Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Premier and are in follow-up to my Member’s statement on the implementation of a gender-based analysis policy for the GNWT.
On March 9, 2009, in follow-up to some questions that I had, the Premier indicated that the Executive was developing a position paper. To date, I haven’t seen anything released from the Executive on gender-based analysis and I was wondering if the Premier could please provide me with an update on the progress of this initiative. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of the Executive along with the Women’s Advisory Office has been working on this initiative for some time, as the Member has highlighted. We’re hoping to have a position paper on gender-based equity being finalized by the end of this calendar year. Thank you.
During my last round of questioning on this topic back in March 2009, I referenced a number of outside organizations who have already done a lot of work and research on gender-based analysis. In the development of this position paper were any of these outside organizations contacted and asked to provide input and feedback on the value of gender-based analysis within the GNWT?
What I’m aware of is the Minister responsible for the Status of Women, through the Department of the Executive, has been working with a number of groups across the Territories: the Status of Women Council, the Native Women’s Association, and the Dene Nation has also been involved in that. A lot of the start of this paperwork and this initiative has been based on work that’s been done through a national network and involves federal and provincial governmental and non-governmental organizations, including the NWT Council of Status of Women’s involvement there. Thank you.
I’d like to thank the Premier for that. I think that that’s good news and I’m happy to hear that something is going to be done by the end of the calendar year. I understand that full-scale implementation is a significant undertaking, but obviously we must start somewhere.
Educating staff seems like a reasonable place to start, at least to me. The GNWT currently delivers a lot of training for staff. In March 2009, the Premier indicated that the Executive Council will also be working on some training documents and a training schedule for the implementation during the upcoming fiscal year, which would be the one we’re in. In relation to what he’s already said, could the Premier please provide me with a bit of an update on the progress of this initiative, the training aspect of things? Thank you.
Indeed the training aspect is an important one and working through the Women’s Advisory office, there’s been a training session provided for or planned for and designed on the development of tools and approaches and has been put in place. It’s open to all public servants. It’s being piloted through the process and has been placed on the GNWT training calendar. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. Your final supplementary, Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That’s fantastic news. Has there been any consideration by the Premier to make that type of training mandatory for individuals within the GNWT who are responsible for the design of policy and writing policy within the government? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I don’t know if there’s a message that’s been given to those who are in charge of the policy end. I know it is open to all government employees across the Territory. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
