Canada. Status of Women Canada : As a result of mounting pressure from women's groups and organizations, the Government of Canada established a Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada on 16 February 1967 with a mandate "to inquire into and report upon the status of women in Canada and to recommend what steps might be taken by the Federal Government to ensure for women equal opportunities with men in all aspects of Canadian society, having regard for the distribution of legislative powers under the constitution of Canada, particularly with reference to federal statutes, regulations and policies that concern or affect the rights and activities of women...." The Royal Commission tabled its report in the House of Commons on 7 December 1970. The report contained 167 recommendations dealing with a broad range of issues including labour standards, housing, day care, pensions, sexual stereotyping, employment standards practices, immigration and nationality.
In response to the Commission's report, the Government commenced the implementation of a federal structure to formerly address the issue of gender equality in both government and society. The first Minister for the Status of Women was appointed on 1 December1971 to ensure the coordination of governmental policy within the Federal Cabinet. A Co-ordinator for the Status of Women was appointed within the Privy Council Office to advise the Minister responsible for the Status of Women, and to coordinate and monitor the activities of federal departments in initiating programs relating to the status of women. This office became known as the Office of the Co-ordinator, Status of Women.
In 1971, an Interdepartmental Committee was assembled to examine the recommendations of the report, to determine the feasability of their implementation and to develop time frames within which action could be taken by the federal government in the context of a global policy. Five working parties were attached to the Committee and consisted of representatives from various federal departments, agencies and local community representatives. The Committee completed its work in December 1971 and Cabinet considered its findings in early 1972.
The federal government also created offices within departments and agencies to oversee specific aspects of the status of women portfolio. These offices included: the Department of Labour's Women Bureau, the Public Service of Canada's Office of Equal Opportunities for Women and the Department of the Secretary of State's Women Program. A senior policy advisor within Treasury Board was given responsibility for employment policies and identifying programs that could place women and other groups at a disadvantage. The Department of National Health and Welfare's Status of Women was tasked with providing direction on the socio-economic, health and welfare status of women, families and children. The Department of Manpower and Immigration's Status of Women office sought to ensure an equal workplace for women. The Solicitor General's status of women office dealt with justice and criminal issues and reviewed policies affecting family relations, marriage, divorce and family courts.
On 31 May 1973, a separate Advisory Council on the Status of Women was established to look after matters of interest to the government and to advise the public on governmental actions and matters of concern to women. Later renamed the Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women (CACSW), this office operated independently of the Office of Coordinator, Status of Women, and other departmental status of women programmes, as an arms-length agency, retaining the right to carry out its activities without ministerial consent.
In 1972, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution proclaiming 1975 as International Women's Year. The purpose was to ensure that 1975 would be devoted to the principles of equality, development and peace and honoring the contributions of women worldwide. In 1974, the federal government set up an interim office to coordinate Canada's programmes. This office, known as the International Women's Year Secretariat, reported to the Minister on the Status of Women through the Coordinator.
On 1 April 1976, the Office of the Co-ordinator, Status of Women, was designated a federal department by virtue of Order in Council P.C. 1976-779 and the Co-ordinator became a deputy head of the Office. For the first time, it operated as an autonomous department, separate from the Privy Council Office and became generally known as Status of Women Canada (SWC). The Department was given the mandate to assist the Minister Responsible for the Status of Women in the coordination of governmental activities relative to the status of women. While the new agency did not have legislative power to make or enforce policies and directives on the status of women, it provided policy advice on federal legislation and programs and worked to ensure that federal departments carried out the integration of gender equality in all aspects of their activities.
SWC had far-reaching effects on the direction of federal policy. It actively pursued changes and amendments to certain acts that would provide equality for the status of women and men. For example, upon receiving Royal Assent on 30 July 1975, an Omnibus Bill on the Status of women affected changes to the following acts and legislation: the Canada Elections Act, Section 23(3) of Criminal Code; Immigration Act; Public Service Employee Act; the Pension Act; the National Defence Act; the Unemployment Insurance Act; the Canada Labour Code; War Veterans Allowance Act; the Canadian Citizenship Act; and the Canada Pension Plan. The Canadian Human Rights Act was enacted in 1978 with the aim, among other things, to eliminate discrimination on the basis of sex and to ensure equal pay.
In 1978, SWC became responsible for the implementing the governmental action plan on the status of women. The action plan, entitled Towards Equality for Women (1978) was the result of the United Nations Decade for Women (1976-1985).
On 5 June 1979, SWC, along with the Advisory Council on the Status of Women, began reporting through the Minister of Secretary of State by virtue of Order in Council PC 1979-1619. Responsibility for these entities was later transferred to the Minister of Employment and Immigration through Order in Council amendment, dated 4 March 1980 (PC 1980-604).
Throughout the early 1980's, SWC continued to play a catalytic role in policy-making and the integration of concerns relative to Canadian women into federal legislation, policy and programmes affecting their social, economic, legal and cultural well- being. In 1989, the Government of Canada proposed an update to the Federal Government Work Plan for women by ensuring that government decisions had a positive impact on women.
On 15 August 1991, the Canadian Panel on Violence Against Women was created. It was mandated to examine, identify, seek solutions and heighten awareness of all forms of violence against women. It completed its report in December 1992.
In 1994, the United Nations World Conference on Women Secretariat was established to coordinate government preparations for the conference to be held in Beijing in September 1995. SWC was responsible for the creation of Setting the Stage for the Next Century: The Federal Plan for General Equality, a report tabled at the Conference and developed by 24 federal departments and agencies to guide future federal initiatives on women's equality in Canada. Member states of the United Nations agreed on a political declaration and a Platform for Action committing themselves to action on a broad range of issues to promote women's equality.
As a result of the 1995 Federal Program Review exercise on the rationalization of roles and structures within government, the Women's Program, based in Human Resources Development Canada, was transferred to the SWC. The Women's Program was designed to provide the Government of Canada with advice; enhance the capacity to identify issues for action and to increase focus and effectiveness of the government's activities. Also in the same year, the Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women was dissolved and its independent research, dissemination and public information responsibilities were incorporated into the SWC as the Research Directorate.
In co-operation with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, SWC was responsible for coordinating the participation of all federal departments in Canadian activities related to Beijing +5 and in international meetings leading up to the June 2000 UN Special Session.
