

395. The Domestic Violence Action Plan focuses on targeted initiatives that address the unique needs of people with disabilities, seniors, Aboriginal, ethno-cultural/racial and rural/farm/northern communities. These groups are at increased risk of domestic violence and their access to support is limited by language, disability, geography or culture.

396. The Centre for Forensic Sciences operated by the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services has undertaken a project to re-examine “ cold cases" by identifying those cases in which DNA could be extracted from samples known to have been collected at the time of the original crime, including homicides, serious assault and sexual assault against women. While this is an ongoing project, a large portion of the work was completed between 2002 and 2004. Between 2002 and 2005, the Centre partnered with the Toronto Police Service-Sex Crimes Unit to re-open all unsolved sexual assault cases going back about 20 years. As a result, a number of perpetrators have been brought to justice and victims are assured that they have not been forgotten.

Aboriginal women

397. Three First Nations Police Services attended the first annual Domestic Violence Coordinators' Conference, in April 2006. First Nations Police Services have had contact with staff of the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services on a variety of issues dealing with domestic violence and the Model Police Response to Domestic Violence.

Shelters for victims of violence

398. Government funding for Violence against Women programs, which include crisis centres, shelters and transitional housing support, has increased. The annual funding allocations were as follows: 2006-2007: $118.2 million; 2005-2006: $112.5 million; 2004-2005: $102.2 million; and 2003-2004: $91.9 million. The Government also announced in December 2004 that it would invest approximately $58 million in new funding over four years to improve community support for abused women and their children.

399. Ontario expanded its network of sexual assault/rape crisis centres between 2003 and 2006 to 38 by creating three new centres and one satellite to specifically serve the francophone population. Starting in 2004-2005, the government increased yearly funding to these centres by eight percent. It also allocated to the French language centre parity of funding with centres in the same localities. In addition, Ontario implemented a new data collection system that would demonstrate increased usage of services to women victims of violence.

400. The expansion of these centres and increased funding to address service gaps to francophone women resulted in a marked increase of francophone women (including immigrant women) having access to quality services.

401. In addition, $5.9 million has been earmarked for training initiatives that include:

  • training for staff in settlement and counselling agencies, shelters, crisis lines, Partner Assault Response programs, correctional programs, legal aid and Ontario Works offices, prenatal care workers, paramedics and judges, as well as specialized training in francophone and Aboriginal communities to increase their skills in identifying women at risk of violence and providing effective support and referrals to community resources;
  • convening an expert panel for training of emergency department personnel, English-language and French-language education expert panels and a Neighbours, Friends and Families expert panel;
  • the first ever Ontario government-led conference on domestic violence, held in November 2005, which featured more than 100 speakers and attended by 550 professionals who discussed best practices in preventing violence and supporting victims.

402. There are disparities between Aboriginal women living on- and off-reserve in accessing shelters and crisis centres. Shelters receive funding to assist clients living in remote and rural communities to access provincially funded, off-reserve emergency shelters.

403. Some of the challenges to ensuring access to shelters and crisis centres for Aboriginal women include housing shortages on reserves, lack of enough shelters in remote and isolated communities, and lack of financial means and transportation to access services outside their communities (often in distant locations).

404. Many immigrant and refugee women are also reluctant to access services for fear of immigration issues (e.g. loss of sponsorship).

Back to Index of Articles

Article 6: Trafficking of Women and Exploitation

Sexual exploitation of children and youth

405. The Government of Ontario recognizes that all children need to be protected, particularly those most vulnerable. Bill 210, the Child and Family Services Statute Law Amendment Act, 2005, will improve the lives of vulnerable children by improving safeguards, providing more options for permanent placements for children and youth referred to children's aid societies and by strengthening accountability in the child protection system.

406. As part of efforts to further curb child pornography, the Government established a task force on Internet crimes against children in 2004 and approved a provincial strategy for Internet crimes against children in June 2006. Materials were issued to crown attorneys to assist them in the prosecution of Internet offences against children.

Back to Index of Articles

Article 7: Women in Politics and Public Life

407. As of July 26, 2006, women's representation as members of Ontario's Legislative Assembly is 23.3 percent and women's representation as Cabinet Ministers in Ontario is 30 percent. The leaders of the three major political parties in Ontario have made a commitment to nominate more women for elected office to address women's under-representation in politics (June 2006).

Aboriginal women

408. The Ontario Women's Directorate provided $5,000 in funding to the Women in Leadership Foundation in March 2006 for a forum to promote Aboriginal women's leadership in Ontario.

Back to Index of Articles

Article 10: Education

Aboriginal women and girls

409. There are many measures in place aimed at improving the overall success of Aboriginal students. The Government's Aboriginal Education Office is developing an Aboriginal Education Policy Framework, which will be the foundation for improving the delivery of quality education to First Nation, Métis and Inuit students in Ontario.

410. The Government is also committed to improving Aboriginal student success through funding Aboriginal Student-Focused Student Success Projects. In 2004-2005, $2.3 million was provided to boards for seven projects on alternative pathways for Aboriginal students to complete their secondary education. There is a Student Success Teacher in every school to assist students at risk.

411. To gauge the success of these policies and programs, an Aboriginal Student Self-Identification Project has been initiated that allows for the tracking and analysis of Aboriginal student success. Seven school boards in north-western Ontario have an Aboriginal student self-identification policy. A pilot project on Aboriginal student self-identification is also being funded with the Toronto District School Board.

412. The Government has also shown a clear commitment to providing accessible, high quality postsecondary education and training to the Aboriginal population including women. In 2005-2006, the Government provided over $9 million for programs and services to support about 7,600 Aboriginal postsecondary students enrolled at Ontario's publicly funded colleges and universities.

413. As part of this investment, one million dollars in Access and Opportunity Strategy funding was provided to support pilot projects at colleges and universities to improve access and opportunities for Aboriginal postsecondary students. The focus of the pilot projects was to improve outreach, transition and retention. The Access and Opportunity Strategy was part of the Ontario government's plan to invest $10.2 million in 2005-2006, to support increased postsecondary participation by underrepresented groups, including Aboriginal peoples.

414. Since 1991, the Government has been providing about $6 million under the Aboriginal Education and Training Strategy (AETS) to help increase the participation and completion rates of Aboriginal students at colleges and universities, the sensitivity and awareness of postsecondary institutions to Aboriginal cultures, issues and realities and to increase the extent of Aboriginal participation in decisions affecting Aboriginal postsecondary education. In 1996, an evaluation of the AETS found that the AETS had been successful in making progress toward its goals and that it should be continued. The Government is planning another review of AETS.

Back to Index of Articles

Article 11: Employment

Employment measures

415. The Job-protected Family Medical Leave scheme introduced by the Government in 2005 is having a positive effect on women entering standard employment. Over 61 percent of all family caregivers are women providing care to an elderly family member with a health problem.

416. Employees experiencing high caregiver stress are less likely to enter the labour market or, if employed, more likely to miss work because of caregiving responsibilities or because they were emotionally, physically or mentally fatigued. Amendments to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 allow employees covered by the Act to take up to eight weeks of job-protected leave of absence to provide care or support to a specified family member. In combination with changes to the federal Employment Insurance program, Ontario employees on this leave are entitled to up to six weeks of benefits under the new federal compassionate care program.

417. Other initiatives that have a direct or indirect positive effect on women entering standard employment are the following:

  • Ending Mandatory Retirement (2006): new legislation eliminates Ontario employers' ability to require employees to retire at age 65.
  • Minimum Wage Increases (2003-2007): Ontario regulation was amended in December 2003 to increase the minimum wage on an annual basis until it reaches $8.00 per hour by February 1, 2007. In the year 2000, 64 percent of those earning minimum wage were women.
  • Enforcement of Pay Equity Act (2003): proxy pay equity adjustments are benefiting women workers in the lowest paid female sectors of the broader public sector. Since 2003, 1,002 cases have been resolved. Over $400 million has been paid to broader public sector jobs over six years.
  • Increased Outreach to Vulnerable Women Workers: a partnership between the Pay Equity Commission and the Ministry of Labour to cross deliver pay equity and employment standards information.
  • Women's Gateway (2004): an Internet gateway with links to information and services of interest to women. Total number of hits on the Gateway from November 2004 to October 2005 was 467,510.

418. As part of its Domestic Violence Action Plan, the Government is investing $2 million annually in employment training initiatives for abused women and women at risk of abuse. The Government provides a number of programs such as pre-apprenticeship and information technology training to assist unemployed and underemployed women and promote their economic independence.

Affordable childcare

419. The government is delivering $122.5 million in federal funds in 2006-2007, to help support an expansion in quality and affordable childcare. In 2004-2005, 4,000 new subsidized childcare spaces were created.

420. In November 2004, the Government introduced its Best Start Plan to strengthen healthy development, early learning and care for children from the prenatal stage through to grade one. Ontario also eliminated restrictions on childcare subsidies for parents with Registered Retirement Savings Plans and Registered Education Savings Plans.

Back to Index of Articles

Article 12: Health

Access to health care

421. In August 2005, the Government announced the creation of the Women's Health Institute, a provincial body mandated to promote women's health by addressing the needs of women through research, teaching, and patient services. The Institute, which is expected to be operational in April 2007, would incorporate the work of the Ontario Women's Health Council (OWHC), an independent advisory body established in 1998.

422. To promote accountability, the Government has been providing funding to integrate women's health indicators into annual Hospital Reports, allowing hospitals to measure and compare their performance on women's health through disaggregated, sex-specific indicators with the goal of enhancing access and enlightening the decision-making process. Work has also begun on the OWHC-funded POWER study (Project for an Ontario Women's Health Evidence-Based Report Card), which will include evidence-based indicators measuring burden of illness, access to health care services, risk factors for chronic illness and disability, and quality and outcomes of care for leading causes of morbidity and mortality among women.

423. The issue of access is being addressed through projects with the OWHC and other organizations. Examples include the development of recommendations for a preventive screening model for cervical cancer with Cancer Care Ontario, a pilot project to test the effectiveness of human papilloma virus testing, and the establishment of the Ontario Maternity Care Expert Panel for advice on the provision of maternity care in Ontario.

424. Quality of care and quality of life are also important women's health issues and have been addressed through projects such as Improving Continence Care in Continuing Complex Care, which included a large number of providers in the studying, testing and implementation of evidence-based best practices in continence care for women. This model is being used to improve quality of care in other areas.

Specific health issues

425. The Government provides funding to over 80 organizations and programs for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment initiatives, and HIV/AIDS education and support programs for men and women with HIV/AIDS and those affected by HIV/AIDS. These organizations and initiatives are accessible to and accessed by women, and an increasing number of these organizations are developing women-specific programming. According to data collected by the AIDS Bureau, in the first six months of 2005-2006, approximately 2,900 women received service from Government-funded community-based AIDS service organizations.

426. Also, a provincial working group, which is composed of researchers, community-based AIDS service organizations, and public health units, is exploring issues related to women and HIV. The group completed a comprehensive literature review of research on prevention initiatives targeted at women and has surveyed organizations that provide services to women to ascertain their level of HIV/AIDS information and service provision. These activities are a first step in the group's development of an Ontario strategy for women and HIV/AIDS.

427. Ontario's prenatal HIV testing program promotes the offer of an HIV test to pregnant women and women considering pregnancy. In 2005, almost 90 percent of pregnant women in Ontario were tested for HIV. Prenatal HIV testing reduces the risk of HIV transmission from mother to infant and promotes HIV positive women's access to treatment and support services, as well as providing effective prevention information.

Back to Index of Articles

Article 13: Economic and Social Life

Measures to fight poverty

428. Any resident in Ontario may apply for social assistance. Eligibility is determined on the basis of financial need and other criteria. Since 2003, the social assistance rates have been raised by five percent. In addition, the province is flowing through the amounts of the 2004, 2005 and 2006 federal increases to the National Child Benefit Supplement to families with children. The Government has also streamlined social assistance delivery and removed punitive rules so that Ontario's vulnerable citizens are treated with fairness and dignity.

Support programs and services

429. The Government has taken steps to ensure that support services in Ontario are accessible to women/girls with disabilities. In 2004-2005, $2 million was provided in minor capital to shelters and second stage housing which, among other repairs and maintenance items, helped make emergency shelters wheelchair accessible. In 2005-2006, $1.35 million was provided for the same purpose. Some shelters also have beds specifically designated for women with disabilities.

430. If a woman with a disability is accessing an emergency shelter or in need of support services, funded shelters and agencies are able to assist. For example, a shelter can contact the Canadian National Institute for the Blind for assistance in providing necessary services to a woman who is vision impaired.

431. Some of the challenges to ensuring women and girls with disabilities have access to support services include providing adequate funding to shelters to ensure they are fully accessible and appropriate emergency transportation to reach shelters with accessible beds.

432. There are gaps in services and programs for First Nation women and girls. The Aboriginal Healing and Wellness Strategy (AHWS), which is available to Aboriginal people both on- and off-reserves in urban and rural communities, addresses some of these gaps in Ontario. The Government funds AHWS, which is a partnership among four ministries and 15 Aboriginal partners, to provide a culturally appropriate, holistic approach to reducing Aboriginal family violence and improving the overall health status of Aboriginal people in Ontario.

433. Some of the challenges to eliminating the service gaps for First Nation women and girls include accessibility issues for those in remote and isolated communities, lack of culturally appropriate resources and training, and need for increased collaboration among stakeholders including communities and band councils.

Women's access to housing

434. In 2005-2006, the Government announced 500 new capital units for victims of domestic violence and provided $1 million for support services.

Back to Index of Articles

[ Table of Contents ]