Gender Equity

 

The Gender Equity Playbook

Presented by Canadian Women & Sport and funded by Women and Gender Equality Canada

In 2026, our application was accepted to participate in the Gender Equity Playbook, a program led by Canadian Women & Sport!

What is The Gender Equity Playbook?

“The Playbook is designed for sport leaders who want to make their sport more inclusive but aren’t sure where to start. It’s ideal for organizations looking to improve policies, programs, and culture through a gender equity lens”.

What does the Playbook entail?

“By joining the Playbook program, your organization will:

• Take part in gender equity training to build awareness and skills.
• Work with experts to review and assess your organization’s current policies and practices.
• Create a custom action plan to guide your next steps.
• Receive a $1,000 honorarium to support your participation.
• Access consultations and tools that help you stay on track and share progress with your team.
• Join a national network of sport organizations working toward gender equity”.

Part I: The Same Game Challenge

After completing this part of the program (research-based), here is what we found:

Document link with findings

Part II: Action Toolkit

After completing this part of the program (internal), here is our completed Action Toolkit:

1)

• Pillar: Building the Foundation
• Sub-pillar: Vision & Strategy
• Our recommendation: The MWBA will work on building a simple and clear org-wide vision, mission, and values document, which will include a definition of gender equity. The MWBA will also refine the infringement policy and make sure it is being applied equitably.

2)

• Pillar: Building the Foundation
• Sub-pillar: Leadership & Accountability
• Our recommendation: Compiling free gender equity training resources that would allow more individuals to participate in gender equity education across the league. The MWBA will work on including bite-sized gender equity information, resources, and organization updates in already existing communications, such as partner updates and league communications.

3)

• Pillar: Building the Foundation
• Sub-pillar: Vision & Strategy
• Our recommendation: The MWBA will create a vision, mission, and values statement, along with a formal gender equity policy. We will also create a roll-out plan to share with the broader organization.

4)

• Pillar: Embed the Lens Externally
• Sub-pillar: Engagement & Outreach
• Our recommendation: Develop and communicate internally and externally our organization’s case for gender equity.

Gender Equity Resources

Name	Publisher	Details	Link
Body Confident Athletes - Coach Session Guides	Body Confident Sport	Self-guided online modules	Resource Link
Gender Equity LENS	Canadian Women & Sport	E-modules	Resource Link
Addressing gender inequities in Canadian university coaching	Sport Information Resource Centre (SIRC)	Online article	Resource Link
Key considerations to promote the inclusion of women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ athletes	SIRC & Canadian Women and Sport	Online report	Resource Link
Using feminist critical management studies to examine LGBTQ+ women’s experiences of inclusion and exclusion in rugby	Sally Shaw (2025)	Research article	Resource Link
Chasing Equity: The Triumphs, Challenges and Opportunities in Sports for Girls and Women	Women's Sports Foundation	Executive summary & Quick fact sheet	Resource Link
Coaching Through a Gender Lens	Women's Sports Foundation	Executive summary & Research brief	Resource Link
Keeping Girls in the Game	Women's Sports Foundation	Executive summary	Resource Link
The Rally Report 2022	Canadian Women & Sport	Report	Resource Link
The Operationalizing Intersectionality Framework: A Tool for Sport Administrators	Debra Kriger, Amélie Keyser-Verreault, Janelle Joseph, and Danielle Peers (2021) for SIRC	Online article	Resource Link
Resources & Reports	Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion	Various resources & Reports	Resource Link