Women’s Economic and Leadership Opportunities Fund 2026: Glossary

7. Glossary

Activity intended to generate a profit

An activity intended to generate a profit or for financial benefit is any activity done to make money. This includes charging attendance fees or selling products.

Advocacy

Advocacy is the process of influencing decision-makers, stakeholders, and others to change elements of a system to benefit a target group. Advocacy can consist of activities that

• carry out an awareness campaign
• do research or targeted outreach education
• build networks and coalitions
• recommend or put in place policy solutions
• communicate with governments to raise awareness on an issue and its impact on a community
• provide information or recommendations on an issue
• request information on an issue
• hold a series of dialogues on the interpretation or application of a law or regulation
• provide oral or written proposals to parliament or proceedings that are matters of public record.

Advocacy strategy

An advocacy strategy sets out clear goals. Its activities identify the target audiences, timelines, and actions to reach its goals.

Applicant

An applicant is the organization applying for funding. It is the responsibility of the applicant to prove that it is an eligible organization. The applicant will sign the agreement with WAGE and is accountable for the project outcomes and expenses. WAGE only pays for the applicant’s administrative expenses.

Awareness-raising campaign

An awareness-raising campaign is an activity that helps the public understand an issue. In the context of WAGE funding, an awareness-raising campaign is eligible as part of a broader project. We will only support it if it is necessary to advance the objectives of WAGE funding opportunities.

Capacity Building

Activities that build capacity are those that increase an organization’s ability to reach its goals. They improve skills, information, collaboration, and tools. They also often improve an organization’s sustainability.

Economic prosperity

Economic prosperity means that you have access to resources that go beyond your basic needs. You have what you need to reach your full potential.

Economic security

Economic security means that you have the resources required to meet your needs and those of your family. This includes quality work and the ability to meet your needs even during changes in your life such as retirement.

Equality-seeking organization

An equality-seeking organization works to address disadvantage and discrimination. It challenges barriers to equal access to opportunities and resources. It seeks social justice for individuals and communities.

Evaluation plan

An evaluation plan describes the approach or strategy used to guide an external project evaluation.

External project evaluation

An evaluation is the assessment of a project. It considers its design, implementation, and results as a way of learning and a commitment to results. The aim is to see if it met its objectives, and whether the project was efficient and effective. It also considers its impact and sustainability. An external project evaluation can be led by an external evaluator or researcher. The key is that the external project evaluator or researcher be an expert who is not involved in the project to ensure objectivity.

Further distribution of funds

The further distribution of funds occurs when an entity transfers funds to others to deliver their own projects. We refer to participants in such a situation as an initial recipient and ultimate recipients. An initial recipient must set up a clear, transparent, and open process for the selection of ultimate recipients. The initial recipient is also responsible for the approval of proposed projects. The ultimate recipients are responsible for the delivery of their projects.

Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus)

GBA Plus is a process used to assess how diverse people may experience policies and programs. The “plus” in GBA Plus shows that GBA goes beyond sex and gender differences. We all have many identity factors that intersect to make us who we are. It also considers many other identity factors like ethnicity and age.

Impact

Impact refers to the outcomes or effects produced by an intervention or project.

Incorporated

Incorporated refers to a legal status. For example, an informal community group can incorporate to obtain legal status. It can incorporate at the provincial, territorial, or federal levels. To incorporate, an organization must follow the process set out under the relevant legislation. Only incorporated organizations may receive WAGE funding.

Indigenous women’s organization

An organization that represents First Nations, Inuit, or Métis interests and is representative of the population it serves. Its work includes advancing equality for Indigenous women in Canada. The use of the word “women” is inclusive of Two-spirited, cisgender, and trans individuals.

Industry

An industry refers to a group of similar types of organizations or companies. Examples of industry include construction, mining, and the arts. The words “industry” and “sector” are often used interchangeably.

Legal advocacy

Legal advocacy is work that occurs through the legal system to enact social change or to help an individual or group.

Litigation

Litigation is the process of going to court to settle a dispute.

Mandatory employment-related costs (MERCs)

MERCs are costs that employers are required by law to pay. They include

• Employment Insurance premiums
• Canada or Quebec Pension Plan contributions
• Vacation pay
• Workers’ Compensation premiums
• Health taxes, where applicable

They do not include other premiums for benefits offered by an employer, such as for insurance and investments.

National women’s organization

A women’s organization whose mandate and activities, or those of its members, have an impact in at least four WAGE regions. This can include a network organization. It operates in both official languages, unless it represents Indigenous or official language minority communities.

Not-for-profit organization

A not-for-profit organization is a group that operates only for a social purpose. This includes social services and recreation. The people involved in the organization cannot use it for personal financial gain.

Project partner

A project partner is knowledgeable about the issue and has an interest in it. Although a partner’s role can vary, a project partner is not accountable for the project outcomes. They do not deliver the project. A partner’s contribution can be in-kind or financial.

Recipient

A recipient is the organization that signed an agreement with WAGE. It is accountable for the project outcomes, expenses, and supplier selection.

Results

Results are the intended effects of an intervention. They can be short, medium, or long-term in nature. They can be an increase or a decrease in something targeted by the program or initiative:

• Short-term results link to the outputs of an initiative.
• Medium-term results are a change in behaviour in a population based on short-term results.
• Long-term results present a change in state, stemming from the change in behaviour.

Sectors

A sector is a large segment of society or of the economy. Examples of sectors are housing, education, and childcare. The words “industry” and “sector” are often used interchangeably.

Stakeholders

Stakeholders are people or groups affected by an issue, or who can influence change, or who may be resistant to change. Stakeholders can be a community, a government, an organization, or academics. Organizations can engage with stakeholders who have the levers to bring about gender equality.

Suppliers

A supplier is an organization, or a consultant contracted for an activity or to provide services or expertise. A supplier can also provide goods, such as project materials and equipment. The recipient is accountable for using a fair process to select suppliers. They must select the supplier that will provide the best value for money. WAGE may grant exceptions based on a strong rationale.

Also, the recipient will need to get bids from a reasonable number of suppliers for goods and services of a value of $25,000 or more before taxes. It is not permitted to divide contracts or purchases to avoid this requirement. If you do not comply with these requirements, we may not reimburse the associated costs.

A supplier must be at arm’s length from the recipient organization. This includes at arm’s length from

• its officers, directors, and employees and their immediate family members
• a business or organization in which the above have a financial interest
• a business or organization affiliated with the recipient

In some circumstances, WAGE may approve an exception in writing. There may be additional controls in such cases.

System

Systems are a way of thinking about and making sense of the world. A single system can include many smaller systems within it and can also interact or overlap with other systems. For example, Canada’s economy is a system. It includes smaller systems such as sectors, levels of government, and communities. Systems are never isolated from others. They interact with other systems. The Canadian economy for instance interacts with the education and health care systems. Organizations can choose which system(s) to interact with to advance systemic change.

Systemic change

Systemic change refers to changing one or more elements within a system. The objective of the change is to allow women and girls to fully take part in the economic, social, democratic, and political life of Canada.

Consult the systemic change tip sheet for more information.

Systemic change project

Systemic change projects aim to remove barriers to gender equality in systems. For example, a group could work with institutions to change policies and practices biased against women. WAGE could support such a project.

Systemic change projects do not aim to change women to fit or adapt to discriminatory systems. For example, if a group trains women to adapt to an institution’s biased policies and practices, WAGE would not support such a project.

Consult the systemic change section for more information.

To scale

To scale is to build on a successful systemic change project. It amplifies change to improve equality. The department funds two types of scaling projects:

• Scale out: Expand a past successful project to a new location, population, or sector.
• Scale up: Use the results of a successful project to influence change at higher levels. For example, you could use evidence of success to advocate for changes to laws and policies.

Women's organization

An organization whose primary focus is to promote equality for women through advocacy, awareness, engagement, or action.

WAGE regions

Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) delivers its programs across five regions in Canada:

• Atlantic: Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick
• Quebec and Nunavut: Quebec and Nunavut
• Ontario: Ontario
• Prairies: Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta
• Pacific: British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, and Yukon.