Conference Overview

Unpack the Canadian federal government’s renewed Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) framework – including its strengths and limitations and how it can be utilized in practice to create targeted and effective policy;

Explore Dr. Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw’s concept of intersectionality and its importance in the creation of inclusive work environments and policy. This dialogue is interested in discussing how to avoid ornamental intersectionality (Dr. Sirma Bilge) and how to effectively take on the mantle of an anti-racist approaches in theory and in policy practice;

Critically examine the existing GBA Plus framework through dialogue on how inequalities are conceptualized within the dominant model, and what future progress can be made to ensure on-going decolonial and anti-racist praxis through use of alternative approaches; and

Discuss concrete cases examples of how to apply GBA Plus and intersectionality to government and business, how to empower your employees to create a safe and respectful environment for discussions of inclusion, and how organizational leadership can lead by example.

Past Attendees Register

What's the GBA Plus Conference About?

2021 has been a particularly significant year for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practitioners. From the continuing Canadian residential school grave discoveries, the restriction of reproductive health access in Texas, and the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, it can seem difficult and overwhelming to champion DEI  in a constantly changing and challenging context.  

Canadian Equality Consulting’s second annual GBA Plus (formerly GBA+) Conference is here to provide a pathway forward. Starting with an introduction on the new federal GBA Plus framework (answering questions such as: what exactly has changed from GBA+? How can I apply this new framework to my work?), to discussing topical DEI issues (how can I avoid “ornamental intersectionality”? How can I incorporate anti-racist frameworks within my work and my workplace?), this conference will provide a productive space to ask big questions, and learn innovative and practical ways to apply DEI frameworks effectively to your day-to-day work. 

Schedule

April 1, 2022 - Primer
4:00PM - 5:30PM MST: GBA Plus Optional Pre-conference Primer

Preconference Primer Learn what to expect from the conference, how the conference will be run, what you will learn, how to ask questions, how to get involved and more.

Speakers coming soon.

April 4, 2022 - Day One
8:30AM - 9:00AM MST: Pre-conference Networking
9:00AM - 9:30AM MST: Introductory Remarks & Land Acknowledgement
9:30AM - 10:45AM MST: Keynote speaker
10:45AM MDT - 11:00AM MST: Refreshment Break
11:00 AM - 11:50AM MST: Panel 1: Moving from GBA+ to GBA PLUS

Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) is an intersectional analytical tool created and used by the Government of Canada to design effective policy to address the varying experiences of marginalized Canadians. In 2021, the original tool, GBA+, was adapted as GPA Plus, a renewed framework meant to better serve the government’s inclusion and equality objectives. But what does this tool look like in practice? What are the strengths and limitations of this new framework? And how can we best utilize this tool to create targeted and effective policy? 

Speakers:

Anne Lapiere, Executive Director, Health Canada

Anne Lapierre is currently the Executive Director, Workplace Wellbeing and Workforce Development Division at Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada responsible for Corporate Learning and Career Management; Performance and Talent Management; Awards and Recognition; Official Languages Training Development and Delivery; Corporate Occupational Health and Safety; Disability Management and Duty to Accommodate for Persons with Disabilities.

Davy-Anthony Sabourin, Senior Strategist, Canadian Equality Consulting

Davy-Anthony Sabourin (he/him), of Jamaican and French-Canadian heritage, is an award-winning federal public servant, human rights advocate, and community builder. Recently, he’s had the honour to join Canadian Equality Consulting as a Senior Strategist and Trainer.

With over six years’ experience within the Federal Public Service, Davy has occupied key roles related to privacy law enforcement, stakeholder relations, and policy. He has had investigative, analysis, advisory, and management roles in the areas of privacy rights, anti-racism, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Prior to joining the federal government, Davy served as a mental health and addictions counselor.

 

Sanchari Quader, GBA+ Lead, City of Edmonton

Sanchari Quader (she/her) is an award winning senior policy and DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) professional with project management experience, including developing and executing regional and municipal strategies.

Her 18 years of experience in public policy development, stakeholder engagement, facilitation, and change management led her to her current role as the Department Lead for GBA+ with the Centre of Excellence at the City of Edmonton.

She has deep passion for applying an equity conscious lens to the development of policies, projects, services and programs to ensure equality of outcomes for employees and the communities she serves as a public servant.

11:50 AM - 12:15 PM MST: Panel 1 Q&A
12: 15 PM - 1:00 PM MST: Lunch/Coffee Break
1 PM - 1:15 PM MST: CEC: What’s New?
1:15 PM - 3 PM MST: Panel 2: Intersectionality Beyond the Buzzword

The term “intersectionality,” while originally introduced by Professor Dr. Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw in 1989, has since become a shorthand for signalling inclusive and diverse spaces and policy. Now moving well beyond its roots in critical race theory, and Dr. Crenshaw’s call to demolish the “stubborn endurance of the structures of white dominance,” many argue that the term “intersectionality” has become divorced from its initial conception as a call to dismantle existing power structures. This panel is interested in discussing how to avoid “ornamental intersectionality” (Sirma Bilge) and how to effectively take on the mantle of an anti-racist approaches in theory and in policy practice. If you have ever wondered how to ensure that your intersectional approaches to policy remain fully inclusive, rooted in effective action, and evolve to meet the needs of diverse populations, this dialogue is for you. 

Speakers:

Evelyn Amponsah, Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC)

Evelyn Amponsah is currently the Director for the Centre for advancing the interests of Black people and was the Manager- Strategy Development, Confronting anti-Black racism for Toronto Community Housing.  She was also the Senior Training and Development Consultant at the City of Toronto in the Confronting anti Black racism unit. In this role she piloted various innovative training and development initiatives to build city staff’s competency in Anti-Black racism.  Evelyn is also a PhD candidate at York University.  Her research is on the impacts of Anti-Black racism on both Black and non-Black people.

Tyra Erskine, Anti-racist Activist and Consultant

Tyra Erskine is an experienced anti-racism facilitator and content developer. She has developed online content, including an online facilitated anti-discrimination course and a series of webinars on the intersection of racism and COVID-19. She is involved with the CommunityWise Resource Centre, both as a board member and as a member of the Anti-Racist Organizational Change project where she authored their anti-racism training manual.

 

 

 

Tiffany Sostar, Community Organizer and Narrative Therapist

3:00 PM - 3:30 PM MST: Panel 2 Q&A
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM MST: Closing remarks and Networking Event
April 5, 2022 - Day Two
9:00 AM - 9:30 AM MST: Introductory Remarks & Day 1 Recap
9:30AM - 10:15 AM MST: Panel 3: Levelling Up GBA Plus

Building on the context of our first (“Moving from GBA+ to GBA Plus”) and second (“Intersectionality: Beyond the Buzzword”) sessions, “Levelling Up GBA+” will take a critical approach to examining the existing framework. Drawing on the work of experts, this session will engage in a critical dialogue on how inequalities are conceptualized within the dominant model, and what future progress can be made to ensure on-going decolonial and anti-racist praxis. Alternative approaches (Intersectionality-Based Policy Analysis, Culturally Relevant Gender-Based Analysis) will be analysed on how they can integrate within the existing GBA Plus framework. Think big and think critically, this is your chance to imagine the future of GBA Plus!

Speakers:

Dr. Gabrielle Lindstrom, Educational Development Consultant, University of Calgary

Dr. Gabrielle Lindstrom is a member of the Kainai Nation which is a part of the Blackfoot Confederacy. As educational development consultant for Indigenous ways of knowing, Dr. Lindstrom works closely with the TI and vice-provosts of teaching and learning and Indigenous engagement to advance Indigenous ways of knowing in campus teaching and learning communities, cultures and practices. Her teaching background includes instructing in topics around First Nation, Métis and Inuit history and current issues, Indigenous Studies (Canadian and International perspectives), Indigenous cross-cultural approaches, and Indigenous research methods and ethics. Her dissertation research focused on the interplay between trauma and resilience in the postsecondary experiences of Indigenous adult learners. Other research interests include meaningful assessment in higher education, Indigenous homelessness, intercultural parallels in teaching and learning research, Indigenous lived experience of resilience, Indigenous community-based research, parenting assessment tools reform in child welfare, anti-colonial theory and anti-racist pedagogy. 

Dr. Olena Hankivsky, professor, Simon Fraser University School of Public Policy

Dr. Olena Hankivsky (Professor) B.A. (Toronto), M.A. PhD (Western Ontario) specializes in public policy and political theory and has a particular interest in gender, intersectionality, and social and health policy.

Dr. Hankivsky is a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Gender and Health Research Chair and a Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Senior Scholar.

 

 

 

 

Lorelei Higgins, Métis Canadian Cultural Mediator

Lorelei Higgins is a Métis Canadian Cultural Mediator, Rotary Peace Fellow, Rotary Positive Peace Activator and an Indigenous Relations Strategist. She is also Mrs. Canada Globe 2021. Lorelei leads conflict transformation projects globally, with a focus on Indigenous human rights. Her practice areas include: Anti-Racism capacity building; Asset based community development; Community dialogue; Cultural mediation; Cross cultural learning and diversity; Equity and inclusion training; Indigenous relations and Indigenous human rights; Large group mediations; and Systems thinking.

10:15 AM - 10:30 AM MST : Panel 3 Q&A
10:30 AM - 10:45 AM MST : Coffee Break and Networking
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM MST : Panel 4: From Theory to Action: Applying GBA Plus and Intersectionality in Practice

After critical and engaging discussions on the roots of GBA Plus, and how to ensure an even more inclusive future for the framework, our final panel of the conference asks: how do I apply these ideas in practice? Moving from an evaluation of what a work environment looks like in absence of intersectional equity, this section will discuss concrete case examples of how to apply GBA Plus and intersectionality to government and business, how to empower employees to create a safe and respectful environment for discussions of inclusion, and how an organizations leadership can lead by example. 

Speakers:

Christopher Scipio, Senior Strategic Advisor, Federal Public Service

Christopher K. Scipio is a strategic policy advisor in Canada’s Federal Public Service specializing in Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+). He is an intersectional feminist and anti-racist committed to using his work to contribute to collective efforts to dismantle systems that oppress individuals and groups due to their race, gender, ability, religion, and other identity factors.

Since joining the federal public service in 2010, Christopher has worked primarily in strategic policy on a wide range of files including: change management, access to justice, Indigenous justice, digital government and performance reporting. He is also involved in public service renewal efforts through his participation with the Black Employee Networks (BENs) and the Anti-Racism Ambassadors Network (ARAN).

Outside of his day job, Christopher is a past volunteer with Family Services Ottawa, the Canadian Centre for Women’s Empowerment, Ottawa Community Immigration Settlement Organization and is presently a board member (Director-at-Large) for the Institute of Public Administration of Canada-National Capital Region.

Social Media: Twitter @ScipioCk

 

Jillian LeBlanc, Senior Communications Advisor, Government of Canada

Jillian LeBlanc (she/her/elle) is a feminist policy specialist who works for the Government of Canada . She is also the outgoing Head Delegate to the OECD representing the Young Diplomats of Canada. 

In her previous role she was at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) as a Senior Analyst on Gender and Technology. . In this role she served as the Government Lead for the Dr. Robert Bondar Career Development Program and was the Creator and Chair of the Government of Canada’s Gender and Technology Working Group. In 2019, Jillian was the lead for Feminist Open Government during th Global Open Government Summit, and led on the co-creation of the Guide to Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA+) and Inclusive Open Government 

Cassandra Morin from Global Affairs Canada

11:45 AM - 12:00 PM MST : Panel 4 Q&A
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM MST : Lunch Break and Networking
12:30 PM - 12:45 PM MST : CEC: What's New?
12:45 PM - 2:15 PM MST : Panel 5: GBA Plus Case Studies - When it Works

Drawing on the real word experience from Ryan Hum and Max Brault, with many years of experience working with the Government of Canada, this panel will unpack how GBA Plus was operationalized to enhancthe Accessibility Canada Act. 

Speakers:

Ryan Hum, VP and CIO, Data and Information Management, Canada Energy Regulator.

Ryan is the CIO and VP of Data at the Canada Energy Regulator. Ryan is passionate about digital government, human-centered design, fatherhood, and reconciliation. He was a founding member of the Government of Canada’s Impact and Innovation Unit, where he served as the Chief Designer and Chief Data Scientist. During his career, he has worked on issues spanning immigration and settlement, disabilities in the workplace, mining, and health. Ryan studied biology, engineering, and design, and is working toward a PhD. He is also an Adjunct Professor at OCAD University and has taught design, public policy and engineering at Carleton and the University of Toronto.

Max Brault, BDO Vice President of People and Change

Max Brault is a bilingual legislation and policy leader with almost 20 years of progressive public-sector experience. His work has focused on employment equity, the advancement of workplace accessibility, and career development for people with disabilities. Brault helped to guide the federal government toward new and progressive accessibility legislation, Bill C-81, the Accessible Canada Act (the Act).

In his 20 years of progressive service, he has worked in employment equity and accessibility across Correctional Services Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Infrastructure Canada, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and the Public Service Commission. Through these unique experiences, he was able to leverage a diverse set of skills and a network of relationships with Deputy Ministers, Departmental Executives, federal employees, and other government departments.

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2:15 PM - 2:30 PM MST : Panel 5: Q&A
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM MST : Closing Remarks and Cocktail Hour

Pricing

Pre-conference Primer

Pre-conference Primer: Unfamiliar with GBA PLUS? No problem, learn what GBA Plus fundamentals in the pre-conference GBA Plus 101 Primer with GBA Plus expert, and CEC Founder and President, Marcie Hawranik.

Student: $25 

Equity-seeking groups: $50 

Individual: $100 

Register
Early Bird (Present – January 31) 

Early Bird registration is a limited time offer and is available the moment registration opens until January 30, 2021 at 11:59 PM MDT. For current students, please refer to the student rates section.

Individual: $400 (full conference)  
Group of 5: $2200 
Group of 10: $4700 

Register
Regular Price (February 1 –March 31, 2022) 

As of February 1, until the day prior to the conference, March 31, 2022, the standard conference attendance rate will apply, with special package savings for group 5 and group 10 registrations.

Individual: $500 (full conference) 
Group of 5: $2300 
Group of 10: $4800 

Register
Student

In the spirit of equity, CEC commits to not increase the student rate following the early bird time frame.

$150

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Sliding Scale

Our conference aims to champion diversity, equity, and inclusion in both theory and in practice. As such, if you are a person in an equity-seeking group (a person with a disability, a Black person, a person of colour), or a person with financial constraints, please contact us directly to qualify for our sliding scale costs. As this conference will be hosted on Treaty 7 land by majority settlers and immigrants and/or descendants of immigrants, all Indigenous attendees will be able to receive complimentary tickets.

Email hello@canadianequality.ca to sign up for the sliding scale program.

Register

Common Questions

The Government of Canada defines the term “gender-based analysis plus” as “an analytical process used to assess how diverse groups of women, men and people of all genders may experience policies, programs and initiatives. The “plus” in GBA+ acknowledges that GBA goes beyond biological (sex) and socio cultural (gender) differences. We all have multiple identity factors that intersect to make us who we are; GBA+ considers many other identity factors, like race, ethnicity, religion, age and mental or physical disability.”

More information on GBA+ is available on the Women and Gender Equality Canada Department website: https://women-gender-equality.canada.ca/en.html

Anyone who has a professional, academic, or personal interest in improving their GBA Plus and diversity, equity, and inclusion skillset! Attendance is not limited to one field or professional association. Our first annual conference in 2021 had attendance ranging from academia, multiple levels of government, and civil society, among others.

Register for the conference by visiting the Canadian Equality Consulting website and accessing our EventBrite link. If you have questions about which ticket you’re applicable for, or questions about group purchasing, please contact: hello@canadianequality.ca

You will receive access to all of the plenary sessions, the concurrent sessions and the Welcome Reception, as well as access to the presenters' provided materials (Presentations, etc.)

As this will be a virtual conference on Zoom, no catering will be provided. CEC is currently in the process of negotiating a potential food delivery discount for attendees, to participate in a “shared” virtual lunch.

Yes. To cancel your registration, contact the CEC office at hello@canadianequality.ca After March 16th, no refunds will be given for conference registrations or special event tickets.

Once you have registered, you will receive a confirmation link from EventBrite. Closer to the date of the conference, an email with Zoom meeting room information, including joining link and password, will be provided.

The program for the CEC GBA Plus conference will be posted on the webpage and updated regularly with regards to panel timing and presenters.

Past Attendees