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Fredericton council adopts call for greater gender inclusivity, diversity

Fredericton, City of NB - City Hall
Fredericton council adopts call for greater gender inclusivity, diversity

Posted in: News Item

Date Posted: 2020-01-22

Organization Name: City of Fredericton

Fredericton city council has adopted the following resolutions provided by the Ad Hoc Committee on Gender Diversity to develop a council and committee composition reflective of the local community.

Resolutions on gender sensitivity within council, council committees, and on committees that require the approval of council:

  • Adopt the Fredericton Council Code of Conduct by-law and policy.
  • Provide on-going professional development for councillors and committee members.
  • Require the completion of the Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA+) online training course for all Chairs of Committees.
  • Amend the Administrative Report to include a GBA+ lens.

Resolutions on gender representation on council committees, and on committees that require the approval of council:

  • Review current practices for requesting applications for appointments to committees.
  • Review the current appointment process and propose changes based on best practices.
  • Create gender-friendly procedural by-laws and administrative policies.

GBA+ is an analytical tool/process used to assess how diverse groups of women, men, and non-binary people may experience policies, programs, and initiatives. The “plus” in GBA+ acknowledges that GBA goes beyond biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences. The Government of Canada committed to using GBA+ to advance gender equality in Canada since 1995, and recently renewed its commitment to GBA+ and is working to strengthen its implementation across all federal departments.

“Taking steps to increase diversity in the decision- and policy-making bodies of our municipal government creates the potential for better and more inclusive public policy outcomes,” said Kate Rogers, Councillor Ward 11 and Gender Diversity Committee Member. “These resolutions are significant and essential steps toward increasing gender sensitivity and diversity in committees and at all levels of municipal governance.”

“These resolutions provide potential guidelines for our municipality,” said Greg Ericson, Councillor Ward 8 and Gender Diversity Committee Member. “They were guided by legislation and formulated by best practices in other municipalities, such as Calgary’s Gender Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy. It is council’s hope that these recommendations contribute to a municipal government whose decisions are more reflective and inclusive of the diversity in our community.”

For more on the Ad Hoc Committee on Gender Diversity and its mandate, click here.