Question Period Note: Federal-Provincial-Territorial (FPT) Forum of Ministers responsible for the Status of Women

What is the current status of the Federal-Provincial-Territorial (FPT) Forum of Ministers responsible for the Status of Women?

•Women and Gender Equality Canada advances its priorities through strong intergovernmental collaboration, in addition to working across the federal government.
•The FPT Ministers Responsible for the Status of Women have met annually since 1982 to gather information on, discuss, and provide guidance on ongoing key issues related to the status of women and gender equality.
•The Forum’s engagement with National Indigenous Leaders and Representatives is key to improve collaboration, identify gaps, and highlight areas of future action related to improving the lives of Indigenous women and girls.
•The 41st annual ministerial meeting was held in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, from July 31-August 2, 2023. I discussed with my colleagues our shared commitment and work to advance women in the economy, and to end gender-based violence.

Federal-Provincial and Territorial (FPT) Forum
•Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) plays a leadership role in advancing the Government of Canada’s priorities on women and gender equality through strong intergovernmental relations with all provinces and territories.
•The mandate of the Federal-Provincial and Territorial (FPT) Forum of Ministers responsible for the Status of Women is to share knowledge and information and to undertake collaborative initiatives, as agreed upon by consensus, to promote and advance the status of women. This can include gender diversity and gender equality, considering the varying scope of the Ministers’ mandates.
•Since 2017, meetings between FPT Ministers and National Indigenous Leaders and Representatives have been held prior to the annual FPT ministerial meetings. These meetings provide a dedicated space to focus on the issues and priorities identified by Indigenous partners. Their engagement in the Forum has provided valuable insight and information to assist federal, provincial, and territorial governments in understanding how best to address issues of mutual concern.
•Manitoba is the 2023-24 co-chair and will host the 42nd annual FPT Ministerial Meeting, likely in August 2024.

National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence
•The National Action Plan to End GBV was launched on November 9, 2022, during the 40th Annual Meeting of FPT Ministers responsible for the Status of Women. While the Government of Québec supports the overall objectives of the National Action Plan, it intends to retain full responsibility in this area within its territory.
•Budget 2022 committed $539.3 million over five years, starting in 2022-23, to support provinces and territories in their efforts to implement the National Action Plan to End GBV. WAGE is negotiating bilateral agreements with all provinces and territories. These bilateral agreements will be flexible and support provincial and territorial governments in addressing their respective challenges, needs, and individual priorities.

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