CHSPR Seminar | What Does Equity Mean to Policymakers?

Evidence From the Federal Public Service

Michelle Amri and Jan Filart, UBC School of Population and Public Health

Tuesday, Mar 24, 2026
12-1 pm PT
SPPH or Zoom (Michelle Amri and Jan Filart will speak in person)
Register

Equity is formally embedded as a core objective of Canadian public policy, yet there is limited empirical insight into how federal civil servants actually conceptualize and operationalize equity in their day-to-day work. Because equity is a contested and multi-dimensional concept, variation in its interpretation may shape which policy options are viewed as legitimate, feasible, or desirable, thereby constraining the effectiveness of equity-oriented reforms. Through an anonymous survey of approximately 1,500 federal policymakers, we examine how they practice and implement equity in their work.

Michelle Amri is an Assistant Professor of Global Health Ethics at the UBC School of Population and Public Health and holds the Mary and Maurice Young Professorship in Applied Ethics. Her program of research seeks to understand how equity can be better incorporated in public policymaking, both in terms of how relevant actors consider equity in developing policy (e.g., how equity is understood and operationalized) and how equity can be improved in policymaking processes (e.g., multisectoral approaches including those at the city-level, decolonizing policymaking).

Jan Filart is a researcher in global and public health with experience in health equity research. His academic work leverages quantitative and qualitative methods, focusing on decolonization and equity in global health, with an emphasis on bridging academic evidence with policy and practice.

Register in advance for this seminar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.