2023-2024 Gender-based analysis plus
Section 1: institutional GBA plus governance and capacity
Governance
Gender Based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) considerations are discussed and application is determined by the Veterans Review and Appeal Board’s (VRAB, the Board) executive team, who is supported by the Board’s GBA Plus champion representative.
Capactiy
GBA Plus training for staff and Members is key to the successful integration of GBA Plus throughout the Board. The Board continues to promote GBA Plus training and tools that are available through the Canada School of Public Service and the Women and Gender Equality website; and encourages staff and Members to take part in the GBA Plus Awareness Week activities hosted by Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC). As part of the Board’s mandatory onboarding for new staff, we added GBA Plus training, providing an opportunity for new staff to learn more about GBA Plus and how this process is used to explore the changing realities and inequalities of diverse groups of people. Moving forward, we will ensure that all staff and Members receive GBA Plus training.
The Board serves a diverse group of Veterans, including factors such as gender, race, ethnicity, religion, age, ability, etc. The organization continues to apply a GBA Plus lens to help ensure we take into consideration the variation in experiences and barriers that different groups face as we develop and improve our program and services, to be more responsive to the unique needs of those we serve. We continue to be guided by the Board’s Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan. The Plan supports the integration of GBA Plus into the work of the Board in advancing equitable outcomes for all Veterans.
Section 2: gender and diversity impacts, by program
Core Responsibility: Appeals
Program Name: Review and Appeal
Program Goals: The Board provides an independent review and appeal program for disability benefits decisions made by VAC. The Board helps Veterans, Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Members, and their families obtain the benefits to which they are entitled for service-related disabilities.
Target Population: Veterans
| Distribution | Group |
|---|---|
| By gender1 | First group: predominantly men (80% or more men) |
| By age group | Second group: no significant intergenerational impacts or impacts on generations between youths and seniors |
Key Program impacts on Gender and diversity
Key Program impacts on Gender and diversity
The Veterans Review and Appeal Board has disaggregated results by identity factors like sex, age, marital status and community based on our current data collection practices as shown in the table listed below.
| Statistics | Observed Results for fiscal year 2023-24 | Data Source | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % breakdown of program clients by sex (male/female) | Male | % | Female | % | Other | % | VRAB internal reports | |
| 5793 | 84% | 1105 | 16% | 15 | <1% | |||
| % breakdown of program clients by sex (male/female) and age | Age | Male | % | Female | % | Other | % | VRAB internal reports |
| <29 | 103 | 80% | 26 | 20% | 0 | 0% | ||
| 30-49 | 1932 | 81% | 449 | 19% | 1 | <1% | ||
| 50-69 | 2567 | 81% | 595 | 19% | 11 | <1% | ||
| 70+ | 1189 | 97% | 35 | 3% | 3 | <1% | ||
| % breakdown of program clients by sex (male/female) and marital status | Marital Status | Male | % | Female | % | Other | % | VRAB internal reports |
| Married / Common Law | 3089 | 87% | 456 | 13% | 3 | <1 % | ||
| Single | 2404 | 81% | 549 | 19% | 12 | <1% | ||
| Divorced / Separated | 176 | 71% | 73 | 29% | 0 | 0% | ||
| Widowed / Survivor | 112 | 82% | 25 | 18% | 0 | 0% | ||
| Unknown | 3 | 60% | 2 | 40% | 0 | 0% | ||
| % breakdown of program clients by sex (male/female) and community | Community | Male | % | Female | % | Other | % | VRAB internal reports |
| Rural | 1157 | 57% | 876 | 43% | 3 | <1% | ||
| Urban | 4636 | 81% | 1105 | 19% | 12 | <1% | ||
| Note: Results in table may not equal 100% due to rounding. | ||||||||
GBA Plus Data Collection Plan:
As the Board identifies GBA Plus focal points, it will develop measures to successfully implement GBA Plus considerations in its operations. The Board is developing a reporting dashboard. The dashboard will allow the Board to monitor client program usage by GBA Plus data elements. This data will provide the Board with ready access to information required to better manage and track its program outcomes. The level of analysis and monitoring will also become more robust as we work to increase our reporting capacity, to ensure that gender and diversity are considered within our program, policies and service delivery. Additionally, the Board is working to ensure equitable service standard results between men and women currently reflecting sex, as well as between French and English-speaking clients. As part of its reporting practices, the Board produces a monthly internal report that provides the turnaround times for female and male applicants as well as French and English applications. The report is provided to management to ensure that we continue to make progress toward equitable turnaround times.
The Board recognizes the need to move to gender by default, with a third gender marker to represent other, as well as expand our data collection practices to include other relevant intersectional data collection points. As VAC expands its capacity to collect data, the Board will be able to leverage this information to improve its ability to measure and assess the impacts that intersectional identity factors may have on how our program and services are accessed and experienced by diverse sub-groups of the Veteran population.