Sex- and Gender-Based Analysis Plus in action at Health Canada
Sex- and Gender-Based Analysis Plus (SGBA Plus) is the approach that Health Canada uses to assess how different factors affect how people in Canada experience federal initiatives. Examples of factors include:
- age
- race
- gender
- disability
- Indigeneity
SGBA Plus helps us create responsive and inclusive health research, policies, programs and services. We use it to consider the factors that affect how people access health care, resources and outcomes.
The 4-year SGBA Plus Action Plan aims to strengthen how we advance equity, diversity and inclusion by integrating diversity into all of our:
- policies
- services
- research
- programs
- legislation
- regulations
Learn more:
- Health Canada’s Sex and Gender Action Plan Plus 2022-2026 Placemat
- Health Portfolio Sex- and Gender-Based Analysis Plus Policy
- Online training modules: Integrating Sex & Gender in Health Research
Maximizing positive impacts on health
The action plan aims to maximize positive impacts on the health status and outcomes of people in Canada by:
- designing initiatives to address the diverse needs of the population
- developing policies and processes to address the diverse needs of our employees
Integrating SGBA Plus into Health Canada practices
The action plan will integrate SGBA Plus into Health Canada's practices by:
- working with partners with intersectional expertise
- providing new learning, tools and training resources
- promoting the use of disaggregated data in our analyses
- ensuring our communications and guidance are clear and easy to understand
- integrating SGBA Plus into our decision-making in an accountable and transparent manner
Foundations of the action plan
Building blocks
This action plan builds on previous work in the Sex and Gender Action Plan 2017-2020. It uses lessons learned from that period and addresses its findings.
Learn more:
Emphasis
The plan encourages an intersectional lens as part of SGBA Plus to advance equity, diversity and inclusion. It also promotes working with partners to benefit from their knowledge and intersectional expertise.
Responsibility
The plan places greater responsibility at the branch level and on senior management to ensure:
- all staff are using SGBA Plus
- SGBA Plus is fully integrated into our systems
The SGBA Plus Centre of Excellence will work together with branches, employee networks and senior management to support its implementation in the department.
Alignment and direction
The plan aligns with the 2022 revised Health Portfolio SGBA Plus Policy to:
- increase intersectional analysis
- advance equity, diversity and inclusion
It also aligns with the Department of Women and Gender Equality’s approach to GBA Plus, which was launched in June 2021, which highlights:
- the importance of intersectionality
- how social and structural systems of power connect to create inequities
Finally, the plan aligns with the Minister’s Mandate Letter from December 2021.
“…to ensure that public policies are informed and developed through an intersectional lens, including applying frameworks such as Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) and the quality of life indicators in decision-making”.
Contact us
Email us for more information about Sex- and Gender-Based Analysis Plus at Health Canada: