20th Annual Federal-Provincial-Territorial Meeting of Ministers responsible for the Status of Women

Québec City, September 21, 2001 -- Federal, provincial and territorial Ministers responsible for the Status of Women, met for their 20^th annual meeting, and discussed ways to advance women's equality. The meeting was co-chaired by Québec Minister Linda Goupil of the Ministère de la Famille et de l'Enfance, Minister responsible for the Status of Women and Minister responsible for Seniors, and by the Honourable Hedy Fry, Secretary of State (Status of Women) (Multiculturalism).

During the meeting, Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to improving women's economic independence and security. Issues associated with women's participation in the labour force and their working conditions were central to the discussion.

Ministers agreed to conduct a project examining high growth sectors in which women are under-represented and will focus on strategies to increase women's recruitment and retention in these sectors, including a focus on workplace cultures. Quebec is conducting its own work on the matter. Ministers, with the exception of Quebec, also endorsed a collaborative project with their Labour colleagues (CAALL) to gather statistical information and develop an inventory on access to employment benefits for non-standard workers, many of whom are women.

The Ministers committed to examining how the tax system addresses dependent care, and agreed to make their respective governments aware of these issues.

Ministers also heard presentations from Manitoba on women's access to Employment Insurance and from Quebec on women's access to the Régime d'assurance parentale.

The Ministers also expressed their continued interest in incorporating and strengthening gender considerations in population health measurement, reporting, research and health planning.

Steps toward analyzing the nature and prevalence of violence against women will be part of the work done to develop a set of indicators on violence against women. The Indicators, due for release early in 2002, will provide a quantitative measure to monitor change in the prevalence and nature of violence against women.

Ministers discussed issues arising from the report Custody, Access and Child Support in Canada: Putting Children's Interests First, which addresses proposed reforms to the Divorce Act and family support services. The Ministers agreed to discuss with their respective Justice ministers the importance of integrating gender-based analysis before the adoption of any proposed legislative amendment to the Divorce Act.

The next meeting of Ministers responsible for the Status of Women is to take place in the Yukon in 2002.

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For more information, please contact:

                                               

Dominique Samson            Secrétariat à la condition féminine            (418) 643-9052            E-mail: dominique.samson@scf.gouv.qc.ca

Anne Schroder            Status of Women Canada            (613) 943-1729            E-mail: schrodera@swc-cfc.gc.ca