2020-21 Gender and diversity: Impacts of programs

Reaching Home program

Employment and Social Development Canada, Departmental Results Report 2020–21

Reaching Home supports community-based responses to prevent and reduce homelessness across Canada. Communities and service providers receive grants and contributions funding to support services targeted to individuals, families and Indigenous Peoples who are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness in urban centres, rural communities and in the territories.

The program uses data from shelters to identify the characteristics of individuals experiencing homelessness. The program reported that:

• males make up 69.5% of all shelter users
• a slightly larger proportion of veterans experience chronic homelessness compared to the broader population experiencing homelessness
• Indigenous Peoples represented 5% of the Canadian population in 2016 but approximately 24% of shelter users in 2017 (the data likely underrepresents the extent of Indigenous Peoples’ experience of homelessness)

Reaching Home launched the Community Homelessness Report process on November 18, 2020. This process supports communities in moving to an outcomes-based approach and using a more coordinated response to prevent and reduce homelessness. This process includes reporting on data and outcomes related to GBA Plus issues, for example, outcomes related to reducing Indigenous homelessness.

Supplementary Health Benefits

Indigenous Services Canada, Departmental Results Report 2020-21

The Supplementary Health Benefits (Non-Insured Health Benefits [NIHB]) Program provides coverage to registered First Nation and recognized Inuit clients regardless of their sex, gender, age, income or geographic location. The NIHB Program recognizes that a large number of clients live in rural, remote or isolated communities and face unique challenges in gaining access to medically necessary health services. Similarly, while men and women access benefits at similar rates, across all age groups, their utilization patterns differ. Where demand is less than anticipated, reasons for the reduced uptake are explored, in collaboration with First Nation and Inuit partners, to identify and address any potential barriers that may be impacting access to benefits.

The NIHB Program considers assumptions and data around the health status, behaviours and needs of various segments of the client population, which differ in important ways, when developing policy designed to address differential impacts. The program also considers differential access to benefits across the client population, recognizing that a disproportionately large number of clients live in rural, remote or isolated communities, which creates unique challenges in gaining access to medically necessary health services on a systematic basis.

The data collected by the NIHB Program can be disaggregated based on a variety of identity factors for analysis and monitoring purposes at any time, and is used to inform policy development or interventions to address differential impacts.

Early economic performance of immigrants screened through the Express Entry system

Department: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

In 2020, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada published an evaluation of their Express Entry program, which reports early economic outcomes of Express Entry screened participants: Evaluation of Express Entry: Early Impacts on Economic Outcomes and System Management.

Using program data linked to the Longitudinal Immigration Database, the evaluation found that:

• female participants have higher levels of human capital than male participants
• despite female participants having higher human capital than male participants, early economic outcomes are less favourable for female participants; female participants had lower annual employment income ($44,600) compared to their male counterparts ($66,400)

Criminal justice system performance from a gender-based perspective

Department: Department of Justice Canada

To support the application of GBA Plus to criminal justice programs, policies and legislation, the State of the Criminal Justice System initiative released several new data and analytical products assessing gendered experiences as victims, survivors, accused and offenders.

The 2020 State of the Criminal Justice System Report: Focus on Women explores criminal justice system performance through a gender lens. Where available, the analysis examined the intersection of gender and other characteristics such as age, Indigeneity, immigrant status, disability, sexual orientation and ethnicity.

Advancing diversity and inclusion in the energy sector

Department: Natural Resources Canada

NRCan partnered with Diversio, a Canadian female-founded data and analytics firm that works with multiple sectors worldwide to implement diversity and inclusion solutions to develop a reporting framework that will help organizations and governments measure their progress on gender equality commitments and create a baseline of gender-disaggregated data for the energy sector. Preliminary results of the reporting framework were released publicly on March 8, 2021 (International Women’s Day), and an extended report was released in July 2021.

Diversity in film and television

Department: Canadian Heritage

Women in View (On Screen Report) includes an analysis of scripted English-language television series funded by the Canada Media Fund. Some of the report’s analysis is focused on women’s employment for TV series funded by the Canada Media Fund.

The report shows that many of the initiatives undertaken to move the Canadian film and TV industry closer to gender parity have been successful, particularly in increasing directing work for women. However, this report also shows that gender parity initiatives do not bring us any closer to racial equity.