For the third consecutive year, York University has been recognized by a leading national agency as one of Canada’s top organizations committed to advancing social justice, decolonizing, equity, diversity and inclusion (DEDI) across its campuses.
The annual Canada’s Best Diversity Employers list is part of the Canada’s Top 100 Employers project and evaluates workplace diversity and inclusiveness programs.
During the review process, adjudicators measured how well York embeds DEDI commitments into its long-term planning, governance and community engagement. Initiatives ranging from York's programs for underrepresented communities to its strategic approach were considered against those of other post-secondary institutions.
York was cited again as a Best Diversity Employer for initiatives such as the development of its Decolonizing, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2023-28, its inclusion-oriented recruitment processes and the customized education sessions provided by the Centre for Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion.
“We’re incredibly honoured to be recognized as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for the third year in a row. York’s commitment to equity, decolonization and social justice has long guided who we are and how we move forward,” says Parissa Safai, interim vice-president of the Division of Equity, People & Culture. “Our diversity and how we draw on that as a response for innovation for doing things differently, for creating real positive change in the community, is precisely what makes York different and special.”
The distinction reflects the University’s ongoing efforts as a progressive institution dedicated to a culture of equity and social justice.
The University embeds these commitments across its campuses by advancing the DEDI strategy alongside the Framework and Action Plan on Black Inclusion and the Indigenous Framework. These principles are also core to York’s well-being and sustainability strategies.
The 2026 Best Diversity Employers announcement follows other recent recognitions of York’s leadership in advancing equity. In the 2025 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, which evaluate how universities contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), York placed second across Canada in SDG 5 – Gender equality and SDG 10 – Reduced inequalities.
In 2025, York was named the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) Hub Chair for Sustainable Development Goal 10 – Reducing Inequality for a three-year term, recognizing its efforts to address systemic inequality and exclusion across the University’s operations, teaching, research and outreach.
“These recognitions energize our ongoing work in decolonizing, equity, diversity and inclusion,” says Safai. “Further, they reinforce the importance of the commitments we have made as a university and are a testament to the efforts of our University community members working together to dialogue and work together across difference.”