Edmonton councillor wants all city policies to consider women
Starting this week, every provincial policy that goes to cabinet for approval must report on how it affects women and minorities.
Already 850 employees — including all deputy and assistant deputy ministers — have been trained in using “gender-based analysis” for everything from road work to affordable housing policy and building codes.
On Tuesday, Coun. Bev Esslinger will push for the City of Edmonton to adopt it in its budgeting process, too. “It’s not just about women. It’s about looking at the issues from different perspectives,” said Esslinger, arguing staff in every department should get the training.
“It’s going to allow us to look at issues from all sides.”
Gender-based analysis was developed as a way of recognizing the issues facing women go beyond typical “women’s issues” of children and homemaking, said Lois Harder, chair of political science at the University of Alberta.
When a government chooses a strategy to stimulate economic growth, picks an infrastructure project, sets urban planning guidelines or rules for the workplace, that has different effects on men and women, Harder said. They often work in different sectors, have different responsibilities at home and face issues of gender-based violence. The training gives a set of questions prompting bureaucrats to identify those impacts, then ask if it affects other minority groups differently, as well.
It’s not new. The federal government signed an international treaty in 1995 promising to implement it for all policy decisions. But budget cuts meant a handful of people were responsible for analyzing all government policy. “It’s been a silo,” Harder said.
Last year, federal auditor general Michael Ferguson ruled bureaucrats are still failing to ask the gender question in many departments.
“I’m quite deeply skeptical of this,” said Harder, adding that she’ll be looking for results.
Gender analysis is needed because women make only 73 cents for every dollar a man makes in Canada, fill only 10 per cent of positions on corporate boards and are much more likely to be victims of domestic or sexual violence, Status of Women Canada says.
“We know when you support women and girls, the whole society does better,” said Alberta Status of Women Minister Stephanie McLean.
Gender analysis also makes better policy, she said, giving an example about promoting children’s fitness. Without the analysis, Alberta might run an advertising campaign showing boys and girls playing organized hockey.
Gender analysis would bring in demographic data that would show the real issue is with 12-year-old girls dropping out of sports. Looking further, bureaucrats would see low-income families have even lower participation rates.
That means targeted images showing new Canadians playing soccer as a family in a park could be more effective.
The province offers 45-minute, three-hour and all-day training, aiming to have all decision-makers trained eventually. The province would consider sharing that training with the city, McLean said. Federal training is also available online.
Esslinger’s motion Tuesday is expected to pass because it simply asks for information on how to implement the program.
She pointed to Edmonton’s playgrounds to illustrate the need. Many have benches not connected to paved paths or sidewalks, making them difficult to access during the winter for mothers pushing strollers or anyone using a walker or wheelchair.