FACT SHEET

What is Gender-Based Analysis?

Each culture has different expectations and values regarding women's and men's roles and activities. We use the word gender to describe culturally based views of how women and men should behave. Gender roles can change over time as the culture and society change. In contrast, sex refers to the fixed biological characteristics that make someone female or male. Sex characteristics are mainly physical in nature and generally do not change. Gender-based analysis refers to any analytical tool used to examine and measure gender differences in a given situation or sector.

In 1995 Canada began to implement an official policy requiring the use of gender-based analysis by all federal government departments in their policy and program development.

Women's Organizations' Concerns

Various women's organizations and academics have expressed concern about this policy and the effectiveness of gender-based analysis as an analytical tool. Their concerns include whether:

• gender-based analysis is a feminist analytical tool;
  
  
• existing gender-based analysis tools adequately meet the needs of Canada's diverse populations in terms of visible minorities, women with a disability, and aboriginal and Metis women;
  
  
• there needs to be a better balance in the qualitative and quantitative indicators to used to measure gender differences and to assess project, program and policy outcomes;
  
  
• the existing gender-based analysis tools can be used openly and effectively in all situations without causing more damage than good;
  
  
• gender-based analysis will be used as a form of tokenism to demonstrate that . departments are working towards gender equality when in fact this may not be a priority

Clarification of Gender-Based Analysis

• To clarify whether GBA is based on a feminist approach or not, it is helpful to look at what is the ultimate goal of GBA which is to facilitate greater gender equality. Currently the persisting imbalances between women and men's lives continue to impede the successful attainment of gender equality. In the past, most equality related policies focused on the specific needs of women. This narrower focus often led to women's needs and contributions being viewed in isolation from those of men and vice versa. In turn, this isolation led to the marginalization of women in public policy development.
  
  
• In contrast, gender-based analysis uses gender relations as its analytical focus. It is based on the premise that gender differences and their implications will be integrated into the planning and activities of any initiative. In this context, women specific initiatives focus exclusively on the priorities and situations of women whereas a gender-based approach takes more of an overview and is predicated on the differential life realities of women and men. A gender-based analysis approach is not intended to replace women specific initiatives, but rather is designed to complement them. In this way they become two different strategies for reaching the same goal.
  
  
• While gender-based analysis tools are based on the premise of inclusion, inclusion does not happen automatically. Each organization that uses GBA tools needs to ensure that they have included all minority and interest groups affected by the programs and policies they are implementing and not to assume that "one size fits all" in terms of meeting people's needs. Status of Women Canada welcomes the sharing of successful experiences promoting diversity within a gender-based analysis framework so that we can all learn from this evolving process.
  
  
• Both quantitative and qualitative indicators are important when using gender-based analysis. Numbers give a concrete picture of who has access to what resources, and if programs and policies have a differential impact on women and men. The qualitative indicators and descriptions help define where and at what levels these differential impacts exist.
  
  
• There are some contexts in which gender bias is so strong that some people will simply stop listening or ignore the process if the word gender is mentioned. In this context, it can be useful to use the basic gender-based analysis tools without explicitly labeling them.
  
  
• Some organizations and individuals are more committed to the achievement of gender equality than others. To be successful, gender-based analysis requires a senior level commitment to its implementation. Where gender equality is seen as a lesser priority, some individuals may use gender-based analysis as a way to be perceived to be taking public action without actually effecting change. In these instances, it is critical to have full support for the follow-up process from senior management and to ensure that everyone is accountable for participating in and contributing to the full process.

What's New in Gender-Based Analysis

• McGill University has just developed a university level course syllabus on gender-based analysis in conjunction with Status of Women Canada and other academic representatives from various universities. McGill will be offering this program as an academic course in the near future.
  
  
• Status of Women Canada is developing training models on gender-based analysis for use by the public sector at the same time.
  
  
• The Gender-Based Analysis Directorate (GBAD) of Status of Women Canada is about to launch an exciting new tool kit on gender-based analysis. You can find out more about the tool kit and about the GBAD unit itself by going to the Status of Women website at: http://www.swc-cfc.gc.ca and clicking on the GBAD icon.