Government of Canada helps position women for economic success

Minister Leitch announces funding to expand economic opportunities for women

WINDSOR, ON, April 23, 2014 /CNW/ - The Honourable Dr. K. Kellie Leitch, Minister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women, today invited organizations across Canada to propose projects that will empower women to succeed, with a particular focus on entrepreneurs and professionals. Minister Leitch made the announcement during a visit to the WindsorEssex Economic Development Corporation Small Business Centre.

The Government of Canada will be funding these new projects through a Status of Women Canada Call for Proposals entitled Economic Prosperity: Positioning Women for Success. Projects funded under this call will support women by increasing their access to economic and mentoring opportunities, as well as advancing their financial preparedness.

This latest Call by Status of Women Canada is in line with the commitment made by the Government in Economic Action Plan 2014 to support women entrepreneurs by increasing mentorship among women business owners.

Quick Facts

• Economic Prosperity: Positioning Women for Success will support projects in three thematic areas, namely: Increasing or strengthening economic opportunities for entrepreneurial and professional women; advancing women in various sectors through mentorship/sponsorship; and collaborating to advance the financial preparedness of women.
  
  
• Statistics Canada reports that women represented 47.3% of the labour force in 2013.
  
  
• Women accounted for 35.5% of all self-employed workers in 2009, up from 31.2% in 1990 and 26.3% in 1976.
  
  
• A 2012 BMO Financial Group study reports that, 71% of Canadian women indicated that they would like to start their own business and 83% of them said having access to role models or mentors would be important to their success.
  
  
• Since 2007, the Harper Government has funded more than $54 million for projects that promote women's economic security and prosperity through the Women's Program at Status of Women Canada. This includes more than $9 million for projects to support women's entrepreneurship. Government of Canada support for community-based projects has nearly doubled since 2006-2007, supporting more than 720 projects across the country.

Quotes

"Our Government is committed to creating jobs and promoting economic growth. That is why we continue to support new projects that will help expand and promote greater opportunities for women in communities across Canada. When women succeed, we all benefit."

The Honourable Dr. K. Kellie Leitch
Minister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women

"This community has long benefitted from the outstanding contributions of business women and entrepreneurs.  This latest Government of Canada initiative will support projects that expand economic opportunities for businesswomen and professionals which, in turn, will strengthen the local economy and enhance the prosperity of the whole community."

Jeff Watson
Member of Parliament for Essex

"We applaud the Government of Canada for taking the initiative to push women to consider being an entrepreneur. This call for proposals will improve access for women and guide them to make their dreams a reality."

Sandra Pupatello
CEO, Windsor Essex Economic Development Corporation

"We applaud the Government of Canada for launching this Call for Proposals, which will help position women entrepreneurs and professionals for success. The projects that will be funded under this initiative will help provide solutions for women as they build their careers and businesses.

Matt Marchand
President and CEO, Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce

Related Products

• Application Form
• Application Guide

Additional Links

• Information on the Call for Proposals, Economic Prosperity: Positioning Women for Success
• Information on the Women's Program of Status of Women Canada

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Photos of Minister Leitch are available.  

Backgrounder

Call for Proposals - Economic Prosperity: Positioning Women for Success

The new Call for Proposals launched today by the Minister is entitled Economic Prosperity:  Positioning Women for Success.  It will provide funding for innovative projects that support economic opportunities for Canadian women, including entrepreneurs and professionals.

Eligible organizations must address a number of predetermined criteria in their applications. More information is available at women.gc.ca.

This Call for Proposals will help women succeed by supporting projects in three thematic areas:

	1.	Increasing or Strengthening Economic Opportunities for Entrepreneurial and Professional Women Projects will engage women and community stakeholders in developing and implementing strategies to diversify and strengthen economic and business opportunities for women.
	2.	Advancing Women in Various Sectors through Mentorship/Sponsorship Projects will increase opportunities for the advancement of women within an industry or profession, including entrepreneurial enterprises, through the piloting of sustainable mentorship/sponsorship models.
	3.	Collaborating to Advance the Financial Preparedness of Women Projects will develop and implement collaborative strategies that advance the financial preparedness of women in Canada.

Who is eligible under this Call for Proposals?

Eligible recipients include legally constituted organizations that are:

• Not-for-profit Canadian organizations, excluding labour unions;
• For-profit Canadian organizations, if the nature and intent of the funded activity is non-commercial and not intended to generate profit;
• Aboriginal governments (including band councils, tribal councils and self-government entities) and their agencies in rural and remote areas where there is a lack of capacity among non-profit and for-profit organizations; and
• Territorial governments (local, regional, territorial) and their agencies in the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

What are the eligible project/activities?

Funding is provided for activities related to a project that:

• Aligns with the objectives of the theme under which the proposal was submitted;
• Articulates clear plans to achieve demonstrable outcomes; and
• Involves women affected by the issue being addressed by the project.

The following projects/activities will not be funded:

• Those that  take place outside of Canada, with the exception of activities related to the United Nations (UN) that connect directly to the project and have written approval from Status of Women Canada;
• Domestic advocacy activities and lobbying of federal, provincial and municipal governments;
• Ongoing activities; and
• Research and polling activities. (Research activities can be supported if they are directly linked to the project but are not its sole or major focus.)

Funding through the Women's Program

• The Women's Program of Status of Women Canada accepts applications for funding through calls for proposals, as well as on an ongoing basis.  This allows us to respond to emerging issues and increases opportunities for organizations to identify additional funding partners.
  
  
• Projects funded by Status of Women Canada are diverse in nature and scope, target different beneficiaries, apply a variety of strategies and implement various activities.
  
  
• Funding is provided for project activities which contribute to the Women's Program mandate by addressing the Program's objective. Funded projects include those which:
• Increase the understanding of the issue of violence against women; support the development of specialized tools; work to improve existing services/programs for women, communities and service professionals
• Bring a gender perspective to economic development programs and services; promote advancement in non-traditional and technology sectors in which women are underrepresented
• Reduce barriers to women's participation in leadership and decision-making roles; increase knowledge of governance, community development and political processes
  
  
• All proposals are assessed against standard criteria which include eligibility, alignment with Program/Call for Proposal priorities, knowledge and experience of the applicant organization, partner collaboration, and budget.

Self-Employed and Entrepreneurial Women

• Women accounted for 35.5% of all self-employed workers in 2009, up from 31.2% in 1990 and 26.3% in 1976ⁱ.
  
  
• Women held majority-ownership of 16% of small and medium sized businesses in 2011. However, women are more likley to own small than medium sized businesses. In 2011, women had sole-ownership of 14% of small businesses and only 4% of medium-sized businessesⁱⁱ.
  
  
• According to the BMO Financial Group, women-owned businesses currently employ over 1.5 million Canadiansⁱⁱⁱ.
  
  
• According to RBC Economics, in 2011, the contribution of majority-owned women's business was an estimated $148 billion^iv.
  
  
• In a 2012 study by the BMO Financial Group, 71% of Canadian women indicated that they would like to start their own business and 83% of them said having access to role models or mentors would be important to their success^v.
  
  

Women at Work

• In 2013, women represented 47.3% of the labour force, up from 45.7% in 1999 and 37.1% in 1976^vi.
  
  
• Although the gap between men's and women's labour market participation^vii continues to narrow, women's participation rate still trails that of men's. The labour market participation rate for women aged 15 to 74 was 68% in 2012, compared to 76% for men of the same age^viii.
  
  
• Women working full-time and full-year earned an average of $44,700 in 2008, representing 71.3% of men's full-time, full-year earnings. This ratio has remained relatively stable since the early 1990s.
  
  
• In terms of hourly wages, in 2011 women earned 87 cents compared to every dollar earned by men (an increase of ten cents since 1981)^ix.

_______________________________

i	Statistics Canada and Status of Women Canada. Women in Canada (March 2012)
^ii	Industry Canada, Key Small Business Statistics (August 2013).
^iii	BMO Financial Group. BMO Women's Day Study (March 2012).
^iv	RBC Economics, Canadian Women Grabbing the Baton (October 2013).
^v	BMO Financial Group. BMO Women's Day Study (March 2012).
^vi	Statistics Canada "Labour Force Survey" Table 282-0087 (December 2013).accessed February 19, 2014 http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/cansim/a26?lang=eng&retrLang=eng&id=2820087&pattern=282-0069..282-0089&tabMode=dataTable&srchLan=-1&p1=-1&p2=31
^vii	The participation rate represents the labour force expressed as a percentage of the population aged 15  and over. The participation rate for a particular group (age, sex, etc.) is the labour force in that group expressed as a percentage of the population for that group.
^viii	Finance Canada. Jobs Report: the State of the Canadian Labour Market. (Feb 2014).
^ix	Morissette, Picot and Lu The Evolution of Canadian Wages over the Last Three Decades. Statistics Canada (March 2013).

  

Image with caption: "Status of Women Canada (CNW Group/Status of Women Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20140423_C4769_PHOTO_EN_39553.jpg

SOURCE: Status of Women Canada

For media inquiries only:

Andrew McGrath
Press Secretary
Office of the Hon. Dr. K. Kellie Leitch, P.C., O.Ont., M.P.
Minister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women
Tel: [phone]
[email protected]

For all other inquiries:

Nanci-Jean Waugh
Director General, Communications and Public Affairs
Status of Women Canada
Tel: [phone]

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For news releases and information on Status of Women Canada, go to women.gc.ca.