Gender-based Analysis Plus

Federal Policing Investigations collects data on irregular migration encounters/asylum claimants at the border. This includes statistics on gender, nationality and country of origin (ethnicity). These elements allow the program to better understand the trends amongst border crossers and, as such, better respond to the flow of irregular migrants while being aware of their respective realities.

In 2025-26, Federal Policing National Security will coordinate the development of a Five Eyes Women in National Security initiative. The initiative is intended to offer unique opportunities to develop skills, empower emerging and future women leaders, and promote careers for women in national security.

To avoid unconscious bias during staffing and recruiting processes, job descriptions, selection criteria, and interview processes will be continuously reviewed to ensure that individuals from diverse backgrounds are not put at a disadvantage when applying for a position.

Many program initiatives require tailored training, recognizing the importance of gender and cultural diversity as they enhance investigative capabilities. As such, an equity, diversity and inclusion and GBA Plus lens will be used when evaluating and selecting candidates. In support of this, educational workshops and awareness training will be provided to employees on topics such as unconscious bias, diversity and inclusion.

Federal Policing Protective Operations integrates GBA Plus principles when evaluating threats and risks to principal clients and protected individuals, to ensure that assessments consider risk factors related to gender and diversity. The program will promote and provide access to training aimed at enhancing understanding of gender and diversity considerations to encourage inclusive and unbiased decision-making. In the next year, the program aims to apply GBA Plus in recruitment strategies in order to attract a broader range of applicants, with the goal of ensuring a more inclusive, representative workforce that reflects Canada’s diversity.

In the 2025-26, Federal Policing Protective Operations will implement a pilot program for a new job function-based physical testing, which will include age and gender-based benchmarks.

New GBA Plus performance indicators have been developed, and will be leveraged for continuous program improvement for 2025-26.

In 2025-26, efforts will be undertaken to identify GBA Plus focal points in the program who can support the implementation of GBA Plus within their program area, and to strengthen their profile and capacity in order to improve horizontal GBA Plus capacity. Application forms will be updated to include new GBA Plus standards and to ensure the program can better monitor and report on the gender diversity impact.

Federal Policing National Governance will support the RCMP Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy through the implementation of its Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan and advance numerous GBA Plus initiatives related to staffing efforts.

This will be done through the incorporation of GBA Plus considerations, best practices and lessons learned to committee and staffing selection processes, as well as talent management and succession planning processes to ensure a bias-free environment. Furthermore, the program will diversify approaches, methods and outreach materials to attract diverse applicants.

In collaboration with Business Intelligence and Transformation, Federal Policing National Governance will also prioritize the collection of Employment Equity data to assess potential impacts on candidates’ selections. Based on these identity factors, the program will identify challenges in hiring from diverse groups.

In 2025-26, Specialized Technical Investigative Services will continue efforts to create a supportive, inclusive environment through training, policy development, and career advancement opportunities.

Efforts are ongoing to ensure that Specialized Technical Investigative Services provides opportunities, initiatives and policies in relation to different groups of women, men and people of different gender identities within its program. In addition, Air Services aims to collect disaggregated baseline data, develop inclusive indicators and engage diverse stakeholders to enable effective future monitoring and reporting of impacts by gender and diversity.

Through components of its Performance Information Profile review, Air Services plans to develop new key performance indicators that will assess how different genders are impacted by or benefit from the program. The measurement of gender equality, such as representation or access to resources, will help measure progress towards achieving specific objectives. This will ensure that the program addresses gender disparities, identifies areas needing improvement, and will guide the development of policies and actions that promote gender equality.

In 2025-26, Departmental Security will implement updates to the Security Screening Management System, which will enable the capture of data and the ability to create statistics to allow for the development and use of more comprehensive diversity metrics, including factors such as ethnicity, disability, and other identity markers.

To support the incorporation of GBA Plus within personnel security screening processes, the National Personnel Security Program recently began utilizing inclusive pronouns in all correspondence where individuals have not self-identified to remove unconscious biases insecurity documents. As part of the program’s ongoing efforts to integrate GBA Plus, specific training will be delivered to employees to promote the usage of inclusive language, including the use of pronouns to demonstrate their correct application in written and verbal communication, and how to respectfully inquire about an individual’s pronouns if they are unknown.

In other areas, Departmental Security programs will evaluate the potential for an internal framework to collect GBA Plus data to report on and facilitate evidence-based decisions for all units.

In 2025-26, the Information Management/Information Technology Program will implement its Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Plan, in alignment with the greater RCMP Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy. This will assist the integration of GBA Plus in the program’s activities to advance equality and inclusion for employees of all sexes, genders, and sexual orientations. Throughout the implementation of the plan, initiatives will focus on increasing awareness and understanding of GBA Plus through training and engagement campaigns, promoting RCMP employee networks, integrating GBA Plus in business frameworks and processes, increasing the recruitment of diverse candidates, and other efforts that account for the differing needs and experiences of individuals in equity-seeking groups.

The program will continue to work with the RCMP’s Anti-Racism, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Unit as well as the GBA Centre of Expertise to better collaborate with RCMP employee networks and to seek opportunities where gender and diversity data can be collected in the interest of advancing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion outcomes. This will ensure services and solutions are continuously shaped with an inclusive lens.

In 2025-26, the Canadian Firearms Licensing and Registration program will continue to implement the Canadian Firearms Digital Services Solution, which has been designed to modernize client-facing services by digitizing and migrating existing services to a new online platform. During the transition, services will continue to be designed to ensure clients find them accessible and user-friendly, including on mobile devices. Existing service channels, including phone, mail and paper applications, will remain available for individuals unable to access the digital channel.

In the upcoming year, the Canadian Firearms Program will use data collected during the online application process to improve understanding of user needs and to guide service improvements. Specifically, data from applications under the Aboriginal Peoples of Canada Adaptations Regulations will be analysed and further research conducted to determine how the online process is impacting applicants and service improvements that could be introduced. In northern communities, the program will continue to host women-focused Canadian Firearms Safety Courses, as feedback from participants revealed that the training has opened doors to take part in community-led events while promoting their inclusion in sustenance hunts.

The National Cybercrime Coordination Centre and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre is advancing a new public reporting system for victims of cybercrime and fraud. The system, named the National Cybercrime and Fraud Reporting System, will replace current mechanisms and is planned to be installed in December 2024.

The new National Cybercrime and Fraud Reporting System includes GBA Plus victim indicators on age, gender, ethnicity and language. The indicators are optional and information will begin to be collected with the informed consent of reporting victim, individuals, and organizations. By March 31, 2026, the Program plans to have sufficient data to enable it to report on program impacts by GBA Plus victim indicators for cybercrime and fraud.

Data collected by the program will seek to elevate the examination of gender and employment equity group trends. It will inform the efforts to promote the RCMP as a career of choice amongst Canadians and permanent residents, with a focus on attracting applicants from Women, Indigenous, Black, and other racialized groups.

At present, the RCMP has not established a targeted recruitment initiative that specifically invites 2SLGBTQI+ people to apply, however, as a stakeholder in the Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan, a strategy will be developed in 2025-26, where the program will collaborate with the RCMP’s PRIDE network to understand what initiatives can be implemented to improve the recruiting process and boost recruitments.