Gender Based-Analysis Plus

General information

Institutional GBA Plus Capacity

As Canada’s financial intelligence unit, FINTRAC helps protect the integrity of Canada’s financial system through the detection, prevention and deterrence of money laundering and terrorist financing activities. Its core responsibilities are two-fold: 1) legislated reception of financial data from reporting entities such as banks, money service businesses, and casinos; and 2) analysis and production of financial intelligence for Canada’s police, law enforcement and national security agencies. FINTRAC’s core services do not target the general public. Outreach activities are primarily conducted with restricted clientele, such as reporting entities, to ensure they understand their legal obligations to provide data to FINTRAC and comply accordingly.

FINTRAC is a separate employer with a specific regulatory mandate and a small complement of resources. Diversity related activities, which include notions of GBA+, are outlined in the FINTRAC employment equity and multiculturalism action plan. The action plan was endorsed by the Centre’s Management Advisory Committee (MAC) and approved by the Executive Committee (EXCO). MAC is a standing committee that supports EXCO by providing direction and oversight for the internal service priorities, programs, policies, processes and systems that sustain FINTRAC’s operational program activities and policy development initiatives. EXCO ensures the essential conditions, such as internal coherence, corporate discipline and alignment to outcomes, are in place for providing effective strategic direction, internal oversight, and the delivery of cost effective results. Both committees are comprised of senior executives, who are well versed in the diversity landscape. Related matters are also brought to these committees annually for updates and discussions.

It should be noted that starting at its highest levels of management, FINTRAC values the diversity of its workforce and is committed to breaking down barriers and addressing disparities for members of all designated groups. It is recognized that an inclusive and diverse workforce allows the Agency to keep up with emerging trends and the evolving expectations of Canadians, and to embrace new ways of thinking, examining and innovating. As part of this ongoing commitment, the Centre has a number of Executive Champions that play a role in supporting and enhancing this culture of inclusion, diversity and wellness. The Wellness and Culture Champion promotes the mental and physical health of our employees. The Official Languages Champion encourages the use of both official languages in the Centre. The Values and Ethics Champion supports the values and ethics program to make it meaningful for employees. The GBA Plus Champion supports the Centre’s ongoing GBA Plus efforts and brings GBA Plus awareness and tools for employees.

FINTRAC also has an Ombuds, which serves as an independent, impartial and confidential resource who reports directly to the Director and Chief Executive Officer of FINTRAC. FINTRAC’s Ombuds Office for Workplace Wellness provides all employees at all levels of the Centre with a trusted, safe, impartial and informal forum where they can speak freely about various personal or workplace issues or concerns (including harassment) that impact their mental health, without fear of reprisal, judgement, discrimination, or stigma. The Office also helps employees navigate the various resources and systems that are available when they need them.

FINTRAC’s People and Culture Sector also offer employees training opportunities on topics such as civility, stress management, and positive spaces, among others.

In having these offices and training in place, FINTRAC has created structures in which its employees’ needs can be further identified and acknowledged, and which can identify GBA Plus considerations. FINTRAC remains committed to supporting the objectives of GBA Plus and continues to move forward with initiatives to promote diversity, employment equity and multiculturalism within its workforce and to provide employees with a workplace that is inclusive, diverse, safe and healthy.

Highlights of GBA Plus Results Reporting Capacity by Program

FINTRAC is not involved in the delivery of programs or services to individual Canadians; the Centre does not actively have any programs that collect and keep sufficient individual recipient microdata information. FINTRAC’s Financial Intelligence and Compliance functions helps to protect the integrity of Canada’s financial system to the benefit of all Canadians.

Given FINTRAC’s mandate as Canada’s Financial Intelligence Unit, the Centre’s ability to directly influence the economic and social outcomes of GBA Plus is limited. The difficulty in integrating GBA Plus into our operations, as well as policy and legislation/regulation development, is that the primary focus of our business is the receipt and analysis of financial transaction reports submitted by reporting entities. Reporting entities are not required to identify a client’s gender in said reports, and as a result, this dimension cannot be systematically analyzed to produce strategic intelligence or inform decisions. As a result, there are no major direct planned initiatives to be undertaken by the Centre.

Although not driven solely by GBA Plus, FINTRAC’s contributions to project-level investigations can result in an indirect positive impact as it relates to GBA Plus. One example of this would be Project Protect. This Project is an ongoing initiative that mobilizes partners from across the country – including FINTRAC, financial institutions, police, and law enforcement – to counter human trafficking in the sex trade. This is a crime where the victims are largely vulnerable women and girls, and FINTRAC’s contributions are evident in the way that the Centre aids its partners in following the money trail so that they may seek justice for the victims and prevent others from falling prey.

Resulting from work done on Project Protect (a public-private partnership that developed financial indicators to help identify money laundering associated with human trafficking), FINTRAC was introduced to the Financing Against Slavery and Trafficking – Survivor Inclusion Initiative, which brings together a dedicated coalition of financial institutions and survivor support organizations to facilitate survivor access to basic banking services, such as chequing and savings accounts, and to help survivors become full financial participants in their communities. A gender-based analysis and community consultation revealed that women and girls are most often victims of human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Traffickers often confiscate the personal effects of their victims, including identification documents and bank cards, as an added measure of control. As part of the Initiative, FINTRAC’s Compliance Program is working with banks and the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada to provide explicit guidance to reporting entities on how they can ensure compliance with the PCMLTFA and associated Regulations when an individual may not have identification documents. This initiative supports women and girls as they reintegrate into society by removing barriers that impact their ability to build independent lives, free from exploitation.

Back to Departmental Plan