Public policy, in a general sense, is the body of laws, regulations, guidelines, and other practices of governments, courts, and various public agencies. Women's public policy is the result of applying public policy to issues of concern to women.

Public policy is made at several levels:

The policies developed at each level have been made and modified by many hundreds of scholars, politicians, and bureaucrats. This introduction focuses on federal public policy within Canada.

The most important federal laws in place relating to women's public policy are the Charter of Rights and Freedoms (enshrined in the Canadian Constitution) and the Canadian Human Rights Act. These two acts prohibit the federal government from implementing any policy or passing any law that discriminates against women. More specifically, Section 11 of the Canadian Human Rights Act requires the government and other federally-regulated employers to provide equal pay for work of equal value. As well, the Employment Equity Act requires federally regulated employers to develop and implement plans to increase the representation of designated groups, including women, in every level of their work forces.

These laws and policies are made by the government of the day, led by the Cabinet (appointed by the Prime Minister from the elected members of his/her party), or by Parliament, where even an opposition party member has the opportunity to introduce legislation that could become law. An extremely useful FAQ explaining our Parliamentary System is available on-line.

There are several ways that an individual or group can have an impact on what public policy gets introduced or changed. In addition to bringing matters to the attention of Parliament through media coverage, one can visit one's own Member of Parliament, write the Chair of one of Parliament's Standing Committees, submit a petition to Parliament, submit a brief to a Parliamentary Committee, or meet with public officials who work on the relevant issue on an on-going or as-assigned basis. The government from time to time holds public meetings called "consultations" on controversial or new issues. Consultations often are scheduled over a period of months in different parts of the country. In the future, some of these public consultations will take place online.

To keep track of what Parliament is up to, there are several Internet sites that can help. The official and detailed listing of government bills, as well as legislative summaries of most bills is available directly from the Library of Parliament Research Branch.

Information specific to public policy making for women is available as follows: