2020-2021 Department of National Defence departmental progress report for Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security

Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces

The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces (DND/CAF) recognize that armed conflict, natural disasters, and humanitarian crises affect diverse groups of women, men, girls, boys and non-binary people differently. As noted in Canada’s 2017 defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged (SSE), diversity in participation is vital to achieving and sustaining peace, and has a tangible impact on the operational effectiveness of our forces. Diverse personnel broaden the range of skills and capacities, improve the delivery of peace and security tasks, enhance situational awareness and early-warning by facilitating outreach to communities, and improve a military force’s accessibility, credibility, and effectiveness in working among local populations.

As such, DND/CAF is committed to being a strong partner with Global Affairs Canada (GAC) in putting diversity at the centre of the Government of Canada’s (GC) efforts to prevent and resolve conflict. Integrating the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 and embedding Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) into our policies, training/education, and operations are moral and operational imperatives that will contribute to a culture of respect internally while increasing DND/CAF’s effectiveness as it delivers on its mandate.

DND/CAF’s support for Canada’s renewed Action Plan builds on a number of recent directives and initiatives – as set out in SSE – aimed at integrating GBA Plus into our internal policies and into our operations abroad, notably as it relates to recruitment, diversity, preventing and responding to inappropriate behaviour, training/education, and military operations plans and execution. DND/CAF will use targets and indicators to track our progress as we implement our strategies.

Over the course of Canada’s renewed Action Plan 2017/2022, DND/CAF will focus on implementing and tracking these initiatives with a view to delivering results – for example, to further integrate GBA Plus within DND/CAF’s infrastructure, procurement and science, meet diversity recruitment and retention targets, and increase the number of uniformed women deployed on international operations and in decision-making positions. DND/CAF is also committed to ensuring as well as enhancing a safe and inclusive work environment for all employees, and addressing systemic misconduct including: sexual misconduct, hateful conduct, harassment and discrimination. DND/CAF, as a committed partner, has identified a number of priority activities to support the ongoing implementation of the Action Plan, consistent with SSE.

These activities revolve around the following themes:

• Governance and Accountability;
• Recruitment and Retention;
• Training and Education; and
• Integration into Operations.

Each of these themes have specific targets that will be measured and reported on an annual basis, and if required, may be re-examined in line with the departmental and the GC’s priorities. The detailed list of DND/CAF targets for the Action Plan 2017/2022 – including baselines, activities, and indicators to measure progress – is provided below.

The departmental report below covers the period of1 April 2020 to 31 March, 2021. For every target it provides a high-level snapshot of the progress achieved to date, outlines completed activities, and analyzes results and progress.

1. Governance and accountability

Context: DND/CAF continues to establish and update departmental directives, policies and guidelines to ensure that the tenets of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda, using GBA Plus, are embedded in all processes, policies, plans, and associated documentation.

• Continue to mainstream GBA Plus throughout policies, plans, processes and programs – taking into account the different needs of diverse women, men, and non-binary people for better outcomes;
• Continue to advance the CAF Employment Equity (EE) Plan^{Footnote 1} to be more reflective of the composition of Canadian society, and to contribute to the enhancement of defence and security missions at home and abroad; and
• Continue DND/CAF’s efforts to eliminate inappropriate sexual behaviour and other harmful conduct within the DND/CAF and to effect a culture change where all men, women and non-binary people feel safe, respected and included. The DND/CAF will establish a Chief Professional Conduct and Culture (CPCC) in order to rapidly define the scope of work and priorities, and develop a detailed plan to align Defence culture and professional conduct with the core values and ethical principles we aspire to uphold as a national institution.

DND/CAF is committed to the implementation of UNSCR 1325 and related resolutions and to ensuring that we continue to advance gender equality, both within the institution at home and abroad. The Defence Team leadership will continue to work with like-minded partners to promote human rights, advocating for the advancement of the WPS Agenda when we engage bilaterally or in multi-national fora and to ensure that gender perspectives are woven into our daily activities.

Priorities: Implement the tenets of UNSCR 1325 and related resolutions

Target 1.1: Fully institutionalize the integration of gender perspectives using GBA Plus in DND/CAF.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2021: On track/ Four of five Activities Completed

Baseline:

The January 2016 Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) Directive for Integrating UNSCR 1325 and Related Resolutions into CAF Planning and Operations, and the January 2018 Deputy Minister’s Policy Statement on Diversity and Inclusion.

Activities:

1.1.1 Integrate gender perspectives^{Footnote 2} using GBA Plus into Memoranda to Cabinet, Treasury Board and associated Cabinet submissions, policy documents, appropriation directions, procurement requirements, project proposals, strategies, operational plans, operational orders, exercises, and related peace and security activities.

1.1.2 Establish the DND Gender Diversity and Inclusion Directorate to support the integration of GBA Plus and gender and diversity into all Defence activities as directed in SSE^{Footnote 3}.

1.1.3 Publish a Joint Directive to provide guidance to the Assistant Deputy Ministers (ADMs) and Commanders (CAF L1s) on systematically integrating GBA Plus within each organization.

1.1.4 Mandate ADMs to establish senior Gender Focal Points and to develop a GBA Plus transition plan for integrating GBA Plus into existing and future policies, projects, programs, and initiatives.

1.1.5 Establish a Gender Advisor (GENAD) and/or gender focal point within each DND and CAF organization, and large operation.

Indicators:

1.1.1 Number of CAF L1s that have established a GENAD.

1.1.2 Number of DND Senior Gender Focal Points.

Completed Activities:

• DND/CAF continued its efforts to ensure that all activities and programs incorporate quality GBA Plus and that decisions are informed by its findings for better outcomes for the affected people, beyond the GC’s mandatory requirement;
• Most of the activities and tasks contained in the 2016 CDS Directive for integrating UNSCR 1325 and related resolutions into CAF planning and operations and the 2018 DM Policy Statement on Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) are now completed. Work is ongoing on a Joint Directive to provide guidance on the next steps to further integrate GBA Plus and advance the WPS Agenda within DND/CAF; and
• DND/CAF continued to expand its community of practice and increased the number of GENADs and GFPs, including in subordinate organizations. DND/CAF continued to deploy GENADs and GFPs in all domestic and expeditionary operations.

Results and Progress:

• DND/CAF continued to see positive outcomes in ensuring that quality GBA Plus is conducted at the early stage of the development of a plan, program or policy as well as the expansion of its mandatory use within the departmental processes. The required summary annex described how GBA Plus was used to inform the policy choices. This included but was not limited to: disaggregated data to better appreciate how identity factors such as gender, race, age, geographic location, military rank, etc., may influence policy/program service needs as well as the ability to access the services; strategies for reducing negative impacts due to identity factors; data collection strategies to monitor GBA Plus related risks and the effectiveness of related mitigation approaches. Some examples of new initiatives to progress this objective include:
  • Work is ongoing to incorporate GBA Plus-specific funding requirements into the DND/CAF costing process.  This will ensure GBA Plus findings are achievable, with appropriate funding throughout the lifecycle of an initiative;
  • The Common Enrolment Medical Standard is being modernized, informed by a GBA Plus, to identify and eliminate barriers to that portion of the recruiting process; 
  • All projects coming to the Chief of Force Development (CFD) for analytic review must include a preliminary GBA Plus as part of their strategic documentation which is then reviewed as part of the Defence Capability Board (DCB) approval to advance into the Options Analysis phase.  A more detailed analysis is developed during the Options Analysis phase and subsequently revised as the project enters the Definition Phase.  GBA Plus forms part of the Project Brief to the Programme Management Board (PMB) where all projects must be approved to proceed with a submission to Treasury Board;
  • The GBA Plus conducted as part of DND/CAF “Budget Letter” submissions for stimulus funding, for research and development on the Defence of North America (DNA), and related/supporting Memoranda to Cabinet (MC) submissions contributed to the successful securing of funding (over $200 million), as announced in the Federal Budget of 2021/22 (e.g., “Supporting of North American Defence Command (NORAD) modernization”); 
  • The use of the GBA Plus findings into ship building and design has led to more inclusive spaces in the future fleet which will decrease obstacles for women serving on ships;
  • Anthropometric requirements in the Statement of Operational Requirements were included in the request for proposal for the Future Fighter Capability Project and specifically defined to include lower weights and sizes for women in ejection seat performance envelopes; 
  • The Dallaire Centre of Excellence-Peace and Security (DCOE-PS) convened a DND/CAF working group to implement the Vancouver Principles within DND/CAF. The application of GBA Plus revealed areas for strengthening and inclusion in related guidance, particularly doctrine, which will now be incorporated into the concept note “CAF Roles in Preventing the Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers”. This includes, for example, the requirement to assess the needs of children of all genders, including all gender identities;
  • DND/CAF Business Resumption Plan for post-COVID 19 included gender perspectives to ensure conversations with CAF members and DND employees were respectful of lived experiences and that any decisions on hybrid work options as well as back in the DND/CAF buildings was made with consideration of the unique needs of the Defence Team members;
  • GBA Plus was applied to the Total Health and Wellness strategy, approved by Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) in 2021. This strategy addresses program gaps and individual, leadership, and organizational challenges for the health and well-being of the Defence Team and Military Families;
  • The CFD is responsible for the Strategic Experiment Account.  Governed by the Strategic Experiment Guidance, the Strategic Experiment Account is used to fund L1 strategic experimentation initiatives promoting strategic joint force development. Funding allocated by the Strategic Experiment Account is based on a scoring matrix. All L1s seeking to secure Strategic Experiment Account funds are encouraged to submit a detailed PRICIE+G^{Footnote 4} analysis, which includes a GBA Plus, along with the required Strategic Experiment Account proposal in order to increase their score and thus improving their chances of receiving funding.  The specific scoring metric for the PRICIE+G is among the most heavily weighted criteria; 
  • GBA Plus is an integrated, essential, and required component of the Chief Military Personnel policy development process, and is supported by on-ongoing training, continual best practice research, and collaborative outreach. GBA Plus including demonstration of drafting and consultations are a prerequisite for both the governance and approval processes required for all military personnel policies; and
  • Architects include GBA Plus findings in project reviews, leading to opportunities for gender neutral facilities, universal accessibility, and opportunities to increase social and rank inclusivity;
• DND/CAF is in the final stages of consultation and review of a new Joint Directive in consultation with all DND/CAF Commanders and Group Principals.  This new directive will build on the CDS Directive of 2016 and DM Policy statement of 2018 to further advance DND/CAF commitments to the WPS Agenda through the use of GBA Plus in DND/CAF activities; and
• DND/CAF increased its internal capacity and expertise, a key element to advance the WPS agenda through the use of GBA Plus. The Deputy Commander of NORAD as well as the Commander of the Canadian Defence Academy (CDA) established a new GENAD within their respective organization. An increasing number of L1 have established a network of GFPs spanning the L2s and even some L3 organizations. They have established working groups to plan and progress the conduct of GBA Plus in all activities and discuss best practices and lessons observed. The main challenge however remains access to advance the WPS Agenda and GBA Plus related training for GENADs and GFPs. DND/CAF continues to depend on the WAGE online GBA Plus training, which is not well adapted to the DND/CAF context and the Nordic Centre for Gender in Military Operations (NCGM) for GENADs and GFPs deploying on operations. While the DGEIA developed and delivered training for job specific analysts and project staff, more advance training is required to enhance significantly and rapidly internal capacity. A priority has been placed on the integration of GBA Plus into military training, however, public service employees will not yet benefit from this initiative.

Priorities: Implement all aspects of the Departmental Diversity and Employment Equity strategies

Target 1.2: Effective support for and implementation of the CAF Employment Equity Plan.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2021: Attention required

Baseline:

CAF Diversity Strategy and the CDS approved Action Plan as per January 2017.

Activities:

1.2.1 Promote attainment of Employment Equity (EE) within the CAF through a better understanding of barriers and the use of tools to support EE.

1.1.2 Allocate, with support and commitment of leadership, appropriate resources and capabilities to effectively implement the CAF Employment Equity Plan.

Indicators:

1.2.1 Number of cyclical meetings of Employment Equity supporting committee and Defence Advisory Group meetings conducted.

1.2.2 Number of Employment Equity Implementation Task Table initiatives implemented.

1.2.3 Percentage of Bases/Wings with active Defence Advisory Groups.

1.2.4 Trends in Employment Equity and Diversity based on surveys conducted during the reporting period.

Completed Activities:

• The new CAF EE Plan 2021-2026 was in final stages of review for approval in spring of 2021;
• The CAF Barrier Assessment under the Elsie Initiative for Women In Peace Operations^{Footnote 5} (Elsie Initiative) to identify and help overcome barriers to increasing women’s meaningful participation in peace operations began in 2020/2021 and the final report and recommendations are expected in 2021/2022;
• To address racial and systemic barriers and foster equity and greater diversity and inclusion within DND/CAF, the Minister of National Defence convened an Expert Panel focused on understanding and addressing external issues that influence the organization in the perpetuation of systemic barriers. In addition, DND/CAF established an Anti-Racism Secretariat with a two-year mandate, to support and complement the work of the Expert Panel and devoted to tackling issues internal to DND/CAF. The Anti-Racism Secretariat will work closely with the four EE DAGs and the co-chairs of the two Defence Networks (Public Service (PS) and CAF) to provide guidance and support on key initiatives; and
• The Employment Equity and Diversity Departmental Committee (EEDDC) made some headway in identifying requirements for EE Champions, investigated Terms of Reference, and continued to work on the governance of EE and D&I space; however, more work and further refinement of the plans are needed.

Results and Progress:

• The Employment System Review 2020 Scientific Brief indicated that EE designated group members perceived a difference in advancement and career progression and in terms of accommodation policies. As such, the CAF EE Plan 2021-2026 will focus on improving policies, programming, and awareness of accommodation opportunities so members can be supported throughout their career cycle;
• The CAF continued to be a major partner with GAC of the Elsie Initiative. The CAF is partnered with the Ghanaian Armed Forces (GAF) to assist in addressing their barrier assessment results which were published in 2020. The main effort in 2020/2021 has been to engage with the GAF and to propose strategies to address the identified training gap within the GAF regarding the mainstreaming of gender in military operations, taking into account the cultural context of the GAF. The CAF will be the primary agent for development and implementation of these training strategies including a possible training assistance mission for gender mainstreaming training. Additionally, with support from Director General Military Personnel Research and Analysis (DGMPRA), the CAF is undergoing its own barrier assessment in accordance with the Elsie Initiative methodology, examining barriers to the meaningful participation of CAF women in UN peace support operations. Interviews and surveys were conducted in 2020/2021 and a final report is expected in winter 2021/2022;
• In July 2020, the senior leadership of the DND/CAF joined by the Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council and leaders from the Federal Black Employee Caucus participated in open discussions with representatives of EE Designated Group Members. Leaders listened and learned of their lived reality regarding the persistent occurrences of racist thoughts and behaviours, micro and macro-aggressions, related impacts on mental health, and systemic barriers to promotion and full participation. As a result of this meeting, a number of recommendations were formulated and implemented, including the establishment of a secretariat to address racial and systemic barriers within DND/CAF. The Anti-Racism Secretariat was established and began work in early 2021;
• The CAF continued to eliminate known barriers to the participation of women in military operations and key positions. Of note, the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) conducted a GBA Plus to ensure a more inclusive design for the future fleet of the RCN, which included gender inclusive washrooms and showers, and modularized mess decks (sleeping quarters) to minimize numbers within group sleeping arrangements. These improvements to future fleets will facilitate the deployment of more women on RCN ships. It will also positively impact RCN’s women career progression since deployment on ships is key for advancement of personnel in naval occupations;
• In September 2020 ADM Human Resources Civilian (ADM HR-Civ) launched the Visible Minority Recruitment Campaign, a hiring process exclusively for members of racialized communities. This campaign flipped the traditional executive recruitment paradigm to help eliminate bias, using a skills-based assessment to uncover applicants’ strengths, and a “Fairness and Transparency Panel” of external leaders to provide independent views on the process. The campaign attracted 471 applicants of which 204 self-identified as women. Of the 74 fully- and partially-qualified candidates, 41 were women and seven have been hired to date. Not only did this initiative enhance executive representation, it also made space for racialized women in DND’s executive cadre. Further, DND has put in place a strategy to increase the representation of women in executive positions, achieving 45% in 2020 with the most senior leadership ranks seeing over 50% representation. DND has also reduced representation gaps in several occupational groups, including research, financial management and human resource management but is still lagging in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). To address this gap, ADM for Information Management (ADM(IM)) implemented a talent management and engineering development program, providing women in the STEM fields with opportunities to grow and be mentored within the organization to take on leadership and engineering roles;
• L1s have also invested in employment equity work and anti-racism action:
  • With regard to cyclical/standard engagements, the EE DAGs have now earmarked funding to support increased engagements and consultations events. EE DAGs participated in over 15 meetings and a high number of requests for consultations during the reporting period.  Some DAG engagements for this reporting period include:
    • Monthly coordination meetings (teleconferences),
    • The annual DAG Co-Chair meeting (virtually run in response to COVID),
    • Consistent participation in the Champion and Chairs Committee meetings,
    • Participation in the Departmental Representation and Inclusion Sub-Committee, and
    • A new standing invitation to both the National Defence Clothing and Dress Committee and the EEDDC;
  • Increased listening opportunities with DAGs to help identify systemic barriers to career progression to provide more inclusive workplaces;
  • EE and Diversity officers from the L1 down to the L3 have been appointed during 2020/2021. These officers hold, at a minimum, quarterly meetings to identify, understand, and support EE issues among members. The teams continued to receive support from their respective command teams to further advance initiatives including promoting employment equity related training and activities;
• Bases and Wings remained active in supporting the DAGs, though a more dedicated effort needs to occur to ensure consistency of engagement within each Base/Wing for each of the EE DAGs. EEDDC Co-Chairs (Comd Military Personnel Command (MILPERCOM) and ADM(HR-Civ)) are set to brief on DAGs at the Base/Wing Comd's Forum in fall 2021.  The breakdown of DAG presence on the CAF 27 Bases/Wings is as follows:
  • 22/27 DAG for Persons with Disabilities (DAGPWD) (81%),
  • 20/27 Defence Women’s Advisory Group (DWAO) (74%),
  • 19/27 Defence Aboriginal Advisory Group (DAAG) (70%),
  • 16/27 Defence Visible Minorities Advisory Group (DVMAG) (59%).
  • Currently no data for Defence Team Pride Advisory Organization (DTPAO). The DTPAO was officially launched in early 2021 to offer support to our LGBTQ2+ communities;
• DND/CAF EE data is as follows:

  	Women		Indigenous peoples		Visible minorities		Persons with disabilities
  	2019/2020	2020/2021	2019/2020	2020/2021	2019/2020	2020/2021	2019/2020	2020/2021
  * CAF representation rates in the table above are the percentage of CAF personnel for each EE Group. ** PS dataFootnote 6 and CAF data in the table above must not be compared to each other as they are presented in totally different ways. For the PS, representation rates in the table above represent progress towards meeting Workforce Availability. If 100% of representation goals were achieved, DND's workforce would closely represent the diversity of Canada's population in the locations where DND members are employed. Any value below 100% therefore means that Workforce Availability has not been met. It is also important to note DND/CAF Employee Self-Identification forms are the method in which to acquire and report on diversity with respect to the four EE groups as legislated under the EE Act. Self-Identification is voluntary and requires respondent consent for use of information;
  Regular Force*	15.7%	16.0%	2.9%	2.9%	8.5%	8.8%	1.3%	1.3%
  Reserve Force*	16.6%	16.9%	2.7%	2.5%	11.4%	11.2%	90.0%	0.9%
  Regular and Reserve Force*	16.0%	16.3%	2.8%	2.8%	9.4%	9.5%	1.2%	1.1%
  DND PS**	Unavailable	93.0%	Unavailable	81.0%	Unavailable	84.0%	Unavailable	61.0%

• CAF Enrolments for 2020/2021 compared to 2019/2020 is as follows:

  	Women		Indigenous peoples		Visible minorities		Persons with disabilities
  	2019/2020	2020/2021	2019/2020	2020/2021	2019/2020	2020/2021	2019/2020	2020/2021
  Regular Force	17.8%	22.8%	3.5%	2.0%	15.0%	9.7%	0.7%	1.3%
  Reserve Force	19.6%		2.2%		8.8%		0.3%	0.9%
  Regular and Reserve Force	18.7%		2.8%		12.0%		0.5%	1.1%

• Despite a fully EE developed plan, the CAF is encountering challenges in achieving the 25.1% target for women's representation by 2026. The CAF has increased women’s representation by less than 1% in the last three years, so it needs to develop more effective approaches in order to achieve the 25.1% by 2026 objective;
• In the DND PS, in 2020, there were approximately 9,800 women out of more than 24,100 employees. Despite women being underrepresented across DND, more women have been joining the department than leaving over the last two years. Further, more women have talent management plans than the DND average (2.8% vs. 2.3%), and their rate of promotion has also remained higher for the last three years (10% promoted vs. 7.6%); and
• For 2020/2021, overall women’s representation in the Regular Force (Reg F) and Primary Reserve (P Res) increased by 0.3% from 2019/20 to reach a new benchmark of 16.3%, while Aboriginal peoples’ representation remained stable at 2.8% and Visible Minority representation increased by 0.1%.

Priorities: Support international cooperation  on WPS

Target 1.3: DND and CAF engage with like-minded foreign defence and security organizations on implementing the tenets of Women, Peace, and Security.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2021: On track

Baseline:

DND/CAF engages with partner nations who have committed to increasing engagement in promoting the WPS agenda through several bilateral and multilateral meetings.

Activities:

1.3.1 Engage with the international defence community to support the participation and leadership of women in delivering peace and security efforts.

1.3.2 Continue to support the engagement of senior DND and CAF champions and key staff in leading and promoting WPS in international fora, such as UN, NATO, Five Eyes (FVYE – coalition comprised of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States).

1.3.3 Share knowledge and expertise on gender equality and gender norms with Canadian defence and military experts and stakeholders.

Indicators:

1.3.1 Number of gender conferences conducted or participated in.

1.3.2 Number of senior/key leaders resources to speak at international forums on gender practices with National Defence.

1.3.3 Membership on international committees, such as the NATO Committee on Gender Perspectives (NCGP), UN committees and subcommittees, and senior Defence related meetings that provide the opportunity to contribute to dialogue on gender perspectives in the military.

Completed Activities:

• DND/CAF continued to be very active in promoting the WPS agenda through engagements with the international defence community including with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the United Nation (UN), allies and partners in defence and security. Our expertise and leadership continued to be sought by many allies and partners to support their efforts related to WPS and exchange on best practices. The COVID 19 pandemic impacted the number of events that would normally have taken place in 2020/2021, however, a shift to virtual engagements facilitated the reinstatement of our strategic engagement plans to some extent;
• The CDS continued in his role as Chair of the WPS Chief of Defence Network and will handover to Bangladesh in 2021;
• The COVID 19 pandemic limited some recurring events including the RCN Operation PROJECTION, an annual Maritime Security Capacity Building that include the promotion of WPS in West Africa;
• The demands on the DND/CAF WPS Champion continued to increase with a total of 16 appearances to a variety of events both internationally and domestically to present and discuss DND/CAF action plan for WPS, share lessons and best practices;
• DND/CAF also continued to be well represented in interdepartmental and international committees with a combined nexus on GBA Plus and WPS. Further, our experts continued to be solicited to participate to symposiums, round table discussions, and lead policy development efforts; and
• In regards to the development of the Feminist Foreign Policy Narrative, DND/CAF contributed significantly to this GAC led policy work. Overall, our recommendations addressed conceptual and language precision around gender equality along with a desire for continued support to improve clarity and nuance when writing about feminism, human rights, gender equality, diversity and inclusion, particularly in instability and conflict situation. This included careful attention to agreement on nuanced language that includes addressing gender identity and being inclusive of women and men, girls and boys.

Results and Progress:

• The Women, Peace and Security Chiefs of Defence (WPS CHODs) Network’s purpose is to provide a collaborative platform for CHODs who have committed to advance the WPS agenda within their defence force. The Network supports members’ efforts to build internal capacity and expertise and by sharing experiences, lessons observed and best practices, members enhance their shared understanding and knowledge thereby increasing their ability to move the WPS agenda forward within their own defence force. DND/CAF’s focus has been on strengthening and formalizing the Network, expanding its membership, and increasing awareness and nations’ commitment to advance the WPS agenda. Canada took over as Chair of the network in July 2019. To date, we have made significant progress towards achieving these goals. The Charter for the Network was finalized and distributed to all member nations, the Network now counts 56 member nations and the digital and portable training package is being reviewed for final approval by the Commander of the CDA. Canada will be handing over the Chair of the WPS CHODs Network to Bangladesh in the fall of 2021;
• The CAF partnered with the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) in their efforts to modernize gender policies and procedures in their military, in support of increasing diversity in their ranks and achieving their goal of becoming a NATO partner.  Specifically, the CAF assisted the UAF with the review of their policies regarding parental leave and sharing the CAF’s experiences in addressing sexual misconduct, including support to those who have experienced sexual harassment, in order to develop their own system in the near future;
• As part of NATO Mission Iraq (NMI), the CAF continued to support the efforts of the Iraqi military in modernizing their policies and structures in order to be more inclusive and enhance the meaningful participation of women in their military. CAF has also been a strong ally of the Iraqi Armed Forces Women’s Directorate in removing the barriers to women’s participation in their military college programs. Increasingly, insurgent organizations in Iraq are using women to further their goals. Therefore, the CAF also assisted in the development of course content for a program to combat violent extremism in order to effect a more secure and stable country in the future. Canadian GENAD in NMI continued to deliver training to senior non-commissioned members of the Iraqi Army on how they could protect vulnerable populations during conflict and how this would increase their operational effectiveness;
• The Commander of the CDA directed support to the NATO Defence Education Enhancement Programme (DEEP) and approved the engagement of CDA GENADs and the DCOE-PS to the NMI initiative to deliver a "Mainstreaming Gender Perspectives in Operations" train-the-trainer course for staff at the Iraqi Defence University for Higher Military Studies. This work commenced in early 2021, with training to be delivered in summer 2021. This activity is complementary to NATO DEEP efforts in Iraq to support professional military education reform. The integration of gender perspectives in military operations into their military college curriculum will enable a better understanding of the WPS agenda and a military that will be better prepared to promote and protect the rights of all populations, especially women and girls during and after conflict;
• The DND/CAF continued to build on progress made on gender mainstreaming within the Conference of Defence Ministers of the Americas (CDMA).  For the 2020-2022 CDMA cycle, a Working Group on WPS was maintained as one of three priorities for the 34 member states of the CDMA in the Latin American and Caribbean region. Further, the Canadian Army (CA) continued its engagement in Latin America and the Caribbean with its membership in the Conference of American Armies. The CA team participated in two virtual specialized conferences and briefed and contributed to a working group discussion on the Current and Projective Role of Women Non-Commissioned Officers in the Army and in UN operations. The presentation resulted in questions from participants on the development of gender policies, lessons learned, and impact on the force. Countries present included: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Spain, Uruguay, and the United States of America;
• This past year, the DND/CAF WPS Champion worked at Queen’s University as a Fellow with the Centre of International and Defence Policy with a focus on WPS, Diversity, Inclusion and Culture. She participated to six international events in 2020/2021 as a keynote speaker or member of a panel including with Ghana, Latvia, and Finland. She also presented on the DND/CAF WPS action plan, the challenges and success within DND/CAF to advance the WPS Agenda to eight DND/CAF events, including a presentation to the new General and Flag Officers (GO/FO) on Inclusive Leadership. She participated in two events with civil society representatives and appeared with the WPS Ambassador in front of the Standing Committee on National Defence. She published an article in the Canadian Defense Review Magazine: “The next step for ensuring meaningful participation by women on military operations – The CAF Barrier Assessment Survey"^{Footnote 7}, and participated to a podcast to mark the 20th anniversary of UNSCR 1325. She also presented at the Military Training and Cooperation Program’s (MTCP) Integration of Women and Gender Perspectives in the Armed Forces workshop delivered to military personnel of six countries (65 participants);
• The ADM (Materiel) (ADM(Mat)) and DGEIA collaborated in a NATO working paper concerning the inclusion of gender and diversity considerations in capability development.  It is anticipated this paper will be presented to Allied National Armaments Directors for endorsement at a plenary meeting of the NATO Conference of National Armaments Directors where the ADM(Mat) represents Canada.  DND/CAF’s contribution to this new NATO discussion on gender and diversity in capability development includes Canada's GBA Plus approach and GBA Plus policies;
• Additionally, ADM(Mat) contributed perspectives on Canada's GBA Plus approach and GBA Plus policies on procurement during discussions at the NATO Support and Procurement Agency.  As the Agency is one of the principal Allied bodies responsible for procurement and sustainment, these contributions from Canada helped to inform the evolution of NATO's procurement policies and processes;
• As part of NATO Human Factors and Medicine (HFM) panel, Canada is leading an initiative to learn about diversity-related challenges and strategies of other participating NATO nations with respect to the selection and assessment of diverse groups. This initiative is presently in progress, and findings will be captured in a final report (due in March 2022);
• The Deputy Director of Research at DCOE-PS is Chair of the NATO Research Task Group 307, on “Incorporating gender perspectives in senior officer professional military education”. Due to COVID, exchanges with international colleagues and civil society representatives during this reporting period were virtual;
• The DGMPRA section head is the Canadian national lead at The Technical Cooperation Program^{Footnote 8} (TTCP) TP23 Human Resources.  This partnership with like-minded nations allows Canada, along with the partner nations, to share information (such as initiatives, programs, and reports related to sexual misconduct, diversity and inclusion, employment equity, and harassment) that will aid in increasing gender equality and human rights;
• DGEIA provided Canada’s expert to the NATO Expert Advisory Panel established by the NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security to inform their drafting of a Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV) policy. The policy was taken forward within NATO for negotiation and approval. While the CAF continues to be proactive in the prevention of sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) in operations through training, it is recognized that more must be done. DND/CAF is examining more proactive initiatives in collaboration with military allies and partners including policies specifically addressing SGBV in operations to align with the upcoming NATO policy;
• DND/CAF continued to participate in the Public Safety-led Bias Sensitivity, Diversity, and Inclusion in National Security Working Group (originally known as GBA Plus in National Security). Membership consists of departments with national security mandates. The purpose of the WG is to explore and discuss issues related to applying GBA Plus in the national security environment. A new sub-group for intelligence operators was launched in 2021 and is developing a framework for tools and training for GBA Plus, specific to intelligence analysis. Canadian Forces Intelligence Command (CFINTCOM) represents DND/CAF in this new sub-group;
• DND/CAF also participated in the TBS intra-departmental Sex and Gender Modernization Committee, represented by a member of the ADM(IM). The intent of the committee and the workshops is to bring multidisciplinary public servants and CAF members together to brainstorm how their work can align with the policy direction to modernize sex and gender information practices in the GC. The working group is still examining best practices from other similar organizations and developing a framework to move forward to engage, attract, recruit and retain a gender-diverse Defence Team membership reflective of Canadian Society;
• DND/CAF continued involvement within the FVEY Navies (at the Captain Navy (Capt (N) level) through the FVEY Personnel Steering Group which includes discussions on the diversity and inclusion of all EE groups and LGBQ2+.  This group has a goal of sharing lessons learned/identified as well as ideas throughout the FVEY community to implement within the CAF as appropriate;
• The biennial Canadian Women in Aviation (CWIA) conference did not occur in 2020/2021 (gap year), however, virtual “CWIA circles” were held informally amongst CWIA alumni (includes serving members) for continued engagement and mentorship during the pandemic. This group includes participants from across Canada and the US from the private and public sectors and aims at increasing awareness, recruitment and retention of women in the aviation industry. Members from the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) are active participants to this group and hosted the 2019 conference. The RCAF is also continuing its collaboration with the Elevate Aviation^{Footnote 9} organization in 2020/2021.  Elevate Aviation shares RCAF’s commitment to advancing women in the field of aviation;
• The RCN participated in the Joint Task Force (Pacific) Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Council which brings together leaders in the civilian sector with the Commander Maritime Forces Pacific and staff to share how the different sectors are tackling systemic barriers and racism within their organizations;
• The Women in Data Science^{Footnote 10}annual conference took place in March 2021 where senior leaders from international communities, FVEY, RCMP, etc., presented on goals and upcoming events representing WPS around the globe. The ADM Information Management (ADM(IM)) representatives led three discussions:
  • Women in STEM – How we can all be better allies! – March 23, 2021,
  • Women in STEM – Better Allies: Promoting A Diverse Workforce – March 1, 2021, and
  • Women in STEM - Promoting a diverse workforce - March 8, 2021;
• DND/CAF researchers delivered presentations on integrating GBA Plus in research to members of the GC’s experimentation community via TBS’s Experimentation Works initiative. This presentation was also delivered to employees of TBS’s Canadian Digital Service. Similar content was crafted into a blog post published on Experimentation Works’ blog: https://exp-works.medium.com/mitigating-bias-integrating-gba-in-the-research-process-1fb334e954bc
• A DND/CAF research, “Barriers to Women in the Canadian Armed Forces”^{Footnote 11} was published in the Canadian Military Journal, specifically looking at women in the Reg F and in the P Res with three key objectives: to understand the reasons why CAF women joined the military; to examine possible reasons why women are not joining the CAF; and to determine how women currently serving in the military could help to improve recruitment strategies, outreach, and other initiatives to increase the representation of women in the CAF;
• DGMPRA researcher spoke and served as a panelist at a Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research (CIMVHR) virtual symposium on Sex and Gender; and
• In partnership with Our Secure Future (OSF -a recipient of a Mobilizing Insights in Defence and Security (MINDS) targeted engagement grant), CDA and the DCOE-PS convened a WPS curriculum consortium which drew on the expertise of a global, intersectional, and crosscutting network of WPS stakeholders to examine how to best advance understanding of the WPS agenda in the military, with particular emphasis on professional military education.

Priorities: Continue to enhance monitoring and reporting on GBA Plus and gender perspectives in DND and CAF

Target 1.4: Enhanced DND/CAF monitoring and reporting on the integration of gender perspectives and GBA Plus.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2021: Attention required

Baseline:

A GBA Plus planning and reporting section is integrated into the DND and CAF Departmental Plan and Departmental Results Report, and the UNSCR 1325 Implementation Working Group (UIWG) is established.

Activities:

1.4.1 Continue to hold quarterly UIWG meetings to discuss, solicit input, and share challenges and best practices in implementing UNSCR 1325 and related resolutions in the CAF.

1.4.2 Hold quarterly DND GFP Network meetings to monitor the progress of the department in integrating GBA Plus and gender perspectives.

1.4.3 Collect gender and diversity-sensitive data across DND/CAF.

Indicators:

1.4.1 Number of intra-departmental and interdepartmental working groups with a GBA Plus or WPS nexus.

Completed Activities:

• The construct of the UIWG is no longer meeting the requirement of the expanded network of GENADs and GFPs within DND/CAF. A review the governance model put in place in 2017 within DND/CAF to advance the WPS agenda and integrate GBA Plus in all DND/CAF activities was initiated and recommendations and implementation of a new framework is expected in 2021/2022; and
• DND/CAF continued to expand its ability and capacity to collect and use disaggregated data for all personnel in order to inform the conduct of GBA Plus and improve outcomes of policies and programs within the institution.

Results and Progress:

• DGEIA was officially formed in July 2020 through the merger of the Director Gender Diversity and Inclusion (DGDI) and the Director Integration Gender Perspectives (DIGP). This merger resulted in more coordinated and focused efforts and consistent advice to implement the use of GBA Plus early into policies, directives and programs development, operations planning and execution in order to advance gender equality and the WPS Agenda across DND/CAF. DGEIA added six full-time positions, to make a total of 24 individuals working to lead DND/CAF efforts in the development of policies, programs, operations and activities through an intersectional and equitable lens, monitor progress and develop strategies to improve internal capacity. DGEIA reports directly to the CDS and the DM through the Corporate Secretary and the Director of Staff of the Strategic Joint Staff;
• The UIWG was a good forum for discussion and coordination of efforts to advance the WPS agenda and mainstream the use of GBA Plus in CAF activities, share challenges and best practice for the CAF but left out the DND GFPs Network. As DND/CAF endeavors to better align and coordinate priorities and resources across the department in its efforts to raise internal awareness and expertise, a different format needs to be developed to ensure more efficient coordination with all L1s within DND/CAF. Efforts to redefine the governance model has been impeded by the pandemic and the reorganization and re-alignment efforts resulting from the merger of DGDI and DIPG in the summer of 2020. Work is underway to review the governance model to coordinate, monitor and report on the integration of gender perspective and the conduct of GBA Plus within DND/CAF;
• DND/CAF continued to deliver a full program of work focused on personnel readiness, which includes the collection of data on gender and diversity to enable research and findings on women and diversity group members in the Reg F and P Res. These are primarily in the domains of:
  • Recruitment, selection and retention,
  • Workforce analytics,
  • Occupational and Organizational dynamics, and
  • Harassment, Discrimination, Sexual Misconduct, Hateful Conduct and other unacceptable behaviours;
• The collection of gender and sex disaggregated data supports the conduct of GBA Plus to enable policy analysts to draw on this disaggregated data to properly consider and identify barriers;
• DND/CAF is also collecting and maintaining the Self-Identification data for the CAF. This data is in high demand and is used across DND/CAF to inform GBA Plus for policies development and decision making. For example, in the development of the next CAF EE Plan, it was identified there is a shortage of designated group member representation at Recruiting Centres. As a result, actions were developed in order to support appropriate personnel resources at Recruiting Centres to be more representative of the Canadian population and facilitating positive interaction with the public in our recruiting efforts;
• Work is also underway with DND/CAF program officials to review the Performance Information Profile for each program within the Departmental Results Framework to develop the GBA Plus section, including the associated data collection plan, to inform the Department Plan, the Department Results Reports, and performance reporting on the GBA Plus and WPS.

2. Recruitment and retention

Context: Further to the CDS Directive on Recruitment, the CAF will continue to seek to increase the number of women within the CAF, and in turn the number of women available to be promoted to senior positions and for deployment. Recruiting processes including advertising, wait process times, job availability, application procedures, testing, and medical and fitness standards are all aspects that affect the decision process of a potential new recruit. In addition, aspects such as family balance, job enjoyment, selection for professional development, velocity of promotion, and having a safe and harassment free work environment are all factors that will contribute to making the CAF an attractive employer for potential new members.

Priorities: Increase the recruitment of women to the CAF

Target 2.1: Increase the percentage of women in the Canadian military by 1% per year to achieve a desired goal of 25% by the end of FY 2026.

Progress achieved as of March 31, 2020: attention required

Baseline:

Percentage of women in the Canadian military was 15.4% as of March 2018.

Activities:

2.1.1 Identify barriers in order to streamline the application process, including wait times for testing, medical examination, offer of employment, and enrollment to support the recruitment of women who select a career in the military.

2.1.2 Enhance the recruiting campaign and advertising to target women to join the military with emphasis on both common and unique employment opportunities.

2.1.3 Increase the availability of both Women Champions as well as a cross section of serving women to attend and participate in events that promote women in the military and their achievements within all trades, with emphasis on non-traditional jobs such as the infantry, artillery, and related combat arms employment.

2.1.4 Establish a Strategic Intake Plan (SIP) for women by year to include women-centric recruiting programs.

Indicators:

2.1.1 Number of women who apply to the CAF out of total number of applications received.

2.1.2 Number of women who are given an offer of employment out of the total number of women who apply.

2.1.3 Percentage of women who join for non-traditional employment.

2.1.4 Reasons for which applicants disengaged from the recruitment process.

Completed Activities:

• Research is ongoing to identify barriers to the recruitment process for women into the CAF in order to increase representation;
• Work continued to address the known barriers to the recruiting process for women into the CAF;
• COVID 19 impacted DND/CAF’s ability to conduct face to face attractions events and therefore shifted into the increased use of social media and virtual attraction events in order to promote women in the military within all trades; and
• DND/CAF has not put in place a SIP for women by year as it was determined to be impractical given the nature and the distributed execution of the plan. However, renewed women centric recruiting programs have been in place since 2016 and are constantly being reviewed and improved upon.  However, the 2020/2021 SIP included an annex that was developed by DGMPRA on intake goals for women in order to attain the 25.1% by 2026.

Results and Progress:

• MILPERCOM established a special team focusing on increasing the representation of women in Combat Arms^{Footnote 12}. This effort spanned nine months and produced a report on Recruitment of Women into CAF Combat Roles which will guide future efforts to achieve greater representation of women in those occupations;
• The RCAF conducted “CF Aircrew Selection Training” (CFAST) validation studies. The first of this series of studies focus on pilots.  This study found that certain CFAST battery domains resulted in adverse impacts for women applicants and mitigation strategies are being implemented to help lessen their effects. A second study for the Aerospace Controller Officers occupation is under way.  Preliminary findings for this study highlights similar adverse impacts on women.  Mitigation strategies are currently being considered;
• The RCAF also implemented a program called “Vector Check”. This command driven initiative has been utilized to allow individual members to identify and propose solutions to recruiting and retention issues directly to the senior leaders of the RCAF. Specifically, successful Vector Check submissions have initiated 360/Peer review trials at 430 Squadron, and a review of gender and intersectionality as it relates to and impacts the selection for promotion and succession planning process and in identifying specific barriers to transgender recruitment;
• The Common Enrolment Medical Standard^{Footnote 13} is being modernized using GBA Plus to identify and address barriers. Additionally, the Working Group conducting this review will be examining processes to streamline the medical examination and file review which are currently taking up a large portion of the wait time in the recruitment process;
• To date, little survey data has been gathered on reasons for disengaging from the recruiting process. An exception is the Regular Officer Training Plan^{Footnote 14} (ROTP) Applicant Survey, administered in 2017, in which applicants still in the recruiting process were asked about potential reasons to voluntarily withdraw from the recruiting process. The most prevalent reasons for gender groups measured (men and women) were the unavailability of their preferred military occupations and academic programs. New questions were recently added in the CAF Recruiting Survey that is now sent to all applicants to the CAF during the recruitment process on the impact of processing delays on applicants decision to remain in the selection process (a closed-ended question) as well as on other reasons why applicants may decide to withdraw from the selection process (an open-ended question). It is expected that sufficient data will be gathered next year from this survey to shed some light on this subject;
• CAF continued its efforts to enhance the advertising campaign to raise awareness about the variety of careers available in the CAF as well as the advertisements targeting women. To improve the effectiveness of the advertisement campaigns, CAF conducted focus groups with the target audience to ensure that the strategy/plan for the future women's campaign were resonating with them. Data and findings were used to inform existing and future campaigns including featuring serving CAF women, as research suggests that women are more likely to join or try if they see other women in these roles. In 2020-2021, two main advertising campaigns were conducted:
  • A women's advertising campaign was developed and launched in October-December 2020, and again in January-March 2021. The campaign aimed to increase women's awareness of CAF employment opportunities, including skilled trades, in an effort to increase enrolment and work towards the goal of 25.1% women representation by 2026.  Key performance indicators for the Women's Advertising Campaign, targeting women specifically were as follows:
    • 162 million impressions, representing the number of times the ad was seen,
    • 26 million “complete video views”, representing how many times video ads were viewed to completion,
    • 16.34% view through rate, and
    • 438,328 web visits to forces.ca as a result of this campaign; and
    • 3,099 “Start Application” clicks;
  • A CAF Awareness Campaign was also developed with new footage and creatives. This campaign aimed to raise general awareness of the CAF. The campaign also features several women in key roles and/or as main talent to showcase women in the CAF.  The Advertising Campaign Evaluation Tool revealed that:
    • Unaided recall increased by 7% from the baseline (16% Aug 2020, 23% Mar 2021),
    • Aided recall increased by 2% from the baseline (24% Aug. 2020, 26% Mar 2021),
    • 29% of respondents did something as a result of seeing the CAF advertisement with the number one action taken after seeing it being to visit the recruitment website. This result is lower than the baseline (42% in Aug 2020), and
    • Key performance indicators for overall Awareness Advertising Campaign:
      • 154 million impressions, representing the number of times the ad was seen,
      • 34 million complete video views, representing how many times video ads were viewed to completion,
      • 22.03% view through rate,
      • 81,185 web visits to forces.ca as a result of this campaign, and
      • 1,362 “Start Application” clicks as a result of this campaign;
  • An engaging and innovative International Women's Day (IWD) organic campaign was developed and used various social media tactics to engage with target audiences. The campaign ran for one day on IWD, and included polls, questions, and swipe-up functions to drive traffic to the Women in the CAF page on forces.ca: https://forces.ca/en/women-in-the-caf/;
• COVID impacted CAF’s ability to conduct face-to-face attractions events and therefore shifted into an increased use of social media and virtual attraction events in order to promote women in the military within all trades. Between 31 March 2020 and 1 April 2021, the Canadian Forces Recruiting Group hosted 41 virtual attractions events with a specific focus on the recruitment of women. The forces.ca website was updated to prominently feature women CAF members on the landing page. Our intake and processing of new applicant files were also significantly negatively impacted by the pandemic;
• The RCN attractions team, comprises of individuals who identify as EE seeking groups to better support CAF recruiting efforts, continued participating to virtual engagements with colleges, universities, and other community events. Naval Reserve Divisions have also been engaged and have been successful in recruiting a more diverse group into occupations that are historically underrepresented in the Reg F. Capt (N) Seanna Routleadge, as the first woman Naval Technical Officer (NTO) to reach this rank, has been showcased on social media and is spearheading a review of the NTO occupation to identify gender disparities in career advancement.  It is expected that the final review will be completed by December 2021.
• In 2020/2021, recruiting results were as follows:
  • Total number of applicants^{Footnote 15} received by the CAF in 2020/2021 increased by 15,174 (63,981 in 2020/2021 vs 48,807 in 2019/2020),
  • Total number of women applicants received increased by 4,322 (18,869 vs 14,547), but decreased as a percentage of total applicants by 0.3% (29.5% vs 29.8%), and
  • As a percentage of total enrollments, and as a raw number, women enrollments have had a slow, steady increase over the past five years, however, they are nowhere near the levels required by the CAF model to achieve 25.1% by 2026.  The percentages / total numbers were as follows:
    • 2015/2016 - 15.4%/n=1232,
    • 2016/2017 - 18.4%/n=1611,
    • 2017/2018 - 17.9%/n=1679,
    • 2018/2019 - 18.0%/n=2009,
    • 2019/2020 - 19.5%/n=2047, and
    • 2020/2021 - 23.6%/n=1003;
  • While the percentage in 2020/2021 (23.6%) significantly exceeded previous years as percentage of total enrollments, one should not conclude that this is sustainable. This was a product of significantly reduced the Basic Military Qualifications (BMQs) training capacity due to COVID which is the main driver for number of personnel enrolled in the CAF;
• The training system, particularly the Canadian Forces Leadership Recruit School, ceased to conduct the BMQs between March and June 2020 and did not resume this training until July 2020 (at a much reduced capacity). Since then, there have been pan-CAF efforts to conduct BMQs, however the training capacity has yet to reach pre-pandemic levels. As a result, the CAF was not able to meet its SIP for 2020/2021 and this will likely be the case for 2021/2022 as well (SIP ~ 6,769, BMQ capacity ~ 3,725, deficit of 45%). Therefore, this may very well be a long term force generation challenge, which further limits the CAF’s ability to meet its desired goal of 25.1% women in the CAF by 2026; and
• Women enrolment in non-traditional^{Footnote 16}occupations:
  • In 2019/2020, when total enrollments are considered, 8% of women enrolled in non-traditional occupations (842 out of 10,469).  In 2020/2021 it was 10.3% (436 out of 4241),
  • In 2019/2020, 47.6% of women who joined the CAF enrolled in non-traditional occupations (842 out of 1770).  In 2020/2021 it was 21.4% (436 out of 2035),
  • In terms of total enrollments to the CAF, women's enrollments to non-traditional occupations continue to be a small percentage (~8%).  This is the most significant factor in the CAF achieving the 25.1% goal by 2026, given that enrollments to non-traditional occupations make up the vast majority of the SIT, and
  • For example, in 2019/2020, for the Reg F, 77.6%, or 4013 out of 5171 total enrollments were to non-traditional occupations. A lack of women CAF members in non-traditional occupations thus remains a challenge for the representation of women in the CAF. Until such a time as women applicants join non-traditional occupations in significantly higher numbers, the CAF will not have sufficient women's intake to achieve the 25.1% goal.

Priorities: Increase the retention of women in the CAF

Target 2.2: Understand the major reason for women releasing from the CAF and eliminate/mitigate any issues if they are identified.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2021:Mostly on track / Internal capacity and efficiency

Baseline:

In FY 2017/2018, 15.2% (1,091 out of 7,200) of CAF personnel who voluntary released were women.

Activities:

2.2.1 Conduct departure/exit surveys/interviews.

2.2.2 Track and review release data.

2.2.3 Consult and exchange information with other militaries on trends and retention strategies and programs.

Indicators:

2.2.1 Annual ratio of women to men who release from the CAF.

2.2.2 Trends or cluster issues causing women to release from the CAF.

Completed Activities:

• The CAF is pursuing its efforts to better understand the reasons for voluntary attrition, and initiated a review of the Exit Survey in 2019 both in terms of content and delivery method to increase the response rate and better define reasons for leaving. The revised CAF Exit Survey, now targeting both the Reg F and the P Res, will be launched in July 2021 due to technical delays and COVID. As such there is no data for this reporting period;
• MILPERCOM increased their focus on prioritizing inclusion, diversity and respect through various initiatives related to recruitment, as well as retention, transition and overall workplace culture; and
• DND/CAF participated to TTCP HUM 23, a FVEY intelligence sharing group between the U.S, the UK, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.

Results and Progress:

• Although CAF planned to launch the new Exit Survey in 2020, due to COVID-related delays this initiative will be introduced in July 2021. The extra time was used to re-socialize the survey with all stakeholders to ensure that the revised tool met their needs. Data analysis will be conducted to identify trends in relation to past results once sufficient data has been collected. It will be offered to all voluntarily releasing members by the release administrators. The survey will also be delivered automatically via the eCAFRA, the CAF’s automated transition tool. This automatic electronic delivery method is expected to increase response rates and representativeness of the data collected, allowing for more conclusive data on release reasons;
• The CAF Retention Strategy is being developed, informed by the data collected from the Retention Survey conducted in 2019 and the trends identified in the ongoing research in this area, and will target “unhealthy” attrition^{Footnote 17}. It seeks not only to improve retention overall, but to identify attrition factors at the sub-group level (e.g., women and non-binary members) and intersectional level (e.g., women minorities, women in specific occupations or environments) for targeted retention initiatives. The strategy is aimed to be released in late summer/early Fall 2021;
• During the TTCP HUM TP 23, CAF representatives exchanged with partner nations challenges and best practices related to : (a) processes/policies to accommodate gender during training, (b) numbers of women officers and enlisted in the regular force and reserves, (c) approaches to tracking sex and/or gender as appropriate, and (d) the 2019/2020 Women in the Australian Defence Force report which provides insight into the effectiveness of cultural change strategies and initiatives required to improve gender equality;
• Examination of the 2020/2021 CAF release data revealed the following:
  • 13.8% (559 out of 4037) of CAF personnel who voluntarily released from the Reg F and P Res (excluding component transfers between them) were women. This is a slight decrease from the previous reporting period (14.7% in 2019/2020 (774 out of 4503)), however, there was also an overall reduction in released members from 4503 to 4037 in that same year,
  • The attrition rate for the CAF Reg F and P Res, (excluding component transfers between them) was 6.3% for women and 6.7% for men compared to 8.3% for both men and women in 2019/2020.  Taken separately and including component transfers, in 2020/2021 the attrition rates for the Reg F were 6.3% for women and 6.4% for men; and the attrition rates for the P Res were 8.8% for women and 9.2% for men. These rates are lower than normal and lower than the previous reporting period, at least in part due to the impact of COVID. In 2019/2020 the attrition rates for the Reg F were 7.7 % for women and 7.9% for men, and the attrition rates for P Res were 12.9% for women and 11.9% for men; and
• Historical data from the Exit Survey shows very few differences between the leave reasons of men and women (exceptions being that women are less likely to cite geographic stability, and more likely to report lack of fit with the military lifestyle as leave reasons), but shows that there is a requirement for additional CAF-wide research to consider other factors such as environment, occupation, and location. Some of this research is already underway. However, at this time, due to limited data, conclusive deductions on why women CAF members currently voluntary leave cannot be made. Once the new Exit Survey has been launched and the findings analyzed, MILPERCOM will be in a better position to address the issues causing women to release from the CAF.

Priorities: Increase the number of women in senior level positions in National Defence

Target 2.3: Increase the number and proportion of women at senior levels, Non Commissioned Members, Officers and executive-levels in DND and CAF.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2021: Attention required / Internal efficiency and capacity

Baseline:

CAF Employment Equity Report 2015-2016 Schedule 6.

Activities:

2.3.1 Select women for leadership and education training opportunities.

2.3.2 Maintain 15% presence of CAF women on UN operations as staff officers and in observer positions.

2.3.3 Develop a mentoring framework for all CAF members.

2.3.4 Monitor career progression of women in the CAF.

2.3.5 Incorporate GBA Plus considerations/review into CAF career management.

Indicators:

2.3.1 Annual percentage of women officers by Military Occupation Groups promoted to the ranks of Lieutenant-Colonel/Commander (LCol/Cdr) and higher.

2.3.2 Annual percentage of women NCM by Military Occupation Groups who are promoted to the ranks of Master Warrant Officer/Chief Petty Officer or higher.

2.3.3 Percentage of women holding senior positions and appointments (Colonel/Captain (Navy) (Col/ (Capt (N)) or above).

2.3.4 Number of women appointed/filling Command team positions during the reporting period.

Completed Activities:

• DND/CAF continued to review current processes and policies that will lead to increasing the number and proportion of women selected for career development, promotion and appointment to leadership roles and senior levels within the organization and is taking steps to ensure a work environment that is conducive to success and offers opportunities for promotion;
• DND/CAF continued to actively review the force employment construct to ensure there are no positional requirements that would unduly limit women’s deployment opportunities, i.e. ensure that positions for deployment are open to all occupations whenever possible based on the work to be performed, to ensure we meet our UN Uniform Parity commitment; and
• Mentorship remains an important component of leadership building. The DWAO together with the Champion for Women are developing a mentorship framework for women in the CAF and the CAF Transition Group is sponsoring research on culturally-competent mentorship for all CAF members.

Results and Progress:

• CAF continued the use of the Special Measures List (SML) for the Joint Command and Staff Programme (JCSP) that prepares leaders for command at the unit level. For 2020/2021, 11.7% of the candidates were women and the selection process for JCSP for 2021/2022 will have 19.4% women representation.  Women representation on the National Security program remained stable with 2 women selected for this defence strategic education, which prepares senior leadership for employment as a GO/FO and executive positions in the PS.
• Women in UN Operations:
  • 3 CAF women senior officers commanded UN missions during 2020/2021, accounting for 50% of CAF senior officers in command of UN missions during that timeframe. The missions commanded by CAF women senior officers were Op SOPRANO (Sudan), Op CROCODILE (DRC), and Op PRESENCE (Mali); and
  • 29 Women were deployed on UN missions in 2020/2021, which represents a 13.67% CAF representation compared to 14.53% in 2019/2020. There has been a decrease in the number of CAF personnel on UN operations as many positions were not filled in 2020/2021, due to COVID restrictions and force generation pressures to meet all CAF’s obligations. This reduction in the overall UN contribution resulted in a reduction of women deployed on UN missions;
• Career Progression – Senior Officers:
  • There was a slight decrease in the total percentage of senior officers’^{Footnote 18}promotions in the military occupation groups listed below from 18.4% to 18.2% compared to March 2020, however, there was a slight increase in many non-traditional occupations such as Naval operations (0% to 23.5%), maritime engineering (6.7% to 18.2%), and combat arms (6% to 10.3%):

    Senior Officer Military Occupation Group	March 2016	March 2017	March 2018	March 2019	March 2020	March 2021
    General Officer	6.7	9.7	8.3	8.6	11.5	13.3
    Naval Operations	4.5	4.8	7.4	12.1	0	23.5
    Maritime Engineering	7.7	9.1	5.9	10	6.7	18.2
    Combat Arms	8.8	4	4.8	5	6	10.3
    Air Operations - Pilots	0	3.7	11.4	3.6	5	0
    Air Operations	4.3	14.3	4.5	13.6	26.1	10.3
    Aerospace Engineering	25	14.3	0	12.5	21.4	12.5
    Engineering	3.3	8.3	18.8	7.8	22	22.9
    Medical & Dental	33.3	38.5	45.5	41.7	31.6	32
    Chaplaincy	0	33.3	50	50	33.3	0
    Support	27.4	27	30	37.9	37	28.2
    Total	11.8	13.9	16.6	16.2	18.4	18.2

• Career Progression – Senior Non Commissioned Members (NCMs):
  • There was a slight decrease in the total percentage of senior NCMs’^{Footnote 19}promotions overall within the below military occupation groups from 13.6% to 13.1%, compared to March 2020. Unlike the senior officers trends of increased proportion of women being promoted in non-traditional occupations, in the senior NCMs, we note the only occupations who saw an increased in promotions were in the traditional occupations such as military police, music, clerical personnel, and medical;

    Senior Non Commissioned Member Military Occupation Group	March 2016	March 2017	March 2018	March 2019	March 2020	March 2021
    * Senior Appointments are those Chief Warrant Officers and Chief Petty Officer who fill senior positions within the CAF either as the senior non-commission member at in higher headquarters within the CAF.
    Senior Appointments*	0	0	11.7	10.9	16.5	11.9
    Naval Operations	5.4	10.8	2	9.1	7	10
    Maintenance - Naval	0	2.3	1.7	1.9	2	2.4
    Combat Arms	0	0	2.9	2.3	0	1.1
    Air Operations – Transmissions	8.6	6.4	10	3.2	6.7	8.8
    Air Technicians	3.5	4.8	3.8	7.1	8.7	10
    Military Police	15.8	5.9	13	8	16.7	18.8
    Operations – General	7.7	12.8	11.1	10	3.6	9.1
    Communications and Electronics Maintenance	5.5	6.5	5.9	8	0	9.1
    Medical	0	26.1	47.4	33.3	33.3	53.8
    Dental	0	50	80	80	100	100
    Electrical and Mechanical	0	1.6	3.8	2.2	2.4	0
    Military Engineers	6.9	7.3	3.6	3.7	4.2	0
    Clerical Personnel	40.4	42.9	52	66.7	57.1	75.8
    Music	33.3	0	0	0	0	33.3
    Logistical Support	15.9	13.1	20.8	22	21.8	15.6
    Total	0.1	9.7	12.8	12.9	13.6	13.1

• Career Progression - GOs/FOs^{Footnote 20}, Cols, Capts (N) and Chief Warrant Officers and Chief Petty Officer First Class:
  • Overall, the proportion of women in those rank has decreased in 2020/2021 except for the rank of Col/Capt (N) which increased very slightly. As the number of personnel at the GOs/FOs level are very small, one women LGen retiring has a big effect on the ratio. Current efforts and commitments are underway to assist in increasing the representation of women in higher ranks are the application of GBA+ to selection criteria for promotions, the continued development and application of the concept of “inclusive leadership”, and EE members on selection boards to address bias.

    Rank	% Women (2019/2020)	% Women (2020/2021)
    General	0	0
    Lieutenant General/Vice Admiral	18.2	7.7
    Major General/Rear Admiral	7.9	7.7
    Brigadier General/Commodore	10.7	11.2
    Colonel/Captain (Navy)	10	9.7
    Chief Warrant Officer/Chief Petty Officer 1st class)	9.4	8.6

3. Training and education

Context: DND/CAF continues to integrate gender perspectives and GBA Plus as part of the curriculum for all relevant leadership, planning, and procurement courses provided to military and civilian staff. Training provided to foreign military staff through the Military Capability Training Program (MCTP) also has curriculum focused on gender perspectives and the importance of conducting GBA Plus, and includes awareness and training on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA).

Priorities: Increase completion rate of the Women and Gender Equality GBA Plus Introduction Course across the Defence Team

Target 3.1: Increased completion rate of the online GBA Plus Introduction course by all National Defence military and civilian staff.

Progress achieved as of March 31, 2020: on track / Three of Four Activities Completed

Baseline:

Mandatory for all designated Canadian Armed Forces members.

Activities:

3.1.1 Monitor GBA Plus related training received by DND/CAF members.

3.1.2 Through a Training Needs Assessment, identify if a National Defence focused GBA Plus advanced course for both the Operational and Strategic/Institutional level is warranted.

3.1.3 Promote the importance of GBA Plus analysis and support special GBA Plus information sessions such as GBA Plus Awareness week activities.

3.1.4 Actively support ADMs and CAF L1s by providing GBA Plus information briefs and presentations by gender advisors and gender focal points.

Indicators:

3.1.1 Percentage of DND/CAF members that have completed the online GBA Plus Introduction Course.

3.1.2 Number of GBA Plus information briefs and presentations provided.

Completed Activities:

• DND/CAF continued to deliver job specific training to various L1s to enhance awareness and proficiency in conducting GBA Plus that is tailored to the audience. This type of training has been a hallmark within DND/CAF since 2017. Some L1s GENADs and GFPs have also begun to develop GBA Plus training to meet their internal requirement;
• A training needs assessment that was initiated in 2019 for the integration of GBA Plus into military training was paused due to limited resources and higher priorities. In the interim, the WAGE GBA Plus online training, together with job specific training delivered by the DGEIA team, provided the essential knowledge as a stop gap to DND/CAF personnel. Work has now started again on this project with a Joint Doctrinal Note being developed which will guide the design of training for the various developmental period in the CAF training and education system;
• DND/CAF participated once again to the GBA Plus Awareness week despite the COVID environment with the creation of an informative video published internally and a message from the GBA Plus Champion sent to all members of the Defence Team; and
• Over 20 information sessions, briefings and consultations were conducted to raise awareness within the Defense Team on the importance of GBA Plus in defence activities, mostly through virtual means due to COVID restrictions. In addition, the DGEIA team continued to provide specialist advice to L1s on specific projects and policies.

Results and Progress:

• As part of the ongoing monitoring of GBA Plus training, it was noted that targeted training that aligns specifically to lines of work is more efficient to increase capacity, as well as ensuring that key audiences are receiving regular refresher or re-enforcement training. Training targeting project management and procurement officer audiences has produced a higher level of GBA Plus proficiency. This is reflected in the increase of project documentation that includes more fulsome GBA Plus integration earlier in the project cycle, as well as improved quality of findings included in corporate submissions. Policy writers, procurement and project officers, and members of the leadership team have been identified as high priority audiences. Work is ongoing to develop a training strategy that incorporates these needs;
• In 2019, CFINTCOM developed a module on the integration of GBA Plus into intelligence analyses as part of the Strategic Writing Course. This past year, additional material was added to socialize GBA Plus considerations when developing warning indicators. In addition, CFINTCOM began discussions with Privy Council Office-led Intelligence Analyst Learning Program (PCO-IALP) in 2020 with respect to a community GBA Plus course, but resource constraints and the pandemic posture has hampered progress. CFINTCOM also began discussions with the Director of Human Geography, National Geospatial Agency (NGA)^{Footnote 21} to explore Human Geography training options, including a virtual introduction and the potential to bring NGA trainers to Canada in partnership with PCO-IALP for an advanced course. However, the pandemic posture has prevented further progress on this training;
• The Peace Support Training Centre (PSTC) developed the UN training for the Engagement Platoons (UN-EP), an innovative tactical level capability in UN peacekeeping. Composed of 50% of women, the UN-EP aims to leverage diversity of gender and expertise to break down engagement barriers with local populations, identify vulnerable areas and at risk populations, and provide enhanced situational awareness. The UN-EP has evolved as an operational and tactical level military capability that supports human terrain mapping and analysis for the UN Infantry Battalion (UNIBAT) commander and is a capability outlined and embedded in the UN Infantry Battalion Manual (UNIBAM). It is envisioned that UN- EP training activities will become mandatory pre-deployment training for UN peace operations and will establish a collective comprehensive understanding of the UN-EP capability in support of the UNIBAT. The CAF was formally requested to provide Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)/trainers to deliver in-person training for an UN-EP Training Support Pilot Course and a UNIBAT Specialized Training Materials Pilot Course. Both pilot courses will seek to validate training material that has been developed by CAF SME at PTSC; and
• During the GC GBA Plus Awareness Week, DND/CAF Champions delivered messages to DND/CAF to raise awareness regarding the GBA Plus as a tool to deliver better outcomes for all people in all defence activities. Because live in person events were not held as a result of the COVID restrictions, DGEIA produced, with the help of ADM(Public Affairs), an informative video that spoke to GBA Plus and common misconceptions. It is clear that there are often misconceptions and false expectations of GBA Plus. Defence Team members often do not know how or why they must use GBA Plus in their day-to-day activities. The desired impact for this product was to better inform our Defence Team colleagues, not on the process but rather on the purpose of GBA Plus in a hope that they would be more inclined to use the process more completely with a better understanding of why it exists and how it works. This product was circulated to all Defence Team members, and was also available from the home page of the Defence Team Intranet.

Priorities: Assess current and future Gender perspectives and GBA Plus training and education approaches

Target 3.2: Assess current gender and GBA Plus training and scope any additional training required.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2021: On track / Three of three activities completed

Baseline:

Gender Perspectives training is currently incorporated into 11 CAF courses, including pre-deployment training provided by the Peace Support Training Centre (PSTC) in Kingston, as well as courses provided by the Military Training and Cooperation Program (MTCP).

Activities:

3.2.1 Continuous review of all CAF leadership and pre-deployment training to ensure updated material on gender perspectives and GBA Plus is included.

3.2.2 Assess the need for periodic refresher training on GBA Plus.

3.2.3 Where possible, post CAF members to foreign peace support centers to enhance DND knowledge of gender.

Indicators:

3.2.1 Number of CAF Developmental Period and DND courses that have curricula focused on gender perspectives.

3.2.2 Number of Military Training and Cooperation Program (MTCP) courses delivered that have curricula focused on gender.

3.2.3 Number of CAF and DND staff who have completed gender courses, including at the Nordic Centre for Gender in Military Operations, Gender Focal Point training, and courses offered by likeminded nations.

Completed Activities:

• The WAGE GBA Plus online training remains a mandatory pre-requisite for all CAF leadership courses and for deployment in operations as well as for all senior leaders within the CAF. Additionally, training related to misconduct, including sexual misconduct has been incorporated this past year into the CDS's Guidance to Commanding Officers and their Leadership Teams which is mandatory reading for all new CAF personnel posted into those positions. Further, unit training on hateful conduct was also developed and distributed;
• Gender and diversity themed education and training are incorporated into the core programmes of all CAF common leadership courses in the Developmental Period 1 to 5 for both Officers and Non Commissioned Members. Content specific to "Hateful Conduct" was inserted in 2020/2021;
• All personnel selected for operational deployment received pre-deployment briefings and training on gender perspectives and GBA Plus, as appropriate and based on the GBA Plus of the mission. Key leaders selected for operational deployment are mandated to take a list of diversity, GBA Plus and EE courses to contribute to the building of a more inclusive and gender neutral workplace and raise awareness of their responsibilities with regard to gender equality;
• Developing and enhancing the Defence Team capacity and ability to recognize where and how to use GBA Plus in their day to day work is fundamental to advancing the WPS agenda. From our observations, the current construct within DND/CAF of the combination of WAGE GBA Plus online training, the job specific training delivered by DGEIA and the expert support provided by the DGEIA experts to L1 enables the Defence Team to be proficient in conducting GBA Plus and advancing the WPS Agenda;
• DND/CAF transitioned the Military Training and Cooperation Program’s (MTCP) flagship contribution to WPS, the “Integration of Women and Gender Perspectives in the Armed Forces” (IWGPAF) workshop launched in 2017 to a virtual format. This workshop instructs on the evolving role of women in military and security environments and brings awareness to gender issues in peace support operations; and
• DND/CAF posted a Canadian senior officer with the Nordic Centre for Gender in Military Operations, a position the CAF has filled since 2017. The NCGM is also the Department Head for Gender at NATO.

Results and Progress:

• DND/CAF continued to provide specialist advice to all L1s on specific projects and policies in support of the conduct of their GBA Plus through consultations and participation on working groups and advancing the WPS Agenda. This was more impactful than information briefs and presentations resulting in better capacity within the Defence Team to conduct GBA Plus on their own in future work;
• Training targeting project management and procurement officer audiences has also produced a higher level of GBA Plus proficiency. This is reflected in the increase of project documentation that includes more fulsome GBA Plus integration earlier in the project cycle;
• Due to the pandemic, the IWPGAF Workshop was reviewed and re-designed for delivery through virtual means. As a result, only two serials of the IWGPAF Workshop were delivered in 2020/2021. A total of 65 participants from six MTCP member countries received this training: Colombia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Peru, Philippines, and Vietnam. Having completed this work will enable DND/CAF to deliver this training to more countries in the future as it increases capacity while diminishing the resources required. It also facilitates the contribution of SMEs as a result of enabling virtual delivery of expert briefs and thus the quality of the training; and
• Maintaining a CAF senior officer with the NCGM continues to be of mutual benefit to both organizations. The CAF benefits from having a direct link with NCGM to ensure we remain current in training trends as they are being developed at NCGM and they benefit from the CAF expertise and perspective. The current incumbent was the CJOC Deputy GENAD.

4. Integration into operations

Context: Modern international and domestic operations require members of the CAF to interact with host nation forces and local populations. It is critical that CAF members understand how conflict can affect diverse populations of women, men, boys, and girls differently, and can identify risks to the local population that could be incurred by engaging with military forces. As such, we must ensure our members have the right tools and mindset to deal effectively with diverse and often vulnerable populations. Due to cultural norms, religious affiliations or past experiences, some segments of the population may have difficulty interacting with military forces that are predominantly male. Thus, there is a need to ensure that adequate numbers of women military members are represented in key functions that may interact with diverse segments of the population. Integrating gender perspectives into military operations as well as deploying women at all rank levels is essential to achieving mission success - both in terms of contributing to peace and security and advancing gender equality.

Priorities: Increase representation of women deployed on International Operations

Target 4.1: Promote and increase the number of uniformed women deployed to international operations (NATO, UN, and Coalition)

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2021: Mostly on track / Two of Two Activities Completed/ Internal Efficiency and capacity

Baseline:

Women in conventional forces deployed on international operations calculated at approximately 10%.

Activity:

4.1.1 Support the increase of women in Command of operations at the senior level.

4.1.2 Appoint women for senior command billets/positions.

Indicator:

4.1.1 Number of senior women, officers and Non Commissioned Members, deployed on operations.

4.1.2 Number of women posted Outside Canada program (OUTCAN) positions.

4.1.3 Number of women attending foreign staff colleges.

Completed Activities:

• DND/CAF continued to select and deploy women in senior leadership roles, including command positions, to enhance CAF's overall operational effectiveness and promote diversity and various perspectives to guide institutional and operational effects; and
• CJOC Operations staff continued to actively review the Canadian Forces Task Plans and Operations^{Footnote 22} personnel force generation system for all CAF operations to ensure that there are no positional requirements that would limit women's deployment opportunities.

Results and Progress:

• In the past year, the CAF appointed women in its top two positions internationally:
  • A CAF woman was in Command of the NATO Mission Iraq (deployment began in 2019-2020). In this position, she assisted the Iraq Ministry of Defense (MoD) in its implementation of UNSCR 1325 by bringing a stronger gendered perspective to the Iraq MoD. In a country with 50% women representation in the general population, our Canadian MGen was an integral part of furthering the change in a male-dominated culture: "Iraqis have to see themselves in their own military forces. In that sense, it is crucial that women and the wealth of Iraq’s diverse population be given the opportunity to serve as active and valued contributors in its defense"^{Footnote 23}, and
  • The newly appointed senior Canadian Military Representative to NATO (Lieutenant-General) is a woman, strengthening Canada's commitment to the WPS agenda amongst Canada's NATO allies and partners;
• Eight women out of a total of 30 (27%) were Task Force or Unit Commanders (Op CARIBBE (naval and air operations in the Caribbean region), Op KOBOLD (Kosovo), Op SOPRANO (Sudan), Op CROCODILE (Democratic Republic of Congo), Op PRESENCE (Mali) and Op UNIFER (Ukraine)). The first transfer of command authority between two women Task Force Commanders occurred for Op UNIFER (Ukraine) in March 2021;
• 17 women out of a total of 217 Sr NCOs (7.8% of MWO and CWO) and 72 women out a total of 503 Sr Officers (14.3% of Maj and above) were deployed on International Operations during 2020-2021;
• During the reporting period, it is particularly noteworthy to highlight the appointment of LCol Sarah Heer as the Commanding Officer of Joint Task Force – Ukraine (JTF- U) from September 2020 to April 2021, in OP UNIFIER, the CAF mission to support Ukrainian Security Forces. The operation’s focus is to assist with security force training, which will help them improve and build their capability and capacity. This was followed by the selection of LCol Melanie Lake replace LCol Heer as Commanding Officer in 2021;
• Efforts continued to increase participation of women in operations, however, given the current representation rate of women at 16.3% within the CAF, and only around 5% in combat arms, close attention is required to ensure we meet our UN commitment towards the Uniformed Gender Parity Goals (18% for Staff Officer and Military Observers for 2021). CAF began work for the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance developed Barrier Assessment during 2020/2021 with the final report and recommendations expected in 2021/2022, to identify barriers to deployment on military operations.
• The table below shows the representation of women in operations:

  Operation	2019-2020				2020-2021
  	Women	Men	Total Pers	% of TF	Women	Men	Total Pers	% of TF
  * Operations whose commanding officer is a woman.
  CALUMET	13	42	55	24%	12	43	55	22%
  CARIBBE*	9	29	38	24%	21	150	171	12%
  CROCODILE*	0	9	9	0%	0	8	8	0%
  FOUNDATION	4	20	24	17%	5	24	29	17%
  IMPACT	63	290	353	18%	71	380	451	16%
  JADE	0	4	4	0%	0	3	3	0%
  KOBOLD*	2	3	5	40%	1	3	4	25%
  NEON	5	47	52	10%	1	1	2	50%
  PRESENCE*	2	14	16	13%	5	37	42	12%
  PROJECTION	30	220	250	12%	38	418	456	8%
  PROTEUS	2	22	24	8%	2	36	38	5%
  REASSURANCE MTF	35	200	235	15%	30	214	244	12%
  REASSURANCE eFP	71	614	685	10%	121	1,072	1,193	10%
  REASSURANCE ATF	16	128	144	11%	33	185	218	15%
  SNOWGOOSE	1	0	1	100%	1	0	1	100%
  SOPRANO*	3	7	10	30%	2	7	9	22%
  UNIFIER*	33	181	214	15%	39	200	239	16%
  Total deployed	289	1,830	2,119	13.64%	382	2,781	3,163	12.08%

• Overall representation of women has decreased slightly in most operations in 2020/2021. Of note is a sharp decrease in women representation in Operation CARRIBE, despite the sharp increase of CAF personnel on this operation; and
• Efforts also continued to increase the proportion of women to positions outside of Canada. However, because of the combination of the screening requirements and ensuring personnel meet the qualifications and experience required for the available positions, and the representation of women within the CAF remaining low at 16.3%, CAF number of women posted to outside Canada (OUTCAN) positions decreased from 224 to 218 for 2020/21. In Defensive Diplomacy however, representation increased in 2020/2021 to 34.6% compared to 19.5% last year.

Priorities: Greater awareness within CAF of the importance of gender considerations

Target 4.2: Increased awareness within CAF of the importance of gender considerations on military operations.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2021: On track / Two of Two Activities Completed as of March 2019

Baseline:

CAF members receive Theatre and Mission Specific Training (TMST) as well as pre-deployment training with content on gender perspectives in operations.

Activity:

4.2.1 Promote the importance of gender considerations in military operations.

4.2.2 Publish handbook or ready reference pocket guide for CAF gender focal points and commanders^{Footnote 24}.

Indicator:

4.2.1 Percentage of military missions that receive gender perspective training, including Theatre and Mission Specific Training and training provided through the Peace Support Training Centre (PSTC), as well as CJOC/CANSOFCOM Key Leader Engagements (KLEs).

Completed Activities:

• Gender analysis, from which gender perspectives are derived (NATO terminology, congruent to “GBA Plus” and ‘findings”) continued to be an integral part of the planning and execution of military operations. GBA Plus considerations and findings are incorporated into Memorandum to Cabinet for mission renewal as a matter of course and into CDS and CJOC Operation Orders;
• Gender perspectives training and briefings continued to be a pre-requisite for all military personnel selected for deployment to expeditionary and domestic operations, including the NATO WPS distance learning courses, the WAGE GBA Plus online training, and mission specific briefs and training;
• As a result of the pandemic, some gender related training was re-formatted for delivery through virtual means; and
• The Command Teams of all deploying units within the CAF conducted Key Leaders Engagements with CJOC key staff prior to departure including a briefing by the CJOC GENAD on the WPS Agenda, gender perspectives, and in particular their obligations with regards to SEA, Conflict Related SGBV and the Vancouver Principles^{Footnote 25}. In addition, 100% of CANSOFCOM members selected for deployment received pre-deployment briefings and training on gender perspectives and GBA Plus as appropriate for the operational environment.

Results and Progress:

• All partner force training packages delivered by CAF members deployed in military expeditionary operations included gender perspectives training. The delivery of gender perspectives training during capacity building missions has enabled our partners to identify the barriers to peace and security created by gender inequalities or the under representation of vulnerable populations;
• The integration of GBA Plus and WPS Agenda-related content into pre-deployment training continues to improve the skillset of CAF personnel in order to support deployed operations, both domestic and international. The incorporation of GBA Plus and the WPS objectives into both formal courses as well as all aspects of foundational and pre-deployment training, contributes to better understanding of the positive impact those considerations may have on mission success; and
• Intelligence production is largely driven by priority intelligence requirements. To date, GBA Plus had not been reflected in the intelligence priorities, resulting in limited production.  DND/CAF’s contributed to the review of the GC Intelligence Priorities and suggested that GBA Plus considerations be included to allow for a more fulsome assessment of the situation from a wider range of perspectives. This will influence defence intelligence requirements which should strengthen collection efforts on WPS/GBA Plus issues and drive more production of gender-related assessments.

Priorities: Establish gender advisors in all specified units

Target 4.3: Support an increase in the number of military staff employed as GENADs/CAF gender focal points.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2021: On track / Two of Two Activities Completed as of March 2019/ Internal efficiency and capacity

Baseline:

There are three gender advisors in the CAF (one at the strategic level and two at the operational level).

Activity:

4.3.1 Continue to identify prospective staff to serve as gender advisors to be able to grow the capability.

4.3.2 Administer training for CAF GFPs and for GENADs.

Indicator:

4.3.1 Percentage of GENAD deployed on operations and exercises or ready for deployment.

4.3.2 Number of CAF GFPs trained and ready for deployed operations.

4.3.3 Number of CAF GFPs deployed.

Completed Activities:

• DND/CAF initiated an internal review of the GENAD/GFPs network to improve efficiency and outcomes;
• DND/CAF has also added to its roster of GENADs, with personnel being appointed in NORAD and in CDA. This is in parallel to existing GENAD positions remaining fully staffed within the institutional and operational commands with the exception of the SJS GENAD position whose incumbent was seconded to the WPS Ambassador’s office in January 2020; and
• DND/CAF continued to coordinate training opportunities and selection of candidates for deploying GENADs and GFPs. As a result of the limited seats available for Canada at the NCGM and the COVID pandemic which resulted in all GENADs and most GFP courses cancellation, DCOE-PS created ad hoc training for GENADs, in direct support of Canadian Joint Operation Command (CJOC) activities.

Results and Progress:

• A GENADs/GFPs network review was initiated in the last quarter of 2020-2021 and is expected to be completed by next reporting period. The report will provide recommendations regarding a range of aspects comprising governance, staffing, competency profile(s), human resources planning, knowledge retention, lessons learned mechanisms, and training;
• DND/CAF continued to depend on NCGM for GENADs and GFPs training for employment in operations. As a result of limited seats on the courses, ensuring personnel are properly trained to be fully effective in their role depends heavily on the expertise and support of the institutional GENADs at the strategic and operational levels. All GFPs and GENADs complete four NATO Advance Distance Learning (ADL) courses related to gender in operations (ADL 166 Children in Armed Conflict, ADL 168 Role of the GENAD, ADL 169 Gender Awareness, and ADL 171 Gender Focal Point). This training allows them to understand their role and be more effective by providing practical examples of Gender issues and how to advise Commanders on gender perspective to operations. As a stop gap to the lack of access to training availability at NCGM, the DCOE-PS, created ad hoc training for GENADs, in direct support of Canadian Joint Operation Command (CJOC) activities, based on the training developed for the WPS CHODs Network; and
• CJOC maintained three full time GENADs for CAF major missions (Op UNIFER (Ukraine), Op PROTEUS (Jordan) and Op IMACT (Iraq)) and 18 x GFPs for all minor missions (Op KOBOLD (Kosovo), Op PRESENCE (Mali), Op FOUNDATION (USA, Qatar, Bahrain, UAE), Op JADE (Lebanon), Op REASSURANCE (Latvia, Romania), Op UNIFER (Ukraine), Op CARIBBE (Caribbean region), Op NEON (Pacific Ocean) resulting in 100% coverage.