Gender-Based Analysis: Achieving real equality

Work/family balance is a major concern for both women and men. However, up until recently, policies and programs aimed at promoting this balance were aimed mainly at women. Under the Québec Parental Insurance Plan, the introduction of paternity benefits that are not transferrable to the mother now allows fathers to bear greater child-care responsibilities during the first year of a baby’s life. This measure thus promotes fairer sharing of family responsibilities by couples and greater gender equality.

Most research in the area of preventing, diagnosing and treating cardiovascular diseases used to focus on men. However, symptoms are different for men and women. Information about heart and circulatory diseases and how to prevent them is now better adapted to women.

Ensuring city-dwellers’ safety is a major challenge for municipalities. GBA determined that four times more women than men were afraid to go out alone at night in their neighbourhood. Based on this finding, a public transit corporation created a service dubbed “Entre deux arrêts” (“Between two stops”), which allows women to get off the bus at night between two regular stops — closer to their destination, for greater safety.

GBA showed that wearing a heavy police uniform belt generated different musculoskeletal problems for women police officers and their male counterparts. The equipment attached to the belt was therefore modified and made lighter, with a positive impact for police officers of both sexes. The project was led by the Association paritaire pour la santé et la sécurité du travail, secteur Affaires municipales and the Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CSST) – whose services are now provided by the Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail – at the request and with the active support of the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM).