EDI Policies

The following definition were taken from « Guide du candidat : Tenir compte de l’équité, de la diversité et de l’inclusion dans votre demande » published by CRSNG. The understanding of the concepts of equity, diversity and inclusion may evolve while the policie is updated.

Gender refers to roles, behaviors, expressions and identities built by our society for girls, women, boys, men and people with various gender identities. The gender affects the perception that people have of themselves and of others, their way of acting and interacting and the power dynamics et resources in the society. Gender is often perceived as a binary construct (girl/woman and boy/man); however, we observe a large diversity in the way that people et groups understand, live and experiment gender.

Sex is a set of biological attributes for humans and animals. It is primarily associated with physical and physiological characteristics like chromosomes, genetic expression, hormone concentration and hormonal functions, and also the anatomy of the genitals and reproductive organs. There usually have two distinctive sexes, male and female, and there exists a series of variations in the biological attributes that define sex and the expression of these attributes.

Equity equals Justice, in other words, people, whatever is their identify, are treated in a fair way. This means that the mechanisms used to affect resources and decision making must be fair for all people and that no discrimination is introduced based on the identity of people. Measures must be adopted to end discrimination and inequities that were signaled and documented, and guarantee whenever possible equal opportunities for all. In fact, equity is essential to achieve equality. For example, it might be inequitable to treat people as if they were equal in a context where the system has long put in a disadvantage people in a way that these people could not function as equals.

Diversity is in the conditions, modes of expression, and the experiences of different groups defined by their age, their sex, their gender, their eduction level, their sexual orientation, their parent’s situation or responsibility, their immigration status, their first nation status, their religion, their disability, their language, their “race”, their place of origin, of ethnical origin, their culture, their socioeconomical situation or other attributes.

Inclusion is about the creation of an environment where everyone is respected in an equitable way and has access to the same opportunities.. On the organization’s scale, inclusion means that we survey and eliminate the obstacles (physical or procedural, visible or invisible, deliberate or non-deliberate) that impair the participation and contribution of people. It also requires an affirmation of the values and principles of fairness, justice and respect by being open to different opinions and perspectives, gaining an understanding of other cultures, experiences and communities, and making a conscious effort to be welcoming, helpful and respectful of all.

Intersectionality recognizes that injustices are never the result of single or distinct factors, but rather are the product of differences in social position, power relations and experiences. It recognizes that some people experience multiple forms of discrimination at the same time, and that these multiple oppressions can affect them in complex ways.

EcotoQ adheres to the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion and will promote equity, diversity and inclusion in all the activities that we organize, as well as in the support given to members and their students (or other qualified personnel).