About Us

We are grateful to CRIAW and LWW Guelph as supporters of the Gender Based Indigenous Intersectional Impact Assessment Network. 

The GiiiA Network was established after years of conversations between researchers, public servants, and practitioners, who identified persistent gaps in knowledge and tools, to assist with advancing and implementing culturally relevant GBA Plus in Impact Assessment (IA).

The Network facilitates culturally relevant GBA Plus capacity-building for proponents, the Agency and other government departments, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). This focus supports both the 2019 legislative requirements articulated in the Impact Assessment Act and the policy directions found in Budget 2023 related to IA.

The GiiiA Network, led by an intersectoral guiding group who will maintain the overall vision and direction, brings together researchers, practitioners (e.g., GBA Plus consultants), and policy makers across jurisdictions. Participants share knowledge, identify existing resources, promising practices, undertake applied research, and develop new tools to enable more effective implementation of culturally relevant GBA Plus in IA.

Network Objectives

The objectives of the GiiiA Network are to:

1. share knowledge between impact assessment practitioners (e.g., consultants, community organizations, others undertaking or advising on culturally relevant GBA Plus), Indigenous experts, policy makers, and researchers about good practices and possible strategies for how to include culturally relevant GBA Plus in IA;
2. foster interjurisdictional and interdisciplinary learning and relationships amongst practitioners, policy makers, and researchers to encourage meaningful uptake of culturally relevant GBA Plus in IA; and
3. create knowledge and practices related to using culturally relevant GBA Plus to advance environmental justice and intersectional equity in the context of IA.

The objectives highlight the Network’s commitment to advancing the practical application of GBA Plus in IA, as well as the quality of knowledge and tools related to GBA Plus and culturally relevant GBA Plus implementation.

Territory acknowledgement

The GiiiA Network respectfully acknowledges our presence and work on Indigenous territories across present-day Canada. We stand together with Indigenous Peoples in working to dismantle colonialism and its intersections with racism, sexism and other forms of oppression. We recognize that reconciliation is an ongoing process of building meaningful partnerships, collaborating, and undertaking participatory research and action that advance Indigenous rights. Our work through the GiiiA Network is informed and shaped by the experiences of diverse Indigenous Peoples with resource extraction and development.