Government of Canada
The Honourable, Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development
I am honored to be a SheDecides Champion. Guided by Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy, I am firmly committed to advancing comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). As Canada’s Minister of International Development and as a SheDecides Champion, I commit to promote an intersectional approach to advancing gender equality in order to be inclusive and reflective of the diversity of women’s and girls’ lived experiences throughout their life cycle. I welcome the opportunity to connect and work with all stakeholders, including youth, to close gaps in SRHR for women and girls worldwide, helping to give a voice to the poorest and most vulnerable. I see an opportunity to both share and disrupt power, advocating for and with those who do not have the space to speak up, including youth, Indigenous and LGBTQ2I+ people. As a Champion, I will work to advance rights-based and comprehensive SRHR priorities, including in gap areas such as safe abortion and post abortion care, comprehensive sexuality education, SRHR advocacy, family planning and sexual and gender-based violence. I will raise the profile of the SheDecides movement and promote its vision and objectives. And most importantly, I will use this opportunity to listen and to learn from a diverse group of leaders and activists who are connecting, shifting power and subverting norms, standing up and acting so that “only SheDecides about her body, life and future".
Anita Vandenbeld
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development
Ms. Vandenbeld is an international expert on democracy and human rights. She has worked in over 20 countries on inclusive governance and women’s leadership, including with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Democratic Governance Group in New York. There, she managed a multi-partner international network that aimed to promote women's political participation. “There is overwhelming evidence that bodily autonomy and sexual and reproductive health and rights are critical to achieving gender equality.” “When women and girls have access to the same opportunities as men and boys — when there is gender equality — families, communities and countries thrive. Empowered women and girls have positive ripple effects across the whole of society. And to be empowered, women and girls need to be healthy, and their rights need to be fulfilled. They need access to quality health care and a good education - including comprehensive sexuality education - to make informed decisions about their bodies. Only then can women and girls reach their full potential.”
How we are working so SheDecides
Canada supports the goal of ensuring that women and girls in all their diversity can decide what to do with their bodies, their lives and their futures — without question. Guided by our Feminist International Assistance Policy, we adopt a comprehensive approach to helping women and girls around the world thrive. Our approach focusses on improving the health and rights of women and children, including through access to comprehensive SRHR; investing in women’s rights organisations and feminist movements; and supporting quality education and skills training for girls and women in developing countries, including in fragile, crisis and conflict-affected situations.
Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP)
Canada firmly believes that supporting gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls is the most effective way to build a more peaceful, more inclusive and more prosperous world and thus eradicate poverty. The FIAP prioritises the investments, partnerships and advocacy efforts that have the greatest potential to close gender gaps, eliminate barriers to gender equality and help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. It recognises that inequalities exist along intersectional lines and supports the economic, political and social empowerment of women and girls, and makes gender equality a priority, for the benefit of all people. Achieving gender equality around the world could increase global gross domestic product (GDP) by $12 trillion in a single decade.
Read MoreCanada’s 10-Year Commitment to Global Health and Rights
As part of its Feminist International Assistance Policy, Canada launched a ten-year commitment to advance the health and rights of women and girls around the world (2020-2030). Canada is increasing its global health funding to an average of $1.4 billion each year, of which $700 million is dedicated to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Through this Commitment, Canada’s funding supports, the strengthening of health systems including reproductive health services with a focus on the neglected areas of SRHR, namely comprehensive sexuality education; family planning and contraceptives; safe abortion and post-abortion care; SRHR advocacy; and, preventing and responding to sexual and gender-based violence. Canada collaborates closely with Ministries of Health in developing countries and with other partners and donors to strengthen health systems and increase aid effectiveness.
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Women’s Voice and Leadership (WVL) Program
As part of our Feminist International Assistance Policy, Canada’s Women’s Voice and Leadership Program aims to meet the needs of local women's rights organisations around the world. Canada’s support helps them advance gender equality and empower women and girls in all their diversity. It promotes and protects their human rights. Projects that are implemented by local women’s rights organisations, or in direct partnership with them, are highly encouraged.
Read MoreSome of the projects Canada is supporting:
