Introduction to GBA Plus

Summary

Sex and gender are not the same but can influence an individual’s or community’s experience of federal government policies, programs and initiatives.

Remember that sex is primarily associated with physical and physiological features including chromosomes, gene expression, hormone levels and function, and reproductive/sexual anatomy. Gender identity Gender identity is how people perceive themselves with respect to their gender. Gender identity is not confined to a binary (girl/woman, boy/man) nor is it static; it exists along a continuum and can change over time. Gender Socially-constructed roles, behaviours, expressions and identities of girls, women, boys, men and gender-diverse people.  It influences how people perceive themselves and each other, how they act and interact, the distribution of power and resources in society, and people’s social, health and economic outcomes.

Looking at sex- and gender identity- disaggregated data is a first step to determining whether sex and gender identity are important factors to consider. The next step is to analyze the social context, including social norms we may take for granted which create a person’s experience.

In general, the differential impacts of an initiative will be more about gender identity (in relation to gender--socially constructed roles and relationships) than sex (biological).