A targeted approach involves taking measures to meet specific identified needs, or to prevent a group from being negatively affected by a policy, program or initiative.

Throughout history, diverse groups of women and men have faced both formal and social barriers and disadvantages in particular societies, based on gender, ethnicity, religion, age, and so on. Historical disadvantage refers to this systemic circumstance or condition.

Gender neutral refers to programs, policy and language that are free of explicit or implicit reference to gender or sex.

People are members of more than one community at the same time and live multiple, layered identities.  For example, a woman who is also a new immigrant and a senior can be viewed as belonging to three separate identity groups. Intersecting factors refers to the point where these ‘conditions’ overlap or intersect to create opportunities and/or barri [..]

Ability consists of the possession of the means or skill to do something. In the context of GBA+, ability constitutes an important factor of identity that should be taken into account during the policy process. Those with constrained mental or physical abilities may require special consideration when designing a policy, program or initiative.

Assumptions consist of beliefs or ideas that individuals hold to be true and are often based on little or no evidence.

Barriers are those things that prevent movement, or make access to a service more difficult for certain groups and individuals. Barriers exist at different levels, and may be personal, cultural, institutional and structural.

The United Nations held the fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in September 1995. The Beijing Platform for Action marked the first major global commitment to “gender mainstreaming” (see definition) as a way to accelerate women's empowerment and end gender discrimination. The declaration cites the commitment among governments to advanc [..]

Within the Government of Canada, the Privy Council Office (PCO), the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) and the Department of Finance (FIN) are known as the central agencies. The central agencies play a “challenge function” role for the application GBA+ across government and may request evidence of GBA+ in documents going to Cabinet for app [..]

The Departmental Action Plan on GBA was tabled in Parliament in 2009, as a blueprint for increasing accountability for the application of GBA+ in the federal government. It requires departments and agencies to develop and implement a multi-pronged organizational framework to support the routine use of GBA+ in the development of policies, programs a [..]