Beyond the Binary
Driving gender equity through gender inclusive practices in women’s health research
A Brief History
People across the gender spectrum benefit from research framed as “women’s health”. And, cis women benefit from research that includes people with diverse gender and sex characteristics.
In 2019, the WHRI began featuring examples of gender-equitable research practice through our Beyond the Binary web stories. These stories showcase experiences of researchers Dr. Michelle Chan and Dr. Lori Brotto in creating inclusive health research environments.
In 2020, the WHRI saw a significant increase in requests for language consultations on grants, recruitment materials, and data collection tools. The next step became clear – a larger conversation with health research partners. So, the WHRI submitted an application for a Michael Smith Health Research BC for a Convening & Collaborating (C2) grant to support the Beyond the Binary project.
In 2021, the project received the funding to inform guidance for gender-equitable practices within BC’s women’s health research community began. Led by BC Pomeroy and Angela Kaida, this project of emergent design:
- Developed understanding of the current landscape of gender-equitable practices through a literature review and environmental scan
- Established and convened two steering committees: a Community Steering Committee (CSC), and a Research Steering Committee (RSC)
- Co-created content to inform resources to support the research community.
The CSC was always engaged first to build accountability into the guidance provided. The RSC was subsequently engaged to gauge acceptability.
From 2022 to 2023, the content was transformed into the “Beyond the Binary in BC: A Guide. “
In June 2023, the Beyond the Binary in BC team, led by Dr. Lori Brotto, was awarded a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Planning and Dissemination Grant to scale this work to a national level. With collaboration from our existing community partners and alongside the Partnership for Women’s Health Research Canada, pan-Canadian representation of researchers engaged in women’s health and community partners have been mobilized.
The goal of Beyond the Binary Canada is to develop a nationally relevant, and feasible guidance and resource package to support health researchers and health research institutions in their commitments to conducting gender equitable health research for women, trans, and non-binary people. The updated guide, in French and English is linked below.
The People | Beyond the Binary Canada
Dr. Lori Brotto
Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Department of OBGYN, University of British Columbia
Executive Director, Women’s Health Research Institute
BC Pomeroy
Patient Public Engagement Lead
Independent Researcher
Trauma & Resiliency Informed Educator, Fraser Health Authority, Mental Health and Substance Use
Executive Board Member, Canadian Association for Health Services and Policy Research, and SPOR Evidence Alliance
Teffer Adjemian (they/them), Communications Officer, Let’s Talk Science
Emma Devin (they/them), Co-Founder, Brood Care
Elder Sandra Laframboise (she/her), Elder/Knowledge Keeper in Two Spirit Community/ Registered Celebrant (religious) in BC, on CANHepC Indigenous Road Map with the University of Saskatchewan, and Elder in residence at The Junction recovery program at Vancouver Coastal Health
Heather McCain (they/them), Founder & Executive Director, Live Educate Transform Society
Elise Pallagi (she/her), Performance Artist, and Program Coordinator of Tonight it’s Poetry
Finn St Dennis (he/they), Research and Evaluation Manager, Queer & Trans Health Collective
Dr. Kathryn Dewar, Senior Research Manager, WHRI; Member, Children’s & Women’s Research Ethics Board.
Dr. Catherine Flood, Professor, University of Alberta, Women and Children’s Health Research Institute
Dr. Robin Gauthier, Lead, Program Development, Research & Innovation Advancement, IWK Health
Dr. Inbal Itzhak, Senior Knowledge Mobilization Officer, Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging
Dr. Tamil Kendall, Director, Partnership for Women’s Health Research Canada
Kathleen Leadon, Director, Research & Innovation Advancement, IWK Health
Dr. Laura Reyes Martinez, Clinical Research Program Lead, Women’s Health, Women and Children’s Health Research Institute
Dr. Rulan Parekh, Clinician Scientist and Vice President, Academics at Women’s College Hospital, Professor of Medicine and Paediatrics at the University of Toronto
Dr. Friz Pino, Associate Professor, Faculty of Social Work, University of Regina
Dr. Natalie Rosen, Professor, Dalhousie University, Departments of Psychology & Neuroscience and Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Dr. Dana Ross, Assistant Professor, University of Toronto, and Trauma Therapy Program, Women’s College Hospital
Jack Woodman, Vice President, Strategy, Quality, Risk, Privacy, Women’s College Hospital
Nicole Prestley, Manager, Research + Knowledge Translation, WHRI Nicole.Prestley@cw.bc.ca
Kira McNamee, Knowledge Translation Manager, WHRI, Kira.McNamee@cw.bc.ca
The People | Beyond the Binary BC
Dr. Angela Kaida
Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University
Scientific Director, CIHR Institute of Gender and Health
Scientific Advisor, Women’s Health Research Institute
BC Pomeroy
Patient Public Engagement Lead
Independent Researcher
Trauma & Resiliency Informed Educator, Fraser Health Authority, Mental Health and Substance Use
Executive Board Member, Canadian Association for Health Services and Policy Research, and SPOR Evidence Alliance
Dr. Brittany Bingham, Director, Indigenous Research, Vancouver Coastal Health
Emma Devin (they/them), Co-Founder, Brood Care
Dr. Drake, R. Psychologist specializing in trauma and gender affirming care
Lorraine Grieves + Gwen Haworth, Trans Care BC
Nicola Hare (she/her), Coordinator at TransConnect
Alia Januwalla (she/her), Knowledge Translation Specialist, Fraser Health
Elder Sandra Laframboise, Elder/Knowledge Keeper in Two Spirit Community/ Registered Celebrant (religious) in BC, on CANHepC Indigenous Road Map with the University of Saskatchewan, and Elder in residence at Aids Vancouver
Kerry Marshall (she/her), registered nurse and PhD candidate, UBC School of Nursing
Heather McCain (they/them), Founder & Executive Director, Live Educate Transform Society
Niklaus Sun (he/him), Gender Clinic Youth
Dr. Andy Szewchuk (they/them), Family Physician
Dr. Lori Brotto, Executive Director, WHRI
Tamara Baldwin, Director, Office of Regional and International Community Engagement, UBC
Dr. Skye Barbic, Research Lead, Foundry
Wendy Bond, Research Ethics Coordinator, Compliance & Outreach, UBC
Lindsay Carpenter, Trainee, University of Northern British Columbia
Dr. Michelle Chan, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of British Columbia
Laurel Evans, Director, Research Ethics, UBC
Dr. Lorraine Greaves, Senior Investigator, Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health
Dr. Gail Knudson, Medical Lead, BC Trans Clinical Care Group
AJ Murray, Knowledge Translation Coordinator, Population Health Promotion, BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre
Dr. Ann Pederson, Director, Population Health Promotion, BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre
Dr. Wendy Robinson, Associate Director, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute
Dr. Caroline Sanders, Associate Professor, University of Northern British Columbia
Dr. Gavin C.E. Stuart, Professor and Interim Head, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of British Columbia
Dr. Saraswathi Vedam, Lead Investigator at The Birthplace Lab
Staff
Julia Santana Parrilla, Project Researcher, Beyond the Binary
Nicole Prestley, Primary Contact, Knowledge Translation Manager, WHRI Nicole.Prestley@cw.bc.ca
Trainees
Maya Kevorkova (she/her), MSc. BC Cancer
The Guides
The goal of Beyond the Binary Canada is to provide nationally relevant, community informed guidance that enables researchers to conduct gender inclusive health research for cisgender women, trans, non-binary, Two-Spirit, gender non-conforming, gender creative, and additional gender divergent identities. When we refer to promoting gender equity in research, we mean the meaningful acknowledgment, engagement, and integration of gender diverse peoples throughout research practices and processes.
We are committed to stewarding this guide over time and have it responsive to our community needs. If you have any feedback, please email Nicole.Prestley@cw.bc.ca.
To cite The Guide in your work please use:
Partnerships for Women’s Health Research Canada (PWHR) and Women’s Health Research Institute (WHRI). (2024). Beyond the Binary in Canada Guide: Pathways toward equitable research with people who experience sex and gender-based health inequities. https://pwhr.org/
Beyond the Binary in Canada Guide (English)
This comprehensive, community-informed resource is meant to support the research community through various approaches to language use in a health research context.
The Guide includes:
- An Executive Summary.
- An overview of why Language Matters and different approaches to language use.
- Example Scenarios, to illustrate the application of language.
- Paradigms and Practices to support ongoing learning.
- A community-generated Glossary of terms and concepts with definitions and references.
- A link to a Resource Library of health research and care organizations, and publications to refer to for further learning.
We are committed to stewarding this guide over time and have it responsive to our community needs. If you have any feedback, please email Nicole.Prestley@cw.bc.ca.
To cite The Guide in your work please use:
Women’s Health Research Institute (WHRI). (2024). Beyond the Binary in British Columbia: A Guide.
Beyond the Binary | Videos
Beyond the Binary Canada Knowledge Exchange
The Partnership for Women’s Health Research Canada (PWHR) and the WHRI, hosted a knowledge exchange on October 16th, 2024 to launch the updated, national, Beyond the Binary Guide (now available in English and French). Watch this 1 hour and 50 minute recording of the event which describes the project learnings, process and goals for implementation.
Beyond the Binary Children’s & Women’s Research Lunch & Learn, February 2024
For an overview of the BTB BC process, intended use of the guide, and principles and practices to support gender-inclusive research, please see this 50-minute recording of the Children’s & Women’s Research Lunch & Learn from February 2024.
Beyond the Binary Research Ethics BC Presentation, November 2022
For a more in-depth understanding of the Beyond the Binary in BC project process, please see the 50-minute recording of the team’s invited presentation at the Research Ethics BC Symposium in November 2022 (below). The presentation covers (1) the story of the Beyond the Binary project, (2) a summary of community and research committee engagement principles, (3) lessons learned, and (4) an overview of the knowledge outputs created.
Beyond the Binary. (2022). Beyond the Binary in BC [Video]. Women’s Health Research Institute.
The WHRI, alongside other provincial health research partners, have organizational commitments to equity, diversity, and inclusion. Throughout the work of Beyond the Binary, Community Steering Committee Members emphasized that these commitments are not attainable without addressing institutionalized activities and practices that perpetuate colonial, cissexist, heterocentric, ableist, patriarchal white supremacy.
We are grateful to work in partnership with community members and researchers to advance the integration of gender-equitable practices in women’s health research across BC and now, across Canada.