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Good practice Imported

Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) in Federal Budgeting

Canada · Ottawa · See the Canada profile · See the Ottawa profile

Evidence: Observational / pre–post Top 68% 52/100 · Ask Evidence Copilot about this practice

Canada requires Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) on every federal budget proposal, assessing impacts by sex, race and age. A 2022 Auditor General audit found real institutional embedding but persistent data and capacity gaps.

200+ CAD million
Government investment in disaggregated data and research following the 2022 audit
Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) in Federal Budgeting

Details

Maturity
Established
Promoter
Women and Gender Equality Canada; Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
Period
1995–present
Keywords
public sector, budgeting, fiscal policy, gender equality, public administration

Context

Since 1995, the Government of Canada has used Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) to examine how policies, programmes and budget measures affect diverse groups of women, men and gender-diverse people, factoring in intersecting characteristics such as race, age, disability and income. GBA+ is now mandatory for every federal budget proposal, Treasury Board submission and Memorandum to Cabinet.

Results

Canada's independent Auditor General's 2022 follow-up report (after an earlier 2015 audit) found departments had made progress but identified persistent gaps: uneven availability and use of disaggregated data, inconsistent application of GBA+ at the outset of policy development, and uneven understanding of intersectional analysis across the central coordinating bodies. In response, the government invested over CAD 200 million in disaggregated data and research and committed to an action plan to strengthen GBA+ capacity.

Implementation
Indicative cost
Medium (€50k–€500k)
Time to results
Long (> 3 years)
Staffing & skills
Analysts across all federal departments applying GBA+ to budget and policy proposals, Women and Gender Equality Canada, the Treasury Board Secretariat and the Privy Council Office coordinating central guidance

Conditions for success

  • Consistent availability and use of sex/gender and intersectional disaggregated data across departments
  • Application of GBA+ at the outset of policy development, not as an after-the-fact add-on

Common failure modes

  • The 2022 Auditor General audit found uneven availability and use of disaggregated data
  • Inconsistent application of GBA+ at the outset of policy development
  • Uneven understanding of intersectional analysis across the three central coordinating bodies

Commonly funded by

National / regional programmes

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