This project is grounded in the belief that it is critical to address systemic, structural and cultural bias and discrimination that create adverse conditions for women and gender-diverse faculty, and to understand their experiences and ideas for structural and systemic change.
The UBC Faculty of Medicine’s Strategic Plan has as one of its goals,
“to cultivate a respectful, inclusive and discrimination-free organizational culture with systems that support everyone in achieving their fullest potential.”
Specifically, FoM aspires to,
“…eliminate systemic barriers, ensure equity across all of our policies, processes, guidelines and norms, and foster a culture that actively extinguishes any discrimination that may arise.”
The aims of our project are a response to the Faculty of Medicine (FoM) Strategic Plan and a broader societal feminist movement to challenge the patriarchal and colonial policies, processes, guidelines and norms that continue to limit the success of women and gender-diverse faculty, especially those that are visibly racialized. FoM has identified that we need to collectively transform the existing system, rather than simply supporting women and gender-diverse faculty to navigate within the current one.
The project aims are:
- Clearly identify intersecting system (macro to micro) barriers that limit the holistic participation and growth of women and gender-diverse faculty.
- Center the ideas and experientially-based knowledges of women and gender-diverse faculty in a non-top-down approach to discern the factors, dynamics, processes, policies, etc. that facilitate and support the holistic participation and growth of women and gender-diverse faculty, especially towards and in leadership and governance positions.
- Tap directly into the diverse assets of women and gender-diverse faculty to strategize, publish and implement recommendations for system change and gender equity in FoM.
The project deliverable will be a series of actionable recommendations to the Organizational Pillar Leads and the Organizational Development Committee to (1) increase the number of women and gender-diverse faculty in senior leadership and senior faculty positions and (2) improve the experience and inclusivity of women and gender-diverse faculty.
