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Vancouver, B.C. – B.C.’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner (BCOHRC) has published a new resource to share answers to frequently asked questions on equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) hiring practices. BCOHRC developed the resource to provide clear, factual information that empowers British Columbians to have constructive conversations about EDI and guidance on inclusive hiring practices. 

“We all want to work in places where we are valued for what we do and what skills we bring to our employment,” said Commissioner Kasari Govender. “But this doesn’t always mean that employers should treat everyone exactly the same. What may seem like fair practices can exclude a lot of qualified people—for example, if one group of people has often been left out of a workplace, then steps taken to hire from that particular group can help restore the balance. Equity, diversity and inclusion measures aim to ensure hiring practices are as fair, inclusive and transparent as they can be.”  

“Unfortunately,” continued the Commissioner, “misinformation about equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) has influenced the way the topic is discussed in B.C. The resource we are releasing today aims to ensure we have the facts when we discuss EDI. I hope it will serve as a tool for people in British Columbia to check the information they encounter and to learn more about this important set of practices.” 

The Commissioner’s question and answer (Q&A) resource offers definitions of key terms, clarifies how EDI works, describes some of the measures it includes in the workplace and explains some of the related legal issues. In so doing, it describes the benefits of EDI both to society—by helping to combat discrimination and diversify the workforce—and to individual organisations, which can benefit from improved team performance and reputation as a result of EDI measures. 

Some questions answered by the resource include: 

  • What do EDI hiring practices look like? 
  • Why are some groups underrepresented in the workplace? 
  • Are EDI hiring practices legal? 
  • Are employers required to conduct EDI hiring? 
  • When should EDI hiring practices end? 

The resource also answers questions about “special programs.” Employers can choose to apply to BCOHRC for formal special program designation for hiring initiatives that lower barriers for members of disadvantaged groups. 

Commissioner Govender encourages people across British Columbia to access the resource to learn more. It is available at bchumanrights.ca/EDI-hiring-qa 

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Related resources 

  • The EDI Q&A resource builds on BCOHRC’s Employment Equity Toolkit, which supports employers who want to learn how to improve equity within their businesses and organizations. 
  • This is the Commissioner’s second Q&A resource. The first tackles the issue of hate speech in B.C. and Canada and is available at bchumanrights.ca/hate/speech.  

Media contact

To request an interview with Commissioner Kasari Govender, please contact or 1-604-306-7369.

Media kit

Visit our media kit for images of Commissioner Kasari Govender, pronunciation guidance, bios and more. 

About BCOHRC

BC’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner exists to address the root causes of inequality, discrimination and injustice in B.C. by shifting laws, policies, practices and cultures. We do this work through education, research, advocacy, inquiry and monitoring. Learn more at: bchumanrights.ca

About the Commissioner

Kasari Govender began her work as B.C.’s first independent human rights commissioner in September 2019.  As an independent officer of the Legislature, Commissioner Govender is uniquely positioned to ensure human rights in B.C. are protected, respected and advanced on a systemic level. In her first five-year term, her work through BC’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner included a public inquiry into experiences of hate in the pandemic, a report on systemic discrimination in policing, community embedded research about a range of human rights issues experienced by British Columbians, public awareness campaigns about ableism and racism and guidance to government that, among other things, informed the creation of both the Anti-Racism Data Act and the Anti-Racism Act. Commissioner Govender was reappointed for a second term beginning in September 2024. 

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