Breaking Siloed Policies: Applying a Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) to Homelessness during Pregnancy in Canada

Barbara Chyzzy (), Sepali Guruge, Kaitlin Schwan, Joon Lee and Stacia Stewart
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Barbara Chyzzy: Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing, Toronto Metropolitan University, 288 Church St., Toronto, ON M5B 1Z5, Canada
Sepali Guruge: Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing, Toronto Metropolitan University, 288 Church St., Toronto, ON M5B 1Z5, Canada
Kaitlin Schwan: Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1975 Zonal Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
Joon Lee: Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing, Toronto Metropolitan University, 288 Church St., Toronto, ON M5B 1Z5, Canada
Stacia Stewart: Parkdale Queen West Community Health Center, 27 Roncesvalles Ave., Toronto, ON M5R 3B2, Canada

Social Sciences, 2024, vol. 13, issue 9, 1-12

Abstract: Amongst women and gender diverse (WGD) populations experiencing homelessness in Canada, one of the most vulnerable and understudied subgroups are those who are pregnant. A key barrier to accessing housing for this population are policies that lead to siloed sector work and complicated and inaccessible services. Frequent relocation and fragmented access to essential prenatal and postnatal support are the result. Experiences of homelessness for WGD people are distinct from that of cisgender men; the former tend to experience ‘hidden homelessness’ and are more likely to rely on relational, precarious, and sometimes dangerous housing options. The homelessness sector, its policies, and services tend to be cis-male-centric because of the greater visibility of homelessness in cis-men and fail to meet pregnant WGD people’s needs. This paper describes the findings from a one-day symposium that was held in Toronto, Canada, in June 2023 that aimed to address the siloed approach to housing provision for pregnant WGD people experiencing homelessness. A key focus was to understand how to incorporate a gendered and intersectional discourse into practice and policy. Adopting a gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) approach within policymaking can help illuminate and address why certain groups of WGD people are disproportionately affected by homelessness, including Indigenous Peoples, recent immigrants, racialized people, and those experiencing intimate partner violence, poverty, and substance use.

Keywords: homelessness; pregnancy; women and gender diverse people (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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