'Ounce of prevention… reduces or mitigates risks of complaints,' says Ontario's human rights commissioner
The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) released a new web-based educational tool meant to provide support to employers – along with the public, governments and service providers -- to design and develop policies and programs that meet their obligations under the Ontario Human Rights Code.
The Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA) Framework helps users through each stage of a new policy or program, starting with probing human rights questions and considerations that educate and help people to think differently.
“The Ontario Human Rights Commission seeks to strengthen the human rights culture in Ontario through education and engagement and to give guidance to everyone, regarding their legal obligation to follow over the Human Rights Code,” said OHRC Chief Commissioner Patricia DeGuire.
Embedding human rights in policy, programs
The aim of the framework is to ensure that, for everyone in Ontario, dignity and respect is preserved, and that everyone can achieve their own purpose to the fullest capacity. The HRBA Framework empowers vulnerable communities by supporting their participation and inclusion in programs or policy development and also strengthens the capacity of government and decision-makers to respect, protect and fulfill their legal obligation, as stipulated by the Human Rights Code, she said.
Ultimately, the user-friendly tool will be helpful in embedding human rights in the implementation, development and delivery of policy and programs, and will help every Ontarian to understand their responsibilities and take human rights into consideration through every step of planning and implementation, said DeGuire.
“The Ontario Human Rights Commission believes that understanding human rights and everyone's obligation is foundational to building policies and programs, which meet the human weights of all Ontarians. So that's our focus. We want to make Ontario as human rights conscious and giving it as strong of a culture as possible,” she said.
5 guides on human rights to support organizations
As part of the Framework, five user guides are available to support people and organizations in the following sectors: health and human services, employer policy and programs, advocacy and research, provincial policy and programs, municipal by-laws, polices, programs and services.
While these five sectors were outlined within the framework, the tool can be applied to other sectors as well, DeGuire said.
The tool can also be used in conjunction with other related guidelines that the Ontario Human Rights Commission has put forward. OHRC has already issued policies on human rights regarding housing, preventing discrimination based on mental health disabilities and addictions, racism, all forms of discrimination, gender identity and gender expression, and the framework allows for the enhancement of these guidelines, DeGuire said.
“I really believe that an ounce of prevention is better than a whole pound of care, so when applied at the very beginning of the policy or program creation process, you begin with human rights and are bound to be successful, and it reduces or mitigates risks of complaints,” she said.
The Commission will continue to have a robust engagement with governments, municipalities, stakeholders, employers to tell them about the benefits of the new framework and how the commission can help implement a human rights-based approach in all policies and programs, DeGuire said.
