Oxfam Canada Anti-Racism, JEDI and Decolonization Strategy 2023-2025

STRATEGY FOR ANTI-RACISM, JUSTICE, EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION (JEDI), AND DECOLONIZATION

2023-2025

INPUTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS STRATEGY

• Oxfam Canada’s Strategic Framework 2022-2025.

• Oxfam Canada’s Anti-Racism Plan of Action 2021-2022.

• Oxfam Canada’s Feminist Principles (June 2023).

• Oxfam Canada’s Plan of Action in Support of Indigenous Rights (Oct 2021).

• Oxfam Canada’s April 2022 JEDI Report, also known as ‘Centering Accountability and Transformation’ (Apr 2022).

• Individual conversations with Oxfam Canada staff of all backgrounds (Apr 2022 – Apr 2023).

• Highlights from Departmental debriefs after the April 2022 JEDI report (Apr 2021 to Sep 2022).

• Highlights from the sessions on decolonizing Oxfam Canada – Departmental retreats and an all staff retreat (Jun – Sep 2022) and from the work of the Decolonization working group (Nov 2022 – Mar 2023).

• Ongoing engagement with the Board of Directors at Oxfam Canada.

• Learnings and examples from within the Oxfam Confederation and from other organizations.

• Inputs sought by Directors from Departments for certain sections ahead of first draft finalization.

• Inputs from the Anti-Racism and JEDI Committee; the Feminist Principles Committee; the Indigenous Rights and Justice Committee; the Organizational Culture Committee; and the Decolonization working group.

• Other relevant external resources, particularly the Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Benchmarks framework, developed by the Center for Global Inclusion.

OXFAM CANADA’S OFFICES ARE LOCATED ON THE UNCEDED, UNSURRENDERED TERRITORY OF THE ANISHINABE ALGONQUIN NATION.

We recognize the longstanding relationship the Anishinabe Algonquin peoples have with this territory that they have nurtured since time immemorial. We are grateful for the privilege of operating on these lands.

We pay respect to First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples who remain on their traditional lands that we now know as Canada. We acknowledge the historical and ongoing oppression and colonization of their peoples, cultures and lands. We recognize and honour their valuable past, present and future contributions as customary keepers and defenders of this beautiful territory. We honour their culture, knowledge, leadership and courage, and, as settlers on this land, we recognize that an acknowledgement is only the very first step in a long journey toward decolonizing practices and towards reconciliation.

THE STRATEGY AT A GLANCE

Our Vision:

To become a more just, inclusive and equitable organization, unbound by the oppressive systems of racism, white supremacy, patriarchy and the legacy of colonialism that have fueled global poverty and inequality

OUR GOALS AND OUTCOMES

GOAL A

An inclusive and accountable leadership

OUTCOME FOR GOAL A:

Our leaders demonstrate ownership and are held accountable for embedding anti-racism, JEDI and decolonization into our strategies, culture and practices – from nurturing diverse teams and modeling antioppressive and inclusive behaviours, to ensuring decision-making is informed by an intersectional analysis.

GOAL D

Diverse and equitable partnerships in Canada

OUTCOME FOR GOAL D:

Our work in Canada is grounded in diverse partnerships, an anti-racist/ oppression and intersectional feminist analysis, and the sharing of power and resources with our allies, particularly with Indigenous and Black women’s organizations and movements.

THE PRINCIPLES AND VALUES THAT WILL GUIDE US:

GOAL B

Foundational Internal External

A diverse Staff and Board

OUTCOME FOR GOAL B:

Our staff (Including Senior Leadership and Managers) and Board reflect the diversity of Canada and – as much as possible – represent the people in the countries where we work, and feel empowered and supported to perform at their highest potential.

GOAL C

An organizational culture of inclusion and belonging

OUTCOME FOR GOAL C:

Our policies, practices and systems reflect and reinforce our Anti-Racism and AntiOppression Principles and our Feminist Principles, including our commitment to JEDI and decolonization, while fostering a strong sense of belonging among our Staff and Board.

GOAL E

Substantive progress towards localization and decolonization

OUTCOME FOR GOAL E:

More resources and decisionmaking power are held directly by our colleagues and partners in the countries where Oxfam Canada supports programs.

GOAL F

Community-Centric Fundraising and Communications Model

OUTCOME FOR GOAL F:

Our fundraising and communications reflect our Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppression Principles, and Feminist Principles and deliberately center the people driving change in their communities.

Anti-Racism and AntiOppression Principles

Feminist Principles

Our Values of Accountability, Courage, Empowerment, Equality, inclusion and Solidarity

PREAMBLE

2023 marks Oxfam Canada’s 60th anniversary and there is plenty to celebrate. Over the last 17 years our strategic focus has been women’s rights and gender equality. We’re proud to have successfully advanced feminist approaches to development and humanitarian work in Canada and across the Oxfam Confederation. While we have made such advancements on gender equality, there is much more we needed to do to live up to our core values and feminist principles.

This was the impetus to the creation of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee in 2017 – later called AntiRacism and Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee – as well as other staff-led, crossorganizational spaces, including the Feminist Principles Committee, the Indigenous Rights and Justice Committee, and the Organizational Culture Committee. In 2022, we created the Decolonization working group. These committees and working groups advanced organizational priorities set in Oxfam Canada’s Strategic Framework 2021-2025, which included our commitment to “grow as a feminist, anti-racist and inclusive organization.”

In 2021 we created our first ‘Plan of Action on AntiRacism and JEDI 2021-2022’, and our first ‘Plan of Action in Support of Indigenous Rights’. The same year we commissioned an independent report, ‘Centering Accountability and Transformation’ (or April 2022 JEDI Report), which reflected the experiences of current and past staff, identified systemic barriers to creating a culture of JEDI, and provided recommendations that helped inform this strategy. In 2022, we produced our first anti-racism and JEDI report 2021-2022 providing an update on our progress implementing our Plan of Action on Anti-Racism and JEDI.

Now, it is our pleasure to share Oxfam Canada’s Strategy for Anti-Racism Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) and Decolonization 2023-2025. This document presents the commitments, goals, expected outcomes and anti-racism and anti-oppression principles that will guide us in our efforts to become a more just, inclusive and equitable organization, unbound by the oppressive

systems of racism, white supremacy, patriarchy and the legacy of colonialism that have for too long been deeply ingrained within the international development and humanitarian sector and have fueled global poverty and inequality.

At the outset of creating this strategy, our focus was internal to the organization. However, the more we learned about and reflected on the intersecting nature of various systems of oppression, the more the links between our objectives on antiracism and JEDI /and advancing decolonization became clear. As a Canadian organization, we recognized in particular the need to align this work with our aspirations to act in solidarity with First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in their struggles for self-determination and justice.

As part of our commitment to transparency and accountability, we will monitor, measure and report regularly on where we are doing well, along with successes and challenges. We will implement this strategy and action plans in an iterative and systematic way, taking stock frequently and adjusting as necessary. We know that perfection is unattainable and that we will likely make mistakes. While we will do our best to prevent those mistakes, we will mitigate, adjust and learn by listening and learning from our teams, partners, donors and supporters, as well as from other organizations that have gone through a similar path.

The changes we seek will not take place overnight. But the sense of urgency that our staff, partners and supporters bring to our work gives us the energy and momentum to advance this transformative process. We thank you for your feedback, your ideas, your energy, your support and your commitment to help our organization grow and be and do better every day.

WHILE THIS STRATEGY TELLS US THE ‘WHY’ AND ‘WHAT’ WE HOPE TO ACHIEVE, WE WILL CREATE ANNUAL ACTION PLANS WITH THE ‘HOW’ WE WILL ACHIEVE THEM.

WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE AND WHY

The international development and humanitarian sectors are facing a moment of reckoning. A look in the mirror has shown us a system that has been heavily influenced by institutional racism, colonialism, patriarchy and white supremacy. This has resulted in profound power imbalances that not only have hindered development and humanitarian organizations from achieving their vision, but in many cases meant we failed at our basic duty to do no harm. Below is a non-exhaustive list – in no particular order – that we have identified regarding what needs to change in such a system, including within organizations such as Oxfam:

Biased Human Resources systems, leading to unequal opportunities for those outside of the dominant group to access employment in the sector, to get the progression or management opportunities that match their skills, or to be protected from abuse and discrimination.

A significant portion of the resources for international development remains in the Global North, financing teams and infrastructure / headquarters of development organizations and institutions who maintain direction and control over the use of those resources.

Organizational cultures, structures and practices that embed, promote, ignore and/or deny racism and colonial attitudes and behaviours, leading to harmful experiences by Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) and other equity-denied groups.

Communications and fundraising strategies and products that center international development organizations from the Global North as opposed to positioning, celebrating and recognizing the leadership and initiatives of Southern partners.

Unconscious and conscious bias in the workplace that more often than not favour white able-bodied heterosexual and Western employees, and leave behind those who do not fit within those identities. This has resulted in a sector mostly dominated by white leadership, and an over reliance on ‘international staff’ for positions which could be performed by national staff.

“White gaze” behind the stories and pictures used in communications and fundraising, which distort reality and reinforce harmful stereotypes, usually connecting BIPOC with poverty and ignorance and with language that reinforces patronizing or disempowering attitudes towards equity-denied groups, while presenting White donors as ‘saviours’ of BIPOC bodies.

Decision-making power concentrated in the Global North – mirroring past colonial relationships including issues such as ‘development agendas,’ the dominant languages and the process to access international development and humanitarian funding, thus favoring organizations that know how to navigate those complex processes, while leaving behind smaller, grass-roots organizations.

A sector lexicon that reinforces colonial and racist perceptions, stereotypes and social hierarchies (e.g. ‘international assistance/aid’, ‘charity’, ‘capacity building’, ‘field’, ‘beneficiaries’, ‘developed and developing countries’, etc.) and that perpetuates the notion that those with historical privileges are ‘the solution and the saviours’ (typically the Global North) and those traditionally discriminated are in ‘need to be rescued’ (typically the Global South), thus stripping the latter of their agency, power and dignity.

International development initiatives designed in the Global North that respond to the needs identified by donors in the Global North are rooted in Western values and approaches (e.g. logic frames and theories of change) and not on the values, needs and approaches of Southern actors who are best placed to identify context-appropriate solutions.

Prioritization of the work ‘overseas’ by international development and humanitarian actors, while ignoring historical and ongoing oppression and colonization of Indigenous Peoples within their own ‘developed countries’ – including in Canada – and overlooking the rights, needs and contributions of Indigenous organizations and movements.

Advocacy initiatives and campaigns to address international development challenges designed in the Global North and rolled out in, and speaking up for, those in the Global South, instead of with or led by Southern partners based on their own priorities –often rendering the Southern people voiceless and powerless. Relationships between donors and organizations in the Global North and the actors in the Global South that are based on colonial structures and assumptions, leading to mistrust and forcing Southern organizations and partners to adhere to complex, expensive, and time-consuming monitoring and reporting mechanisms in order to access funding for their work.

Tendency in the sector to place greater value on knowledge, ideas and resources from the Global North – while the expertise and skills in the Global South are consistently devalued or ignored.

Accountability mechanisms (e.g. monitoring and evaluation systems) imposed by donors are often highly extractive and tend to flow towards the Global North, based on definitions and measures of ‘success’ and ‘effectiveness’ established by those in the Global North, instead of being created by and for the communities and partners that should be at the center of international development and humanitarian initiatives.

PHOTO © Oxfam

OUR VISION

TO BECOME A MORE JUST, INCLUSIVE AND EQUITABLE ORGANIZATION, UNBOUND BY THE OPPRESSIVE SYSTEMS OF RACISM, WHITE SUPREMACY, PATRIARCHY AND THE LEGACY OF COLONIALISM THAT HAVE FUELED GLOBAL POVERTY AND INEQUALITY

conforming people, in all their diversity.

3. We recognize our power and privileges and seek to share and shift power to the most disadvantaged women, girls and gender non-confirming people, in all their diversity.

4. We put women’s rights, 2SLGBTQ+ rights, and feminist organizations and movements at the centre of our work.

5. We practice ’nothing about us without us.’

6. We prioritize safety in our organization and in our work.

7. We lead by example on feminist organizational transformation.

8. We connect the everyday barriers experienced by women, girls and gender non-conforming people, in all their diversity, to larger social and political issues, with the understanding that ‘the personal is political.’

9. We take care of ourselves and each other and lift each other up as individuals and as a collective.

10. We uphold feminist climate justice as indispensable to achieve gender justice (and vice versa).

3. We take a holistic approach and embrace the discomfort and messiness of trying to understand and challenge intersecting systems of oppression.

4. We actively seek to decolonize our ways of working, redistribute power and contribute to reconciliation in Canada.

5. We prioritize listening and learning from, and elevating the voice of, those most affected by systems of oppression.

6. We appreciate, respect and celebrate our diversity.

7. We are humble and recognize that we are flawed and fallible and take responsibility for our mistakes.

8. We base our work on anti-racism and antioppression on the best available evidence from diverse sources.

9. We encourage and champion open discussion, feedback, constructive criticism, reflection, and ongoing assessments to advance a long-term structural and cultural transformation of our organization.

10. We are a courageous and visible ally for those fighting oppression, particularly Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) and Two Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and/or Non-binary (2SLGTBQ+) activists and organizations.

OUR COMMITMENT STATEMENT

Oxfam Canada is a feminist organization that dreams of a just and sustainable world. Our mission is to fight inequality and patriarchy to end poverty and injustice. We have a deeply held conviction that ending poverty and injustice is only possible when gender equality is achieved and gender non-conforming people and women and men, both cisgender and transgender –in all their diversity – fully enjoy their rights. We value accountability, courage, empowerment, equality, inclusion and solidarity.

We cannot achieve our mission or live up to our values without understanding and challenging pervasive and intersecting systems of oppression such as racism, colonialism, patriarchy, paternalism, white supremacy, white feminism, sexism, cissexism, heterosexism, classism, ageism, ableism, xenophobia and other forms of injustice and discrimination. We recognize the longstanding power imbalances and the existence of systems of oppression in the international development and humanitarian sector in which we work, as well as in our own organization, which have resulted in discrimination, oppression and harm.

We also acknowledge the historical and ongoing oppression and colonization of all Indigenous Peoples, cultures and lands on what we now know as Canada. As settlers on these lands, we have a responsibility to work with and support First Nations, Inuit and Métis to achieve their rights and to advance reconciliation.

Oxfam Canada stands against all systems of oppression, violence, and hate. We stand for justice, equity, diversity, inclusion and decolonization within our organization and society at large.

We are committed to:

Growing as a feminist, anti-racist and inclusive organization, which includes identifying and dismantling our biases and systems of oppression in our culture, our policies, processes and programs.

AUDRE LORDE SAID:

Changing our operating model and the ways in which we communicate, fundraise and disburse funds in order to shift power and resources towards the actors who are at the frontlines of the fight for social justice and human rights, particularly to Black, Indigenous, and women’s rights, 2SLGBTQ+ rights, and feminist organizations and movements.

“There is no hierarchy of oppression. All oppressions must be recognized and fought against simultaneously”. Audre Lorde was a self-described “black, lesbian, feminist, socialist, mother, warrior, poet,” who “dedicated both her life and her creative talent to confronting and addressing injustices of racism, sexism, classism, and homophobia.”

Working in solidarity with Indigenous Peoples – particularly First Nations, Inuit and Métis – in their struggles for self-determination and justice.

Influencing power shifts within the Oxfam confederation and the broader international development and humanitarian ecosystem to ensure that those experiencing poverty, discrimination and injustice have the resources and the power to drive change for good, in alignment with the Pledge for Change

OXFAM CANADA’S GOALS, OUTCOMES AND SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS

Goal A

“Accountability creates an expectation, connects expectation to responsibility, enables decision-making, encourages proactive and sustainable movement, prevents stagnating or veering off course, and ensures that responsibility for tangible outcomes cannot be shirked”

PULSELY

Using Diversity and Inclusion Data to Ensure Leadership Accountability.

Goal B

A diverse Staff and Board OUTCOME FOR GOAL B:

An inclusive and accountable leadership OUTCOME FOR GOAL A:

Our leaders demonstrate ownership and are held accountable for embedding anti-racism, JEDI and decolonization into our strategies, culture and practices - from nurturing diverse teams and modeling anti-oppressive and inclusive behaviours, to ensuring decision-making is informed by an intersectional analysis.

SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS UNDER GOAL A:

i. We will ensure that leadership (Board, Senior Leadership Team and Managers) actively reflect on their own conscious and unconscious biases and apply our Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppression Principles, and Feminist Principles to planning, management and decision-making.

ii. We will ensure that leadership (Board, Senior Leadership Team and Managers) take responsibility for mistakes and learn from them.

iii. We will report annually on progress, challenges and setbacks, both internally and externally.

Our Staff (including Senior Leadership Team and Managers) and Board reflect the diversity of Canada and -as much as possiblerepresent the people in the countries where we work, and feel empowered and supported to perform at their highest potential.

SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS UNDER GOAL B:

i. We will ensure that our Staff and Board members have lived experience and/or knowledge and understanding of antiracism in all of its forms, including anti-Black racism; of Indigenous rights and reconciliation; and understand and apply our Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppression Principles, and Feminist Principles.

ii. We will aim to eliminate barriers to recruiting Staff and Board members with lived experience in the Global South, who are BIPOC, and people who are immigrant or refugee women, women with disabilities, and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

iii. We will ensure that our compensation, benefits, and workplace policies and practices, our employee performance evaluations and opportunities for employees to learn, grow and access professional development and advancement are equitable, transparent, and applied consistently and fairly.

“A focus on accountability recognizes that everyone may make mistakes or fall short of commitments. Becoming aware of our own errors or shortfalls and viewing them as opportunities for learning and growth enable us to be more successful in the future. Accountability therefore creates conditions for ongoing, constructive conversations in which our awareness of current reality is sharpened and in which we work to seek root causes, understand the system better, and identify new actions and agreements”

MARILYN PAUL | Moving from blame to accountability.

Goal C

An organizational culture of inclusion and belonging

OUTCOME FOR GOAL C:

Our policies, practices and systems reflect and reinforce our Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppression Principles and our Feminist Principles, including our commitment to JEDI and decolonization, while fostering a strong sense of belonging among our Staff and Board.

SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS UNDER GOAL C:

i. We will prioritize initiatives that help build a positive, empathetic and compassionate organizational culture, in which people feel listened to, respected, valued and connected to one another and to the organization.

ii. We will ensure our Staff and Board have the knowledge and tools to understand and address their own biases and apply our Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppression Principles, and Feminist Principles.

iii. We will prioritize psychological safety and create spaces for Staff to openly discuss issues of racism and other forms of discrimination and oppression, as well as safe avenues/protocols to report and address harm.

Goal D

Diverse and equitable partnerships in Canada

OUTCOME FOR GOAL D:

Our work in Canada is grounded in diverse partnerships, an anti-racist/oppression and intersectional feminist analysis, and the sharing of power and resources with our allies, particularly with Indigenous and Black women’s organizations and movements.

SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS UNDER GOAL D:

i. We will deepen and expand relationships with partners that represent a wide variety of perspectives (including historically underfunded and/or underrepresented partners such as Black and Indigenous women’s movements and organizations). We will ensure that our Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppression Principles, and Feminist Principles guide all our partnerships, and that all our relationships integrate a decolonial lens.

ii. We will educate ourselves and act in solidarity with First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in their struggles for selfdetermination and decolonization, in accordance with the five areas of Oxfam Canada’s Action Plan in Support of Indigenous Rights and in support of the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (2015) and the Calls for Justice of the National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (2019).

BELONGING IS A FEELING THAT COMES FROM NOT ONLY BEING IN A GROUP, BUT SENSING THAT WE BELONG IN THAT GROUP, THAT WE ARE WHOLLY ACCEPTED AND APPRECIATED FOR WHO WE ARE, AND THAT IN THE GROUP WE ARE SAFE TO PARTICIPATE AND THRIVE AND THAT WE TRULY MATTER TO OTHERS.

Goal E

Substantive progress towards localization and decolonization

OUTCOME FOR GOAL E:

More resources and decision-making power are held directly by our colleagues and partners in the countries where Oxfam Canada supports programs.

SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS UNDER GOAL E:

i. We will ensure that decolonization is at the forefront of how we design, implement and learn from our programs, in alignment with our Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppression Principles and our Feminist Principles.

ii. We will move to redistribute power and resources to Oxfam country and

“We can no longer be ‘accountable’ to our donors. We must be accountable to the communities we are working alongside. That is what will bring us towards mutual aid and mutual liberation”

KATIE-JAY SCOTT

regional offices, Oxfam Southern Affiliates, and partners, with a focus on ensuring that a significant portion of our resources are spent in the Global South.

iii. We will seek to influence power shifts within the Oxfam Confederation and the Canadian international development and humanitarian ecosystem, including with our institutional donors.

Goal F

Community-Centric Fundraising and Communications Model

OUTCOME FOR GOAL F:

Our fundraising and communications reflect our Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppression Principles, and Feminist Principles and deliberately center the people driving change in their communities.

SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS UNDER GOAL F:

i. We will apply our Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppression Principles, and Feminist Principles in our communications with donors, supporters and the public, ensuring we reject the notion of ‘white/western saviorism’ and ‘white feminism’.

ii. We will engage our supporters, donors and the public in conversations around our anti-racism, JEDI and decolonization agenda.

iii. We will invest in opportunities to unlearn harmful communication and fundraising practices and to grow as communitycentric fundraisers and communication professionals.

Community-centric fundraising and communications is a growing movement and a framework that aims to evolve and transform the nonprofit sector. Instead centering the donors’ wants and needs - as it has been traditionally done - this model encourages nonprofits to gear their communications, programming, messaging and more to center work from a perspective of social and economic justice. It means that communities come first when it comes to goal-setting, time and resources. It seeks to elevate the voices and desires of the communities with whom and for whom the non-profits work. This model envisions to find donors and supporters who are aligned with the non-profits’ mission, rather than the other way around. Visit

PROCESS TO DEVELOP ANNUAL WORKPLANS

To implement this strategy, the Deputy Executive Director will lead on the design of an annual organization-wide workplan for Anti-Racism, JEDI and Decolonization. To develop this workplan, the Deputy Executive Director will gather ideas from crossorganizational committees and the Board for activities that contribute to advancing the commitments under each of the six goals, and will solicit feedback from the Anti-Racism and JEDI Committee and the Senior Leadership Team. The workplan will be finalized and presented to staff every year in the fall. In addition, we will encourage the cross-organizational committees for Anti-Racism and JEDI; Feminist Principles; Organizational Culture; and Indigenous Rights and Justice; as well as the working group on Decolonization to create their own annual workplans, identifying the key priorities that the committees/working groups seek to advance for the year.

Source: The Center for Global Inclusion

MEASURING AND REPORTING ON PROGRESS

Oxfam Canada uses the Center for Global Inclusion’s Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Benchmarks – Standards for Organizations Around the World to measure progress on our efforts on anti-racism and JEDI. In fact, the structure of this strategy aligns with and was inspired by the structure of the benchmarks.

There is a Key Performance Indictor for accountability measuring progress on the implementation of our Strategic Framework 2021-2025.We use these benchmarks to measure organizational progress on an annual basis. The Deputy Executive Director leads this assessment process in collaboration with the Anti-Racism and JEDI Committee, and then presents the year-overyear results to the Board and staff in the fall.

Every fall, Oxfam Canada will use a collaborative approach to produce and disseminate a public report on its work to advance Anti-Racism, JEDI and Decolonization. This report will summarize progress, challenges and learnings, and will identify priorities for the year ahead. We will also complete the annual survey produced by Anti-Racist Cooperation (ARC) hosted by Cooperation Canada, which allows organizations in Canada’s international cooperation sector to (re)evaluate, (re)new and (re)commit to anti-racism work.

We recognize that there is much space for improvement in how we measure progress on this work. We will maintain conversations with our Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Accountability experts to identify ways to refine the process and to ensure that we apply our own Feminist Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning Principles.

GLOSSARY

Ableism:

Discrimination or exclusion based on conscious or unconscious beliefs that people with disabilities are less valuable, and therefore less able to contribute and participate in society.

Ageism:

Discrimination or exclusion based on age.

Anti-black racism:

The ongoing prejudice and discrimination directed at Black people or people of African descent. Anti-Black racism is embedded in our systems and institutions, impacting educational outcomes, career progression, health outcomes, and racial profiling in law enforcement.

Anti-indigenous racism:

The ongoing prejudice and discrimination directed at Indigenous Peoples. Anti-Indigenous racism is systemic and institutional existing in federal policies such as the Indian Act and the residential school system.

Anti-oppression:

Strategies and actions that actively challenge existing intersectional inequities and injustices.

Anti-racism:

The conscious, deliberative and on-going process of identifying, challenging, and changing the values, structures and behaviours that perpetuate systemic racism. Anti-racism is an approach, not an end-point, and thus provides a useful frame for an organizational change process.

Bias:

The conscious (explicit) or unconscious (implicit) opinion, preference, prejudice, or inclination formed without reasonable justification that prevents a balanced or evenhanded judgement and have a significant influence on our attitudes and behaviour.

BIPOC:

Umbrella term for people who identify as Black, Indigenous or People of Colour.

Cisgender:

A term that describes someone whose gender identity aligns with the sex assigned to them at birth.

Cissexism:

Actions that discriminate against or exclude transgender people based on the belief that cisgender is what is ‘normal’ or superior.

Classism:

Discriminatory practices and biases, for or against, based on socioeconomic status.

Decolonization:

Ongoing process in which non-Indigenous individuals, governments, institutions and organizations create space and support for Indigenous Peoples to reclaim all that was taken from them. It is also a process to deconstruct settler colonial ideologies such as white supremacy, recognize the value of Indigenous knowledge, and dismantle power imbalances.

Discrimination: Unfair or prejudicial treatment of people and groups based on characteristics such as race, gender, ability, age, or sexual orientation.

Diversity:

The wide array of differences among people and their perspectives on the world. In the context of Diversity v. inclusion, diversity typically means proportionate representation across all dimensions of human difference (as race and gender) within a community or organization.

1 The definitions used here are adapted for Oxfam Canada from various sources. These sources include, but are not limited to: The Canadian Center for Diversity and Inclusion; The Ontario Human Rights Commission; and Peace Direct. We recognize this is a limited list of definitions and also that definitions evolve. For all other terms that are not defined here, we recommend to consult the Glossary of Terms created by the Canadian Center for Diversity and Inclusion.

Equity:

The promotion of fairness and justice for each individual that considers historical, social, systemic, and structural issues that impact experience and individual needs.

Equity-denied people/groups:

Preferred term over those such as “visible minorities” or “equity-deserving” and refers to those who, because of historical and systemic discrimination, face barriers that prevent them from having the same access to the resources and opportunities that are available to other members of society, and that are necessary for them to attain just outcomes.

Feminism:

It is an approach, an intellectual commitment and a political movement that asks questions and searches for answers to end all forms of discrimination, injustice and violations of rights suffered by women, girls and gender non-conforming people. At its most basic, it seeks to ensure that people of different genders and intersecting identities are equal in law and in practice. Its objective is to create positive futures that uphold the dignity and rights of all. To Oxfam Canada, feminism is unequivocally and unapologetically inclusive of trans rights.

Gender equality:

Refers to the equality that will be achieved when people of all genders, across their life-course and in all their diversity, have equal enjoyment of rights, responsibilities, freedoms, protections and opportunities. It also means that the interests, needs and priorities of all are respected. It does not require that girls, boys, women, men and gender non-conforming people be the same, or that they be treated exactly alike.

Gender non-conforming people: Umbrella term for people who identify or express themselves outside of the gender binary.

Global North:

Consists of the richest and most industrialized countries, which are mainly in the northern part of the world.

Global South:

An emerging term, used by the World Bank and other organizations, identifying countries with one side of the underlying global North–South divide.

Heterosexism:

Actions that discriminate against or exclude people who are not heterosexual based on the belief that heterosexuality is what is ‘normal’ or superior.

Inclusion:

The creation of an environment that enables diverse peoples to participate fully, be respected and feel valued.

Intersectional feminism:

It is feminism that acknowledges and centres the voices of women, girls and gender non-conforming people experiencing overlapping, concurrent forms of oppression in order to understand and address the depths of the inequalities and the relationships among them in any given context.

Intersectionality:

Term coined by Dr. Kimberlé Crenshaw describing how people’s lives are shaped by their different social identities (e.g. race, age, gender, ability, sexual orientation, faith, class, etc.). and that the overlap of these identities creates intersecting/compounding forms of privilege and oppression depending on a person’s context and existing power structures.

Institutional Racism:

The way seemingly neutral organizational policies and systems (e.g. what staff gets hired, who is part of Boards of Directors, etc.) can create disparities in access and outcomes for Indigenous, Black and people of colour.

LGBTQ2+/2SLGBTQ+ and other acronyms:

Umbrella term that stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, and Two-Spirit. A plus sign or asterisk added to any acronym indicates the inclusion of identities not explicitly included in the acronym.

Organizational culture:

Is the shared values, beliefs, attitudes and practices that define the DNA or personality of an organization. A positive organizational culture is characterized by trust, transparent communication, accountability, collaboration and staff wellbeing.

Oppression:

The unilateral subjugation of one individual or group by a more powerful individual or group, using physical, psychological, social or economic threats or force, and frequently using an explicit ideology to sanction the oppression. Refers also to the injustices suffered by marginalized groups in their everyday interactions with members of the dominant group, or with the social systems that reinforce the dominant group’s social position.

Paternalism:

A system under which an authority undertakes to supply needs or regulate conduct of those under its control in matters affecting them as individuals as well as in their relations to authority and to each other. Paternalism has often been taken to mean ‘behaving like a father’ or ‘treating someone like a child.’

Patriarchy/patriarchal systems:

Social systems built around male privilege and dominant masculinities that perpetuate sexist and hierarchical power relationships. They legitimize the discrimination and exclusion of women, girls and gender non-conforming people through harmful social norms, policies and institutions.

Prejudice:

Pre-judgement or negative assumptions made about an individual or social group based on stereotypes rather than experiences. Prejudicial attitudes prevent equal treatment and lead to discrimination.

Privilege:

An unearned resource or state of being that is only readily available to some people because of their social status, such as being male, white, certain nationalities, heterosexual, or wealthy. Privilege confers benefits with respect to access to resources, social rewards, and the power to shape the norms and values of society.

Psychological safety:

The feeling of being safe to express ideas, feelings, and questions or to make mistakes without repercussions.

Racism:

A systemic form of oppression based on the social construct of race.

Individual racism:

Racial discrimination that stems from conscious or unconscious individual beliefs, attitudes, and actions that perpetuate the ideology that one racial or ethnic group is inherently superior.

Institutional racism:

Policies, practices, and dynamics embedded in established institutions (government, religion, education, organizations, etc.) that result in disadvantage or advancement of specific groups of people.

Structural racism/systemic racism:

Structural or systemic racism points to the bigger picture of history, society, culture, institutions, and the economy. Racialized people have been historically left out of the development of society and its systems, resulting in deeply entrenched disadvantages, barriers, and biases.

Reconciliation:

Is about establishing and maintaining a mutually respectful relationship between First Nations, Métis and Inuit and settlers in Canada. In order for that to happen, there has to be awareness of the past, an acknowledgement of the harm that has been inflicted, atonement for the causes, and action to change behaviour.

Sexism:

The belief that masculinity and maleness are superior to femininity and femaleness.

Stereotypes:

An assumption about a certain group, and the notion that the assumption applies to all members of the group. Stereotypes can be positive but are generally negative and ignore the diversity that exists within a group.

Systems of oppression:

Historical and organized patterns of oppression that are woven into the very foundation of a culture, society, and laws and that contribute to or reinforce the oppression of marginalized social groups while elevating dominant social groups.

Transgender:

An umbrella term used to describe a person whose gender identity is anything other than their sex assigned to them at birth.

White feminism:

Efforts and/or actions in the name of feminism that uplift White women but that exclude or otherwise fail to address issues faced by minority groups, especially women of colour and 2SLGBTQ+ women.

White gaze:

Process where people and societies are viewed under the scope of white ethnocentrism, which assumes that whiteness is the only referent of progress.

White/Western saviourism:

Refers to a complex where a White or a person from the West liberates, rescues or uplifts non-White people in a self-

serving manner.

White supremacy:

Ideology that White people and the societies they developed “the West” and their beliefs are superior to other people, nations or communities, resulting in White people having more privilege and power than racialized people, and in the exploitation and control of other racialized groups and societies.

Xenophobia:

The fear, dislike or hatred of people who are perceived as being foreign or strange, typically associated with people from a different country.

August 2023

Oxfam Canada

Ottawa unceeded Anishinabe Algonquin Territory

oxfam.ca | @OxfamCanada