Gender-Based Analysis Plus in Canada: Problems and Possibilities of Integrating Intersectionality

Abstract

International debate is ongoing regarding the innovation of gender mainstreaming (GM), its efficacy, and future utility. Likewise, in Canada, there is a push to learn from early GM efforts and a renewed focus on creating more responsive mainstreaming strategies. Although Canada’s gender-based analysis (GBA) has been researched and evaluated, this study uses the feminist theory of intersectionality to examine the newer GBA+ model, which builds on its predecessor. Drawing on thematic analysis of 32 stakeholder interviews from three different sectors and content analysis of key policy reports, we investigate how the shift to this new model is perceived, whether inclusion of the “+” results in greater responsiveness, and how to better operationalize intersectionality in policy contexts.