Approved November 05, 2007
Revision Approved in AGM 20 June,2020
Policy
The Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute is committed to promoting gender equity and avoiding all forms of discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation, difference of ability, age, class, caste, or religious or ethnic affiliation in all of its activities in Canada, India or anywhere else. Gender is to be understood in an intersectional manner throughout this policy.
Goal
This policy is intended to govern the decisions and actions of the Institute’s officers, directors, members, employees, committee members, scholars and other beneficiaries.
Objectives
- To avoid and prevent the presence in any of the Institute’s activities, programmes and decisions, of any form of discrimination or inequity based on gender, sexual orientation, difference of ability, age, race, ethnicity, class or religious affiliation
- To promote the equal participation of women and men in all the activities of the Institute as decision-makers in shaping the sustainable development of their societies;
- To support the full realization of the human rights of all those involved in or affected by the activities of the Institute; and
- To engage, when appropriate, in programmes and initiatives to reduce gender inequities in access to and control over the resources of the Institute and the benefits of its activities.
- To show the public face of the Institute in a way that reflects the previous four objectives.
Principles
- Discrimination or inequity based on gender, sexual orientation, difference of ability, age, race, ethnicity, class, caste, or religious affiliation is never acceptable within any of the activities, policies, and initiatives of the Institute;
- The promotion of gender equity is an integral part of all Shastri Institute policies, programmes and projects;
- Achieving gender equity requires the recognition that every policy, programme and project may affect individuals and communities differently; and,
- Achieving gender equity often requires specific measures designed to eliminate gender inequities.
- Sexual or gender-based violence or harassment of any kind will not be tolerated.
Implementation
- Gender equity will be implemented explicitly in all decisions concerning the Institute’s programmes, awards, and other initiatives, as well as in the construction of all committees and panels;
- Training in gender equity and non-discrimination will be made available to all staff and volunteers of the Institute.
- Any complaint of discrimination based on gender, age, race, ethnicity, class, caste, or religious affiliation should be addressed to the President or Vice-President/President Elect. If there is a compelling reason why the complaint cannot be addressed to either of those persons, then the complaint should be addressed to any other member of the Executive Committee, or to the most senior administrator in Calgary or Delhi. Any ensuing procedures, as well as consequences, actions, or penalties, are the responsibility of the Executive Committee.
- Language use will be gender-neutral and respectful, both in word choice and in discourse interaction.
- The President will comment in his/her Annual Report on the state of gender equity in the Institute, reporting on successes and where appropriate on shortcomings and plans to address those shortcomings. The President will also constitute an ad hoc committee to review, and if necessary recommend any updates to, this Gender Equity and Anti-Discrimination Policy at least every 3 years.