Alberta

Introduction

946. This Report is the submission for the province of Alberta, covering the period April 1, 1994 to March 31, 1998.
     
     
947. The province of Alberta remains committed to enhancing the opportunities of women. Under current fiscal restraint and budget cuts, the Alberta Government will continue to focus on ensuring that all Albertans have the opportunity to participate fully and actively in the economic, social and cultural life of the province and in the decision-making processes that affect their well-being.

Article 2(e): Equality

948. The Alberta Government will continue to develop appropriate government policies, programs and legislation affecting women.
     
     
949. Alberta conducted a public review of its human rights legislation, the Individuals Rights Protection Act, which governed human rights protection in Alberta, and the Human Rights Commission, which governs the Act. The final report and recommendations from this review were published in June 1994. The government's response to the recommendations of the Alberta Human Rights Review Panel was published in December 1995 and entitled Our Commitment to Human Rights.
     
     
950. Key recommendations related to gender equality that were made by the Review Panel and accepted by the Alberta Government were:

• Recommendation: That marital status apply to all areas, not just to employment.
  Government Response: Accepted. It is important that marital status apply to all areas to provide the best possible protection from discrimination. At present, there is no protection for an individual because of marital status in the area of tenancy or services. A landlord may refuse to rent to an individual because of that person's marital status, for example, if the person is separated or divorced. A service provider, for example, a repair business, may refuse to provide service which is customarily available to the public because of an individual's marital status. (Our Commitment to Human Rights, p. 17)
  
  
• Recommendation: That compensation in cases of sexual harassment include not only lost wages but also pain and suffering (the psychological effect).
  Government Response: Current practice. This is already the current practice. (Our Commitment to Human Rights, p. 17)
  
  
• Recommendation: Endorse the recommendation made by Albertans that the Commission network more with immigrant women's groups to become more sensitive to their concerns.
  Government Response: Accepted. Strategic partnerships will allow immigrant women to better express their concerns. (Our Commitment to Human Rights, p.18)
  
  
• Recommendation: That family status should be added to legislation as a ground on which discrimination is not allowed, and this be applied to all areas.
  Government Response: Accepted. There are many familial relationships that would not be protected from discrimination under the ground of marital status. It is clear from case precedent that family status is much broader than marital status. Where family status discrimination is not prohibited, employers, landlords and persons who provide public services are free to discriminate against individuals solely on the basis of family status. Landlord policies of not renting to families with children is one example of family status discrimination. (Our Commitment to Human Rights, p. 20)
  
  
• Recommendation: That the Alberta Human Rights Commission make workplace abuse/harassment a high priority in its educational campaign and take an active role in promoting the principles of dignity and human rights in the workplace. The Commission should network with those agencies dealing with workplace abuse.
  Government Response: Accepted. This is part of the educational strategy. (Our Commitment to Human Rights, p. 22)

951. The Human Rights, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Act was proclaimed in July 1996. Most of the legislative changes arose out of the government's response to the recommendations made by the Human Rights Review Panel in its 1994 report. Protection to Albertans was extended by adding source of income and family status as protected grounds; by expanding the protection offered under marital status; and by expanding religious belief to include Native spirituality. The time limit for filing complaints was extended from six months to one year. The Human Rights Commission became the Human Rights and Citizenship Commission.
     
     
952. Through its education program, the Human Rights and Citizenship Commission focuses on equity and fairness in employment. The Commission works in partnership with various organizations to address issues related to women.
     
     
953. In March 1996, Canada's provincial premiers (with the exception of Québec) endorsed and released the Ministerial Council Report containing 15 principles to guide social policy reform and renewal across Canada, including the following:
     

• Social policy must recognize and take into account the differential impact social programming can have on men and women.

954. In support of the Ministerial Council Report, ministers responsible for the status of women developed Social Policy Renewal: A Vision for Gender Equity. The Provincial/Territorial Council on Social Policy Renewal, chaired by Alberta, shared the document with sectoral councils of social policy ministers to be used as the foundation for assessing the gender equity implications of their work.

Article 2 - Links to Convention and other sections
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Article 3: Measures to Ensure the Advancement of Women

955. The purpose of the Alberta Advisory Council on Women's Issues (AACWI) was to provide advice to the Minister responsible for Women's Issues on matters relating to the full participation of women in the life of the province and to provide information to the public. This Council was a citizen's advisory body consisting of a chairperson and up to 14 members. The Act that created the AACWI had a sunset clause built into the legislation. The Advisory Council fulfilled its mandate and was dissolved in fiscal year 1995-96.
     
     
956. During 1995-96, AACWI continued to advise the Minister on emerging issues of concern to women. It published two newsletters, met with community groups, and continued to provide an information and referral service to the public. AACWI also published and distributed four reports:

• Desperately Seeking Certainty looked at risk assessment and safety planning for women and children who are experiencing violence.

• Differential Impact and the Alberta Advantage encouraged ongoing dialogue between government, business and women, so that women and men may benefit equally from the Alberta economy.

• A Decade of Challenge and Change: A Review of the Activities of the Alberta Advisory Council on Women's Issues summarized the Council's activities over the past decade.
  

• Breadmakers and Breadwinners . . . The Voices of Alberta Women summarized the results of a public consultation involving 300-400 rural and urban women from a wide variety of backgrounds, economic and educational levels. The report included six recommendations on structures and methods that would best help women influence government and public policy after the Council's legislated mandate ended.

957. In 1995-96, the Women's Policy and Programs section of AACWI developed an annotated directory entitled Women's Organization of Alberta. This directory was developed, in part, to fulfil the networking function formerly undertaken by the AACWI. It was revised and reprinted in the spring of 1997.
     
     
958. During the reporting period, the section that dealt with Women's Policy and Programs became part of the Human Rights and Citizenship Branch. In addition to providing staff and services for the Human Rights and Citizenship Commission, staff within this Branch continue to act as consultants within government to ensure that women's perspectives are considered in the development of government policies, programs and legislation.
     
     
959. The Human Rights and Citizenship Branch also offers numerous other materials and resources to the public on matters related to women's equality. These include factsheets on human rights legislation and practice, including the topics of gender, maternity and parental leave, employment equity and sexual harassment, among others. The Branch also distributes the Women's Organizations of Alberta directory, as well as papers and resources published by the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Status of Women Ministers.
     
     
960. As part of its participation in Federal-Provincial-Territorial Status of Women Minister projects, the Women's Policy and Programs area/Human Rights and Citizenship Branch helped to develop and distribute, the following resources in Alberta:

• Beyond the Violence -- Reaching for Higher Ground (1996) -- this resource guide provides an annotated bibliography of provincial and territorial initiatives that are empowering for women, children and youth.
  
  
• Economic Gender Equality Indicators (1997) -- designed to contribute to public policy discussion on social indicators, an understanding of women's reality and the promotion of gender equality.

961. The Department of Intergovernmental and Aboriginal Affairs (now the Department of International and Intergovernmental Relations) provides funding to Friendship Centres in Alberta. A number of these centres provide programs for women, specifically parenting programs, mom's morning out programs, and women's groups/workshops. A grant of $7,500 was also provided to the Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women, a non-governmental organization, for the "Gathering Strength" Conference for women held in 1997.

Article 3 - Links to Convention and other sections
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Article 5: Elimination of Stereotypes

962. The Alberta Government's Stepping Stones Role Model Program, coordinated by Women's Policy and Programs and the Human Rights and Citizenship Branch, promotes the idea that career choice is not a gender-linked decision and that every career is an option for women as well as men. Stepping Stones provides role model profiles of real-life Alberta women who work in non-traditional fields. The profiles and other resource materials are available to junior and senior high schools throughout the province. During the time period reported on, a fourth set of role model profiles was developed and promoted with teachers throughout Alberta. Careers profiled in this set included that of rancher, entrepreneur, professional golfer, electrician and mechanic, among others.
     
     
963. The Women's Policy and Programs section, in partnership with others, also produced and promoted a resource kit for educators, parents and school administrators called Raising Young Voices: A Discussion Kit. The kit addressed issues of gender and equitable practices in the raising of girls and boys

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Article 7: Women in Politics and Public Life

964. Further to the participation in government of women at senior levels of management, the following table provides statistics available for 1997 only. In future reports, comparison data will be provided with 1997 as the baseline year.

Article 7 - Links to Convention and other sections
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Article 10: Education

965. Each year, the Alberta Government provides up to 20 persons Case Scholarships to post-secondary students (mostly women) whose studies contribute to the advancement of women, or whose work is in fields where members of their gender are few.

966. In July 1996, the Multiculturalism Fund was changed by the Alberta Government to become the Human Rights, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Education Fund. Under its enhanced mandate, the Fund provides support for educational initiatives in all aspects of human rights, citizenship and multiculturalism. Many projects have been approved under the Fund that are of specific benefit to women. Examples during the reporting period include funding for conferences on women's issues, projects on sexual stereotyping, and a project on coping strategies for immigrant couples.

Article 10(a): Access to Studies

967. The Alberta Government approves for implementation, at private and public institutions and by private training providers, programs and career development services that are available equally to all adults. The Department of Education collects and publishes information on enrolment and graduates by gender.

Article 10(d): Scholarships and Grants

968. In addition to regular loan, grant, scholarship and bursary programs for students, Alberta offers the Maintenance Grant Assistance Program, established to ensure that students with special needs have the opportunity to acquire degrees. Students are considered for these grants if they do not have normal prospects of completing their education without assistance above that provided under other programs (e.g., single parents, the majority of whom are women).

968. The Skill Development Grant Program provides that normal academic limits may be exceeded based on a student's financial need. Individuals with larger families, including single parents, are the primary recipients.

Article 10(e): The Same Opportunities for Adult and Functional Literacy Programs

970. The Skills Development Program ensures that all Albertans have equal access to a variety of learning opportunities such as adult basic education, English as a second language courses and short-term skills training.

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Article 11: Employment

971. The Alberta Government continues to maintain a clear policy against sexual harassment for its employees. The government will not tolerate sexual harassment in the workplace and has in place a Sexual Harassment Training Program, available on request, which consists of a half-day training module which deals with employees' questions and issues in this area.

972. The Alberta Human Rights and Citizenship Commission investigates sexual harassment complaints, disseminates material on sexual harassment, provides speakers on sexual harassment and assists organizations in establishing sexual harassment policy.

973. During the fiscal year 1994-95, the Women's Policy and Programs of AACWI section provided advice and assistance to the Alberta Women in Enterprise Initiative, which was developed in cooperation with the federal government. It is intended to help women entrepreneurs overcome barriers to starting a business.

Article 11.1: Taking Appropriate Measures to Eliminate Discrimination in Employment

974. The Child Care Subsidy Program helps low-income Alberta families with the child care costs for their pre-school children who are attending licensed daycare centres or approved family day homes. The program is operated by Alberta Family and Social Services. Child care subsidies are available to parents who require child care because they are working, attending school, or if the parent or child has a special need. Approximately 84 percent of families receiving child care subsidies are single parents. During this reporting period, the operating allowance was gradually reduced between the period of April 1994 to April 1997.

Article 11.1(c): Free Choice of Profession and Right to Training

975. In September 1996, Advanced Education and Career Development published Woman Today, Edition 1. The publication provides women who have not been working outside of the home with pre-career planning groundwork to assist them with organizational skills, time management and career planning. The intended outcome is to assist this audience in achieving greater independence.

976. In March 1998, Woman Today, Edition 2 was published. This publication provides information in the area of child care, work alternatives and ongoing learning for women who are entering or re-entering the work force.

977. Albertans have equal access to a wide variety of career development programs and services. All Albertans can access information regarding career development and retraining through Career Development Centres. Funding is available (in the form of loans, grants, scholarships and bursaries) for students to participate in apprenticeships, advanced vocational training and recurrent training on a full- or part-time basis.

Article 11.2: Protection Against Discrimination on the Grounds of Marriage or Maternity

978. The Human Rights, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Act prohibits discrimination on the grounds of gender, family status and marital status.

Article 11.2(b): Maternity Leave

979. Under the Alberta Employment Standards Code, women employed 12 consecutive months with the same employer are entitled to 18 weeks of unpaid maternity. Leave may begin at any time during the 12 weeks before the estimated date of birth. Employees returning from maternity leave must be reinstated in the same or in a comparable position with earnings and other benefits at least equal to those received when the leave began.

980. Pregnant employees continue to be entitled to be treated like sick employees for the "health-related" portion of an absence during pregnancy, including the post-delivery period. As a result, they are entitled to sickness benefits during the health-related portion of their leave.

Article 11.1(f) and 11.2(d): Occupational Health and Safety and Right to Safety in Working Conditions and Special Protection to Women During Pregnancy

981. An amendment to the Alberta Radiation Protection Regulation in 1997 reduced the exposure limit to ionizing radiation for radiation workers during pregnancy to 2 mSv, once pregnancy has been declared.

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Article 12: Health

982. Alberta Health and Wellness is in the process of developing a provincial breast cancer screening program. This proposed program would actively recruit women 50-69 years of age where it has been shown that organized screening programs can have a positive impact on the early detection of breast cancer, when women are more responsive to treatment. In addition, women in this age group would be self-referred and not need a referral from their doctor in order to have a mammogram every two years.

983. Alberta Health and Wellness is considering a proposal put forward by the Alberta Cervical Cancer Screening Network for an organized province-wide cervical cancer screening program. Pap smears have been shown to be effective in detecting pre- cancerous cells on the cervix and, therefore, through early detection, treatment can occur to prevent the development of cervical cancer.

984. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) remain an important health problem in Alberta, and education programs play a critical role in their prevention. Alberta Health and Wellness has moved from providing direct service to a role of setting provincial standards or benchmarks. As a result, the Population Health Strategies Branch provides ongoing support to the STD prevention education service providers in the regional health authorities. For example, STD print resources on STDs have been made available for use in STD programming throughout the province. Other services include a two-day STD meeting and a semi-annual newsletter which help the educators maintain and increase their knowledge, and create opportunities for collaboration and sharing in the area of STD education.

985. Smoking rates among young women in Canada have been steadily increasing. Data from the 1996 National Population Health Survey indicates that of Canadian women of reproductive age, 29 percent of 15- to 19-year-olds, 35 percent of 20- to 24-year-olds and 33.7 percent of 25- to 34-year-olds are smokers. Fifty-eight percent of women who currently smoke and who responded to Health Canada's survey on smoking in February1995, continued to smoke during their latest pregnancy, while 74 percent reported either smoking or being exposed to their partner's smoke.

986. The Alberta Tobacco Reduction Plan, approved and funded in 1998 in the amount of $750,000, is an innovative, outcome driven response to the need to create a province where the people, economy and the environment are free from the harmful effects of tobacco use. Annual funding was increased to $1 million in 1999. As set out in the Plan, this multi-faceted comprehensive reduction strategy combines tobacco policy, social marketing, cessation, local action, youth and workplace programs, and media advocacy. The Plan focuses on four key strategic directions: tobacco-free youth, clean indoor air to breathe, health and safety in the workplace, and support for users who want to quit smoking. The Alberta Tobacco Reduction Alliance (ATRA) has been formed to implement the Plan.

987. In the area of prenatal and postnatal health, Regional Health Authorities (RHAs) continue to provide the opportunity for prenatal education and counselling for all mothers and their families if they choose to use the services. Sixty-five percent of women attended some form of prenatal class, ranging from a low of 45 percent among women under age 18 to a high of 75 percent among women between the ages of 30 and 34.

988. Several RHAs provide specially designed programs for women such as offering prenatal classes in languages other than English or incorporating elements of different cultures.

989. Prenatal visits to physicians are intended to monitor the progress of the pregnancy and to ensure that necessary interventions are delivered in a timely manner. Among women over the age of 25, 97 percent have received four or more prenatal visits during the course of their pregnancy. The number of visits was lowest among women under the age of 20 years.

990. Midwifery became a regulated profession in Alberta in 1994. In 1998, the first midwives were registered in the province and began offering services to the public as regulated practitioners with recognized standards of practice.

991. "You're Amazing" was a three-year, province-wide initiative targeted at 18- to 30- year-old parents. This initiative was designed to raise the awareness and understanding of these parents as to the many influences on their health. It provided encouragement to parents and gave them ideas for enhancing the health of their families. "You're Amazing" was an intersectoral effort which included corporate partners.

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Article 13(a): The Right to Family Benefits

992. In February 1998, Alberta initiated the Child Health Benefit program, which provides enhanced medical coverage for children in low-income working families. The Benefit covers children's prescriptions, optical and dental services, essential diabetic supplies and emergency ambulance service. The Child Health Benefit supports low-income parents who remain in the work force so that fewer families, including single parents, will require social security benefits.

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Article 15: Legal Rights

993. Programs offered for adult and young female offenders are generally offered in co-correctional facilities. This promotes a normalized environment throughout the period of incarceration and provides the comparatively small population of female offenders equal access to a broad range of programs and services which would not be economically feasible to provide in a smaller all-female institution.

994. Co-correctional programs are structured to encourage self-respect, responsibility and positive interpersonal relationships among offenders, in as normal a setting as possible within the limits imposed by incarceration.

995. Those Alberta Correctional Centres that house both female and male offenders are also required to address certain unique needs of females. Programs specifically designed for female offenders, or programs in which females would be uncomfortable participating in the presence of male offenders, are viewed as supplemental rather than as replacements for co-correctional programming. Programming which is offered specifically for females includes Native spirituality, lifeskills, anger management, family violence, substance abuse, education, health care and depression. Not all centres have the resources to offer all of these programs, however every effort is made to address the defined needs of each individual offender.

996. The goals of the programs for female offenders housed in Alberta Correctional Centres are to ensure that the programs are: approached from a holistic perspective; reflective of the social realities of women; supportive of the development of self-esteem, autonomy and the element of personal choice; oriented towards community release; developed and provided in a culturally sensitive manner; and focused on family improvement issues, the development of independent living skills and the resolution of social/psychological issues.

997. The Victims' Programs Assistance Fund (established in 1991) continued to operate throughout the reporting period. Surcharge assessments imposed by the court on those who are convicted under the Criminal Code, the Narcotics Control Act and the Food and Drug Act are deposited into the Fund. Individuals, groups or organizations providing or proposing to provide services to victims of crime may apply for funding. Though not targeted specifically at women, funds have been allocated to women's shelters and sexual assault centres, among other things. Funds total approximately $500,000 annually.

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Article 16: Women and the Family

998. The Office for the Prevention of Family Violence completed its Community Project Funding grant program in 1994-95. Established in 1989 to support time-limited community initiatives that focus on the prevention of family violence, the 1994-95 fiscal year provided $113,411 to 27 projects province-wide. In total, the Office for the Prevention of Family Violence contributed $845,781 toward more than 200 projects which supported innovative community-based family violence prevention initiatives.

999. The Office for the Prevention of Family Violence continues to distribute its quarterly newsletter FOCUS, which highlights such issues as abused immigrant women, family violence in rural communities and Aboriginal issues.

1000. Throughout the reporting period, the Alberta Government provided over $9 million in funding for 17 women's emergency shelters, eight rural family violence prevention centres and two second stage housing units. These facilities provide abused women and their children with short-term crisis accommodation for up to seven days. In addition, the shelters and rural family violence prevention centres offer a range of services which are funded by the community and based on community needs.

1001. The Alberta Government's family violence activities are coordinated by the Interdepartmental Committee on Family Violence which is made up of representatives from seven departments.

1002. Both the Office for the Prevention of Family Violence and all four arms of Alberta Justice have worked together actively since departmental "violence initiatives" were introduced in 1990. Justice continues to involve the Office for the Prevention of Family Violence through consultation and delivery of education programs for police, prosecutors and corrections officials, which are offered on an annual basis.

1003. The Alberta Government waived the commencement fee for "stand alone" restraining orders in January 1996. This change ensured that obtaining a restraining order is not an impediment to those at risk who need an order, but who do not have sufficient financial resources to pay the filing fee.

1004. In March 1998, the Alberta Government introduced a bill to protect family members from domestic violence. The Protection Against Family Violence Act protects family members from physical violence or the reasonable threat of such violence. The legislation provides for the availability of emergency protection orders on a 24-hour basis through justices of the peace, as well as Court of Queen's Bench protection orders, to safeguard Albertans from family violence. Orders can provide for no contact and can also grant the exclusive right to occupation of the family residence. There are no fees for the filing of protection orders. Furthermore, warrants of entry are available for authorities to search for a family member who may have been subjected to family violence, where access to that family member is being denied.

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