Chatham-Kent's Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Justice Strategy

April 2^nd is World Autism Awareness Day and April is World Autism Month, a month to recognize and bring awareness about the experiences, strengths, and differences of people who are on the autism spectrum, their families, caregivers, and communities.

About Autism:

Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) refers to a group of conditions related to brain development that impact how people perceive, learn about, socialize, and communicate with the world around them. Approximately 135,000 Ontarian's are on the autism spectrum (Prevalence Rates | Autism Ontario). Autism crosses all cultural, ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic groups, however, experiences with ASD are diverse.

"If you've met one person who has autism, you've met one person with autism" - Stephen Shore

Because autism exists on a spectrum, the degree to which people experience symptoms and the amount of support needed varies widely. Every person with autism has different experiences, strengths, and challenges. These are also influenced by whether people have co-occurring health conditions, the accessibility and relative safety of the environment people are in, and whether people have access to appropriate supports.

Some people prefer to use the term neurodiversity to describe and normalize the wide range of ways our brain’s function and the diverse ways that people think, process information, learn, and function in day-to-day life. Considering neurodivergence or recognizing that many people are not ‘neurotypical’ helps us to think about how our communities and workplaces can include, support, and provide equitable opportunities for people on the autism spectrum to participate, be engaged, and thrive.

During World Autism month, we recognize our community members who are, or who care for people, on the autism spectrum. We encourage community members to learn more about autism and how to support a welcoming and inclusive Municipality of Chatham-Kent that honours our neurodiversity.

Resources

Autism Ontario

• West Region Chapter
• Celebrate the Spectrum
• Autism Career Connection (education about how to design inclusive work environments)

Please reach out if you have any feedback, comments, questions, or concerns.

On March 31^st, Trans Day of Visibility (TDOV) is observed around the world to celebrate the lives, contributions, and activism of Trans people. The day was founded in 2009 by transgender activist Rachel Crandell of Michigan, who wanted to acknowledge and celebrate transgender people. Although Trans and Two Spirit* people continue to face barriers and discrimination, Trans Day of Visibility is a day for us to recognize, honour, and celebrate the ways in which Trans and Two Spirit people enrich our communities.

We envision a Municipality of Chatham-Kent where everyone feels able to live their authentic selves. We can support Trans and Two Spirit people in our Municipality, our families, and in our community to live authentically by:

1. Assuming there are Trans and Two Spirit people in our community.

2. Educating ourselves about Trans and Two Spirit people and communities, including accomplishments and barriers people and communities have experienced (see the links at the bottom of this post). Trans and Two Spirit people have existed across cultures and throughout history, and there is great diversity within Trans and Two Spirit communities.

3. Using inclusive terminology and language when asking or talking about sex or gender i.e. Say ‘person in the green shirt’ vs ‘woman in the front’.

Today, and every day, we acknowledge, appreciate, and honour Trans and Two Spirit members of our community!

Resources:

Trans Wellness Ontario

Located in Windsor. Support Transgender, Genderqueer, Two-Spirit, Non-Binary, Queer and Questioning communities and families.

Sign up for an evening virtual Trans Day of Visibility event here.

See their ‘Resources’ section for education materials, including a glossary of terms.

Facebook or Instagram.

Rainbow Health

Resources for healthcare system, but relevant for many sectors.

Trans LifeLine

A grassroots hotline run by and for Trans people offering direct support to Trans people who are in crisis.

Queer Events

Learn more about Trans community members and Trans justice milestones in Canada.

Egale Canada

Trans Day of Visibility resources, including resources on inclusive and affirming language.

CK Pride

Bring together members of Two Spirit, Trans, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Queer communities within Chatham-Kent.

*Trans can be used as a term for people whose gender identity is different than what was assigned at birth. Trans can also be used as an umbrella term for anyone who does not identify as ‘cisgender’. People can use many different terms to describe their sense of gender and there are a number of other terms that carry cultural and historical roots in communities. For more information, see the links above.

Two Spirit is a term used by some Indigenous and First Nations people to describe having both a male and female spirit within them. The term reflects understandings of gender, gender roles, spirituality, and the history of sexual and gender diversity in Indigenous cultures. Traditionally, Two Spirit people held significant cultural roles in Indigenous communities.

March 25th marks the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

For over 400 years, more than 18 million people, including children, were forcefully removed from Africa to the Americas (including Canada) and Europe. For those who survived the horrific passage, thousands would later perish as a result of the cruel and inhumane ways they were treated and conditions they lived in.[1] Although we often hear about slavery in the context of the United States, African people who were enslaved were brought to Canada from the earliest days of Colonial settlements.

In commemoration and memory of the victims, in 2007, the United Nations established the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade and called on member Countries to use the day to promote understanding of the causes, consequences and lessons of the transatlantic slave trade. The day is also meant to recognize the heroic actions of people who were enslaved and abolitionists who lived, resisted, and acted in the face of grave danger and adversity.

On March 25^th, and every day, we recognize and remember:

• the people who suffered, sacrificed, and experienced the horrors of slavery for all of our freedom
• the legacies of the transatlantic slave trade that continue to impact the descendants of victims including ongoing social, cultural, economic and health inequities
• the ongoing existence and potential impacts of racism, prejudice, and inequities
• the resistance and resilience of racialized people, families, and communities
• the modern forms of slavery, forced labour, and human trafficking that people across the World, including in Canada, continue to experience

We encourage community members to learn about the transatlantic slave trade, the challenges people escaping the slave trade faced in our area, and the resilience of racialized and, in particular, people and communities of African heritage who played a large role in shaping Chatham-Kent by visiting:

Buxton National Historic Site & Museum

• Visit the site in-person by appointment or virtually. Learn through online educational resources.

Chatham-Kent Black Historical Society & Black Mecca Museum

• Visit the site in-person by appointment or take a virtual tour. Visit their website to learn more.

Let Us March on Till Victory Is Won: The Struggle for Racial Equity in Chatham-Kent and Ontario Exhibit

• Visit the exhibit in-person at the CK Museum or online.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin Historic Site

• Visit virtually and learn about local history online.

Learn more about the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade:

UNESCO Slave Route Project

The Ark of Return Memorial

If you have any feedback, questions, or comments about this post, please contact Rebecca Haskell-Thomas rebeccah@chatham-kent.ca or Amrit Khaira amritk@chatham-kent.ca.

[1] United Nations. Permanent Memorial to Honour the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade at the United Nations. Permanent Memorial | International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, 25 March (un.org)

International Francophonie Day (Journée internationale de la Francophonie) is observed every March 20th to celebrate the French language and Francophone culture.

The International Day of La Francophonie is an opportunity to highlight the beauty of the Canadian Francophonie in all its richness and diversity as well as its traditions that continue to shape identities.

Created in 1988, the date celebrates the signing of the Niamey Convention in Niger on 20 March 1970. The Convention established the Agence de Coopération Culturelle et Technique, the precursor to the International Organization of La Francophonie, an international organization representing countries and regions where French is a customary language, where a significant proportion of the population are francophones (French speakers), or where there is a notable affiliation with French culture. The organization comprises 88 member states and governments, including Canada.

Chatham-Kent is home to a vibrant francophone population. In the 2016 Census, 7% of Chatham-Kent community members said they spoke both French and English, and 3% identified French as their mother tongue. In fact, Tilbury and Dover areas are Francophone designated areas under the French Language Services Act, indicating that the province strives to offer services in English and French.

We wish all of our Francophone colleagues and community members Joyeuse Journée internationale de la Francophonie!

Have comments, concerns, or feedback about this post? Please reach out to Rebecca or Amrit.

In 1979, the United Nations designated March 21st as The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. It marks the day that police in Sharpeville, South Africa, opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against apartheid "pass laws" in 1960.

In Ontario, the Ontario Human Right Code prohibits discrimination on the basis of “race” and requires workplaces to take positive action to prevent all forms of racism. In 2017, the Anti-Racism Act was passed requiring the Government of Ontario to maintain an anti-racism strategy to eliminate systemic racism and advance racial equity.

What is "race"?

The Ontario Human Rights Commission describes race as socially constructed differences among people. In other words, racial categories are not based on science or biology, but on differences that society has chosen to emphasize, with significant consequences for people’s lives. People can be racialized not only based on skin colour, but also other perceived characteristics such as their culture, language, customs, ancestry, country or place of origin, or religion.

The process of social construction of race is called racialization: “the process by which societies construct races as real, different and unequal in ways that matter to economic, political and social life.” Recognizing that race is a social construct, the Ontario Human Rights Commission describes people as “racialized person” or “racialized group” instead of the more outdated and inaccurate terms “racial minority” or "visible minority”.

The Government of Ontario predicts that by 2036, racialized people will account for an estimated 48% of Ontario’s population

What is racial discrimination?

The Ontario Human Rights Commission describes racial discrimination as any action, intentional or not, that has the effect of singling out persons based on their race, and imposing burdens on them and not on others, or withholding or limiting access to benefits available to other members of society. Racial discrimination can include things like:

• comments, jokes, or name-calling related to race
• displaying pictures or behaviors that insult, offend, or put someone down because of their race
• being assigned to less desirable jobs because of race
• being denied mentoring or training because of race
• facing unfair scrutiny from staff because of race.

The Ontario Human Rights Commission reports that 30-40% of complaints they receive are related to racial discrimination.

What is systemic racial discrimination?

Systemic or institutional discrimination is one of the more complex and subtle ways in which racial discrimination occurs. The Ontario Human Rights Commission states that "organizations and institutions have a positive obligation to ensure that they are not engaging in systemic or institutional racial discrimination".

Systemic discrimination can be described as patterns of behavior, policies, or practices that are part of the structures of an organization and create or perpetuate disadvantage for racialized persons. This can be unintentional and is often caused by hidden institutional biases in policies, practices, and processes. It can be the result of doing things the way they’ve always been done, without considering how they impact groups differently. Even practices that appear neutral on the surface can have have an exclusionary impact on racialized persons. Systemic racism can take many forms, such as:

• Singling out members of racialized groups for greater scrutiny or different treatment;
• Opportunities shared through informal networks that exclude racialized individuals; and
• Lack of public attention and policy concern regarding social, health and economic problems that disproportionately affect racialized communities.

What is the impact of systemic racial discrimination?

Patterns of behaviour, policies, or practices that are part of an organization can disadvantage or fail to reverse the ongoing impact and legacy of historical disadvantage of racialized persons. In other words, even though we don't intend to, our “normal way of doing things” might be having a negative impact on racialized persons. As a result of systemic racism in various institutions, racialized people and communities face systemic barriers that prevent racialized people from fully participating in all parts of society and lead to inequitable outcomes. For example, in Ontario, when compared to white people, racialized people are more likely to:

• be in foster care
• be enrolled in lower academic streams
• be disciplined in the school system
• interact with the justice system
• be un- or under- employed
• be under-represented in the upper levels of public and private organizations
• report barriers to employment, housing, and healthcare
• experience poverty.

When racialized people and communities are under-represented in our organizations, our policies, programs, and services are less likely to attract, effectively serve, or reflect the lived realities of racialized communities.

What is our role in addressing systemic racial discrimination?

Systemic racism can be hard to see, especially for people who are not negatively impacted by it. To address systemic racism, we need to first acknowledge that systemic racism exists.

We all bring our own experiences, perspectives, and knowledge with us. We also bring the messages, stereotypes and assumptions about race that we all have as a result of the systemic racism we've been exposed to. At an individual level, we can begin to address racism by reflecting on the impacts of systemic racism on ourselves and our perspectives.

All levels of government have a role to play in eliminating systemic racism and ensuring racialized people and communities can thrive. At a local level, we are responsible for ensuring all people in our community benefit equally from public polices, programs and services. Including specific activities that to prevent and address systemic racial discrimination will be an important part of the Municipal Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Justice Strategy.

Learn More

To learn more about some of the statistics and facts in this post:

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination | United Nations(External link)

Ontario's Anti-Racism Directorate

Ontario Human Rights Commission Policy and Guideline on Racism and Racial Discrimination (see page 7 for an overview of the legacy of racism in Canada).

If you’d like to share anti-racism resources or information or have questions, comments, or concerns about this post, please reach out to Rebecca or Amrit.

March 8th is International Women’s Day, a global day to celebrate the accomplishments of women and highlight the need for gender equality. Here, equality means that everyone should have the same rights, responsibilities, and opportunities, regardless of their gender. International Women’s Day originated from labour movements in the early twentieth century and calls for women’s equality.

Workforce and workplace are one area of focus for our Municipal Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Justice Strategy. Although gender is just one facet of identity, we thought we’d share information about women in the workforce and actions we can take.

Did you know, in Canada….

• Although women make up just over half of the Canadian population, women are still underrepresented in political and professional leadership in Canada. Racialized women, Indigenous women, and women with disabilities are even less likely to be in leadership positions.
• Since 2020, 10x as many women as men have fallen out of the labour force.
• On average, women who work full time earn 76.8 cents for every dollar men make, despite the fact that women are just as qualified
  • 35% of women had a university certificate or degree, compared to 30% of men (2015)
  • Women and men in this study had been with their employers for the same amount of time, on average
  • The average earning is even lower for women who are racialized, Indigenous women, women with disabilities, and women who are newcomers

(Read more about the inequities women face here)

Why do these inequities exist?

• Fields that are dominated by women or involve caretaking tend to have lower wages
• Women still take on the majority of home-based labour and childcare responsibilities, leading more women to work part time
• Lack of affordable childcare leaves women with fewer options to work outside the home
• Women tend to take more time away from work when children are born or even for shorter durations when children or other family members are sick

What’s the impact?

• Women are over-represented in precarious work
• Women who do not see themselves represented in leadership roles may not feel they are qualified for those roles (regardless of their actual qualifications)
• Absences from work are stigmatized and are linked to fewer promotions and salary increases
• Women are at higher risk of living in poverty
  • The risk is higher for Indigenous women, racialized women, 2SLGBTQ+, newcomer women, and women living with disabilities
• Income and economic stability (or lack off) impact women’s health, well-being, safety, & quality of life

What can we do?

• Learn more about the accomplishments of women and the inequities women experience
• Support organizations that help women
• Support businesses owned by women
• Consider how issues in your work uniquely impact women
  • Gather and use data by gender
    • We can only count what we measure – options should be inclusive in recognition of the spectrum of ways people may identify their gender
• Use neutral terminology in job descriptions and consider what is truly a must in terms of ‘required’ skills and qualifications
• Create pathways to leadership for women, including mentorship and professional development opportunities
• Support afforadable childcare.

On International Women's Day, we acknowledge the women who have forged pathways, and encourage everyone to take action throughout the year to support all women to thrive.

The CKOHT’s equity table has a 2SLGBTQ+ sub-group. The members of this group include 2SLGBTQ+ professionals, volunteers from the community, and allies who are advising on the needs of 2SLGBTQ+ people in Chatham-Kent with the aim of improving the experiences of services, as well as the services provided locally.

The CKOHT 2SLGBTQ+ sub-group are asking anyone whose experience of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression is diverse, living in Chatham-Kent or who has recently left Chatham-Kent, to complete a confidential, anonymous survey to broaden the number of people whose experiences will inform our advocacy, plans for training, education. The survey can be accessed here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XWZG62K

On February 7th 2022, the DEIJ team prepared a report and shared a brief presentation with Municipal Council about the Municipal Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Justice Strategy.

Find the full report here and the video here (presentation begins at 53:35).