B.C. promotes equity with antiracism research priorities

The Province takes another step improving access to government programs and services for Indigenous Peoples and racialized communities, with the release of 12 priorities for anti-racism research.

Seven research priorities were put forward by the provincial AntiRacism Data Committee. Indigenous Peoples recommended three research priorities and two priorities that set out how the Province should approach this research.

“Systemic racism and other forms of discrimination have shaped the delivery of government programs and services for generations,” said Lisa Beare, Minister of Citizens’ Services. “These research priorities will keep us focused on the areas that matter most to Indigenous Peoples and racialized communities, while we continue to take action to eliminate systemic racism in all our programs and services.”

The Anti-Racism Data Act (ARDA), which came into effect in June 2022, enables the safe collection and use of personal information for the purposes of identifying and eliminating systemic racism and advancing racial equity. ARDA requires the Province to establish and publish research priorities every two years, and annually release statistics or other information related to systemic racism and racial equity. ARDA also requires that the research priorities and information releases be done in a way that respects different cultures and minimizes harms to Indigenous Peoples and racialized communities.

“Everyone deserves equitable access to the public services they need,” said Niki Sharma, Attorney General. “These priorities were identified by people who are most impacted by systemic racism and provide a roadmap for how government can meaningfully improve services for more people.”

The implementation of ARDA aims to increase trust, transparency and ac- countability with Indigenous Peoples and racialized communities through continued collaboration on data initiatives under the act.

“The Anti-Racism Data Committee has built a foundation of trust, a climate of collaboration and a deep commitment to communities that have helped us to recommend the priorities that will drive research on systemic racism in government programs for the next two years,” said June Francis, chair, Anti-Racism Data Committee. “As we work toward racial equity, it was challenging for the committee to choose areas of focus as there are no ‘low’ priorities in this work. These research priorities will lead to insights that can be translated into tangible actions and change that should be felt by racialized people across B.C.”

Along with the research priorities, the Province released two other documents. The first-year progress report outlines the work done under ARDA over the past year. It includes information about important milestones like the creation and function of the Anti-Racism Data Committee and details about consultation and cooperation with Indigenous Peoples.

“The Anti-Racism Data Act is being implemented in partnership with Indigenous Peoples and racialized communities,” said Mable Elmore, Parliamentary Secretary for AntiRacism Initiatives. “The research priorities not only outline our path forward but illustrate our commitment to transparency and collaboration every step of the way.”

The Guide on Using Categorical Race and Ethnicity Variables supports antiracism research by giving practical advice to researchers about how to use race and ethnicity data in reporting, research and evaluation projects. It summarizes a best practices checklist to ensure data about race is used appropriately and includes nine recommendations with examples, case studies and a self-assessment.