Introduction
PROJECT
From 2021-2024, Campaign 2000, Citizens for Public Justice and Canada Without Poverty co-led a national community-based research project that engaged communities experiencing poverty to recommend indicators measuring progress towards eradicating poverty and achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
This project, Localizing Canada’s Commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals,builds on Campaign 2000’s ongoing monitoring of government progress towards ending child and family poverty, aiming to address the limitations of the Canadian Indicator Framework for tracking progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically SDG 1: No Poverty.
Through the project, the research team held 17 community conversations with 227 people affected by poverty and intersecting forms of marginalization in every province and territory. The project website hosts summaries of each community conversation.
This local framework is based on the knowledge and experiences shared by participants in the Toronto community conversation, co-hosted by Family Service Toronto – Violence Against Women Program on June 19, 2023.
FINDINGS
Measurement of progress towards poverty eradication in Canada should reflect the lived realities of people experiencing poverty. The indicators used in the Canadian Indicator Framework for measuring progress towards SDG 1: No Poverty are the Market Basket Measure (MBM) and the prevalence of asset resilience.[i] Campaign 2000 report cards and early research from this project highlighted the limitations of these two indicators to track progress towards SDG 1.[ii] [iii]
The project set out to address these gaps with an emphasis on localizing measures of poverty reduction and centring the knowledge and experience of lived experts. Local visions of communities free from poverty emerged. The frameworks drawn from this research reflect participants’ subjective, multidimensional experience of poverty, which is wide-ranging, affects every aspect of life, and differs place to place and community to community. The frameworks also reflect poverty as a violation of human rights resulting in short- and long- term physical, mental, spiritual, and social harm.
These findings highlight the importance of community-based, culturally relevant, localized measures and indicators for ending poverty and the need to urgently recognize and address the systemic intersecting power structures that create and deepen inequities and experiences of poverty.
In addition to the 17 local frameworks, the findings are illustrated in a National Community-Based Indicator Framework, intended to supplement the Canadian Indicator Framework. It outlines dimensions, measures, indicators, and data sources for poverty eradication (including recommendations and gaps, where no indicators exist) that reflect the knowledge and experiences of lived experts and community organizations across the country.
While the findings depict a broad range of expertise from across the country, they remain a snapshot of 227 people, in 17 places, at one moment in time, and further engagement and community-based research is required to continue to centre lived experts in the work of poverty eradication and achieving the 2030 Agenda.
UNDERSTANDING THE FRAMEWORK
The entire framework falls under Sustainable Development Goal 1: End Poverty in All its Forms Everywhere.
The framework is organized by 12 interdependent dimensions of communities with no poverty. These dimensions are interconnected and non-hierarchical – all connect and contribute to the multifaceted way that people experience poverty in Canada. Many of the indicators could fall under multiple dimensions, but for the sake of length, they are each only shown under one.
Dimensions:
- Social inclusion and community connection
- Equality, justice, and freedom
- Joy, happiness, and hope for the future
- Income and material security
- Decent work
- Education for all
- Right to housing is realized
- Food security and sovereignty
- Health and mental health
- Equitable access to services, programs, and supports
- Connected and supported families and children
- Accountable and engaged governments and institutions
In each dimension, measures refer to qualities of communities with no poverty.
Indicators are statistical definitions of the measures.
As living documents, the local frameworks offer Example Indicators and Data Sources. The local frameworks are intended to complement the National Framework, highlight local priorities, and demonstrate opportunities for continued work in localizing measurement towards ending poverty in Canada. They are accompanied by living action recommendation documents.
Social inclusion and community connection
Community members feel valued and connected, have opportunities to participate in society and culture, care for and support each other, and live in harmony.
Measure | Indicator | Data Source, Proxy Data Source, or Gap |
Being able to participate in society and access services in the language of your choice or with adequate translation supports | ||
Feeling valued as a person | ||
Community members support and value each other | Proportion of the population by frequency with which they have people they can depend on to help them when they need it | Canada Quality of Life Framework, Canadian Social Survey, General Social Survey, Canadian Community Health Survey |
Having people who lift you up and encourage you | ||
Children learn Tamil and learn about their culture | ||
Communities have festivals and gatherings | ||
Children have toys and games |
Equality, justice, and freedom
Everyone’s human rights are upheld. Communities are free from systemic inequality and injustice, discrimination, oppression, violence, and trauma, and the harms of colonization.
Measure | Indicator | Data Source, Proxy Data Source, or Gap |
Gender equality is achieved | ||
Women experiencing poverty are free from exploitation or coercion | ||
Freedom from discrimination against Tamil women | ||
Senior Tamil women are supported | ||
Freedom from sexual abuse | ||
Freedom from child marriage | ||
Freedom from wealth inequality | ||
Freedom from judgment of material possessions and wealth |
Joy, happiness and hope for the future
Everyone is able to be happy, feel ease, and have the time and freedom to enjoy life. People have hope, can imagine the future, and don’t feel trapped in cycles of poverty and isolation.
Measure | Indicator | Data Source, Proxy Data Source, or Gap |
Everyone is happy | ||
Freedom from hopelessness and depression | ||
Freedom from suffering | ||
Being able to enjoy time off from work | ||
Being able to enjoy the summer | ||
Being able to live how you want to | ||
Having faith |
Income and material security
Incomes reflect the cost of living. People have the ability to pay all their bills, meet all their basic needs, have some flexibility to not live paycheque to paycheque, and are able to thrive.
Measure | Indicator | Data Source, Proxy Data Source, or Gap |
Freedom from scarcity | ||
Everyone can meet their basic needs | Low Income Measure, disaggregated | Statistics Canada, Census of Population |
Ability to meet basic needs is not tied to employment | ||
Being able to buy clothing | ||
Being able to meet your children’s needs and wants | ||
Being able to pay a translator if you need to | ||
Everyone can pay all of their bills | ||
Being able to pay all bills and have some money left over | ||
Being able to save money | ||
Freedom from loans and debt | ||
Incomes reflect the cost of living and increase with inflation | ||
Social assistance reflects the cost of living | ||
Pensions reflect the cost of living, including seniors’ residences | ||
Disability assistance reflects the cost of living, including for families with children | ||
Jobs pay a living wage | ||
Cost of living is equitable and reasonable | ||
Everyone receives an income regardless of employment status | ||
Having the financial ability to pay for parents’ care and assisted living | ||
Ability to have a credit card |
Decent work
People can work in jobs with a living wage, safe work conditions, opportunities for growth, and job training. Work is fulfilling and allows people to use their skills.
Measure | Indicator | Data Source, Proxy Data Source, or Gap |
Jobs pay a living wage | ||
Employment rates are high | ||
Everyone has equitable access to employment opportunities | ||
Being able to get a job regardless of the language you speak | ||
Being able to work if you want to | ||
Immigrants can work in the field they are trained in | ||
Feeling happy about your job | ||
Being able to work in a field you enjoy | ||
Freedom from having to work multiple jobs | ||
Jobs have accommodations for mental illness | ||
Freedom from exploitation at work | ||
Freedom from working long hours | ||
Work hours are reasonable and equitable | ||
Having opportunities for free job training and certification | ||
Immigrants have access to training in the Canadian context of their field of work | ||
Having training opportunities that lead to job opportunities | ||
Access to supports for self-employment | ||
Communities have good awareness of job training and volunteering programs available | ||
Work is not tied to survival |
Education for all
Everyone has equitable access to affordable, quality education, training, and learning supports.
Measure | Indicator | Data Source, Proxy Data Source, or Gap |
Everyone has access to good quality education | ||
Tamil children have equitable access to education | ||
Women have access to good quality education | ||
Schools provide accommodations for language barriers | ||
Children and youth are taught financial literacy and budgeting in school | ||
Access to English language classes in your neighbourhood |
Right to housing is realized
Everyone has a home. There is adequate, affordable secure housing for all, free from discrimination, and reflecting the needs of communities and neighbourhoods.
Measure | Indicator | Data Source, Proxy Data Source, or Gap |
Housing prices are affordable | ||
Low income families are housed | ||
Single mothers with children can afford housing | ||
Housing is in good repair | ||
Rental housing is regulated and affordable | ||
Ability to pay rent and pay other bills | ||
Ability to pay rent and save money | ||
Ability to pay rent and buy food | ||
Ability to afford a whole rental unit as a single person | ||
Landlords are accountable to tenants | ||
Everyone has access to affordable or subsidized housing who needs it | ||
No wait list for affordable housing | ||
Housing supply reflects needs of community | ||
New housing being built reflects needs of existing community | ||
Ability to scale up or down with housing without financial repercussions | ||
Mortgage rates are affordable | ||
Freedom from stress and suffering about housing |
Food sovereignty and security
Everyone has access to nutritious, affordable, culturally appropriate food; the ability to hunt, harvest, grow, and share food according to cultural values; and the freedom to choose what they want to eat.
Measure | Indicator | Data Source, Proxy Data Source, or Gap |
Everyone has enough food | ||
Being able to afford food | ||
Freedom from having to go to a food bank | ||
Being able to afford food you like and that your children like | ||
Being able to afford nutritious food | ||
Children can eat nutritious food | ||
Being able to eat a varied diet | ||
Being able to access a food bank when you need to |
Health and mental health
Measure | Indicator | Data Source, Proxy Data Source, or Gap |
Having good health and wellbeing | ||
Everyone is mentally healthy | ||
Freedom from the physical and mental harms of poverty | ||
Everyone has access to health care | ||
Everyone has access to free mental health care | ||
Everyone has access to free pharmacare | ||
Ability to have a full night’s sleep | ||
Houses are well-ventilated | ||
Freedom from suicide |
Equitable access to services, programs, and supports
Services and supports are accessible and coordinated, with no arbitrary bureaucratic barriers or discrimination. Community organizations are resourced and are by communities, for communities.
Measure | Indicator | Data Source, Proxy Data Source, or Gap |
Equal access to services for all racialized and immigrant communities | ||
Services and supports are well-communicated and coordinated | ||
Organizations are low-barrier and supportive | ||
Having access to organizations that offer services in Tamil | ||
Everyone has access to affordable translation services when needed | ||
Everyone has access to affordable public transit | ||
Senior Tamil women have support with transportation and errands | ||
Seniors have affordable access to at-home support workers | ||
Single mothers have equitable access to services, programs, and supports | ||
Equitable access to amenities, like ATMs and grocery checkouts |
Connected and supported families and children
Families are supported to stay together and spend time together. The child welfare system is equitable, trauma-informed, and reflects needs of children and families. Everyone has access to affordable childcare.
Measure | Indicator | Data Source, Proxy Data Source, or Gap |
Being able to raise children how you want to | ||
Families spend time together and share meals together | ||
Children see their parents on a regular basis | ||
Everyone has access to affordable childcare | ||
Children have equitable access to items and opportunities | ||
Single mothers can afford to care for their children how they wish to | ||
Single mothers support each other to provide for their children | ||
Single mothers are supported and recognized for their strengths |
Accountable and engaged governments and institutions
Governments are accountable to communities. Policy-making is community-engaged, trauma-informed, responsive, and based on local needs and values.
Measure | Indicator | Data Source, Proxy Data Source, or Gap |
Governments recognize the housing crisis and address affordability |
[i] Statistics Canada. (2021). The Canadian Indicator Framework for the Sustainable Development Goals. Statistics Canada. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/11-26-0004/112600042021001-eng.htm
[ii] Campaign 2000. Pandemic Lessons: Ending Child and Family Poverty is Possible. February 14, 2023. https://campaign2000.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/English-Pandemic-Lessons_Ending-Child-and-Family-Poverty-is-Possible_2022-National-Report-Card-on-Child-and-Family-Poverty.pdf
[iii] Barrie, H., & Sarangi, L. (2022). Literature Review: Localizing Canada’s Commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals. Campaign 2000: End Child and Family Poverty. https://sdg.campaign2000.ca/wp-content/uploads/Campaign-2000-Localizing-SDGs-Project-Literature-Review-May-2022.pdf