Beyond the Binary is a multi-stakeholder project intended to inform guidance for gender-equitable practice within BC’s women’s health research community. This committee takes a patient-oriented and trauma-informed approach to building partnerships and dialogue to incorporate gender equity into women’s health research
Through collaboration with people from trans, non-binary, intersex, Two-Spirit, queer, research, health, ethics, and academic communities, we aim to develop context-specific guidance, resources, and recommendations for researchers and health decision-makers.
People across the gender spectrum benefit from research framed as “women’s” health. However, there is little guidance for including trans, non-binary, and intersex people in the research and health priorities of “women’s health.” Further, women’s health research as a field of study has not adequately acknowledged the social, historical and political contexts that led to centering cisgender women (women whose gender aligns with their gender assigned at birth) in “women’s” health research. The result being that trans, non-binary, and intersex people are often excluded from participating in health research and/or are not included as recipients of “women’s health” research knowledge.
The project team will be working towards the development of the following objectives:
1. Develop context-specific guidelines and recommendations for gender equitable research practice within BC’s women’s health research community.
2. Establish foundational understandings of gender equity in health research.
3. Generate resources and guidance for gender-equitable engagement practices among researchers and health decision-makers.
4. Increase health researchers and trainee’s knowledge and awareness of sex, gender, and sexual diversity and the issues impacting sexual and gender minority groups.
5. Build meaningful relationships among knowledge users, researchers, patient partners, and grassroots organizations through stakeholder and community engagement.