Defence Team’s approach to Gender-based Analysis Plus
The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces (DND/CAF) are committed to integrating Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) in all its defence activities. From designing and implementing programs and services that support personnel, to procuring equipment and planning operations, DND/CAF applies GBA Plus to ensure the institution supports diversity and inclusion in all its functions within Canada and abroad.
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What is GBA Plus?
GBA Plus is an evidence-based process for making decisions on how to develop, implement and maintain policies, programs, services, initiatives and operations that are inclusive and responsive to the varying needs of the people using them.
In practice, GBA Plus is used as an analytical tool to understand how different factors of a person’s identity interact with each other and with society, institutions and systems of power, and to assess how intersecting identity factors impact the experiences—advantageously or disadvantageously—of diverse groups of people as they engage with policies, programs, services, initiatives and operations. Based on the findings, GBA Plus identifies differences and inequalities in accessing and benefitting from policies, programs, services, initiatives and operations, and develops options for tailoring initiatives to meet the needs of the people who are most affected or excluded.
Ultimately, GBA Plus aims to mitigate biases and remove barriers that unfairly disadvantage people from engaging with policies, programs, initiatives and operations equitably and inclusively.
To learn more about GBA Plus, see What is Gender-based Analysis Plus?
What does the “Plus” mean?
The “plus” in GBA Plus acknowledges that people have multiple factors that makes up their identity (such as sex, gender, race/ethnicity, religion, age, mental or physical disability), and that supporting equitable and inclusive policies, programs and initiatives requires an understanding of how many, differing identity factors, in addition to sex and gender, interact. The intersection of identity factors can influence how a person experiences policy, programs, services, initiatives and operations. This interdependence of multiple identity factors is often referred to as “intersectionality”.
In examining and understanding the intersectionality of identity factors, GBA Plus can provide insight and guidance on developing and implementing policy, programs and operations that support unobstructed access for everyone to benefit from opportunities.
What is intersectional analysis?
GBA Plus is the Government of Canada’s tool for applying intersectional analysis. Intersectional analysis examines how multiple, diverse identify factors interact and affect people’s experiences of policy, programs, services, initiatives and operations.
The information and knowledge gathered from intersectional analysis then informs and shapes how policy, programs, initiatives and operations are developed and implemented to ensure they are inclusive and do not present barriers to people with specific intersectional identities. In this way, GBA Plus/intersectional analysis enables the DND/CAF to better understand the composition of its members and those whom it serves, what needs there are, and how best to meet those needs.
How does GBA Plus affect DND/CAF members?
Incorporating diverse perspectives and needs in the development of policies, programs, initiatives and operations is not new to the DND/CAF. Since Canada’s Defence policy of 2017, the DND/CAF have included initiatives to integrate GBA Plus into all defence activities, demonstrating its broader commitment to increasing diversity and strengthening inclusion—a pivotal part of culture evolution.
Individually, GBA Plus encourages members to think beyond biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences and to consider other identity factors, such as age, rank, disability, education, ethnicity, economic status, geography, language, and sexual orientation, when trying to appreciate another person’s experience. In other words, GBA Plus urges members to look past a "single issue" view of people and instead consider the nuance of multiple identity factors that influence a person’s lived experience.
Collectively, GBA Plus requires teams, organizations and the institution to consider the impact of multiple, intersecting identity factors on members’ experiences with policy, programs, services and initiatives. When developing and implementing these instruments, to ensure they provide equitable treatment and opportunity for everyone, the DND/CAF is mandated to incorporate GBA Plus in its business activities to prevent biases and systemic barriers from disadvantaging some members.
Operationally, GBA Plus recognizes that crises and conflicts—domestically and internationally—impact men, women, girls and boys in different ways. Building awareness of identity-based biases into all stages of military operations enables the CAF to better plan, conduct and assess operations more successfully by identifying and responding to the actual and diverse needs of people who might be at risk. For example, GBA Plus is used by leadership to collect information specific to the needs of a population when preparing military and peacekeeping operations. This information helps commanders better respond to a conflict or crisis by becoming aware of how biases in the CAF and the biases of the other countries can both influence decisions and reactions.
What is the GBA Plus Enterprise Approach?
The GBA Plus Enterprise Approach (GBA Plus EA) is a component of the Culture Evolution Strategy, which is the departmental strategy for aligning, informing and coordinating efforts to enable culture change within the DND/CAF.
The GBA Plus EA provides the strategic framework, outlining the standards and objectives of the DND/CAF, for implementing GBA Plus across all levels of decision making. It is the departmental vision for how organizations in the DND/CAF will commit to using GBA Plus into their business activities and processes.
Enabling GBA Plus to become a fully integrated and routine process in decision making relies on efforts in 5 areas, defined by corresponding strategic objectives:
Resourcing
Strategic objectives
- Level 0 organizations prioritize the resources required to apply GBA Plus. Resources are then allocated by Level 1 organizations as they conduct business planning and financial management processes.
- Develop employment models to effectively establish and sustain GBA Plus expertise.
Capacity building
Strategic objective
- DND/CAF prioritize improving and maintaining knowledge and skills in applying GBA Plus across functional areas of work at the strategic, operational and tactical levels.
Enabling leaders
Strategic objectives
- Enable every member of DND/CAF to understand the impact of intersectionality in their daily tasks.
- Equip leaders at all levels to integrate GBA Plus findings intentionally and systematically throughout all DND/CAF initiatives, functions and decision making, and make them accountable for integrating GBA Plus.
Governance and accountability
Strategic objective
- Establish governance and accountability systems at DND/CAF that require GBA Plus to be applied as part of the approval process at all decision-making junctures.
Monitoring and evaluation
Strategic objectives
- Evaluate the capacity to apply GBA Plus and integrate findings through existing monitoring and audit processes.
- Establish a reporting structure to show the impact of integrating intersectional factors on DND/CAF initiatives and activities.
Mainstreaming the GBA Plus EA across the 5 lines of effort will ensure DND/CAF have a credible GBA Plus system and the required capacity across the institution to shift the culture in a positive direction, today and in the future.
Learn how to apply GBA Plus
There are courses and training available to help you better understand the purpose of using GBA Plus, and how to apply its processes.
To find training courses, see Conduct and culture training and education resources and select the GBA Plus category to access a curated list of courses.
To find GBA Plus tools and resources, see the Gender-based Analysis Plus resource hub.
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