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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada Implementation Plan for Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security – 2023 to 2029

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Table of contents

Introduction and purpose

The Government of Canada is a long-standing supporter of the women, peace and security (WPS) agenda, supporting United Nations Security Council resolution 1325 as a UN Security Council member in 2000. The WPS agenda is no less urgent today. Over 100 states and numerous multilateral and regional organizations have action plans on women, peace and security, making clear commitments to advancing gender equality and women’s human rights and advocating for women’s leadership in building a more equitable, sustainable and peaceful future. The Government of Canada is now adopting a third National Action Plan (the “action plan”) on women, peace and security titled Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) as one of the implementing partners.

IRCC―as the department that provides protection and funds resettlement and settlement services for women, girls and gender-diverse individuals who are fleeing conflict―became an action plan partner in 2017. IRCC also works with like-minded countries and international organizations on issues of global importance related to migration and protection, and it supports capacity building in other countries. This work contributes in important ways toward the empowerment, inclusion and protection of women, girls and gender-diverse individuals around the world, and it addresses systemic barriers while taking into account intersecting identity factors, such as age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion and ability.

In keeping with the principles of the action plan, IRCC has put in place a number of policies and programs that provide protection and support to women, girls and gender-diverse individuals displaced by situations of conflict and state fragility. IRCC also provides targeted settlement supports for populations that experience increased vulnerability. These services address settlement and integration barriers for women, girls and gender-diverse individuals so they can participate fully in Canada’s social, cultural, civic and economic life.

The third action plan includes 6 focus areas:

IRCC was not a partner during the first action plan (from 2011 to 2016) so, while this is the third National Action Plan, this is the department’s second implementation plan. The fiscal year 2023 to 2024 will be used to establish baseline data for the revised and new outcomes, and the plans will continue for 5 additional years from the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year to the 2028 to 2029 fiscal year. With this new implementation plan, IRCC has refined the outcomes, activities and indicators to better reflect the focus of the WPS agenda.

IRCC’s women, peace and security work fits within the action plan’s focus areas 3 to 6. Focus areas 4 (SGBV) and 6 (inclusion) are integrated as cross-cutting themes of IRCC’s implementation plan. SGBV programming at IRCC is integrated within settlement services under Focus area 3 and inclusion is incorporated in work within focus areas 3 and 5 to avoid duplication and repetition. More information about the approach taken to the cross-cutting themes can be found at the end of section 3 on focus areas below.

A brief explanation of IRCC’s activities and expected outcomes are also outlined for each focus area in section 3 below, with a detailed performance measurement framework and an outputs and activities matrix provided in sections 5 and 6 below, respectively.

Context

IRCC plays a key role in bringing people to safety in Canada and providing them with resettlement and settlement supports. IRCC accepts refugees and those in refugee-like situations fleeing conflict (people who are forced to leave their home countries, but do not meet the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [UNHCR] definition in international law) for humanitarian reasons and according to the following principles: fulfilling the Government of Canada’s international obligations and commitments to protect refugees and those in need; supporting successful settlement and integration in Canada; and reuniting refugee families. The humanitarian objectives of the Government of Canada’s refugee program reflect obligations under international conventions (The 1951 Refugee Convention and Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment) and domestic law (Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and Immigration and Refugee Protection Act). The Government of Canada’s obligation to provide protection to refugees and support international humanitarian objectives is enshrined in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), which recognizes that “the refugee program is in the first instance about saving lives and offering protection to the displaced and persecuted.” Through the Refugee Resettlement Program, IRCC seeks to achieve timely protection of resettled refugees and ensure that immediate and essential needs are met; it also aims for resettled refugees to have the tools to live independently in Canadian society, in the intermediate and longer term.

The action plan has gender-based analysis plus (GBA Plus) and inclusion commitments integrated within it. It also supports IRCC’s work to mainstream GBA Plus and gender equality, as well as departmental anti-racism commitments, and encourages an understanding of the intersecting identities and multi-faceted experiences of refugees and individuals in refugee-like situations fleeing conflict to better meet their needs and priorities. IRCC will use existing resources to implement an intersectional and gender-responsive approach to programming and policies so that it can best meet the needs of the action plan’s target population.

Target population

In developing this implementation plan, and identifying possible data points and indicators to measure progress, one of the challenges has been that IRCC’s business lines do not distinguish individuals who have fled conflict from other refugees, immigrants or temporary residents coming to Canada. Refugees may or may not be coming from a situation of conflict. A student or economic migrant may come to Canada because of conflict in their country of origin. However, departmental data is collected and reported by a business line (e.g. programs and pathways of migration). To be able to monitor progress, it was necessary to identify which business lines would be included in the action plan’s progress reports. IRCC acknowledges that this data may not reflect the full picture of those fleeing conflict or of all individuals facing threats, as understood from a broad human security perspective. However, it is the most suitable data available to evaluate progress on the activities included in the implementation plan without duplicating existing reporting on the department’s activities. This approach will ensure that the great majority of women, girls and gender-diverse individuals who are refugees and in refugee-like situations fleeing conflict for resettlement in Canada are captured in the data collection. Data shared in future progress reports will include information on refugees, asylum-seekers and individuals in refugee-like populations who arrived in Canada under public policy measures that respond to humanitarian crises (recent cohorts include women and girls in Northern Iraq fleeing Daesh, as well as Afghans and Ukrainians).

In addition, it is important to note that not everyone within the target population of this implementation plan is eligible for the federal Settlement Program or the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP). IRCC data on those services does not include, for example, information about asylum seekers who have not yet received a positive claim through the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB).

Contributions on the international stage

On the international stage, IRCC and Global Affairs Canada (GAC) advocate for the inclusion and application of an intersectional, gender-responsive lens to migration and refugee protection policy. IRCC also works to support capacity-building initiatives that promote human rights and dignity for all migrants. The department is working at the international level, bilaterally and multilaterally, to encourage dialogue and collaboration on migration management and refugee protection that is more gender-responsive and inclusive of all people. Gender considerations were a top Canadian priority in the negotiations for the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) and the Global Compact for Migration (GCM), with the Government of Canada successfully advocating for gender-responsive approaches in both negotiations and related statements.

In addition, as part of capacity-building efforts, the Government of Canada supports the Comprehensive Regional Protection and Solutions Framework (MIRPS) and the MIRPS support platform, a regional application of the GCR. This includes advancing “the protection and empowerment of women and girls on the move” as an important theme to draw attention to the international protection and education needs of refugee women and girls, as well as the need to protect the human rights of displaced women, girls and gender-diverse individuals in vulnerable situations. As a champion country for the GCM, Canada also actively promotes the gender-responsive implementation of the GCM. The Government of Canada will continue to share, participate in and advocate for the development of gender-responsive migration management policies and practices within the international community.

Protecting refugees and individuals in refugee-like situations fleeing conflict

The Government of Canada facilitates refugee resettlement through distinct categories focused on government assistance, private sponsorship and a mix of the two, known as blended visa office referred (BVOR) applications. IRCC relies on referral organizations (primarily the UNHCR, but also others such as Front Line Defenders and Protect Defenders) and private sponsors to put the names of eligible refugees forward for resettlement.

IRCC recognizes the distinct protection needs of refugee women, girls and gender-diverse individuals. Through various mechanisms, such as the assistance to women at risk category, the Urgent Protection Program and the human rights defenders stream, the Government of Canada provides resettlement opportunities to women who are in precarious or permanently unstable situations abroad. These opportunities are also offered to women who are experiencing significant difficulties, such as harassment by local authorities or members of their own communities, or women who are single heads of households. The Urgent Protection Program addresses urgent requests by refugees who are under threat of being returned home, expulsion from the country they are in or who are experiencing direct threats to their lives.

The human rights defenders stream, introduced in 2021, provided additional refugee spaces reserved for the resettlement of up to 250 human rights defenders annually; the program was expanded to 500 spaces in 2023. The broader Refugee Resettlement Program is also available to women, girls and gender-diverse individuals who may be identified as refugees by private sponsors in Canada or by the UNHCR. The resettlement program takes vulnerability into account in prioritizing applications, including recognizing the particular risks faced by refugee women and girls due to patriarchal social norms and practices. This program allows the Government of Canada to provide timely and effective protection to women and girls in need, including human rights defenders. Additionally, programs and public policies for specific groups address the needs of other women, girls and gender-diverse individuals fleeing conflict.

IRCC provides financial and other assistance through RAP for up to 12 months to government-assisted refugees (GARs) and up to 6 months to BVOR refugees (private sponsors provide assistance for another 6 months). A one-time payment equal to 3 months of income support through RAP is given to the extended families of previously resettled, former Afghan interpreters and former language and cultural advisers. Assistance for up to 3 months is provided to 2SLGBTQI+ (Two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and other identities) refugees who are privately sponsored through a cost-sharing arrangement with the Rainbow Refugee Society, where private sponsors provide another 9 months of settlement support. Through the Joint Assistance Sponsorship Program, IRCC also provides assistance to refugees who are identified as having special needs. The recipients are supported for up to 24 months, including refugees who are experiencing specific risks and vulnerabilities due to their gender and/or sex.

The in-Canada asylum system

In addition to programs for resettlement from abroad, individuals can claim refugee status from within Canada. The in-Canada asylum system considers gender and sex-based persecution as potential grounds for refugee claimants to be offered protection. The IRCC has also developed specific program delivery instructions with respect to processing in-Canada claims for refugee protection of minors and other vulnerable people. Provisions include ensuring a vulnerable person’s physical comfort, being sensitive to cultural and gender issues, and giving victims of sexual violence the option of choosing the gender of the interviewing officer.

An independent administrative tribunal, the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada hears asylum claims made in Canada. The IRB has guidelines on gender considerations on:

Because of the IRB’s independence, no activities or outcomes focused on the tribunal’s work are included in this implementation plan. However, disaggregated statistics on IRB cases will be included in annual progress reports, where available, to provide a more complete picture of the pathways to safety for those fleeing conflict.

Supporting settlement and integration in Canada

A broad range of settlement services is essential when assisting individuals in establishing themselves in Canada. Migration to Canada can bring many opportunities for women, girls and gender-diverse individuals, but can also include distinct and multiple challenges, such as navigating a new language, work transitions, child care responsibilities, developing new networks and shifts in family dynamics. While settlement services are not designed to focus on the needs of those fleeing conflict specifically, IRCC’s Settlement Program provides targeted settlement and integration support for those at increased risk of marginalization, which may include women, girls and gender-diverse individuals who are refugees and in refugee-like situations fleeing conflict.

IRCC provides funding to more than 500 settlement service provider organizations (SPOs) across Canada to deliver pre- and post-arrival settlement services to help newcomers successfully establish themselves and integrate into Canadian society. IRCC’s 2022 Settlement Program data indicates that women account for 57% of unique clients. A range of supports are available to newcomer women and gender-diverse individuals under each core component of the Settlement Program, which includes needs and assets assessments and referrals, information and orientation, employment-related services, language training and community connections. To facilitate access to this programming, support services are available, including transportation, provisions for people with disabilities, translation/interpretation for immediate settlement needs, child care and short-term counselling. IRCC also funds RAP services delivered to government-assisted refugees upon arrival in Canada, including referrals to specialized services (when appropriate), as well as orientation to Canadian laws and additional resources to support successful integration.

In addition, as with other IRCC sectors, the settlement sector has made anti-racism a priority. For example, IRCC’s Racialized Newcomer Women Pilot was designed to support better employment outcomes and career advancement for racialized newcomer women across the country. The pilot involves funding new approaches to overcome discrimination and other systematic barriers by focusing on increasing employment opportunities and testing and evaluating the effectiveness of different employment-related services for racialized newcomer women. The Government of Canada recently announced its continued support for services designed specifically for racialized newcomer women, helping to ensure that gender equality is supported across all sectors and for all women. 

With new funding announced until 2025, the Racialized Newcomer Women Pilot is continuing to support racialized newcomer women in finding meaningful work in Canada, and it ensures their skills are fully appreciated and utilized. In 2024, IRCC will conduct its next call for proposals for funding under the settlement and resettlement assistance programs. GBA Plus and gender equality will be mainstreamed throughout the process to ensure the services provided by SPOs reflect the needs of all immigrants and refugees seeking support, including women, seniors, youth, people with a disability and 2SLGBTQI+ individuals.

Under Canada’s strategy to prevent and address gender-based violence (GBV), IRCC received $1.5 million in funding over 5 years to further enhance its Settlement Program. This funding is being used to implement a settlement sector strategy on GBV through a coordinated partnership of settlement and anti-violence sector organizations (ngbv.ca). The gender-based violence strategy partnership builds the capacity of the settlement sector to address GBV through training and resources, along with strengthening connections between the settlement and anti-violence sectors.

IRCC resettles refugees who have been forced to flee their home country due to persecution or conflict, which includes 2SLGBTQI+ individuals who are often at heightened risk due to their sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. The department offers tailored settlement support to 2SLGBTQI+ immigrants and refugees after their arrival in Canada. SPOs assist clients in obtaining medical and social services, as well as navigating the legal and health systems. SPOs also provide information and resources about 2SLGBTQI+ rights and community resources, offer peer support programming to explore 2SLGBTQI+ identity within the Canadian cultural context and offer programming for youth. These services include connections to diaspora groups, intergenerational cooking classes, discussion groups and the coordination of community supports. IRCC currently funds approximately 20 SPOs that offer specialized, targeted support, in addition to SPOs across the country that offer resources and referrals to local 2SLGBTQI+ organizations. The department continues to work with 2SLGBTQI+ stakeholders in Canada to collaboratively improve the available supports and ensure the Refugee Resettlement Program integrates a 2SLGBTQI+ lens.

Lessons learned from IRCC’s first departmental implementation plan

IRCC’s first implementation plan taught the department the importance of establishing a clear target population, as well as outcomes and indicators that can adapt as priorities change over time and still remain meaningful. As noted in the October 2021 mid-term review of Canada’s National Action Plan on women, peace and security, significant resources are invested into action plan reporting. The review recommended simplifying and streamlining the reporting process. IRCC’s second implementation plan relies heavily on existing indicators used in other departmental reporting mechanisms to minimize the data collection burden, allowing space for more meaningful analysis and comparisons of progress year-to-year in the annual reports through the use of case studies. This iteration’s performance measurement framework is more robust, with more targeted outcomes and indicators. It uses diverse sources and will help the department more easily assess implementation. The publication of this implementation plan also coincides with department-wide efforts to develop and implement a disaggregated data and analytics framework and improve data literacy within the department, both of which will assist IRCC’s reporting under the third action plan. Enhancing the department’s capabilities and skills to effectively collect and analyze disaggregated data is imperative to understanding how the department’s programs and policies impact different population groups.

IRCC is committed to the protection of women, girls and gender-diverse individuals who are refugees and in refugee-like situations fleeing conflict. It also has at its disposal policy and program levers to tailor immigration responses to crises. Examples of such levers include public policies to assist various groups of Afghans in coming to Canada and special measures for Ukrainians. These measures change over time to address specific crises, with different populations being considered depending on the circumstances in the countries in question.

At the same time, it is important to note that IRCC does not have full control over the selection of refugees and the gender breakdown of those who are accepted to stay in Canada. Other actors play an important role in determining who is in need of refugee protection. As noted above, within the resettlement program, the department relies on referrals from the UNHCR and other authorized organizations as well as private sponsors who, for the most part, select who they will be sponsoring. UNHCR has an established vulnerability assessment process, which includes women and girls at risk, but also other at-risk groups. For a person making a refugee claim in Canada, requests are brought to the IRB by the individuals seeking asylum. IRCC’s progress reports will reflect these realities.

Focus areas

How IRCC’s departmental implementation plan aligns with the action plan focus areas

IRCC’s primary role in implementing the WPS agenda is in assisting those fleeing conflict, which fits primarily within Focus area 3 of the action plan (crisis response). IRCC has programming on SGBV, but it is not directly targeted toward the specific needs of women, girls and gender-diverse individuals who are refugees or in refugee-like situations fleeing conflict. Supports and referrals for SGBV are integrated into the Settlement Program and are part of a suite of comprehensive services offered to newcomers to support their successful integration process. This closely aligns with action plan Focus area 3 (crisis response), along with other settlement-related services.

The IRCC implementation plan also addresses Focus area 5 (leadership and capabilities). The focus on leadership and capabilities is primarily directed at IRCC’s international work, which advocates for intersectional, gender-responsive approaches to managing migration and expanding access to protection. The work also focuses on capacity-building support to strengthen migration and refugee protection systems in other countries and increase the development and exchange of information.

Focus area 6 (inclusion) is treated as a cross-cutting theme that is integrated throughout IRCC’s implementation plan. IRCC is mandated to integrate GBA Plus/intersectional analysis in all of its work. In addition, all sectors of the department have anti-racism commitments with timelines and measurable goals, as outlined in the action plan IRCC’s Anti-Racism Strategy 2.0 (from 2021 to 2024). These include a commitment, for example, to “review policies and programs to identify systemic racism, barriers in program and service delivery, and the disparate impacts on racialized groups.” In addition, the Accessible Canada Act requires that the department implement an accessibility plan to ensure that clients and employees with disabilities do not face barriers. The department is therefore actively committed to promoting various forms of inclusion in its programs and policies. IRCC will keep in mind the intersecting identities of women, girls and gender-diverse people served by the WPS agenda. Remembering this is important in promoting inclusion and ensuring that diverse needs are met.

Crisis response

Narrative

While many individuals who find themselves in a conflict situation may wish to stay in their country of origin or a nearby country, others may need to resettle in a third country for a variety of reasons. For example, there may be a lack of safety for a single mother in a refugee camp or a non-binary activist living in a city in a neighbouring country. IRCC provides pathways to safety and resettlement, as well as settlement services to address their unique needs once in Canada.

IRCC’s immediate outcome under crisis response is focused on providing protection through resettlement, asylum and other immigration processes that allow women, girls and gender-diverse individuals to leave conflict or unsafe post-conflict situations. These avenues include:

While many of these programs have existed for years, others are pilots or temporary measures that allow for flexible responses to emerging situations. As part of IRCC’s commitment to the action plan, the department will be analyzing available disaggregated data to better understand the makeup of these populations over the period of this implementation plan. This will aid the department in better addressing their unique needs for protection and ensure equitable access to resettlement in Canada.

While providing protection is an important first step, individuals may need assistance to settle in Canada and integrate into the social and economic life of the country. For this reason, IRCC’s intermediate outcome under crisis response focuses on resettlement assistance and settlement services, which are essential for women, girls and gender-diverse individuals before and after they arrive in Canada.

Research has found that refugees―in particular, government-assisted refugees―rely heavily on settlement services, and women make up the majority of service users. It is important to recognize that everyone arrives with different assets and needs. In addition, the settlement experience is gendered and, therefore, settlement services have enhanced their programming to reflect that reality and meet the specific needs and priorities of those they serve.

Intermediate outcome

Women, girls and gender-diverse refugees and individuals in refugee-like situations fleeing conflict will receive resettlement services in Canada that meet their needs, as well as settlement services that support their integration, including trauma-informed and SGBV services.

Immediate outcome

Women, girls and gender-diverse refugees and individuals in refugee-like situations fleeing conflict have access to pathways to Canada to leave situations of conflict and unsafe post-conflict situations.

While similar to 1 of the objectives in IRCC’s first departmental implementation plan, these outcomes are new and reflect a tailored focus, specifically on women, girls and gender-diverse individuals who are refugees and in refugee-like situations fleeing conflict. They are at the heart of the WPS agenda.

Leadership

Narrative

The Government of Canada is a leader in promoting an intersectional, gender-responsive approach to migration and the governance of refugee protection systems internationally. In its international engagements, the Government of Canada actively seeks to raise awareness and promote the inclusion of intersectional gender considerations in international discourse on migration and protection. It will work toward these goals by integrating such considerations in official documents, raising the topic of gender-responsive migration and protection in diplomatic engagements, sharing best practices, and leading and contributing to initiatives that focus on gender. Through its awareness-raising and promotion, the Government of Canada helps advance the implementation of the GCR and the GCM in an intersectional and gender-responsive way. This work contributes to the WPS agenda by promoting consideration of gender and other intersecting identity factors in international documents, a collaboration between countries and capacity-building initiatives affecting women, girls and gender-diverse individuals who are on the move, including refugees and individuals in refugee-like situations fleeing conflict. Canada is committed to promoting policies, laws, rules and supports that are designed and implemented with these considerations in mind.

IRCC continues to promote the importance of implementing the GCR, which is underpinned by age, gender and diversity considerations. The Government of Canada monitors and strongly encourages UNHCR’s commitments to women and girls, and prioritization of resources through statements from UNHCR’s executive committee and High-Level Officials Meetings, meetings with key UNHCR officials and other member states, as well as statements and stakeholder engagement at the Annual Tripartite Consultations on Resettlement. Canada has also been the chair of the MIRPS support platform and remains involved. The MIRPS support platform is a regional application of the GCR. Further—in partnership with GAC—since 2020, IRCC has included experts with lived experience as refugee advisers in Canada’s delegations to international meetings on protection issues. These experts will ensure the meaningful inclusion of refugee voices in processes and decisions that affect their lives. This practice will continue during the period covered by this implementation plan.

IRCC also continues to promote the importance of implementing the GCM in a gender-responsive way. As part of its role as a champion country, Canada has identified that encouraging a gender-responsive approach to migration management is one of its priorities. The Government of Canada supports this priority by sharing best practices related to gender-responsive migration governance and by leading and contributing to various initiatives. For example, Canada supports the Gender+Migration Hub, led by the International Migration Research Centre at Wilfrid Laurier University, which provides tools and compiles resources to advance gender equality and the empowerment of women, girls and gender-diverse people on the move.

The Government of Canada also supports efforts to advance both global compacts in a gender-responsive way by funding capacity-building initiatives from entities such as non-governmental, international and research organizations involved in migration and protection programming and research internationally. These entities include some that actively support the development of gender-responsive asylum and protection capacity.

Intermediate outcome

Canada’s promotion of an intersectional and gender-responsive approach helps advance the implementation of the Global Compact for Migration and the Global Compact on Refugees.

Immediate outcome(s)

There is awareness and inclusion of intersectional gender considerations in international discourse on migration and protection.

While similar to the third objective in IRCC’s first departmental implementation plan (2017-2022), the language in this iteration (2023 -2029) has been updated and reference to intersectional considerations has been added in light of growing recognition in recent years about how gender interacts with other demographic factors to affect an individual’s experiences in conflict and post-conflict situations.

Other focus areas

While inclusion and SGBV are separate focus areas in the third action plan, because of the way IRCC’s work relates to the WPS agenda, the department opted to treat them as cross-cutting in IRCC’s implementation plan. As noted above, IRCC does not have SGBV programming specific to the target population of women, girls and gender-diverse individuals who are refugees and in refugee-like situations fleeing conflict. However, IRCC does fund settlement services, including SGBV supports, that can benefit this population, such as crisis counselling for resettled refugees through the Settlement Program’s support services. For this reason, IRCC’s intermediate outcome under the crisis response focus area includes reference to trauma-informed and SGBV services. The department will be tracking the offer of such services as data becomes available.

IRCC has incorporated inclusion throughout this implementation plan, with a focus on improved disaggregated data collection and analysis. Women, girls and gender-diverse individuals who are refugees and in refugee-like situations fleeing conflict come from diverse backgrounds and have varied experiences and needs that must be understood to support effective settlement and integration into Canada. Where available, IRCC will be providing disaggregated data regarding numbers entering Canada and services provided by gender and other demographic factors.

Alignment

IRCC will ensure that implementation of this plan aligns with the department’s work as part of other strategies and action plans, including:

Outputs and activities matrix

Intermediate outcome 1110

Women, girls and gender-diverse refugees and individuals in refugee-like situations fleeing conflict receive the resettlement services that meet their needs and the settlement services to support their integration in Canada, including trauma-informed and SGBV services

Immediate outcome 1111

Women, girls and gender-diverse refugees and individuals in refugee-like situations fleeing conflict have access to pathways to Canada to leave situations of conflict and unsafe post-conflict situations

Output 1112

Conduct analysis on refugee and asylum population makeup and the barriers for women, girls and gender-diverse individuals who are refugees and in refugee-like situations fleeing conflict through the Rainbow Refugee partnership

Activity 1112.1

Refugee streams and public policies addressing vulnerable groups, including human rights defenders at risk, pay particular attention in the selection process to those who are less visible or marginalized, including women and gender-diverse individuals

Activity 1112.2

IRCC conducts intersectional analysis of asylum data to better understand the makeup of the asylum seeker population and their needs

Output 1113

GBA Plus evaluation of the resettlement program and plans/action to respond to its findings

Activity 1113.1

Analysis is conducted

Activity 1113.2

Plans/action are put in place to respond to the findings

Output 1114

Ongoing delivery of targeted settlement services for women, girls and gender-diverse refugees

Activity 1114.1

IRCC offers targeted settlement supports to women, girls and gender-diverse immigrants, including refugees, upon arrival in Canada

Activity 1114.2

Resettlement Assistance Program services are provided to refugee women, girls and gender-diverse individuals

Output 1115

IRCC refugee participation framework developed

Activity 1115.1

Expand and systematize opportunities for meaningful refugee participation in IRCC’s activities

Intermediate outcome 1130

Canada’s promotion of an intersectional and gender-responsive approach helps advance the implementation of the Global Compact for Migration and the Global Compact on Refugees

Immediate outcome 1131

There is an awareness and inclusion of intersectional gender considerations in international discourse on migration and protection

Output 1132

Gender-responsive and intersectional language, narratives and themes are reflected in international engagements, initiatives and documents

Activity 1132.1

IRCC advocates for the inclusion and application of an intersectional, gender-responsive lens on migration and protection in its international engagements (international forums, meetings, etc.) and through international migration and protection capacity building

Output 1133

Refugee advisers selected to join GAC/IRCC delegations to international meetings on protection issues

Activity 1133.1

Recruitment of experts with lived experience as refugee advisers on IRCC’s international delegations to meetings on protection issues

Output 1134

Support gender-responsive migration and protection programs and policies internationally

Activity 1134.1

Fund capacity-building projects of entities, such as non-governmental, international and research organizations involved in migration, and protection programming internationally

Definitions

Asylum program

The in-Canada system that provides protection to people fleeing persecution and risk of torture, risk to life or risk of cruel and unusual treatment or punishment

Asylum seeker

A person seeking admission to a country as a refugee and awaiting a decision on their application for refugee status

Disaggregated data

Subsets of data broken down by diverse population groups and their intersecting attributes, such as Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Métis and Inuit), racialized population groups, ethnic origin, religion, gender, age, disability status, sexual orientation, official language, children and youth, seniors, low income and place of birth

Integration

A 2-way process that involves commitment on the part of immigrants to adapt to life in Canada and on the part of Canada to welcome and adapt to new peoples and cultures. Ultimately, the goal of integration is to encourage immigrants and refugees to be fully engaged in the economic, social, political and cultural life of Canada

Refugee

A Convention refugee (as defined in IRPA) or a person in similar circumstances (as defined in Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR).

A Convention refugee: An individual who, by reason of a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion,

Similar circumstances (country of asylum class): A foreign national is a member of the country of asylum class if they have been determined by an officer to be in need of resettlement because:

Resettlement

The transfer of refugees from an asylum country to another state that has agreed to admit them and ultimately grant them permanent residence

Resettlement services

Services that provide immediate and essential support to help meet refugees’ resettlement needs. This includes financial support, reception services, assistance with accommodations, links to essential federal and provincial programs, and life-skills training, including orientation on finances and other day-to-day matters

Settlement

A short period of mutual initial adaptation between immigrants and the host society, during which the government provides support and services to newcomers

Settlement services

Services offered during the settlement process, which include information and referrals, language training, assistance finding employment that matches newcomers’ skills and education, and help integrating into Canadian society

Acronym glossary

2SLGBTQI+ – Two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and additional sexual and gender diverse communities (used in Canada)

BVOR – Blended visa office referred

GAC – Global Affairs Canada

GAR – Government assisted refugees

GBA Plus – Gender-based analysis plus

GCM – Global Compact for Migration

GCR – Global Compact on Refugees

IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

IRCC – Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

IRPA – Immigration and Refugee Protection Act

LGBTQI+ – Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and additional sexually and gender diverse communities (used to refer to the population outside of Canada, internationally)

MIRPS – Comprehensive regional protection and solutions frameworks

PSR – Privately sponsored refugees

SGBV – Sexual and gender-based violence

SPOs – Settlement service provider organizations

UNHCR – United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

WPS – Women, peace and security

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