About CanWILL
CanWILL was implemented in partnership with FCM’s membership, provincial and territorial associations (PTAs), as well as key national partners and local stakeholders. The program was funded by the Government of Canada through Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE).
CanWILL worked to increase the participation and retention of women in municipal leadership and support a more diverse, inclusive and equitable environment in municipal governance processes. The project prioritized often underrepresented women, including Indigenous, Black and other racialized women, as well as youth and members of the LGBTQ2S+ community.
Gender Based Analysis (GBA+) course, an equity lens for the municipal sector
This free, self-paced course is a tool to support gender equality. It can be considered a starting point for reflection within municipalities, communities and organizations. It helps local governments be better equipped to integrate GBA+ consideration into projects and programs, especially as this becomes a requirement in government agencies. The 4 modules include:
- Key concepts and foundational knowledge
- GBA+ in the municipal sector
- Applying GBA+
- Generating support for GBA+
Inclusive Community Initiatives (ICI)
CanWILL provided eighteen grants up to $10,000 to municipalities and their community partners in every province, aimed at empowering women—particularly those who hold various dimensions of diversity, to pursue candidacy or sustain leadership roles within local governance. These initiatives included campaign schools, steering committees, institutional assessment, investments in inclusive environments and more. Some municipalities focused on systemic issues that cannot be addressed through capacity development activities alone.
Read a case study on ICI grants today.
2023 report on women’s representation in Canadian municipal elected positions
The Canadian Municipal Barometer at the University of Calgary conducted research on behalf of the CanWILL program. This research studied the representation of women on municipal councils in Canada.
For Gender Equality Week 2023, FCM was pleased to report that women represented 31% of all municipal elected representatives in Canada. An important milestone, but the road ahead to achieve gender parity and meaningful participation from women in municipal governance is still long. The report outlines the progress to date and what Canadian municipalities can do to ensure more women hold and maintain positions of leadership within local governments.
View the report.
Strengthening municipalities as 2SLGBTQIA+ allies
Municipalities play a crucial role as local actors capable of having a positive impact on the daily lives of members of their community. On January 30 2024, CanWILL hosted an event featuring Fae Johnstone, MSW, a leading voice on trans and 2SLGBTQI+ issues, and Ariel Troster, City Councillor for Somerset Ward in Ottawa, ON. The event addressed how municipalities can implement initiatives that promote inclusivity within Canadian municipalities, with a focus on the specific needs of 2SLGBTQIA+ community members.
Resource library for inclusive municipal governance
CanWILL compiled and curated a collection of articles, reports, guidance, templates and concrete examples from local governments across Canada and the world. These resources are meant to support and inspire municipal stakeholders, including women and gender-diverse individuals of all identities, as well as male allies as they drive change for more equitable, representative local governments.
The resource library includes content on:
- Budgeting and financing for equity
- Gender equity, diversity and inclusion strategies
- Hate, harassment, and gender-based violence
- Understanding, setting and achieving gender and equity targets
Explore the library today.
16 days of activism to end gender-based violence (GBV)
To mark the annual advocacy campaign, CanWILL partnered with leading organizations to host two successful events:
- Digital citizenship and online safety for women in local leadership hosted with Glitch, experts on online safety based in the UK. The free workshop for women in local leadership taught participants how to identify and document different types of online abuse and how to help someone who is being targeted, among other useful skills.
- Municipal Allyship: Campaigns to End Gender-Based Violence hosted with the Canadian Women’s Foundation and the Native Women’s Association of Canada and White Ribbon. The free webinar explored powerful tools and tips that these organizations designed to prevent gender-based violence.
Program impact
While some systemic issues are difficult for municipalities to tackle on their own, two issues that municipalities actively addressed through the program include women’s lack of confidence in their abilities and their lack of support networks. The municipal-community collaborations helped demystify local government for many individuals, deepening their understanding and belief in their abilities to be leaders. For the women and gender-diverse individuals who were already on leadership trajectories, it provided new connections, solidarity, and conviction in the importance of diverse representation. By carrying out these initiatives, municipalities have learned that they can contribute to issues of lack of representation by facilitating networks where people can find mentors, new ideas, and camaraderie.
CanWILL’s GBV technical working group and project advisory group members noted that the project’s work on GBV has led to new spaces for dialogue on gender, equity, inclusion, and diversity, which can be considered a change in practice. A participant who was involved in an ICI project and allyship training noticed that these activities created opportunities and incentives for people of diverse identities to talk more openly about issues that affect them, both on the council and in the community.
CanWILL has interacted with systemic barriers to some extent through GBV activities and ICI grant initiatives that have worked to create support networks for women, or that have examined institutional practices from a gender perspective and have adopted more inclusive approaches. Nevertheless, many obstacles persist. These will require sustained efforts, and possibly new strategies, to enable women and gender-diverse individuals to participate fully and authentically in municipal life.
Quotes
“The current environment for elected officials is often toxic, driving officials, especially women, out of political office and discouraging interested candidates from moving forward. Through its Canadian Women in Local Leadership (CanWILL) project, FCM built capacity for women, especially those from equity-deserving groups, to run for and maintain elected positions. CanWILL worked to strengthen the capacities of municipal stakeholders to create more inclusive and equitable environments. There is progress toward gender parity in elected positions, but it is severely threatened by growing attacks and harassment of elected officials. Depriving ourselves of the talents of elected women is not just a disservice; it's an outrage. Going forward, FCM will play a lead role in collaborative efforts to put a stop to these threats.” —Carole Saab, Chief Executive Officer, Federation of Canadian Municipalities
“The program received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with 96% of participants finding the content valuable for assuming leadership roles and 80% expressing a desire to pursue more leadership positions.” —ICI grant recipient in Halifax, NS
“This project facilitated connections between Indigenous women on Band Councils and settler women in local governments, fostering mutual support and inspiration. Participants expressed gratitude for the chance to share experiences in a safe environment, leading to new relationships and ongoing collaboration.” —ICI grant recipient in Kitimat and Smithers, BC
