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ETFO’s Diverse Membership

ETFO invites members to self-identify, on the annual Member Information Survey as well as on 
registration forms for ETFO events and positions, as belonging to one or more of the following equity-
seeking groups:

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Aboriginal members;

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Members with a disability;

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Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning (LGBTQ) members; and

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Members belonging to racialized groups.

ETFO has identified the following two goals as part of an ongoing, long-range equity implementation 
plan (see Appendix A, ETFO Statement on Social Justice and Equity):

Accountability: ETFO must develop clear indicators (for example, data on participation of 
members of equity-seeking groups in ETFO programs, leadership and staff) by which our 
progress in equity can be measured, and report regularly on progress to the membership .

Outreach: ETFO must continually seek to include, involve and promote members who 
belong to equity-seeking groups . (ETFO Statement on Social Justice and Equity, April 2002 .)

ETFO keeps these goals in mind in organizing its programs. 

The Annual Meeting has supported the goal of inclusion repeatedly. Delegates to the 2001 Annual 
Meeting passed the following policy (33.1):

That all appointed or selected groups within or representing ETFO strive to be 
representative of diversity. 

Collecting and reporting the self-identification statistics below is one of the ways in which ETFO holds 
itself accountable to members for the commitment to social justice and equity. 

An article explaining why ETFO asks members to self-identify, including feedback from members who 
do, is forthcoming in the fall 2015 issue of Voice magazine.

We have to be cautious in working with these figures. They are based on individuals’ willingness to self-
identify. Not all members of a group will always (or ever) self-identify. Self-identification, therefore, is 
likely to under-represent reality.

For ETFO’s protocol concerning members’ self-identification, see Appendix B.