Women's Program

The Women's Program provides structured funding to support projects aimed at addressing systemic barriers to women's equality. Given the limited funds available, not all qualified applicants are guaranteed funding, highlighting the competitive nature of the grant disbursement.

• Funding is allocated to projects rather than ongoing operational activities of the organizations.
• Available funds prioritize projects that address economic security, leadership roles, and ending violence against women and girls.
• Grant support is available at local, regional, and national levels, catering to a wide range of project scopes.
• Projects are assessed based on their alignment with the program's priority areas and systemic change goals.
• Funding decisions are influenced by the availability of funds and the number of qualified applicants.
• Recipients are required to ensure the projects are time-limited and meet the specific objectives outlined by the Women's Program criteria.

Eligibility for these grants is determined by specific requirements related to the applicant's profile and proposed activities through Women's Program, GBV Program, and SSOGIE Program.

• The applicant must be an eligible organization as defined by each specific program's criteria.
• Projects must align with the priority areas such as improving women's economic security, leadership roles, and ending violence against women, or addressing gaps for specific populations experiencing gender-based violence.
• Funding is provided for time-limited projects and not for ongoing operational costs.
• For the Gender-Based Violence Program, priority is given to projects supporting Indigenous and underserved groups.

Who is eligible?

Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) offers several funding programs which are available to specific types of organizations. The eligible organizations include not-for-profit organizations, Indigenous organizations, and other groups working to improve gender equality and support survivors of gender-based violence.

• Not-for-profit organizations
• Indigenous organizations
• Community-based organizations
• Academic institutions
• Organizations serving 2SLGBTQI+ communities
• Organizations supporting survivors of gender-based violence (GBV)
• Organizations focused on women's empowerment and economic security

Who is not eligible

Eligible expenses

The eligible projects for funding programs from Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) are focused on addressing systemic barriers to equality and supporting underserved populations. These projects aim to promote the full participation of women and other gender minorities in economic, social, and democratic life, as well as to provide support to survivors of gender-based violence.

• Projects that improve women’s and girls’ economic security and prosperity.
• Initiatives that encourage women and girls to take on leadership and decision-making roles.
• Programs aimed at ending violence against women and girls.
• Developing and implementing promising practices to address gaps in support for specific populations affected by gender-based violence.
• Projects supporting Indigenous and underserved groups of survivors in Canada.
• Partnership building and capacity building activities focused on sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression.
• Applied community research to advance gender equality.

The Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) funding programs have evaluation and selection criteria for grant applications. The criteria include:

• Relevance and alignment with program objectives
• Potential impact and contribution to systemic change
• Strength of project design and approach
• Capacity of the organization to deliver the project
• Clarity and feasibility of the budget
• Demonstrated need for funding and project sustainability

Here are additional relevant details for the grant application process:

• WAGE issues targeted calls for proposals on specific themes and manages a continuous intake process to address emerging issues.
• Potential applicants can discuss their projects with a Program Officer before applying.
• The funding is time-limited and not meant for ongoing operational expenses of an organization.