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The mission of the Agricultural Institute of Canada (AIC) is to broaden society's knowledge and use of science and agriculture. Since its founding in 1920, AIC has witnessed many changes in the professional agricultural sector in Canada. One of the most visible changes has been the increasing presence of women in the profession and their influence on the sector.
Historically, AIC has reflected the agricultural sector in Canada and for many years the organization responded primarily to a male environment. However, as years passed and the number of women in the agricultural sector increased, the number of female members in AIC did not increase correspondingly, nor was the increase of women in the agriculture sector reflected in how AIC operated.
In 2007, AIC began to examine whether the current gender profile of the profession was correspondingly reflected in its own membership, structures and programs.
Although some AIC activities, such as the international program, held a gender equality component, the expectations on our overseas partners were often greater than the expectations on our own organization. However, recent years have seen some significant changes.
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AIC's female membership by percentage is currently lower than some of the partnering scientific societies, and much lower than the percentage of female graduates in agricultural sciences in Canada, according to Statistics Canada and to research conducted by AIC on student numbers. AIC recognizes that addressing this disparity with a strategic plan on gender equality related to membership recruitment could increase the number of female members and contribute to AIC's long term future.
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Prior to 1995, as a federation of provincial institutes of agrology and scientific societies, AIC membership numbered several thousand, but there is no available information on the breakdown of membership along gender lines for that period. In 2011, no longer a federation, AIC had 318 individual members of whom 63 were women (20%).
Between 1920 and 2011, three out of 84 Presidents, and one Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer, were women.
Of the over 400 AIC Fellowship Awards granted since 1921, four were received by women (1%).
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In August 2008, the Gender Equality Policy, as developed by a gender equality task team of AIC members, was presented to AIC's Board of Directors, who then developed and passed an Executive Limitations policy in December 2008. The Gender Equality Policy became an Operational policy when approved by the CEO in May 2009, setting a strong foundation for institutionalizing gender equality throughout AIC. The gender equality mainstreaming process was undertaken during a time of organizational change in AIC and the Canadian agriculture sector more broadly. During this period, AIC maintained gender equality as a key organizational priority.
In 2010 AIC staff and volunteers completed a case study which describes AIC's progress on the importance of addressing gender equality across all the facets of its work, the process and methods undertaken to date, the lessons learned along the way, and the steps still needed in the future. Data was drawn from a review of AIC documents and relevant external publications, as well as interviews with key individuals. The case study also included a number of questions for study and discussion, both for those involved with AIC and for other organizations who wish to learn from AIC's experiences. Refer to the Case Study of March 2010 for more details about AIC's process in mainstreaming gender within the organization.
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