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Status of Women Canada

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Gender-Based Analysis+ - March 8, 2012 - Strong Women, Strong Canada

What is GBA+?

This site will help you learn about GBA+: what it is, how it affects you and the role of the Government of Canada in implementing it.

Gender-Based Analysis+ (GBA+) is a tool the federal government uses to advance gender equality in Canada.  It represents an enhanced and modernized approach to gender-based analysis that is practical and engaging.

GBA+ is used to assess the impacts of policies, programs or initiatives on diverse groups of women and men, girls and boys. GBA+ helps recognize and respond to the different situations and needs of the Canadian population.

Gender is a major factor in GBA+, but we must also take into consideration factors such as age, education, language, geography, culture and income.  Analysis that incorporates gender and these other diverse, intersecting factors is called GBA+. (For more information on gender and sex click here)

Example 1: Anti-smoking campaigns

GBA+ could be used to address questions like this:
Given that people have very different reasons for smoking, how do we create an effective anti-smoking campaign?
To answer this question, one should consider the gender component:
Young women and men cite different reasons for smoking.  Girls cite curiosity, making friends and fitting in.  Boys cite pleasure, looking tough and being independent.
As well as other factors:
Low levels of education, lone parent status and lack of social support also play a role in smoking behaviour. The combination of these and other factors, along with gender, would be important for designing an effective anti-smoking campaign.

Example 2: Parental Leave

GBA+ could be used to address questions like this:
Given that there are many different types of families in Canada, how do we create an equitable system for parental leave?
To answer this question, one should consider the gender component:
Women tend to experience more social expectation to stay home and care for their children. Men tend to experience more social expectation to provide for their families financially.
As well as other factors:
Different types of families – including single parents, same sex couples and heterosexual couples – might all have different needs for child care.  Family structure, along with gender and other factors, would be important for planning and implementing equitable parental leave.

Example 3: Settlement Information

GBA+ could be used to address questions like this:
Given that people immigrate to Canada for a wide variety of reasons including financial investment, family reunification and as refugees,  how do we provide the best information possible to newcomers?
To answer this question, one should consider the gender component:
When immigrating to Canada, women and men may have different needs in terms of services like language training, child care and social integration. Also, women and men tend to enter the Canadian workforce with different skill sets and experiences.
As well as other factors:
Programs and services that newcomers need will be influenced by a variety of factors including income, education and language – as well as gender.  Understanding these factors is critical to providing equitable service and useful settlement information.

Example 4: Homelessness

Homelessness in men is often caused by mental illness and/or addiction, but women often face homelessness as a result of violence they have experienced.  These differing root causes require different solutions.

Example 5: Public Transit

A transit commission audit revealed that safety was a serious concern particularly for female subway passengers.  Changes were made to include video surveillance of waiting areas, better lighting and intercom systems.

Example 6: Heart disease

Women and men can respond differently to the same health issue, like heart disease or heart attack. Education, language or income might also affect a patient's experience of heart attack as well as his or her ability to recover (think about diet or communication with medical staff).

In summary, this is Status of Women Canada's definition of GBA+:

Gender-Based Analysis + (GBA+) is a method for examining the intersection of sex and gender with other identity factors (see below).  When applied to government work, GBA+ can help us understand how diverse groups of Canadian women and men experience public policy.

IDENTITY FACTORS INCLUDE:
Diagram illustrating identity factors which include age, language, sexual orientation, education, ability, geography, culture, ethnicity and income.

This is not a complete list of identity factors.  The factors that are important depend on the situation.  What factors are important in your life or to the work you do?

Mythbuster

1. Women and men are already equal in Canada, so GBA+ is not necessary

Men's and women's realities are different as a result of both sex (biological differences) and gender (social differences). Although great strides in economic and social equality have been made, equality has not yet been achieved. Furthermore, different groups of women and men might experience inequality as a result of other factors in their lives.

2. GBA+ is advocacy for women

GBA+ is not advocacy for anyone. It is an analytical process designed to ensure that potentially different impacts for different people are discovered and taken into account during the development and review of policy, programs and legislation.

3. GBA+ only applies to women and women's issues

GBA+ is important for everyone and for a wide variety of issues.  Canadians are not a homogeneous group and should not be treated as such. GBA+ helps ensure that policies, programs or legislation have a positive impact on all Canadians.

4. GBA+ is biased against men

GBA+ is about fully analyzing impacts and options for everyone, not about promoting one group over another.

5. GBA+ cannot be used in all sectors

GBA+ can and has been used in a wide variety of sectors including education, transport, immigration and health. It applies to social, economic, scientific and other issues as well.

A brief history of GBA+

Canada ratified the UN Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in 1981. CEDAW requires state parties to take measures to eliminate discrimination in political, economic and social life. 

In 1995, Canada adopted the UN Beijing Platform for Action which requires all member states to "seek to ensure that before policy decisions are taken, an analysis of their impact on women and men, respectively, is carried out."

Also in 1995, in accordance with these international obligations, the Government of Canada committed to conducting Gender-Based Analysis (now called Gender-Based Analysis+) on all future legislation, policies and programs.

This commitment led to the implementation of GBA in several departments, though different areas of government proceeded at different rates with differing results.

In 2009, the Auditor General of Canada conducted an audit of GBA in nine departments.  The audit found uneven implementation of GBA and little evidence of its influence on decision-making.

As a result of the audit, Status of Women Canada along with the Privy Council Office and the Treasury Board Secretariat were required to table the Departmental Action Plan on GBA to Parliament. This plan increases the federal government's accountability for GBA.

Since then, Status of Women Canada has launched the modernization of GBA to GBA+. This updated approach emphasizes the consideration of other identity factors such as age, education, language, geography, culture and income.

Analysis that incorporates gender and these other diverse, intersecting factors is called GBA+.

GBA+ is used by the Government of Canada, but it is used by many other governments, organizations and companies also.

Diagram summarizing the three major events in building GBA+ accountability

 

GBA+ affects you as a Canadian

No matter where you live, you access or are affected by public programs, legislation and policies.  Intersecting factors — gender, age, income, ethnicity and so on — influence each person's ability to access and benefit from federal government initiatives.

For example, these programs and tools take gender and other factors into account:

  • anti-smoking campaigns
  • policies for parental leave
  • settlement information for new immigrants

Also:

  • homeless shelters
  • public transit systems
  • personal financial training
  • heart disease research
  • and many others.

The planning, development and implementation of services and programs can often be improved using GBA+.

The role of the Government of Canada

It is the duty of the Government of Canada to ensure that Canadian women and men, girls and boys are not adversely affected by public policy. The federal government expects GBA+ to be used as a key tool to inform and assess policies, programs, legislation, services and decision-making.

Federal public servants are required to use GBA+ to plan, implement and evaluate government initiatives.

Better government decisions, better results for Canadians

The Government of Canada strives to ensure that initiatives are based on an understanding of the diversity that exists in Canadian society.

GBA+ affects you as a federal public servant

Your role in GBA+ will vary based on where you work and the type of work you do; however, there are some important first steps.  These include examining your own assumptions and understanding the responsibilities of different organizations and departments.

Examining assumptions

Sometimes, we all make assumptions about people and groups, and we can forget to consider which ones are accurate and which are not. Sometimes assumptions about people are incorrect and can lead to an unintended impact on a particular group of women or men.

How might people's assumptions skew their vision or prevent them from asking questions and understanding answers?

How might values and attitudes – your own, those of your organization and those of society – limit the range of policy options?

For example:

What is your:

  • gender
  • language
  • ability
  • level of education
  • cultural background
  • sexual orientation
  • job status
  • income
  • marital status?

 

Diagram illustrating how your personal identity factors overlap to shape your experiences. Factors include level of education, job status, marital status, income, gender, sexual orientation, language, ability and cultural background

How might these things affect your perspective on an issue or the decisions that you make?

A good place to start is to look at your own profile and think about the factors that make you who you are.

Challenge your assumptions by discussing these questions with colleagues, experts or researchers.

Understanding the responsibilities of different organizations and departments

All federal public servants and institutions have a role to play in GBA+ and the advancement of gender equality, but not everyone has the same responsibilities. Click on an area below to see a summary of roles and responsibilities.

For more detailed information, read our overview document found under the resources tab.

Status of Women Canada

To act as a centre of excellence for GBA+; to support departments and agencies in sustaining the practice of GBA+; to facilitate the transfer of GBA+ knowledge, provide technical advice, guidance and assistance.

Federal departments and agencies

To build organizational capacity by implementing a GBA+ framework, including a centre of responsibility; to routinely apply GBA+ to programs, policies and legislation; to monitor and report on GBA+ practice and outcomes.

Individual public servants

To conduct GBA+ by ensuring measures are in place to address inequalities; to include GBA+ considerations in recommendations to managers and executives; to document their GBA+ process.

Managers and executives

To always consider gender and diversity impacts in decision-making; to support the sustainable practice of GBA+ in their organizations; to incorporate evidence of GBA+ into relevant business cases and Cabinet documents.

Central agencies

To play a challenge function role for GBA+ in Cabinet documents; to provide guidance on incorporating GBA+ into Cabinet documents; to apply GBA+ to their own work. Three central agencies in the Government of Canada are involved: the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, the Privy Council Office and the Department of Finance Canada.

Ministers

If GBA+ is applied and considered at every stage, ministers will be well informed when making decisions.

Parliamentarians

To oversee GBA+ implementation across government.

The GBA+ process should be systematic, consistent and documented to attain the best results.

Mythbuster

1. GBA+ only applies to a small number of public servants.

Though not everyone has the same responsibilities, all federal public servants and institutions have a role to play in GBA+. The Canadian government expects GBA+ to be used as a key tool to inform and assess policies, programs, legislation, services and to inform decision-making.

2. GBA+ is another term for employment equity.

GBA+ is not a human resources tool. It is about fully analyzing impacts and options for all federal government legislation, policies and programs to ensure equal access and benefit for all Canadians.

3. GBA+ is optional for federal government legislation, policies and programs.

The Government of Canada has had a commitment to conduct Gender-Based Analysis + on legislation, policies and programs since 1995. Federal public servants are required to use GBA+ to plan, implement and evaluate government initiatives. Both the Privy Council Office and the Treasury Board Secretariat require evidence that GBA+ has been part of the process of developing cabinet documents.

4. GBA+ doesn't apply to me or my department.

There are misconceptions that GBA+ only applies to departments with a social focus or that it is not applicable to areas like finance or economics. Many people think that their work is gender neutral. On the contrary, GBA+ is and can be used in a wide diversity of fields including banking, transportation, immigration, economics, taxation, health, science and beyond. The material on this site will help you think about how GBA+ can be useful for you and your work.

5. GBA+ is a burden that creates more work.

GBA+ is good policy.  Good policy making involves the consideration of many factors, and GBA+ is an extension of that. By learning more about GBA+, you might find overlap with your current methods.

How to get started?

Three key questions to get you started on GBA+:

  • Does an issue affect diverse women and men in different ways?  If so, how?
  • Are specific groups more adversely affected by the issue?
  • Does the initiative or proposed solution improve the situation for all? Or does it have an uneven effect or create barriers for some?

GBA+ will contribute to your existing work. It does not mean an extra burden, simply a different angle.

GBA+ step by step

The GBA+ process includes a number of important elements. Sometimes these elements may be completed in the order shown below (from top to bottom), while at other times the process may be completed in a different order.

Diagram summarizing the steps for the GBA+ process. Throughout a GBA+ you should communicate your initiative, document your process and check values and assumptions. Other steps include looking at information sources, considering stakeholder perspectives, defining GBA+ issues, developing options and making recommendations.

It is important to remember that this process can be adapted to your work at any point; it is never too early or too late. GBA+ can be applied throughout the policy/program development process, from research and early investigation to monitoring and evaluation. 

With some practice, you will develop a GBA+ reflex. Considering GBA+ factors will become part of your day-to-day work.

Read about each step in more detail.

If you want to ensure your organization has the capacity for undertaking GBA+ sustainably, a GBA+ Institutional Framework will help.  You can find the framework and other tools by visiting the resources tab.

GBA+ resources

Overview of GBA+ in the Federal Government

Basic information on Gender-Based Analysis+ (GBA+) in the federal government and answers to key questions about the process and its implementation.

View the Overview in HTML
View the Overview in PDF (8 pages, 274 KB) *

The GBA+ process – Step by Step

This document will help you get started by describing each step in the process.

View a diagram and read through the process in HTML
View the process in PDF (3 pages, 165 KB) *

The GBA+ Framework

For federal government employees in the process of implementing gender-based analysis+ within federal departments and agencies.

View the Framework in HTML
View the Framework in PDF (11 pages, 246 KB) *

Information for Senior Managers

View the Information for Senior Managers in HTML
View the Information for Senior Managers in PDF (2 pages, 141 KB) *

Research Guide

View the Research Guide in HTML
View the Research Guide in PDF (11 pages, 299 KB) *

Research Checklist

View the Research Checklist in HTML
View the Research Checklist in PDF (2 pages, 253 KB) *

Departmental Action Plan on Gender-Based Analysis

This action plan was created in response to the audit findings and recommendations contained in Chapter 1, "Gender-Based Analysis" of the spring 2009 report of the Auditor General of Canada.

View the plan

Parliamentary reports and government responses related to GBA+

* In order to open, view, navigate and print PDF files, it is necessary to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your system. If you do not have this software, it is downloadable free of charge. Click here to download Adobe Acrobat Reader, and follow the instructions to install it.

Training

Welcome to Status of Women Canada's course: Introduction to Gender-Based Analysis+. This course will provide you with essential information on GBA+ and its related concepts. You will be supplied with the knowledge and tools you need to enhance your work as public servants by applying GBA+ to Government of Canada initiatives.

Begin Course

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Date Modified:
2012-07-12