Our commitment on diversity and inclusion

All Canadians deserve to be treated equally and to have their human rights protected. This issue has come to the forefront now more than ever.

Equity, diversity and inclusion are at the core of the values of the Canadian Space Agency. We are firmly committed to building a workforce that represents and leverages the diversity of Canadian society.

Our organization believes that creating a work environment that respects and includes differences and recognizes the unique contributions of individuals can improve the well-being and maximize the potential of all our employees, and serve as a model for other organizations. The CSA wants to step to the forefront and be a leader within the international space community.

While we have made progress against some of our goals, there is more to be done. This is why we are taking direct actions to further address issues of inequity and systemic bias. For example, efforts will be made to address representation gaps regarding women, visible minority members, persons with disabilities and indigenous people at all levels within our organisation. Using the power of inspiration of space, and as a national leader in STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math), we will continue promoting careers in these fields for girls and young women.

To address systems that give rise to unfair treatment, the CSA is acting to identify and eliminate systemic sexism and discrimination. In our 2021-2024 Equity, Diversity, Inclusion Plan, CSA is taking concrete actions to raise awareness: we are putting particular attention on our recruitment activities and we recognize that it is imperative for our processes to be free from systemic bias. For example, we are taking action to have all members of future selection panels take a training course on systemic bias. Another example is our intention to conduct independent reviews of portions of recent executive level recruitments and of our last Astronaut Recruitment Campaign. Finally, we will start publishing disaggregated data on designated group representation each year, on our website, to show the evolution of employment equity.

Diversity is conducive to creativity, innovation and excellence. These values are equally necessary to the success of Canada's space program. The CSA is taking steps to be a leader in equity, diversity and inclusion in Canada and among the international space community. We are the change that is needed to allow all young Canadians to aspire to reach their full potential.

2021-2024 Employment Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan