Stigma and Discrimination

Evidence-based strategies about addressing initiatives’ stigmatizing and discriminatory impacts, and taking a strengths-based approach to capitalize on community values and assets.

How to Navigate this Page

Select policy targets and evidence-based strategies that are priorities and achievable within your setting and sector. Align with your mandate, capacity, jurisdictional boundaries, and scope of practice.

Strategies marked with ☔ are important for populations-at-risk.

Entry Point for Action:
Reflects the organization’s or government unit’s sector scope and mandate

Policy Target:
Relates to the initiative’s focus

Evidence-based Strategies:
Concrete actions to guide initiatives’ design, delivery, and evaluation

ENTRY POINT FOR ACTION

Improve Regulation, Oversight, and Funding of Macro-Economic Systems and Policies

Housing market

Government units regulate anti-discrimination in housing policies (e.g., preventing landlords from not renting to tenants who are receiving housing supplements) ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Number/percentage of inclusive, affordable housing options for people experiencing disabilities
Number/percentage of municipal governments that have addressed age discrimination against children in tenancy rules
Number/percentage of families with children who report securing affordable, inclusive housing in multi-unit dwellings
Availability of non-discrimination laws protecting people who receive rental subsidies and income supports

Employment and labour market

Government units develop or revise a regulatory framework to guarantee and enforce human rights, social and labour protections, and benefits to all workers with a particular focus on low-wage, precarious contracts (e.g., parttime work) and populations who are typically overrepresented in these groups (e.g., people with less education, people who experience disability) ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Number/percentage of minimum wage workers
Remuneration trends among low-wage workers (e.g., those working in agricultural sector, cleaning services, or hospitality industry)
Nominal values of minimum wage(s)
Number/percentage of people working in precarious, unsafe work conditions (e.g., disadvantaged groups)
Availability of mechanisms to denounce abusive, exploitative work conditions
Easy access to mechanisms to denounce abusive, exploitative work conditions
Number of enforcement actions over time
Number of regular on-site inspections
Availability of anonymous surveys for workers about working conditions
Availability of anonymized data sharing mechanisms to provide evidence supporting employment stability actions

ENTRY POINT FOR ACTION

Prioritize Redistribution-Based & Universal-Type Policies

‘Targeted’ approaches versus ‘proportionate’ or ‘targeted within universal’ approaches

Government units consider the potential unintended consequences of targeted policies and programs (e.g., stigmatization and discrimination of the recipients, limited impact on inequities, narrowed focus on the effects of the causes, and undermining of politics of solidarity in public funding) and move to ‘proportionate’ or ‘targeted within universal’ approaches ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Ratio of targeted policies and programs to universal policies and programs
Acceptance levels of taxation to support publicly funded policies and programs
Number/percentage of taxpayers agreeing with taxes being used to support public provision of services (e.g., stratified by household income)

ENTRY POINT FOR ACTION

Simplify Access to Benefits & Services

Stigma and discrimination in the access of benefits and services

Initiatives review their programs and communication strategies that have unintentionally classified recipients into two groups: deserving or undeserving of taxpayer-funded cash support ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Assistance-seeking behaviour among all eligible groups (e.g., stratified by age, sex, gender, migration status)
Number/percentage of eligible groups reporting fear of being stigmatized for assistance (e.g., stratified by age, sex, gender, migration status)
Take-up rates of benefits and services according to degree of need
Trends of unmet needs over time
Rate of participation among those eligible to participate

Eligibility criteria for social welfare programs

Initiatives eliminate restrictive or complex eligibility criteria (e.g., the need to meet all criteria to qualify) ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Take-up rates among eligible groups

Government units adapt criteria, protocols, and eligibility criteria for social welfare to (i) acknowledge the reality of diverse family arrangements (e.g., an unemployed person who does not live with their children, but is still responsible to provide food) and (ii) be responsive to demographic changes and social relationships within and across individuals and families ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Number/percentage of people who are not afraid that life changes would compromise their eligibility for the program
Number/percentage of people who feel the transition to other benefits (when needed) is smooth
Level of agreement with the statement that meaningful information about benefits is readily available

Contingencies and penalties for social welfare receipt

Government units remove welfare requirements that may force recipients to accept seasonal or parttime jobs with unreliable hours and low pay in order to continue to receive benefits ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Number/percentage of social welfare recipients with insecure or precarious employment

Government units address welfare contractual obligations that impose financial and time burdens on recipients (e.g., meeting the minimum job application quotas and attending regular appointments)

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Levels of fear, stress, and tension among social welfare recipients
Average amount of time and cost expended by recipients to meet the requirements
Perceived burden of the program among recipients

Government units reassess the imposition of time limits on benefits and mandatory volunteering requirements ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

People’s ability to transition to the workforce (e.g., before and after the removal of restrictions and requirements)

Government units remove austerity-based penalties for noncompliance, which disproportionally affect the most disadvantaged populations (e.g., single parents, people experiencing disabilities, racialized groups). Government units eliminate strict and unrealistic work for welfare requirements that are evidenced to be counterproductive in supporting transitions into paid labour market (e.g., work requirements in rural and remote communities where there are job shortages) ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Number/percentage of benefits revoked for failure to meet social welfare conditions
Poverty levels among beneficiaries’ dependents (e.g., children of unemployed parents/guardians)
Percentage of beneficiaries’ children who experience a drop in poverty rates
Staff perceptions of the effect of the cessation of obligations on recipients (e.g., stratified by program type)

ENTRY POINT FOR ACTION

Expand Access to Financial Services & Products

Financial inclusion (i.e., access to the formal financial system and institutions)

Initiatives promote fair access to the financial sector and provide new, tailored services and products for unbanked or underbanked people who are often considered to be too risky and less profitable as clients ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Number/percentage of innovative and affordable or no-fee banking services and products
Access to innovative and affordable or no-fee banking services and products
Number/percentage of underbanked, low-income people who agree with the statement that banking services and products meet their unique needs and short- and long-term goals
Number/percentage of low-income people with access to no-fee banking services and products

Mainstream (formal), semi-formal, and informal financial services and products

Initiatives acknowledge that appropriate and fair semiformal and informal financial markets (e.g., borrowing from moneylenders and friends) may fit local sociocultural norms and the circumstances of a person’s life. It recognizes that semi-formal and informal (non-exploitive) financial products and services may provide flexibility in terms of transactions and contracts and may offer reliable, free or low-cost options, particularly for people who experience complex needs. These may be viable alternatives for certain groups of people (e.g., those experiencing low-income) to achieve financial wellbeing ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Availability and accessibility of accurate and relevant information about semi-formal and informal financial services, products, and practices
Number/percentage of people reporting confidence in assessing the advantages and disadvantages of the non-mainstream banking system (e.g., among disadvantaged groups)
Number/percentage of disadvantaged people reporting that reliable semi-formal or informal financial services and products better meet their needs
Availability and perceived accessibility of mechanisms for people to report abusive and exploitation financial practices and obtain timely redress

ENTRY POINT FOR ACTION

Promote Neighbourhood-Level Advantage

Safety, security, diversity, and quality of local services and amenities

Government units regulate anti-discrimination in policing and work together with community organizations and stakeholders to better assess and address local strengths and needs ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Trends in representation of people of colour (e.g., Indigenous, Latino and Black groups) in the criminal justice system
Availability of mechanisms and channels to denounce racial biases in policing
Perceived level of difficult in access and report racially motivated incidents
Levels of trust in the police in disadvantaged neighbourhoods
Crime rates in low socioeconomic status neighbourhoods
Levels of overall wellbeing (e.g., stratified by neighbourhood-level income)
Public trust
Level of public support for the anti-discrimination regulation

ENTRY POINT FOR ACTION

Include Cultural Values of Financial Practices & Ways of Living

Sociocultural norms and moral values around financial transactions

Framework graphics with the entry point 'Foster Connection & Belonging' highlighted

Initiatives contextualize the sociocultural appropriateness of financial practices and programs. Service providers have a clear, shared understanding of why some population groups – even when struggling financially – feel responsible and obliged to provide financial support and ensure financial wellbeing of their peers, friends, and relatives ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Number/percentage of people who report difficulties in refusing to lend money to family and friends
Number/percentage of people feeling confident they can turn to relatives and friends for financial emergencies
Periodic staff training programs and learning opportunities about recognition and respect of diverse sociocultural norms and expectations around financial practices

Self-worth and values of people’s different ways of being and doing

Initiatives that focus on equity and inclusion increase the symbolic and economic value of people’s many roles, including targeting ways of being and doing that are typically unpaid and/or undervalued ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Number/percentage of caregivers feeling that society acknowledges their work by providing paid leave with no contingencies or conditions
Levels of self-reported satisfaction with government assistance and paid caregiving services (e.g., stratified by socioeconomic status)
Financial stress among caregivers (e.g., stratified by age, sex, and gender)
Number/percentage of initiatives that acknowledge, respect, protect, and incorporate ancestral knowledge and traditions from Indigenous communities
Number/percentage of Indigenous communities that feel the initiative symbolically values the cultural and environmental work they perform in the community (e.g., in remote communities)
Distribution of benefits per type of caregivers

ENTRY POINT FOR ACTION

Address Stigma & Discrimination (e.g., systemic racism and ableism)

Trauma, violence, and abuse

Initiatives take a trauma-informed, strengths-based approach and address the consequences of stigma and discrimination, which includes trauma, violence, and abuse ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Number/percentage of programs that provide services to support the healing process from physical and psychological trauma as well as protection and security to people experiencing domestic and family violence
Number/percentage of survivors who feel empowered to keep themselves and their family safe
Survivors’ ability to choose when/if they want to participate in financial literacy and capability programs
Periodic training on trauma-informed approaches as part of staff development strategies
Number/percentage of trauma-informed, strengths-based initiatives with implemented systems for progress monitoring and quality assurance

Stigma and shame of debts

Initiatives recognize and address stigma and shame surrounding unmanageable financial debt (i.e., high debt levels compared to annual household income). Initiatives move away from judgmental language and adopt a strengths-based approach to support people managing their debts ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Individual levels of financial stress due to high debt load
Number/percentage of people seeking appropriate, reliable support to debt repayment
Number/percentage of people who report feeling that their debts are easily manageable
Level of non-mortgage debt before and after program

Access to financial services and products

Initiatives ensure equitable conditions for all people to access financial resources and products ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Number/percentage of people who report enjoying power to choose whatever financial services and products best meet their needs (e.g., stratified by socioeconomic status)
Web accessibility
Use of assistive technology in online and mobile financial services
Number/percentage of rural and remote communities with adequate broadband infrastructure
Trends in use of financial apps and online services (e.g., among people with vision disabilities)

Regardless of their social backgrounds and identities, people do not feel discriminated against and are treated equitably ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Number/percentage of initiatives that offer professional training opportunities focused on increasing cultural awareness and addressing staff’s assumptions and misconceptions of people’s financial knowledge and behaviours, particularly at financial institutions
Number/percentage of seniors and women who report receiving condescending financial advice
Type of advice for investments received (e.g., among non-white and white people)
People’s perception of the availability and accessibility to mechanisms to report discrimination in services and programs

Organizational culture embraces diversity and inclusion to better respond to and support people’s needs and values. Initiatives help staff have a clear understanding of the multiple, complex effects of discrimination disadvantaged people face due to their social identities and backgrounds (e.g., senior Black women with hearing impairment). Workplaces strengthen their diversity and inclusiveness strategies, including in hiring and promotion processes ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Availability of periodic staff training programs on practices about how to be respectful to diversity and inclusive in their day-to-day activities.
Number/percentage of staff feeling well-prepared to deal with socioculturally diverse clients
Number/percentage of initiatives with promotion of diversity and inclusiveness as part of the organizations’ goals
Percentage of applicants for open positions from diverse social backgrounds
Ratio of female and non-binary candidates who were selected for a job interview to that of male candidates
Trends in promotions awarded to people from diverse and non-diverse social backgrounds
Inequalities in retention levels (e.g., based on sex, gender, race/ethnicity, and age)

Wealth-building

Initiatives address the root causes of socioeconomic deprivation and financial exclusion and recognize that historic, persistent discrimination against certain population groups has imposed barriers to building intergenerational wealth (i.e., more assets and/or money) ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Household wealth by age (e.g., stratified by race/ethnicity, immigration status)
Share of household wealth by generation
Trends of wealth distribution at societal level
Levels of participation in government-led saving plans/accounts to fund post-secondary education for children (e.g., stratified by household income, immigration status)

Financial decision-making power (imbalances)

Initiatives address power imbalances in financial decision-making and promote individual agency, particularly among disadvantaged groups who are the target of financial abuse ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Perceived control over financial resources
Percentage of conditional cash transfers to women (compared to men)
Social benefits payment to the accounts of people experiencing disabilities
Self-reported shared responsibility for managing household finances
Self-reported financial role within household (i.e., dependent, contributor, key financial decision-maker)
Person responsible for budgeting in the household

ENTRY POINT FOR ACTION

Develop around People’s Everyday Realities

Entry requirements for community services and programs

Initiatives remove rigid program access requirements that can exclude disadvantaged people ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Number/percentage of people feeling not afraid of applying for the programs and services because of potential life changes
Number/percentage of applications relative to need (i.e., level of unmet needs decrease)

Initiatives remove contingencies and conditions that limit enrolment (e.g., providing matched savings, which is by design contingent on initial savings and housing loans for high-engagement participants) ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Ratio of recipients to people who meet program eligibility criteria
Annual recipiency rates
Number/percentage of people who report feeling encouraged to register in the programs and services
Number/percentage of people with multiple, complex needs who have their benefits granted

Evaluation and eligibility assessment

Community-led initiatives understand recipients are managing competing priorities associated with their experiences of complex disadvantage

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Number/percentage of programs and services offering flexible, unconventional hours for on-site support
Number/percentage of programs and services with no penalties for rescheduling of in-person assessments
Drop-out rates related to inability to attend in-person assessment

Initiatives undertake a simplified assessment process to avoid imposing a burden for engagement upon recipients in terms of time, energy, and costs ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Perceptions of staff about the extensiveness and onerousness of the assessment process
Trends of administrative costs for assessing if recipients are still meeting the administrative requirements and demands
Trends in time associated with periodic assessments of recipients
Number/percentage of applicants and recipients who report that the assessment process is cumbersome or onerous

Initiatives move away from a punitive, retaliatory approach by eliminating or minimizing obligations (e.g., high – and sometimes unrealistic – job search expectations and compulsory work) and coercions and sanctions for noncompliance ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Levels of stress related to the assessment process among recipients
Compliance levels

Information about services and programs

Initiatives provide accurate, safe, unbiased, and trusted information that can address people’s fears of repercussions related to applying for and receiving benefits and supports ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Number/percentage of pregnant women reporting not being afraid of unsupportive workplace when considering applying for parental leave
Number/percentage of applications for parental leave (e.g., stratified by occupational categories)
Approval rate of applications for parental leave (e.g., stratified by occupational categories)
Number/percentage of parents/guardians who report feeling less afraid of applying for child support due to the risk of incarceration associated with noncompliance with payment obligation
Participants report on their fears of negative consequences associated with their enrolment in the program (e.g., among people experiencing disabilities or unemployed people)

Back-to-work support services

Initiatives analyze not only the effectiveness of work contingencies, but also their impact on each population group, particularly seeking to reveal what kinds of employment disadvantaged groups are finding when re-entering in the workforce ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Number/percentage of people experiencing disabilities who report not feeling obligated to accept low quality and insecure jobs with reduced benefits for fear of losing social support
Number/percentage of participants who secure sufficient and sustained employment (e.g., stratified by deprivation level)
Number/percentage of staff who believe evaluation of individual labour market prospects are fair and match with people’s work-experience and education
Number/percentage of initiatives with instruments and tools in place to capture people’s feedback on the impact of work contingencies on their trajectories to find well-paid, secure jobs
Ratio of effectiveness of programs and services with more work contingencies to that of programs and services with less work contingencies in terms of helping people reaching their goals

ENTRY POINT FOR ACTION

Consider Diverse Household Financial Circumstances

Financial self-efficacy

Initiatives tailor the content of financial self-efficacy strategies that target low-income people and those who have experienced significant increases in expenditures in order to leverage external opportunities and mitigate barriers people face on a daily basis ☔

SAMPLE INDICATORS

Number/percentage of low-income people who feel the services and programs set up achievable and realistic goals for them
Number/percentage of people who report feeling confident about navigating through life transitions
Levels of confidence in budgeting and managing finances
Risks to debt (e.g., middle-income people facing financial windfalls)