MOSAIC clients played a key role in the consultation process for the new provincial Anti-Racism Data Act. The Act is the first of its kind in Canada and aims to identify and eliminate systemic racism in provincial government programs and services through the collection of race-based data.
To help inform the legislation, MOSAIC hosted six engagement sessions with more than 75 newcomer clients from diverse demographics, including youth, seniors, and LGBTQ+. Feedback from these sessions was compiled into a final report utilized in the creation of the legislation.
“We are so appreciative of all the clients that took time to share their perspective and experiences during our engagement sessions. Their voices matter and were incredibly important for this process,” said Sandhya Ghai, Manager of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at MOSAIC.
At the invitation of Premier John Horgan and Parliamentary Secretary of Anti-Racism Initiatives Rachna Singh, MOSAIC Chief Executive Officer Olga Stachova was in attendance at the legislative assembly in Victoria for the first reading of the Act, and was able to connect with a number of ministers, MLAs, and the Premier.
“This legislation is a bold first step towards removing barriers to access that are experienced by many marginalized communities when it comes to government services in British Columbia. MOSAIC is pleased that we were able to facilitate engagement sessions that brought a newcomer lens to the consultation process,” said Stachova.
To learn more about MOSAIC’s anti-racism work, click here.
