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Learning from Practice: Advocacy for health equity - Generation Squeeze

This case story describes the experience of Generation Squeeze in advocating for increased investment in people in their 20s, 30s and 40s and their children. Generation Squeeze is a national, non-partisan, science-based political voice for the interests of Canadians in their 20s, 30s and 40s, and their children. It was founded in 2011 by Dr. Paul Kershaw, a professor at the School of Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia, in response to a variety of issues that disproportionately affect younger generations. Examples include the difficulty of finding a good job, the rising cost of owning a home and increased student debt—as well as, critically, a lack of government support to help address these problems. Generation Squeeze refers to the combination of these factors as “the squeeze.”

Generation Squeeze uses the range of public health advocacy roles described in Let’s Talk: Advocacy and health equity to address the squeeze.

Role 1 Framing the squeeze using plain language to focus directly on specific issues like earnings, education, housing and child care

Role 2 Gathering data generated in-house and by others and disseminating directly to politicians

Role 3 Working in collaboration and developing alliances: Generation Squeeze has built a coalition that now surpasses 26,000 people and a variety of organizational allies

Role 4 Using the legal and regulatory system: Generation Squeeze uses its research to directly influence government budget decisions to invest in social policy for younger generations

 

Use this resource to:

  • Integrate an advocacy approach into your health equity activities
  • Develop a health equity framework or strategy for your organization
  • Identify policy solutions to improve the living and working conditions for younger generations

 

Other resources in the 'Learning from Practice' series:

 

Related resources:

Let’s Talk: Advocacy and health equity


Reference:

National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health. (2017). Learning from Practice: Advocacy for health equity - Generation Squeeze. Antigonish, NS: National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health, St. Francis Xavier University.

Tags: Community engagement, Evaluation, Healthy public policy, Intersectoral action, Leadership & capacity building, Socioeconomic status, Working conditions, Participate in policy development, Partner with other sectors, Document, Case Study, Learning from Practice