Equity Deserving Groups Specification 1.2

A codelist vocabulary of Equity Deserving Groups as defined by Ministry of Employment and Social Development of Canada.

Working Draft — 05 May 2025

This Version:

https://codelist.commonapproach.org/codeLists/EquityDeservingGroupsESDC.html (rdf/xml, ttl, nt, json-ld)

Latest Version:

https://codelist.commonapproach.org/codeLists/EquityDeservingGroupsESDC.html (rdf/xml, ttl, nt, json-ld)

Last update: 1.2

Date: 05 May 2025

Authors:

Contributors:

Subject Headings:

---

Abstract

A codelist vocabulary of Equity Deserving Groups as defined by Ministry of Employment and Social Development of Canada.

Global Cross-Reference

Instances: 2SLGBTQIA+, Black People, First Generation Immigrants, Refugees & Newcomers, Indigenous Peoples: First Nations, Indigenous Peoples: Inuit, Indigenous Peoples: Métis, Official Languages Minority Communities, Other Racialized Peoples, People Living with a Disability (including invisible and episodic disabilities), Women (Cisgender and Transgender), Gender Diverse People: Non-binary, Gender Diverse People: Agender, Gender Diverse People: Other, Indigenous Peoples: Not Further Specified,

Detailed References for All Terms, Classes and Properties

Dictionaries

Classes

Properties

Instances

[back to top]

Instance: EquityDeservingGroupsESDC:2SLGBTQIA+

URI: https://codelist.commonapproach.org/codeLists/EquityDeservingGroupsESDC#edg1

• People who identify as being two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual and others (“+”).
  • Two-Spirit: An English term used to broadly capture concepts traditional to many Indigenous cultures. It is a culturally-specific identity used by some Indigenous people to indicate a person whose gender identity, spiritual identity and/or sexual orientation comprises both male and female spirits.
  • Lesbian: Typically a woman who is sexually and/or romantically attracted to other women
  • Gay: A person who is sexually and/or romantically attracted to people of their same sex or gender identity. Traditionally this identity was reserved for men, but it has been adopted by people of all gender identities
  • Bisexual: A person who is sexually and/or romantically attracted to two or more genders.
  • Transgender: A person whose gender identity differs from what is typically associated with the sex they were assigned at birth.
  • Queer: Historically a derogatory term used as a slur against 2SLGBTQI+ people, this term has been reclaimed by many 2SLGBTQI+ people as a positive way to describe themselves, and as a way to include the many diverse identities not covered by common 2SLGBTQI+ acronym.
  • Intersex: An umbrella term to capture various types of biological sex differentiation. Intersex people have variations in their sex characteristics, such as sex chromosomes, internal reproductive organs, genitalia, and/or secondary sex characteristics (e.g. muscle mass, breasts) that fall outside of what is typically categorized as male or female.
  • Asexual: A person who lacks sexual attraction or interest in sexual expression. An asexual person’s sexual and romantic orientations may differ (e.g. biromantic asexual), and they may have sexual and/or romantic partners.
  • + : “+” represents people who use other terms to refer to their gender identity or sexual orientation.

NOTE: 2SLGBTQIA+ terminology is continuously evolving. As a result, it is important to note that this list is not exhaustive and these definitions are a starting point to understanding 2SLGBTQI+ identities Different 2SLGBTQI+ individuals and communities may have broader or more specific understandings of these terms.

[back to top]

Instance: EquityDeservingGroupsESDC:Black People

URI: https://codelist.commonapproach.org/codeLists/EquityDeservingGroupsESDC#edg2

People belonging to any of various population groups of especially African ancestry often considered as having dark pigmentation of the skin but in fact having a wide range of skin colours.

[back to top]

Instance: EquityDeservingGroupsESDC:First Generation Immigrants, Refugees & Newcomers

URI: https://codelist.commonapproach.org/codeLists/EquityDeservingGroupsESDC#edg3

• First Generation Immigrants: People who were born outside Canada. For the most part, these are people who are now, or once were, immigrants to Canada. Classification of Generation Status - 1 - First generation (statcan.gc.ca)
• Refugees: People who were forced to flee from persecution in their home country. This includes Convention refugees (as defined by the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (S.C. 2001, c. 27)) and asylum-seekers or refugee claimants.
• Newcomers: Immigrants and Refugees that have been in Canada for less than five years.

[back to top]

Instance: EquityDeservingGroupsESDC:Indigenous Peoples: First Nations

URI: https://codelist.commonapproach.org/codeLists/EquityDeservingGroupsESDC#edg4

In Canada, Indigenous people who are part of a First Nation or whose ancestors were part of a First Nation. A First Nation person can be a Status or Non-Status Indian.

[back to top]

Instance: EquityDeservingGroupsESDC:Indigenous Peoples: Inuit

URI: https://codelist.commonapproach.org/codeLists/EquityDeservingGroupsESDC#edg5

In Canada, Indigenous People that inhabit or that traditionally inhabited the northern regions and Arctic coasts of Canada known as Inuit Nunangat, and whose members are united by a common origin, history and culture.

[back to top]

Instance: EquityDeservingGroupsESDC:Indigenous Peoples: Métis

URI: https://codelist.commonapproach.org/codeLists/EquityDeservingGroupsESDC#edg6

In Canada, Indigenous People whose members are of mixed First Nations and European ancestry, are united by a common origin, history and culture, and are generally accepted by the Métis Nation.

[back to top]

Instance: EquityDeservingGroupsESDC:Official Languages Minority Communities

URI: https://codelist.commonapproach.org/codeLists/EquityDeservingGroupsESDC#edg7

In Canada, official-language minority communities are mainly French-speaking people living outside the province of Quebec and English-speaking people living in the province of Quebec.

[back to top]

Instance: EquityDeservingGroupsESDC:Other Racialized Peoples

URI: https://codelist.commonapproach.org/codeLists/EquityDeservingGroupsESDC#edg8

People other than Indigenous peoples or Black Canadians who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour (refer to the Statistics Canada definition for “visible minorities”).

[back to top]

Instance: EquityDeservingGroupsESDC:People Living with a Disability (including invisible and episodic disabilities)

URI: https://codelist.commonapproach.org/codeLists/EquityDeservingGroupsESDC#edg9

People living with disabilities, impairments, and/or functional limitations related to terminal or chronic illness/disease, whether apparent or not, and permanent, temporary or episodic in nature, that hinders their full and equal participation in society when they face a barrier.

[back to top]

Instance: EquityDeservingGroupsESDC:Women (Cisgender and Transgender)

URI: https://codelist.commonapproach.org/codeLists/EquityDeservingGroupsESDC#edg10

All people who identify as women, whether they are cisgender or transgender women.

[back to top]

Instance: EquityDeservingGroupsESDC:Gender Diverse People: Non-Binary

URI: https://codelist.commonapproach.org/codeLists/EquityDeservingGroupsESDC#edg11

People whose gender identity does not align with a binary understanding of gender such as man or woman. It is a gender identity which may include man and woman, androgynous, fluid, multiple, no gender, or a different gender outside of the “woman—man” spectrum.

[back to top]

Instance: EquityDeservingGroupsESDC:Gender Diverse People: Agender

URI: https://codelist.commonapproach.org/codeLists/EquityDeservingGroupsESDC#edg12

People who do not identify as, or with, any particular gender.

[back to top]

Instance: EquityDeservingGroupsESDC:Gender Diverse People: Other

URI: https://codelist.commonapproach.org/codeLists/EquityDeservingGroupsESDC#edg13

People whose gender identity does not align with any of the other options provided.

[back to top]

Instance: EquityDeservingGroupsESDC:Indigenous Peoples: Not Further Specified

URI: https://codelist.commonapproach.org/codeLists/EquityDeservingGroupsESDC#edg14

In Canada, individuals who self-identify as Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, or Métis) but do not specify their group affiliation, are unsure of their specific ancestry, or identify with another Indigenous community not listed separately.