City Council responded strongly to make Vancouver women friendly, and a global leader in advancing gender equity!
The City of Vancouver has addressed their long standing commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, which the city delivered for the first time in the Healthy City Strategy. The Healthy City Strategy consists of 13 long-term goals for the well-being of the City and its people, including ambitious targets to reach by 2025. As a result, work in these areas is being integrated more and more into all aspects of City business.
Firstly, the report below provides high-level context and brief background on the City’s extensive efforts in these areas. The report also highlights two related strategies aligned under the Healthy City Strategy:
- The Trans, Gender Variant and Two-Spirit Inclusion Strategy (TGV2S)
- The Women’s Equity Strategy 2018-2028 (WES).
The Healthy City Strategy is the City’s overarching social sustainability plan. It places an emphasis on equity through its vision of a healthy city “for all”. One of its guiding principles is that the city applies both a universal approach as well as an intersectional lens. Ultimately, the goal is to ensure Vancouver pursues initiatives that are both universal for all residents and focused on specific populations most vulnerable to inequities, including women.
In other words, “achieving equality is not simply about treating individuals or groups in the same way, but may require the use of specific measures to ensure fairness.”
Interim Report on Making Vancouver Women Friendly
Click here to see the staff presentation as well as read highlights, which include:
- Strategy overview
- Key accomplishments to date
- Next steps
Furthermore, Councillor Jean Swanson moved the following amendment to the main motion. The amendment directs staff to “Develop a comprehensive gendered intersectional strategy with short and long-term goals that are measurable for each department and every strategy and supported for at least 6 years”. The amended motion passed unanimously.
Want to help promote equality in your city? Get Involved with WFCC, or Submit a Wise Practice.
