Note: This article was originally published in the Autumn/Winter 2023 edition of our On Call newsletter and has not been updated.
We rely on our strategic framework and guiding principles to direct our work and keep us true to our mission. In the 2021-26 Strategic Plan, we added equity to our existing guiding principles of accountability, transparency, integrity, proportionality, and innovation. Below are some recent equity-related initiatives we have undertaken at the College.
In order to hold ourselves accountable, we have developed an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion framework to guide our work. Our equity framework identifies four key areas of focus for the College which include Governance, Organizational Goals, Strategic Relationships, and Regulatory Objectives.
The framework is informed by anti-racism, anti-oppression, accessibility, intersectionality, and cultural safety practices. Our outcomes reflect the commitments expressed in our guiding principles, governance policies, and organizational values statements.
Earlier this year, College staff participated in the Health Profession Regulators of Ontario anti-racism project steering committee, tasked with developing tools to assess and guide College engagement with equity, diversity, and inclusion. Staff piloted the self-assessment tools internally, and presented to Council at its December meeting.
We were proud to be recognized by the Office of the Fairness Commissioner (OFC) in their October newsletter as an example of a regulator taking an innovative approach to reconciliation. The OFC highlighted our decision to waive administrative costs for the name-change process for Indigenous midwives registered with the College reclaiming their Indigenous names and mentioned our review of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.
To keep all registrants, clients, stakeholders, and members of the public updated on our equity initiatives, we have created a new page our on website. The Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion page shares our new framework, recent initiatives, relevant news posts, helpful resources, and a glossary of terms. You can visit our new page here.
We take our commitment to equity seriously and will continue to communicate about our initiatives with registrants and the public. We welcome any feedback or suggestions.