Introduction to GBA Plus

Summary: GBA Plus as a competency

Developing competencies in GBA Plus will allow you to explore how an issue is affected by various intersecting factors. This includes examining sex-disaggregated data and research, considering social, economic and cultural conditions and norms, and consultations with affected populations.

GBA Plus is a valuable process and tool for systematically considering an array of factors in the development of policies, programs and initiatives. It can be used across many sectors and functions.

Although infrequent, it may happen that you can conclude from the GBA Plus that an initiative will not have any negative impacts on different groups of people. Provided you document the GBA Plus process and qualify your options, your approach is still gender- and diversity-sensitive.

Conversely, applying the GBA Plus process to an initiative that does not initially seem gendered may reveal significant gender and/or diversity issues.

Remember that it is crucial to check your assumptions and biases about an issue and its possible effects on different individuals. Given that your assumptions and biases might inadvertently influence the options you consider, it is important to be aware of them. Ultimately, you will want to recommend to decision-makers the option that most effectively reduces negative impacts and provides the greatest benefit to all.