New federal investment will help improve women's economic security in Halifax Français

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Department for Women and Gender Equality

Aug 07, 2019, 10:30 ET

HALIFAX, Aug. 7, 2019 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is committed to advancing gender equality and it recognizes the important role that creating more opportunities for women can play in promoting women's empowerment in all aspects of Canadian life. By investing in projects that improve women's economic security, we are helping to ensure that women, their families and communities can prosper—and this means a stronger economy for all Canadians. 

Today, Andy Fillmore, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism and Member of Parliament for Halifax, on behalf of the Honourable Maryam Monsef, Minister of International Development and Minister for Women and Gender Equality, announced a federal investment of $330,418 in the YWCA Halifax to help increase women's economic security.

The YWCA Halifax will work with key sector partners to look at how workplace culture impacts recruitment and retention of women in well-paid, non-traditional sectors, such as the trades and utilities.

The YWCA Halifax is one of more than 45 projects approved under the Women's Program in two calls for proposals entitled, Support for Women's Economic Security and Addressing the Economic Security and Prosperity of Indigenous Women. These projects will build on ongoing efforts to support women's economic empowerment and advance gender equality for all Canadians.

Quotes

"These projects are so important: they are creating the right conditions for women to thrive in their careers – and their lives. By funding organizations like YWCA Halifax that work to eliminate the barriers holding women back, we are ensuring that all Canadians – regardless of gender – have a real and fair chance at success. Our government knows that when we invest in women, we strengthen the economy for everyone."

The Honourable Maryam Monsef, P.C., M.P.
Minister of International Development and Minister for Women and Gender Equality

"We need more women in the trades. To do that, we need to act with intention to remove systemic barriers that are preventing more women from entering and succeeding in the sector. The Government of Canada is proud to fund this project led by the YWCA Halifax which will increase women's economic security by working with key stakeholders to see more women hired, mentored, promoted, and paid well in the trades."

Andy Fillmore
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism
Member of Parliament for Halifax

"YWCA Halifax is proud to receive this investment from the Government of Canada. Our project addresses barriers to women in the trades and utilities fields. This type of work requires collaboration with many stakeholders. We are pleased to be working with private sector partners to advance gender equality in Nova Scotia. We are committed to improving opportunities for women to pursue careers that can provide economic security and lasting positive change for their families."

Donna Snair, Director of Programs
YWCA Halifax

Quick Facts

  • McKinsey Global Institute estimates that by taking steps to advance equality for women—such as employing more women in technology and boosting women's participation in the workforce—Canada could add $150 billion to its economy by 2026.
  • Women continue to be disproportionately affected by economic insecurity. When comparing median hourly wages of women and men aged 15 years and over working full-time in Canada in 2018, women earned just 88 cents for every dollar earned by men.i Women of core working age (25-54 years) are also much more likely to work on a part-time basis, making up 75% of all part-time workers in that age bracket in 2018.ii Just over one-quarter (27%) of women of core working age working part-time reported childcare responsibilities as their reason for working part-time in 2018.iii
  • Economic security is composed of basic social security, defined by access to basic needs such as health, education and housing.

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Backgrounder

Women and Gender Equality Canada – Women's Program

One of the ways Women and Gender Equality Canada advances gender equality in Canada is by providing funding to eligible organizations through the Women's Program. Projects are selected via calls for proposals on specific themes, as well as through a continuous intake process that allows the Women's Program to address emerging issues as they arise.

The Women's Program funds projects that address systemic barriers to women's equality in three priority areas: ending violence against women and girls; improving the economic security and prosperity of women and girls; and encouraging women and girls in leadership roles.

Calls for Proposals – Support for Women's Economic Security and Addressing the Economic Security and Prosperity of Indigenous Women

On October 2, 2017, the Minister launched two calls for proposals. The first call for proposals, entitled Support for Women's Economic Security, invited organizations to apply for funding for projects to address the economic security of women and help advance gender equality in Canada. More than 30 projects will receive a total of $10 million in funding through this call for proposals.

This first call for proposals is divided into two themes. The first theme is Building Partnerships to Address Systemic Barriers, which provides funding to address major barriers that limit women's economic security. This theme includes, but is not limited to, the accessibility of childcare, the gender wage gap and pay inequity. The second theme, Increasing Private Sector Leadership and Investments in Women, encourages organizations to partner with the private sector to find innovative solutions that will help advance women's economic security.

The second call for proposals, entitled Addressing the Economic Security and Prosperity of Indigenous Women, invited organizations to foster collaboration between Indigenous women, Indigenous organizations, their communities, and the private sector to support the economic security and prosperity of Indigenous women across Canada. Fifteen projects across the country will receive nearly $5 million in funding through this call for proposals.

Halifax Project

Today's announcement profiled a project in Halifax selected for federal funding through the Support for Women's Economic Security call for proposals:

Project title: Shift Change: Building Security for Women in the Trades and Utilities
Funding amount: $330,418

This 36-month long women's economic security project will explore and address barriers to women working in the trades in Nova Scotia. The YWCA Halifax is working with private sector employers to look at how workplace culture impacts recruitment and retention of women in these fields. The three key project activities are: multi-employer focus group research looking at perceptions among male supervisors, managers and employers in two sub-sectors – construction and manufacturing/industrial; workplace initiatives around addressing these barriers; and a pledge campaign for Nova Scotia employers to make a public commitment to bringing more women onto their teams, including associated enabling actions.

YWCA Halifax was founded in 1874 as a residence for 42 young women and girls. By 1899, the organization had purchased its own premises in Halifax on Hollis Street and opened a new residence on the corner of Oxford and College. YWCA Halifax has continued to grow and expand to meet the needs of Haligonians and now works with multiple local and international agencies to increase economic security and wellness for young women, girls, and their families.

Provincial Statistics – Women's Economic Security 

  • When comparing median hourly wages of women and men aged 15 years and over and working full-time in Nova Scotia in 2018, women earned 89 cents for every dollar earned by men, suggesting a gap of 11%.i
  • In 2018, the employment rate was 54.7% among women aged 15 years and over compared to 59.6% among men in Nova Scotia.ii
  • While the majority of Canadians are employed on a full‑time basis, women remain more likely than men to work part-time.iii In Nova Scotia, women represented 65.5% of part-time workers in 2018, while men comprised 34.5% of part-time workers.iv

National Statistics – Women's Economic Security

  • In 2018, 83.2% of women in the core working ages of 25 to 54 years (about 6 million) participated in the labour market.v
  • In 2018, women in the core working ages represented 48.0% of the labour force, up from 46.3% in 1999 and 35.4% in 1976.vi
  • In 2018, the national employment rate for women aged 25-54 was 79.1% compared to 86.3% for men.vii
  • On average, women worked 5.6 hours per week less than men (35.5 hours/week compared to 41.1 hours/week) in 2015.viii

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i

Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0340-02. Average and median gender wage ratio, annual.

ii

Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0327-02. Unemployment rate, participation rate and employment rate by sex, annual.

iii

Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0327-01. Labour force characteristics by sex and detailed age group, annual.

iv

Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0327-01. Labour force characteristics by sex and detailed age group, annual.

v

Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0327-02. Unemployment rate, participation rate and employment rate by sex, annual.

vi

Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0327-02. Unemployment rate, participation rate and employment rate by sex, annual.

vii

Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0327-02. Unemployment rate, participation rate and employment rate by sex, annual.

viii

Statistics Canada. Time use: Total work burden, unpaid work, and leisure.

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SOURCE Department for Women and Gender Equality

Braeson Holland, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister for Women and Gender Equality, 343-549-8825; Joshua Kirkey, Manager, Communications Services, Women and Gender Equality Canada, 819-420-6884

Related Links

http://www.swc-cfc.gc.ca/

Organization Profile

Department for Women and Gender Equality