ARCHIVED – Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration, 2009

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SECTION 5
Gender-Based Analysis of the Impact of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act

Since the introduction of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act in 2002, CIC has been committed to incorporating gender-based analysis into its policy and program development processes. Although the Act stipulates that CIC must provide an annual gender-based analysis on the impact of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the range of gender-based analysis activities conducted within CIC goes beyond this legislative requirement.

CIC’s approach to gender-based analysis is outlined in its Strategic Framework for Gender-Based Analysis (2005–2010), which describes the Department’s objectives and identifies practical steps to progressively strengthen gender-based analysis capacity. A customized training program on the use of gender-based analysis in policy and program development has been delivered to more than 230 employees over the past six years. A departmental gender-based analysis working group also meets on a regular basis to share best practices and provide support for gender-based analysis activities within individual branches of the Department.

In the coming year, CIC will conduct a review of the Strategic Framework, a stocktaking exercise that will reflect upon the key gender-based analysis achievements and challenges faced over the past five years. Based on the outcomes of the review, CIC will identify new opportunities to integrate gender-based analysis within the Department’s legislative, policy, and operational activities.

Gender-based analysis in policy and program development

Several key policies and programs are being influenced by gender-based analysis. For example, CIC is developing a performance measurement framework for Canada’s refugee resettlement program that will include indicators produced as a result of gender-based considerations. Building upon an approach that was initially developed to support the resettlement of Karen refugees in 2006, a gender-sensitive lens is also being used to address potential challenges during a multi-year resettlement of 5,000 Bhutanese refugees. A gender-based analysis of the pre-arrival stage of the resettlement process has been completed and further analysis will be conducted as the refugees continue to arrive in Canada.

A gender-based analysis was also conducted to provide information to assist in the design of the selection criteria for the Canadian Experience Class. This analysis considered how the criteria could impact male and female applicants differently. As an example, CIC looked at whether it would be more difficult for some women or men to obtain continuous, full-time work experience (e.g., due to pregnancy, child-care responsibilities, disability). Results of the analysis led to an adjustment of the criteria to allow applicants the opportunity to meet the minimum requirement for work experience on a full-time basis or through an equivalent accumulation of part-time work.

The gender-based analysis of the Canadian Experience Class also identified several areas for future monitoring of possible gender-based barriers for participants, such as the minimum language requirement (for a variety of reasons, women may not have equal access to language training as men) and the full-time study requirement (for reasons similar to those identified in relation to full-time work experience). As the program moves forward, CIC will monitor and evaluate application trends and participant outcomes in a gender-disaggregated manner to continue to identify and mitigate differential gender impacts.

Gender-based research through metropolis

In 2008–2009, the Metropolis Project supported a range of gender-based research, including papers and conference workshops, in order to provide information for CIC’s work, policies, and programs. The following is a brief sample of these activities. Further details are available at www.metropolis.net.

• Working Papers on topics such as “Exploring Immigrant Women’s Fears of Criminal Victimization”, [note 33] “Reclaiming Voice: Challenges and Opportunities for Immigrant Women Learning English”, [note 34] and “Gender-Based Barriers to Settlement and Integration for Live-in-Caregivers: A Review of the Literature”.  [note 35]
• Workshops such as “Integration of Immigrant Women in Quebec: A Look at Different Groups”, “Foreign Brides and Family Integration from Fort St. John to Halifax”, and “Paths Taken: Women of Colour Narrating the Tensions of Citizenship” at the 11th National Metropolis Conference in Calgary, Alberta.

Permanent Resident arrivals (2004–2008)

Over the past five years, slightly more than half of all new permanent residents were female. In 2008, a total of 128,627 female permanent residents arrived in Canada, representing 52% of all permanent residents. In most immigrant categories, the balance between men and women has been close to even since 2004 (plus or minus 5%). There are two exceptions to this tendency, the first being that women have accounted, on average, for 60% of the Family Class (Chart 1). The second exception is that women have made up, on average, close to 70% of the Live-in Caregiver category of the Economic Class (Chart 2).

Chart 1: Permanent Residents by Immigrant Category and Sex (2004–2008)

Chart 2: Comparison of Permanent Residents in Economic Class and Live-in Caregiver Category, by Sex (2004–2008)

Between 2004 and 2008, the majority of both male and female permanent residents have been admitted to Canada within the Economic Class—61% of all men and 54% of all women (Chart 3). Family Class is the second most common avenue for permanent residents—22% of men and 31% of women, followed by Protected Persons—13% of men and 12% of women—and Others [note 36]—4% of both men and women (Chart 3).

Chart 3: Distribution of Permanent Residents by Sex and Immigrant Class
(2004–2008)

Since 2004, there has been a shift in the balance between male and female permanent residents in the Economic Class. For example, women accounted for 38% of all principal applicants in 2008, an increase of 8% over five years (Chart 4). In the same period, there was a parallel decline of 6% in the number of female spouses and common-law partners, who represented 70% of the total by 2008 (Chart 5). The difference between male and female dependants (primarily minor children) remained constant at 53% and 47%, respectively.

Although further analysis is required to identify factors that may have contributed to changes among principal applicants and spouses and common-law partners, this tendency demonstrates a positive step towards gender equality within the Economic Class.

Chart 4: Principal Applicants in Economic Class, by Sex (2004–2008)

Chart 5: Spouses/Common-law Partners in Economic Class, by Sex (2004–2008)

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