Core project understanding

Who We Support

The work centres women and gender-diverse individuals, particularly people facing intersecting barriers.

People at the centre

A single label rarely tells the whole story

People's experiences can be shaped by multiple, overlapping forms of exclusion.

Beyond Barriers considers how organizations reflect—or fail to reflect—the communities they serve, and whose experiences are represented in leadership and decision-making.

Communities identified in project material

Experiences shaped across many layers

  • Indigenous women and communities
  • Immigrants and newcomers
  • Racialized people
  • Francophone communities
  • Low-income communities
  • People underserved, overlooked, or excluded by organizations intended to serve them

Dignity in representation

Organizations should reflect the communities they serve

The project asks what it takes for people historically excluded from leadership and influence to be present in the structures where decisions are made.

Why this matters