Title: Individual assumptions affect public policy
Course: Introduction to gender-based analysis plus GBA+ > Section: Module 2

We might assume that our work or our policies apply to everyone equally and there are no gender or diversity issues to consider.

GBA+ helps us to think about differences in a constructive way. Recognizing that not all people experience life in the same way is the first step to understanding unconscious bias. GBA+ can help us think about different groups of people and consider how their diverse lived experiences might be different from our own, and from others’. GBA+ can also guide questions we should ask ourselves to challenge assumptions.

To serve the public effectively, it is important to be aware of the assumptions and biases about other groups of people that we may have developed, without even realizing it. Incorrect and uninformed assumptions can lead to initiatives having an unintended or unequal impact on particular groups of people. GBA+ promotes research, evidence, and critical thinking to help uncover the realities of peoples’ lives, identify gaps, and find ways to address their needs.

Here is a short exercise to help you reflect on some of your own intersecting factors and assumptions. Take 2-3 minutes to fill out the table below. Click here.

How might the intersecting aspects of my own identity and experience of diversity influence my assumptions?

- When I look at this exercise, I realize that I’m almost always surrounded by people like me. I may forget about different types of experiences as a result.
- I notice that I’m accustomed to being a minority in some way or another. I may assume that everyone knows what it is like to be a minority.
- There are certain types of diversity in my department, but not others. I may therefore consider some aspects of diversity, but make assumptions or be blind to others.