Question Period Note: 2023-24 Supplementary Estimates (B)

What are the Women and Gender Equality Canada items included in the 2023-24 Supplementary Estimates (B)?

•The Government of Canada continues to work towards creating a more inclusive society, where every person has an equal opportunity to succeed.
•The Government of Canada is committed to building a country free of gender-based violence and to support a fairer and more equal Canada for 2SLGBTQI+ Canadians.
•Through Supplementary Estimates (B), Women and Gender Equality Canada will receive :
o $18.6M in funding to establish a Menstrual Equity Fund pilot; and
o $6.9M in funding to help organizations on the frontlines advance gender equality in Canada.
o $26,968 from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council related to gender-based violence research.
•These Supplementary Estimates also include a reduction of $579,000 to travel and professional services as part of the Refocusing Government Spending initiative.

•Supplementary Estimates are part of the normal parliamentary approval process to ensure that previously planned government initiatives receive the necessary funding to move them forward, therefore meeting the needs of Canadians.
•These are the second Supplementary Estimates to be published in 2023-24 and, as such, are identified as Supplementary Estimates (B). It should receive Royal Assent in December.
•As announced in Budget 2022, the Government is committed to help make menstrual products available to those in need.
•As announced in Budget 2023, the Government is committed to maintaining historic funding levels for Canadian women’s organizations and equity-deserving groups:
o $160M over three years, starting in 2023-24, to advance gender equality in Canada by supporting organizations in Canada that serve women.
•The following items form part of these Supplementary Estimates:
o For the Menstrual Equity Fund Pilot, WAGE is requesting $17.9M in Grants and contributions funding, $0.6M in Operating expenditures funding, and $0.1M in Statutory funding to cover the employee benefit plan, for a total of $18.6M.
o Of the $160M committed for advancing gender equality in Canada, WAGE is requesting $6.3M in Grants and contributions funding, $0.5M in Operating expenditures funding, and $0.1M in Statutory funding to cover the employee benefit plan, for a total of $6.9M. The future funding requirements will form part of the Main Estimates for 2024-25 and 2025-26.
o Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) is returning $26,968 back to WAGE as they will not require the funding this fiscal year to fund research projects on gender-based violence. WAGE had originally transferred $1.0M to SSHRC via the 2023-24 Main Estimates.
o All departmental budgets for travel and professional services are being reduced this year due to the initiative on refocusing government spending. Information about WAGE’s reduction of $579,000 is presented in this year’s Supplementary Estimates (B), in a separate annex.

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