Think Differently, Think Inclusively, Think GBA+

If you work outside of government, the term GBA+ probably doesn’t mean very much to you. The term Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA+) isn’t much of a giveaway either. Analysing gender? Plus? Plus what? Contrary to first impressions, however, GBA+ is a pretty powerful analytical tool that can help shed light on our blind spots and help us to think about problems and solutions differently.

GBA+ was first developed by Status of Women Canada in 1995 as a tool to get people thinking about the role of sex and gender in policymaking, hence the name Gender-based Analysis. The Plus came along when the analysis was expanded to consider intersectionality, which looks at the different ways our multi-faceted identities can lead to inequities or discrimination.