Recommandations du comité

Attendu qu’en octobre 1999, l’ancienne Municipalité régionale d’Ottawa-Carleton a adopté la déclaration mondiale sur les femmes dans l’administration locale de l’Union internationale des villes et pouvoirs locaux et approuvé la formation d’un groupe de travail chargé de réaliser une étude sur l’accès des femmes à l’administration municipale dans Ottawa-Carleton;

Attendu que le groupe de travail a terminé la première étape de ses travaux et qu’il soumet aujourd’hui les résultats de l’étude, qui compte onze recommandations concernant les obstacles à l’accès qui ont été relevés;

Attendu que les recommandations visent plusieurs services de la Ville et que certaines concernent l’ensemble de l’organisation;

Il est résolu que le Conseil accepte :

1. que les recommandations du rapport du Groupe de travail soient transmises aux Directeur des services municipaux et que celui-ci soit chargé de transmettre à son tour les recommandations aux services concernés, pour examen et mise en œuvre, s’il y a lieu;

2. que le Directeur des services municipaux rende compte de l’examen et de la mise en œuvre de ces recommandations au Comité des services organisationnels et du développement économique d’ici au 30 novembre 2002;

3. que la Ville d’Ottawa continue de collaborer avec la collectivité dans les dossiers relevant de l’administration municipale.

Documentation

1. Councillor E. Arnold’s report dated 04 February 2002 is immediately attached (ACS2002-CCS-CSE-0004).

2. An Extract of Draft Minute, 19 February 2002, immediately follows the report and includes the voting record.

3. Final Reports from the Working Group on Women’s Access to Municipal Services have been previously issued and are on file with the Committee Coordinator.

4. Written submissions from the following have been previously issued and are on file with the Committee Coordinator:

o e-mail dated 19 February from Darlene Prokop, SkillConnex

o e-mail dated 16 February from Cathy Thornley, Ottawa Women’s Training and Employment Network

o e-mail (letter attached) dated 18 February from Anne Hodge and Valerie Collicott, Regional Coordinating Committee to End Violence Against Women

o e-mail (letter attached) dated 16 February from Margaret Nelson, Ontario Association of Social Workers, Eastern Branch

o e-mail dated 19 February from Tracey Lauriault

o e-mail (letter attached) dated 18 February from Wendy Byrne, Women’s Action Centre Against Violence

o letter dated 18 February from Dianne Urquhart, Social Planning Council of Ottawa-Carleton

Report to/Rapport au :

Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee

Comité des services organisationnels et du développement économique

and Council/et au Conseil

04 February 2002/le 4 février 2002

Submitted by/Soumis par: Councillor / Conseillère Elisabeth Arnold,

Somerset Ward / Quartier Somerset

Contact/Personne-ressource: Councillor / Conseillère Elisabeth Arnold
580-2484 Elisabeth.Arnold@city.ottawa.on.ca

Ref N°: ACS2002-CCS-CSE-0004

SUBJECT: WOMEN’S ACCESS TO MUNICIPAL SERVICES –

FINAL REPORTS FROM THE WORKING GROUP

OBJET : ACCÈS DES FEMMES AUX SERVICES MUNICIPAUX–

RAPPORTS FINALS DU GROUPE DE TRAVAIL

REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS

Whereas in October 1999, the former Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton adopted the International Union of Local Authorities Worldwide Declaration on Women in Local Government and approved the formation of a working group, charged with doing a study on women's access to municipal government in Ottawa-Carleton;

And Whereas the working group has now completed the first phase of their work and is today submitting the results of the study, which includes eleven recommendations to address the barriers to access that were identified through the study;

And Whereas the recommendations are directed to several City departments, including some corporate wide recommendations;

Therefore Be It Resolved that the Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee recommend Council approve:

1. That the Working Group report recommendations be forwarded to the City Manager, and that the City Manager be charged with forwarding the recommendations to the relevant departments for review and implementation as appropriate;

2. That the City Manager report to Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee on the status of the review and implementation of these recommendation by November 30, 2002;

3. That the City of Ottawa will continue to work in partnership with the community on issues of women's access to municipal government.

RECOMMANDATIONS DU RAPPORT

Attendu que les recommandations visent plusieurs services de la Ville et que certaines concernent l’ensemble de l’organisation;

Il est résolu que le Comité des services organisationnels et du développement économique recommande au Conseil d’accepter :

3. que la Ville d’Ottawa continue de collaborer avec la collectivité dans les dossiers relevant de l’administration municipale.

BACKGROUND

On 21 October 1999, the Community Services Committee of the former Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton considered a report and action plan with respect to the International Union of Local Authorities (IULA) Worldwide Declaration on Women in Local Government. The former Regional Council subsequently approved the following committee recommendations at its meeting of 10 November 1999.

1. That Council adopt the International Union of Local Authorities (IULA) Worldwide Declaration on Women in Local Government.

2. That, in order to implement this decision, the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton (RMOC) set up a Working Group made up of elected Councillors, staff of the RMOC (from among OC Transpo, Health Department, Environment and Transportation, Social Services, Police, Planning and Development Approvals as the lead department and Human Resources), community representatives from local women’s groups and organizations serving women’s needs and representatives from the Women’s Studies Programs at the University of Ottawa and Carleton University. This working group will be charged with doing a study of the current situation and the gaps in the current situation of women’s access to regional government services and employment (including finding ways to fund this study). The study will address the diverse needs and circumstances of women and the results of the study will propose recommendations to the RMOC on ensuring women’s access to services and employment.

“CARRIED”

As a result of the above direction, the Working Group on Women’s Access to Municipal Services in Ottawa was established in November 1999. The Working Group was set up to undertake a study with a view to evaluating the current situation and proposing improvements in women’s access to services and employment. Central to the Working Group’s mandate has been the recognition of the diversity of women in the City of Ottawa, and a commitment to represent this diversity both in the Working Group itself and in the assessment of women’s access to services.

DISCUSSION

The Working Group consisted of representatives from various City departments, from a diversity of women’s groups, members of faculty at both the University of Ottawa and Carleton University as well as members of the public at large. The objectives of the Working Group were to evaluate the existing situation, and to propose improvements, where warranted, to the structures, policies and programs of local government in Ottawa, so as to ensure that the diverse needs of women are met.

The membership of the Working Group is outlined in Appendix A of the “Making the New City of Ottawa Work for Women” report.

Based on the focus group findings and subsequent consultations with City staff, community groups and the public, three reports were produced by the Working Group and contain a set of eleven recommendations that were developed. The eleven recommendations are outlined in the “Report on Recommendations to City Council – Women’s Access to Municipal Services in Ottawa”.

Representatives from the Working Group will be attending the 19 February Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee meeting to present its reports to the Committee.

CONSULTATION

The Working Group conducted twenty focus groups, consulting with over 160 women of various ages, ethnicities, care-giver responsibilities, income, and abilities. The Working Group also held a Community Forum in which over 100 people, including City councillors and staff and representatives of community groups and individual members of the community, met with focus group representatives and the Working Group to discuss how women’s access to municipal services could be improved. A report was released in August that summarizes the findings of the focus groups.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

With respect to recommendation no. 1, the financial implications of the Working Group report recommendations will be taken into consideration by the departments during their review and will be reported back in the City Manager’s report.

ATTACHMENTS

The following reports have been distributed separately and are on file with the City Clerk.

1. Making the New City of Ottawa Work for Women: The results from focus groups on women's experiences accessing municipal services in Ottawa - August 2001, including Appendices.

2. Executive Summary - Making the New City of Ottawa Work for Women: The results from focus groups on women's experiences accessing municipal services in Ottawa - August 2001. (Also available in French)

Sommaire exécutif - L'accès des femmes aux services municipaux d'Ottawa - Résultats du groupe de travail. .

3. Women's Access to Municipal Services In Ottawa. Report on Recommendations to City Council - December 19, 2001. (Also available in French)
L'accès des femmes aux services municipaux d'Ottawa. Rapport sur les recommendations au Conseil municipal - 19 décembre 2001.

DISPOSITION

Upon approval of this report recommendation, the City Manager will undertake to forward the Working Group report recommendations to the relevant departments for review and implementation as appropriate. The City Manager will also report to Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee on the status of the review and implementation of the recommendation by November 30, 2002.

Upon approval of this report recommendation, and in conjunction with recommendation no. 1, all city departments, through their programs, will continue to work in partnership with the community on issues of women's access to municipal government.

WOMEN’S ACCESS TO MUNICIPAL SERVICES -
FINAL REPORTS FROM THE WORKING GROUP

ACCÈS DES FEMMES AUX SERVICES MUNICIPAUX–

RAPPORTS FINALS DU GROUPE DE TRAVAIL

ACS2002-CCS-CSE-0004

Written submissions and e-mails were received from the following individuals and are on file with the City Clerk:

o e-mail dated 19 February from Darlene Prokop, SkillConnex

o e-mail dated 16 February from Cathy Thornley, Ottawa Women’s Training and Employment Network

o e-mail (letter attached) dated 18 February from Anne Hodge and Valerie Collicott, Regional Coordinating Committee to End Violence Against Women

o e-mail (letter attached) dated 16 February from Margaret Nelson, Ontario Association of Social Workers, Eastern Branch

o e-mail dated 19 February from Tracey Lauriault

o e-mail (letter attached) dated 18 February from Wendy Byrne, Women’s Action Centre Against Violence

o letter dated 18 February from Dianne Urquhart, Social Planning Council of Ottawa-Carleton

Ms. Caroline Andrew introduced Ms. Diane Holmes and Ms. Fran Klodawsky, at which time the delegation addressed the Committee on behalf of the Working Group.

Ms. Holmes reviewed the background to the establishment of the Working Group on the matter of “Women’s Access to Municipal Services in Ottawa.” The speaker referenced the Federation of Canadian Municipalities declaration regarding the need for women to have equitable access to government, resulting in the matter being considered by the former Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton and the establishment of the Working Group.

Ms. Klodawsky emphasized how authentic the Working Group’s partnership had been and the excellent result being the final reports and recommendations. The speaker acknowledged the following individuals whom were especially vital to the process:

City Staff: Judy Flavin, Colleen Pellatt, Pat Harewood, Alette Willis

City Consultant: Kenna McCall

Community Representatives: Connie Delahanty, Older Women’s Network, Sandy Onyalo, Regional Coordinating Committee Against Violence, Pegi Cesar, First United Church, and Bonnie Klemm, community member at large

Status of Women Canada: Jeannine Chauvette

Participants of the focus groups and community forum

In closing, Ms. Klodawsky expressed their appreciation for the financial resources and in kind support received from the Status of Women Canada, the City of Ottawa, the University of Ottawa and Carleton University.

Following the project initiated by the former Councillor Diane Holmes, Councillor Arnold referenced her involvement with the project and the development of the report recommendations. The Councillor commented on the project’s community outreach practices and noted the extensive work undertaken to achieve this. Councillor Arnold pointed out that the benefits to be achieved from the study and the report recommendations were not limited to women, but in fact were applicable to all citizens in the City. Councillor Arnold urged the Committee to endorse the reports and her recommendation regarding the review by the City departments. She indicated that many of the recommendations were interdisciplinary and therefore there was a necessity for a corporate perspective to be coordinated by the City Manager.

In closing, Councillor Arnold reported international forums had reviewed the concept and the matter was being replicated across the country. She reviewed her involvement with a Federation of Canadian Municipalities committee regarding municipal services for women and referenced a Montreal conference to be held in May concerning the concept of making cities safer for women. The Councillor looked forward to the City Manager’s report in the fall of 2002.

Mr. Nicholas Patterson addressed the Committee. Mr. Patterson expressed his difficulty in understanding the justification of having a special group and inquiry into the matter of women’s, as opposed to any other adult group in the society, access to municipal services. He wondered what was unique regarding women that made them disadvantaged in their pursuant of knowledge and access to services. With respect to the international involvement in the declaration, Mr. Patterson believed it was related to countries that practiced an extremely oppressive system regarding women. In closing, Mr. Patterson expressed his concern with the access of all citizens to governmental services. The speaker added that he did not believe the City was in the position to financial support an initiative such as this.

Councillor Meilleur congratulated the Working Group members and presenters. She stated the report was an excellent product and provided sound recommendations. Councillor Meilleur reiterated that the recommendations would benefit all citizens. She moved a Motion in support of Councillor Arnold’s report recommendations.

Councillor Stavinga extended her appreciation to the Working Group and specifically noted the Group’s extensive work with the community through the effective focus groups and community forum. The Councillor commented that despite the recommendations were being brought forward by this group, others in the community had expressed many of the same concerns and comments. Councillor Stavinga believed that many of the issues identified were indeed issues of the broader community, both rural and urban, and that the entire City population would benefit.

Moved by Councillor M. Meilleur