News Releases

News Releases March 26, 1998 SECRETARY OF STATE FRY RELEASES DATA GUIDE ON WOMEN AT INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON GENDER EQUALITY INDICATORS

OTTAWA -- The Honourable Hedy Fry, Secretary of State (Multiculturalism) (Status of Women), today released a publication entitled, Finding Data on Women: A Guide to Major Sources at Statistics Canada. Dr. Fry launched the guide in her address to a symposium attended by leaders and specialists in indicator development work in Canada and throughout the world.

"There is a growing need among policy analysts and government decision-makers for gender-specific data to meet the Government of Canada’s 1995 commitment to gender-based analysis," Dr. Fry noted. But she emphasized that the guide is intended as a reference tool for data users of all kinds. "Women’s groups, researchers, businesses, community organizations, advocacy groups and others will find, in the guide, a helpful starting point for their work," Dr. Fry said.

It also features existing data sources on Aboriginal women, immigrant women, visible minority women, and women with disabilities, as well as information on new initiatives in areas such as unpaid work and economic wealth. The launch of the guide follows closely on the recent releases of 1996 Census data on labour force activity, earnings of women and men, and unpaid work. The 1996 Census, which is referred to in the guide, was the first to include questions on time spent on housework, childcare and elder care.

Dr. Fry underlined the importance of expanding our body of knowledge about women and men, social and economic relationships, as well as growth and human development. "The guide and the newly developed gender equality indicators, which are a set of benchmarks that reflect core, interrelated aspects of women’s and men’s lives, are providing information on which to base effective policy options in a changing world," she said.

"Gender equality is a critical objective in its own right, but it is also a necessary condition to addressing other challenges such as poverty, and the equitable distribution of paid employment and resources," said Dr. Fry. "The release of the guide and fora, such as this symposium, mark important milestones in our quest for women’s equality, and in our efforts to secure the well-being of Canada’s social and economic future."

The symposium, entitled Gender Equality Indicators: Public Concerns and Public Policies, is co-sponsored by Statistics Canada, Status of Women Canada, Human Resources Development Canada and Health Canada. Private, academic, government and non-government sectors are represented. The symposium concludes tomorrow.

Copies of the guide can be obtained, at no charge, from:

Status of Women Canada
Attention: S. Vila
350 Albert Street, 5th Floor
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 1C3
fax: (613) 957-3359