Introduction to GBA Plus

Program design

Programs typically have a specific objective, which means it is important that the delivery model corresponds with the intended outcome of the program. GBA Plus can help identify important considerations for delivering a program to diverse groups of people, as well as the most effective delivery mechanisms, by asking questions such as:

Illustration of a character holding a pencil.
  • Who is the target population for the program?
  • Will the program have consequences for individuals outside the target population?
  • What are the characteristics of these groups? (Consider factors such as location, socio-economic status, culture and so on.)
  • What are the intersecting factors of the target population?
  • If the intended outcome of the program is to address the needs of a diverse population of people, what are the different program components that are required to reach each group?
  • Have stakeholders been consulted? Which ones?
  • Have the targeted population(s) been consulted?
  • Are the administrative processes used to access a program appropriate for the target audience?
  • Do the data collection guidelines, forms and processes ensure that data collected can be disaggregated by sex as well as by other factors and personal characteristics?
  • Have potential unintended impacts been identified?
  • What strategies can be put in place to mitigate these unintended impacts?

Here is an example of how GBA Plus is being applied to program design:

Does Climate Change Affect Us All the Same Way?

Does Climate Change Affect Us All the Same Way? – Transcript

The animated logo for GBA Plus appears.
TEXT ON SCREEN –
DOES CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECT US ALL THE SAME WAY?

We all know the consequences of climate change, from extreme weather events to melting ice
and rising sea levels.

An animated globe appears on top of live footage of water rushing out from under a glacier.
TEXT ON SCREEN –
CLIMATE CHANGE
KNOW THE CONSEQUENCES OF CLIMATE CHANGE
FROM EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS
MELTING ICE
RISING SEA

But have you ever considered whether everyone is affected in the same way?

Some people are more vulnerable than others to the impacts of climate change.

A ring of stick-figures appears around the animated globe.
TEXT ON SCREEN –
SOME PEOPLE ARE MORE VULNERABLE

Did you know that women are more susceptible to the impacts of drought and flooding?

Why?

The outline of a male and a female stick-figure appear over live footage of flooding. Both stick-figures begin to be filled with colour from the bottom-up, but the female stick-figure is filled faster and higher than the male stick-figure.
TEXT ON SCREEN –
DID YOU KNOW?
WHY?

Existing gender inequalities consistently make women more likely to experience negative
impacts of climate change.

Photos of diverse females appear on screen.
TEXT ON SCREEN –
EXISTING GENDER INEQUALITIES CONSISTENTLY MAKE WOMEN
EXPERIENCE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

Canada recognizes the importance of women's active participation as agents of change,
community leaders, and decision-makers in all phases of disaster risk reduction, from
preparation and mitigation to response and rebuilding.

Three up-arrows appear. Each arrow contains an icon representing the following themes: agents of change; community leaders; and decision makers.
TEXT ON SCREEN –
CANADA RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF WOMEN'S ACTIVE PARTICIPATION
AGENTS OF CHANGE,
COMMUNITY LEADERS,
AND DECISION-MAKERS
The words: PREPARATION, MITIGATION, RESPONSE, REBUILDING appear inside four separate circles

For example, Canada has more fully incorporated priorities of Indigenous women into the broader
emergency management system, such as wildfire response.

Three circles appear each containing the following live footage: a female Indigenous elder, a young Indigenous woman, and a wildfire emergency responder.
TEXT ON SCREEN –
INCORPORATED PRIORITIES OF INDIGENOUS WOMEN

But it's not just about gender.

Climate change impacts people differently because of multiple intersecting
factors.

A stick-figure appears inside a circle with several intersecting lines moving all around it.
TEXT ON SCREEN –
BUT IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT GENDER
MULTIPLE INTERSECTING
IDENTITY FACTORS

That's why the Government of Canada is using Gender-based Analysis Plus to address the
impacts of climate change.

GBA Plus is an analytical process that assesses how diverse groups of women, men and gender-diverse
people might experience government initiatives differently.

GBA Plus logo appears. Stairs with 3 steps appear. A stick-figure with a briefcase walks up the stairs. A stick-figure holding a cane rises out of the top step. Another stick-figure walks up the stairs. Another stick-figure pushing a stroller stops at the bottom step and looks up.
TEXT ON SCREEN –
IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
ANALYTICAL PROCESS appears on the riser of the top step.
DIVERSE GROUPS OF PEOPLE appears on the riser of the middle step.
EXPERIENCE GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES appears on the riser of the bottom step.

It's an intersectional gender lens that takes into account sex and gender and other
factors such as geography, ethnicity, income, age and disability.

A new plus sign spins out from the plus sign in the GBA Plus logo as the GBA Plus logo disappears. Several intersecting lines appear around the plus sign. The words Sex and Gender appear on the horizontal bar of the plus sign.
TEXT ON SCREEN – The following words fly out from the centre of the plus sign: GENDER LENS, IDENTITY FACTORS
Four new bars appear on the plus sign forming a pin-wheel. The following 10 words appear on each arm of the pinwheel: Geography, Ethnicity, Income, Age, Disability, Race, Culture, Religion, Sexual Orientation, Education.

Consider geography.

A spinning globe appears
TEXT ON SCREEN –
CONSIDER GEOGRAPHY

While less ice and more shipping through Arctic waterways may mean increased economic benefits,
it can also raise the risk of oil and chemical spills, disproportionately impacting
northern communities.

An animated scene of the Arctic appears, including homes, a polar bear and ships in the Arctic Ocean. An oil/chemical spill appears in the ocean.
TEXT ON SCREEN –
MAY MEAN INCREASED ECONOMIC BENEFITS
RISK OF OIL AND CHEMICAL SPILLS
DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTING NORTHERN COMMUNITIES

Through the Oceans Protection Plan, the Government of Canada is partnering with Indigenous and
coastal communities to develop a world-leading marine safety system that meets Canada's
unique needs from coast-to-coast-to-coast.

A top-view of the ocean and ships animate. The animation changes to a map of Canada with homes and ships around Canada's coasts.
TEXT ON SCREEN –
THROUGH THE OCEANS PROTECTION PLAN
A WORLD-LEADING MARINE SAFETY SYSTEM
Live footage plays Inside the map of Canada, including: A northern community photographer taking photos of the water, and Canadian Coast Guard training exercises.

GBA Plus is helping to ensure that under-represented groups in Canada's Arctic – including
diverse groups of Indigenous Peoples and women – play an active role in the design and
delivery of emergency response and waterways management.

TEXT ON SCREEN –
UNDER-REPRESENTED GROUPS IN CANADA'S ARCTIC
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND WOMEN
PLAY AN ACTIVE ROLE IN THE DESIGN AND DELIVERY

So, what happens when factors – like income and gender – intersect?

TEXT ON SCREEN –
WHEN IDENTITY FACTORS, LIKE INCOME AND GENDER, INTERSECT

Those who experience poverty – in Canada and around the world - are most impacted by
climate change.

An animation of hands holding a bowl of food appears, but then the bowl breaks and falls away as a spinning globe appears.
TEXT ON SCREEN –
THOSE WHO EXPERIENCE POVERTY
ARE MOST IMPACTED BY CLIMATE CHANGE

They are more likely to live in areas already prone to natural disasters, and their limited
income means less ability to recover and adapt.

Live footage of people walking down a flooded city street is then replaced by an animated scene of a house experiencing flooding.
TEXT ON SCREEN –
AREAS ALREADY PRONE TO NATURAL DISASTERS
MEANS LESS ABILITY TO RECOVER & ADAPT

The GBA Plus applied to Canada's Feminist International Assistance Policy recognizes that women living
in poverty disproportionately experience the impacts of climate change.

The GBA Plus logo and a female stick-figure appear. Six icons appear around the female stick-figure representing each of the following: flooding, green-house gas, home damage, a downward trending chart, a broken piggy bank, and a distressed stick-figure.
TEXT ON SCREEN –
RECOGNIZES THAT WOMEN LIVING IN POVERTY
EXPERIENCE THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

Consequently, the new policy:
• Requires that women participate actively
in the design and implementation of climate initiatives funded by the federal government.

Live footage of a female engineer plays above an animation of a scenic landscape.
TEXT ON SCREEN –
REQUIRES THAT WOMEN PARTICIPATE ACTIVELY IN THE DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION

• Ensures that the government's climate initiatives consider the challenges faced
by women and girls.

Live footage of two school girls at their desk plays above a different animation of a scenic landscape.
TEXT ON SCREEN –
CLIMATE INITIATIVES CONSIDER THE CHALLENGES FACED BY WOMEN AND GIRLS

• Supports programs that give women entrepreneurs greater access to renewable energy opportunities.

Live footage of a large field of solar panels plays above a different animation of a scenic landscape.
TEXT ON SCREEN –
SUPPORTS PROGRAMS THAT GIVE WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS GREATER ACCESS

Engaging a diversity of perspectives in addressing climate change makes our collective response
more effective.

A ring of stick-figures appears around an animated globe. Communication lines jump between the stick-figures.
TEXT ON SCREEN –
ENGAGING A DIVERSITY OF PERSPECTIVES

The Government of Canada will continue to apply an intersectional gender lens to better
adapt to and reduce the risks of climate change.

Trees animate on screen as a flock of birds fly past the trees. The GBA Plus logo appears.
TEXT ON SCREEN –
CANADA WILL CONTINUE TO APPLY
ADAPT TO AND REDUCE THE RISKS

Visit Women and Gender Equality Canada and check out our Demystifying GBA Plus job aid on GCpedia.

Information is available upon request for those outside the Government of Canada.

TEXT ON SCREEN –
VISIT
WWW.WOMEN.GC.CA
#GBAPLUS
#ACSPLUS
TEXT ON SCREEN – Copyright Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Status of Women, 2018
TEXT ON SCREEN - Canada wordmark with waving flag