Helping people find solutions

Mediation is one of the fastest and easiest ways to resolve a complaint. The process is voluntary and confidential. The Commission’s team of impartial mediators travel the country to meet with the parties in person and bring them together so they can craft their own solution.

Helping to eliminate systemic discrimination in Canadian research

In 2019, the Commission was part of a settlement agreement that came about after a 2018 mediation session in which we had participated. This is an important settlement that will help ensure that the Canadian research field both reflects Canada’s rich diversity and benefits from the talent and perspectives of those who were previously denied a seat at the table.

The case goes back to 2003, when eight female university professors filed complaints with the Commission, alleging that they and others faced discriminatory systemic barriers in accessing funding and appointments through the Canada Research Chairs Program (CRCP).

A few years later, the parties reached an initial settlement that included a number of improvements. Then in 2016, complainants returned to the Commission, claiming that although some progress had been made, many of the terms of that original settlement remained unfulfilled.

Rather than following a more formal route, the parties decided to engage in collaborative mediation. The result was fruitful: an addendum to the original agreement that now includes better targets for diverse representation in the CRCP, more accountability measures for universities, and a clearer path forward to systemic change in Canada’s research field.