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Public Safety Canada Implementation Plan for Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security – 2023 to 2029

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Table of contents

Acronyms

2SLGBTQI+
Two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex. The + refers to many other identities.
2SLGBTQQIA+
Two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual. The + refers to many other identities. This acronym is specific to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
CSC
Correctional Service of Canada
CRF
Community Resilience Fund
CRV
Countering radicalization to violence
FNIPP
First Nations and Inuit Policing Program
FPT
Federal, provincial, territorial
GBA Plus
Gender-based analysis plus
MEL
Monitoring, evaluation and learning
NRP
National risk profile
PS
Public Safety Canada
SGBV
Sexual and gender-based violence
WAGE
Women and Gender Equality Canada
WPS
Women, peace and security

Introduction and purpose

Public Safety Canada (PS) is an implementing partner under Canada’s third National Action Plan (“action plan”), working alongside other federal partners to implement the women, peace and security (WPS) agenda at home and abroad. This implementation plan provides a number of initiatives that PS commits to under Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, as part of Canada’s whole-of-government approach to implement the United Nations Security Council resolutions on women, peace and security.

The 2023 to 2029 PS implementation plan categorizes initiatives and commitments under strategic focus areas, highlighting areas for impact. PS initiatives and commitments span several themes: countering radicalization to violence; supporting First Nations and Inuit policing; identifying crime prevention strategies for Indigenous youth; enhancing capacity for disaster risk reduction; combatting human trafficking; addressing and preventing cyberbullying; supporting women in correctional settings; enhancing women and girls’ involvement in the fields of public safety and security; and enhancing and supporting gender-based analysis plus (GBA Plus) and GBA Plus data capacity. These efforts will contribute to the following focus areas under the broader action plan:

Noting that this is an evergreen document, this plan provides the contributions that PS will advance over the coming years.

Context

As PS advances the mission of a safe and resilient Canada, it continues to take into consideration the needs of women, girls and gender-diverse groups who may disproportionately experience challenges, greater risks and different experiences of conflict.

The WPS agenda consists of four pillars: participation, protection, prevention, and relief and recovery. Consistent with the four pillars, PS’ work reflects the importance of prioritizing the participation of women and girls in building sustainable peace; working to improve prevention strategies and protect women, girls and other vulnerable groups from conflict and violence; and supporting victims and survivors. Further, the WPS agenda is reflected in the PS approach to emergency management, law enforcement, corrections, crime prevention, and national and border security.

PS has been involved in the action plan on women, peace and security since 2010, when the Government of Canada developed its first National Action Plan to guide and support the implementation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions on women, peace and security. Participation continued under the second National Action Plan, which reflected women, peace and security priorities through PS projects in correctional services, anti-human trafficking and countering radicalization to violence. Under the third iteration, PS is continuing initiatives captured under the second National Action Plan, while introducing additional initiatives in areas such as First Nations and Inuit policing; emergency management; cyberbullying; women in the fields of public safety and security; and GBA Plus.

PS is committed to prioritizing and furthering the rights of women, girls and gender-diverse groups, particularly as the world faces an everchanging threat environment. Through this implementation plan, PS recommits to the realization of human rights for women, girls and gender-diverse groups over the next six years. PS will continue to encourage the meaningful and equal participation of women in decision-making processes, promote gender equality and provide a culturally responsive and intersectional approach to programs, strategies and policy.

PS initiatives under the action plan remain largely domestic in practice; however, furthering these initiatives lends itself to a greater capacity for impact, both at home and internationally.

Public Safety contributions to Action Plan focus areas

Security, justice and accountability

New, emerging and complex security threats are posing challenges to the way violence, insecurity and human rights violations appear in society. The differential impact already experienced by women, girls and gender-diverse groups is increasingly compounded by multiple and intersecting forms of oppression, discrimination and exclusion based on sexual orientation, sex characteristics, race and systemic racism, ethnicity, culture, place of birth, religion or belief, language, geography, education, income, age, disability and other identity factors.

Women, girls and gender-diverse groups play a significant role in security and justice sectors, as actors in the space, but must also be considered as those experiencing a differential impact in times of crisis and conflict. Through improved gender equality, security and access to justice and accountability, these sectors can better address emerging drivers of conflict and instability in a gender-responsive way.

Under this focus area, PS will explore and advance programs, projects and efforts that impact Canadians in the security, justice and accountability spheres. PS is committed to increasing culturally sensitive security and access to justice for women, girls and gender-diverse groups, as well as increasing their participation in these sectors.

As the lead for the Government of Canada on the National Strategy on Countering Radicalization to Violence, PS’ Canada Centre for Community Engagement and the Prevention of Violence (“the Canada Centre”) marshals domestic efforts for preventing and countering radicalization to violence and violent extremism in Canada, including extremist violence targeting women. Since the development of Canada’s second National Action Plan on women, peace and security, ideologically motivated violent extremism, including violent misogyny, has continued to present a growing societal issue that requires a whole-of-government approach. The Canada Centre’s focus on preventing the onset of harmful behaviour and diverting individuals and groups away from violent extremism aims to complement national security and criminal justice efforts, as well as broader initiatives to address harms like hate and gender-based violence.

One of the core roles of the Canada Centre is to help build the evidence base to better understand drivers and pathways of violent radicalization, as well as the effectiveness of preventative approaches. This is done through the support of research and engagement with domestic and international counterparts, subject matter experts and front-line practitioners. The growing evidence base provides a greater understanding of connections between violent extremism and dynamics around hate, disinformation, conspiracy theories and gender-based violence. For example, the field of countering radicalization to violence (CRV) has worked toward increasingly nuanced discussions of the role of harmful gender norms and constructions of masculinity that may lead to radicalization to violence. This includes increased attention on how gender interacts with other identity and situational factors on a personal level. As many forms of violent extremism may involve elements of, or may be driven by, violent misogyny, most leading evidence-based programs for CRV include violent misogyny as one of the key considerations for design and implementation of prevention initiatives.

The Canada Centre plays a critical role on the Canadian and international stage in bringing multi-sector (security and non-security) partners and stakeholders together to focus on agreed priorities, as well as share experiences, best practices and lessons learned to ensure a coordinated response to domestic CRV issues. Through its grants and contributions program―the Community Resilience Fund (CRF)―the Canada Centre provides financial support to domestic, prevention and intervention programs, as well as research initiatives. This support extends to a number of programs that seek to address violent misogyny, prevent and counter radicalization to violence, and complement broader initiatives to address harms like hate and gender-based violence.

The current strategic priorities of the Canada Centre, which provide the framework for its knowledge mobilization activities and inform decisions around funding, are:

The Canada Centre has sought to establish itself as a leading producer, curator and distributor of knowledge. A part of this knowledge exchange aims to enhance dialogue between the areas of women, peace and security and countering violent extremism, to make evidence and ongoing research available, and to strengthen collaboration and connections that may increase the collective capacity to keep communities safe and healthy.

Canada Centre initiatives and programming under the security, justice and accountability focus area include:

PS also supports this focus area through its work to provide new investments in culturally responsive policing in First Nations and Inuit communities through the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program (FNIPP).Footnote 3 This program supports the delivery of professional, dedicated and culturally responsive policing services to First Nations and Inuit communities, positioning policing services to, among other things, better respond to and investigate violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. PS also continues to engage Inuit and Métis people to identify their policing and community safety priorities, and it is approaching these opportunities with a GBA Plus lens. This is especially the case when considering invitations to sessions to ensure representation from women, youth and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.

PS also continues to make progress toward co-developing First Nations police services legislation.Footnote 4 PS used a GBA Plus lens in the design and delivery of the virtual engagement process to inform the co-development of First Nations police services legislation; it then engaged with First Nations women’s organizations to understand diverse perspectives and views.

Through new investments in culturally responsive policing in First Nation and Inuit communities, PS will continue its work with communities to support the stabilization and expansion of First Nations and Inuit police services so they can meet the community safety needs of Indigenous communities.

PS First Nations and Inuit policing initiatives and programming under the security, justice and accountability focus area include:

Research work by PS also supports this focus area by examining risk and protective factors through a cultural lens to identify crime prevention strategies for Indigenous youth. It expands on existing research that demonstrates Indigenous women and girls tend to experience a larger number of risk factors and fewer protective factors than non-Indigenous women and girls.

PS’ research division offers the following initiative under the security, justice and accountability focus area:

Crisis response

Natural and human-induced hazards present significant challenges both inside and outside of Canada, and planning and response have important roles in ensuring that those affected are supported and able to access life-saving services. Crises have a gendered nature, disproportionately impacting women, girls and gender-diverse groups. Crises can exacerbate pre-existing gendered norms and inequalities, intersecting with a multitude of identity factors to compound vulnerability and create exposure to heightened risk. Crisis response, and especially disasterFootnote 5 risk management (which includes mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery), can be improved by prioritizing meaningful participation, empowerment and leadership while integrating inclusive gender and culturally responsive approaches.

All orders of government and sectors of society have essential roles to play in emergency management. Because of the often localized nature of hazards, federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) governments―in keeping with their respective roles and responsibilities―must work with their emergency management partners to adapt their efforts and ensure that prevention/mitigation actions and measures take into consideration the community and their specific needs. As such, it is important to acknowledge and be aware of the different needs, resources and vulnerabilities of individuals, groups and communities that can intersect to exacerbate risks or strengthen resilience. This may include consideration of factors, such as gender.

Within this focus area, PS is committed to ensuring programming and strategies are conflict-sensitive, build social cohesion, foster resilience and support lasting peace efforts. PS seeks out ways to foster an intersectional, anti-sexist and anti-racist approach with the aim of strengthening partnerships through collaboration. PS works with other federal departments and agencies, provinces and territories, municipalities, Indigenous organizations and communities, and academic, private, volunteer and non-governmental sectors across Canada.

PS leads Canada’s first all-hazard, National Risk Profile (NRP), a strategic national disaster risk and capability assessment. It provides a national picture of the disaster risks facing Canada and the measures and resources that exist to address them in the emergency management system. This tool supports decision making to increase resilience and reduce the vulnerability of Canada’s most at-risk populations, as it highlights the social impacts disasters can have on communities and diverse groups within them. As part of the NRP risk assessment process, various experts and representatives from different socio-cultural groups across Canada have been, and will be, engaged in creating a more fulsome picture of the disaster risk and capabilities in Canada. Future NRP reports will incorporate enhanced GBA Plus and equity-based considerations to address entrenched health, social and economic inequities in Canada that can result in differential and disproportionate impacts of hazards.

PS initiatives and programming in emergency management under the crisis response focus area include:

Approved and funded under the 2019 budget, as part of the federal implementation of Canada’s FPT approved Emergency Management Strategy, the NRP directly enhances whole-of-society collaboration and governance to strengthen resilience and improve the understanding of disaster risks in all sectors of society.

PS acknowledges the need to align emergency management and disaster risk reduction strategies with targeted approaches to resilience building, particularly by developing intersectional understandings of disaster risk throughout the country. Gender intersects with various social and socio-economic characteristics to highlight vulnerability to disaster impacts.

Sexual and gender-based violence

While a global crisis of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) has long existed, the pandemic led to additional challenges, including increased insecurity and violence, and varying tactics by perpetrators. Given the disproportionate effects of SGBV on women, girls and gender-diverse groups, their roles in this domain are essential to advancing gender equality. Women and gender-diverse groups in advocacy positions improve representation, which can lead to positive change in addressing the root causes of SGBV, including discriminatory gender and social norms, unequal power relations, and wider structural factors. The human rights of women, girls and gender-diverse groups, particularly in prevention and response to SGBV, can be advanced under this focus area.

SGBV prevention, mitigation, protection and response is fundamental to all four pillars of the WPS agenda, impacting participation, prevention, protection, and relief and recovery. Under this focus area, PS remains steadfast in continuing its commitment to addressing SGBV through initiatives such as the 2019 to 2024 National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking and research on women and gender-diverse groups in correctional settings. PS will work to build the knowledge base regarding evidence-based, cyberbullying prevention and intervention practices.

The National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking was launched in 2019, having been developed and informed by input received through a GBA Plus and intersectional analysis via regional, national and international consultations. PS leads the coordination of the federal policy response for the national strategy, with input from other federal and provincial partners who play a key role in its implementation. This includes ongoing work from various departments, stakeholders and partners to ensure GBA Plus is taken into account in the design, delivery and implementation of various initiatives.

Under this action plan, PS reaffirms commitments made under the national strategy. Canada is committed to a trauma-informed, culturally relevant, gender-responsive and victim-centred approach to deliver programs and develop resources and tools that meet the needs of victims and survivors of human trafficking. It aims to increase awareness among all Canadians and foreign nationals in Canada. Of particular focus to PS, are initiatives that provide increased support and services to protect and empower victims and survivors.

PS will also develop best practices based on lessons learned from community-based projects that aim to protect at-risk populations and empower victims and survivors of human trafficking through trauma-informed and intersectional approaches. These approaches have and will continue to recognize the interconnectedness and complexity of human trafficking, gender-based violence and gender equality.

PS initiatives and programming aimed at combatting human trafficking from the second National Action Plan, that will continue under the sexual and gender-based violence focus area, include:

The work of the PS research division is also reflected in this focus area, particularly as the division is committed to assuring community safety and well-being in the areas of corrections and cyberbullying. PS remains committed to ongoing research on corrections to support the department in making evidence-based decisions, particularly by studying sexual coercion and violence in Canadian correctional facilities. This work informs future prevention and intervention strategies in Canadian prisons and supports racialized and at-risk individuals―including women and gender-diverse groups―in correctional settings.

Aligned with Canada’s Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence, PS works closely with partners and stakeholders to address the gaps in knowledge in the area of cyberbullying reduction and prevention. PS works to build the knowledge base regarding evidence-based, cyberbullying prevention and intervention practices. Commitments under this action plan particularly aim to support girls, the 2SLGBTQI+ community and racialized groups through the funding of research projects. PS will also explore data collection initiatives to address gender-based violence among youth in an online environment.

PS’ research division offers the following initiatives and programming under the sexual and gender-based violence focus area:

Leadership and capabilities

Canada is among 79 countries that have established national action plans to advance the WPS agenda.Footnote 8 These plans emphasize ways to increase the participation of women and girls in peace and security efforts, protect the human rights of women and girls, and ensure women and girls have equal access to humanitarian and development assistance.Footnote 9 These commitments have collectively propelled forward an overall commitment to gender equality and prompted consideration for ways to expand, explore and recommit. By expanding Canada’s own capabilities, it can strengthen its leadership role internationally.

Under this focus area, Correctional Service of Canada (CSC)―a PS portfolio agency―is committed to further developing its capacity to create strong policy and program direction, as well as performance measures. CSC continues to review ways to apply a GBA Plus lens to its work, including standardizing GBA Plus in the development and updates to CSC policies, updating the CSC national policy framework and augmenting training for policy writers with respect to human rights.

CSC will also explore options to increase available data and research findings that look at women and gender-diverse groups. CSC conducts research projects on offender populations that include a specific stratification for sex and race. It has recently conducted research to specifically examine gender-diverse offenders, including transgender women, transgender men, non-binary and gender-fluid individuals. The CSC research branch will continue to look for opportunities to incorporate GBA Plus considerations into future research endeavours to better serve offender populations and better inform leadership in decision making.Footnote 10 By collecting gender-disaggregated data and investing in research and data, CSC is advancing the quality, accessibility and use of knowledge and data. It is also seeking to better account for the experiences of women and the most vulnerable groups. CSC continues to work toward closing gender data gaps and strengthening its ability to identify factors that impact the women offender population.

CSC initiatives and programming under the leadership and capabilities focus area include:

Under this focus area, PS is committed to a number of external and internal efforts that support the increased participation of women and girls in the fields of public safety and security. It prioritizes enhancing and supporting GBA Plus and encourages the use of GBA Plus resources and tools to inform programs and policies across the department. The ability for PS to maintain and expand capacity in conducting GBA Plus efforts remains a top priority for the department, serving to strengthen PS’ implementation of the WPS agenda and support Canada’s commitment to leadership and expertise on gender equality.

PS is particularly interested in enhancing public awareness of the work and focus of the department, especially as it aims to educate young women and girls who demonstrate an interest in a future in public safety and security. This is advanced through the Young Women in Public Safety program, which aims to enhance early exposure to employment opportunities in the public safety and security fields through an annual internship opportunity. The program targets women and girls in high school during a focused week-long program with speakers and kiosk-style presentations that can educate and inform high school students across Canada. PS leads this program, with support from Canada Border Services Agency, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, CSC, Canadian Security Intelligence Service and Parole Board Canada.

PS is committed to a strong, decentralized implementation of GBA Plus practices across the department. This is, in part, facilitated through a PS GBA Plus advisers network that supports colleagues at the working level by providing guidance and sharing tools and resources on GBA Plus to ensure best practices are leveraged through the department. PS will continue to hold regular network meetings to discuss the application of GBA Plus and share insight to how support for the GBA Plus advisors can be improved. Reporting exercises (e.g., WAGE survey and the GBA Plus advisers survey) will provide PS with valuable information on the department’s application of GBA Plus to monitor capacity building efforts so it can continue to apply those findings to identify areas to expand and improve GBA Plus efforts.

PS initiatives and programming under the leadership and capabilities focus area include:

Annex

Logic model

Ultimate outcome

Enhanced peace, security and equality for all people, particularly women in all of their diversity, in situations where Public Safety Canada engagesFootnote 11

Security, justice and accountability

Intermediate Outcomes

Enhanced inclusivity, gender responsiveness and accountability in security and justice sectors

Immediate Outcomes

Continued support for initiatives that address current and emerging risks of violence and other threats to security-facing women, girls and gender-diverse groups

Enhanced availability of information and opportunities to learn about projects that respond to women, girls and gender-diverse groups’ needs for safety and well-being and to address current and emerging risks to security

Enhanced policing services that are professional, dedicated and responsive to the unique needs of First Nation and Inuit women, girls and gender-diverse groups

Enhanced knowledge of the successes and challenges of gender-specific Indigenous cultural activities and programs and their role in youth crime prevention

Outputs

Workshops and webinars supporting the dissemination of information on countering radicalization to violence (CRV)

Canada Centre-supported projects and initiatives that integrate GBA Plus considerations and gender-responsive approaches to CRV

Continued allocation of additional investments under the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program to support existing and new First Nations police services, as well as working to develop federal legislation that recognizes First Nations police services as an essential service

Research reports on youth crime prevention and the role of gender-specific programs for women and girls

Activities

Organize and facilitate workshops and webinars to disseminate information on countering radicalization to violence (CRV)

Support the development and implementation of policies and projects that integrate gender-responsive and GBA Plus elements for CRV

Continue to facilitate engagement with Indigenous peoples under new and existing mechanisms to advance Indigenous policing priorities

Publish the 2023 report Crime Prevention in Indigenous Communities: An Examination of Culturally Relevant Programs and Culturally Competent Evaluation Approaches

Crisis response

Intermediate Outcomes

Enhanced outcomes for women, girls and gender-diverse groups that are informed by GBA Plus considerations during emergency and crisis situations in Canada

Immediate Outcomes

Enhanced inclusiveness and capacity of GBA Plus considerations in assessments of disaster risks

Outputs

Launch of the first National Risk Profile (NRP) public report that incorporates GBA Plus dimensions, including socio-economic vulnerabilities, to more accurately capture the range of factors that contribute to disaster risk

Activities

Incorporate enhanced GBA Plus and equity-based considerations in future National Risk Profile reports

Sexual and gender-based violence

Enhanced incorporation of trauma-informed, culturally relevant, gender-responsive and victim-centred approaches in response to human trafficking

Intermediate Outcomes

Continued investment in trauma-informed and culturally relevant, community-based services and support through the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline

Increased knowledge of cyberbullying prevention and intervention initiatives, with a focus on girls and 2SLGBTQI+ and racialized groups

Outputs

Continued efforts under the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking, informed by GBA Plus

Investment in the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline

Funding of research projects aimed at addressing and preventing cyberbullying behaviours among children and youth, particularly girls and 2SLGBTQI+ and racialized groups

The acquisition of data on cyberbullying and cyberhate

Activities

As an evergreen strategy, continue to consult domestic and international stakeholders to address modern challenges in human trafficking

Publish a 2023 to 2024 literature review on cyberbullying prevention and intervention initiatives for girls and 2SLGBTQI+ and ethno-racially diverse youthFootnote 12

Leadership and capabilities

Intermediate Outcomes

CSC: Improved service of the offender population through evidence-based and GBA Plus-informed policy development

Enhanced awareness of PS work among young women and girls with interest in a future in public safety and security

Strengthened implementation of the WPS agenda by the Government of Canada and its partners

Enhanced capacity to conduct GBA Plus analyses when developing, implementing and evaluating programs and/or policies

Immediate Outcomes

CSC: Enhanced access to policy direction for staff, specifying the requirement to conduct GBA Plus analyses when developing programs and/or policies

CSC: Enhanced access to gender-disaggregated data and research findings

CSC: Increased staff awareness of GBA Plus concepts

Enhanced awareness of GBA Plus and the important role it plays in policy development for the organization and the Government of Canada

A PS developed, published and promoted set of guidance materials for all PS employees related to the use of GBA Plus and the intersection of GBA Plus and requirements for disaggregated data collection through, for example, InfoCentral and Info Bulletins

Enhanced awareness of current tools and resources to support an effective GBA Plus approach

Increased access to quality disaggregated data to conduct gender-responsive analysis

Increased awareness of data holdings (within and outside of the PS portfolio) to conduct gender-responsive analysis

Outputs

CSC: Updated correctional service policies and programs that apply a GBA Plus lens, including the CSC national policy framework

Continuation of the Young Women in Public Safety program

Updated GBA Plus Infocentral page

Access to new and updated tools to support GBA Plus (e.g., PS GBA Plus Framework and PS GBA Plus Guide)

Increased availability of information about the WPS agenda and the value and use of GBA Plus tools and resources to support it

Tools and resources to foster the application of a disaggregated data lens and enhance the data culture within the department

Activities

CSC: Conduct research on women and gender-diverse groups in correctional settings in Canada, accounting for GBA Plus considerations

CSC: Provide pre-deployment and gender-responsive training to international partners

Organize a week-long Young Women in Public Safety event and invite students from across Canada to participate in a knowledge and awareness-building exercise for those interested in a future in safety and security

Convene regular meetings of GBA Plus advisers to gather information on best practices and challenges from the GBA Plus Network (consider conducting an annual survey for additional insights)

Utilize various PS forums to provide awareness and opportunities to advance the WPS agenda, for example: GBA Plus advisers network, diversity and inclusion forum, departmental policy committee

Develop the renewed public safety data strategy with a focus on disaggregated data

Continue work with data partners to identify data holdings and facilitate access to these holdings to support policy development

Develop and share guidance tools for PS employees regarding the use, collection and value of disaggregated data (e.g., to support data collection plans)

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