Native Women's Association of Canada Website

The Women's Program will focus its efforts in three areas: improving women's economicstatus, eliminating systemic violence against women and the girl child, and achievingsocial justice. These areas encompass many of the issues identified during SWC's 1996consultations. Funding decisions and the allocation of technical and professionalsupport will be guided by these areas of focus.As society's understanding of equality issues has evolved, it has become clear thatwomen's equality concerns are, in fact, basic human rights. Consequently, the issue ofwomen's human rights is an overarching consideration addressed in each of theProgram's areas of focus. As well, there are specific aspects of women's human rightswhich are included under the area of social justice.While the Program will devote the majority of its resources to initiatives within the areasof focus, it will maintain the flexibility to make some support available for new andemerging issues that are likely to have a significant impact on women's efforts toachieve equality.1.5 Funding Support:In the past, the Women's Program provided two types of funding: program and project.These funding mechanisms will remain in place during the 1997-98 fiscal year.Beginning in April, 1998, the Program will shift its focus so that funding will be based onan organization's demonstrated ability to meet the program objectives.Funding proposals will be assessed based on their link to one or more of theprogram's objectives and areas of focus. Proposals must outline concretestrategies to advance women's equality as well as demonstrate how the intendedresults will be achieved and measured.Funding will continue to be provided in the form of grants and contributions.Categories of expenditures formerly covered through program funding such asoffice rent, salaries, etc., will continue to be considered but must be clearly linkedto the specific issues and strategies being supported.A variety of factors will be examined when determining the types of costs to beconsidered and the level of funding for a particular initiative including: anorganization's capacity to access other sources of funding; the existence of otherorganizations serving the same community or addressing the same issues; andan organization's track record.For the first time, beginning Apri11998, initiatives may be funded for up to threeyears subject to the annual appropriation of funds by Parliament.The Women's Program will continue to provide technical support to organizationsto advance their mandates and objectives.1.6 Contact: Status of Women Canada, 360 Albert Street, 7th Floor, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 1C3 Tel: (613) 995-7835, Fax: (613) 957-3359, E-Mail: webcoord@msmail.swc-cfc.gc.caPg. 245