July 20, 2023 – Ottawa, Canada – Global Affairs Canada

Canada is dedicated to working with Canadian and international companions to uphold and promote the well being and rights of ladies and women, together with their sexual and reproductive well being and rights (SRHR).

Earlier this week, the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of International Development and Minister accountable for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada, the Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, and Arielle Kayabaga, Member of Parliament for London West, took half within the 2023 Women Deliver Conference in Kigali, Rwanda. While on the convention, they participated in lots of occasions and had the chance to fulfill with different coverage leaders, activists, ladies’s rights organisations and youth, to focus on Canada’s continued management and help for them to advance gender equality and complete SRHR, together with help for victims of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).

During a panel dialogue on SRHR, bodily autonomy and abortion rights, Minister Sajjan introduced greater than $200 million in funding for brand spanking new tasks. The tasks are a part of Canada’s SheSOARS initiative, funded as a part of the 10-Year Commitment to Global Health and Rights. Projects funded below SheSOARS help uncared for and underfunded areas of SRHR, together with household planning, complete sexuality schooling, advocacy for SRHR, protected abortion and post-abortion care, and sexual and gender-based violence.

During a facet occasion to debate methods to finish baby, early and compelled marriage, co-hosted by the Government of Canada, UNFPA, UNICEF, and Girls Not Brides, Minister Sajjan introduced an allocation of $35 million, as a part of the $200-million SheSOARS package deal, for the UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme to End Child Marriage, and $3 million for the Girls Not Brides undertaking. During his remarks, Minister Sajjan underscored the necessity for pressing motion to finish baby marriage, as a result of with out further commitments to this situation, over 80 million women shall be compelled to marry between now and 2030.

At a reception with MSI Reproductive Choices, MP Kayabaga introduced a $10-million allocation for MSI for the “Advancing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights project” – additionally a part of Canada’s SheSOARS initiative – to assist attain hundreds of ladies and women in Africa, Asia and Latin America every year with lifesaving sexual and reproductive well being companies.

During a pre-conference occasion on strengthening care insurance policies, MP Kayabaga introduced $25 million in funding for a undertaking, in partnership with the International Development Research Centre, that can work straight with ladies leaders, native specialists, and native establishments to scale up options for girls’s unpaid care work. She additionally introduced $5.2 million for Oxfam Canada’s Time to Care undertaking, which addresses gender norms and helps progressive care insurance policies. These investments help a care financial system that empowers and consists of ladies and women, and are a part of Canada’s $100-million dedication to handle inequalities in unpaid and paid care work internationally.

On the margins of the convention, Minister Sajjan met with a number of Rwandan authorities representatives, together with Rwanda’s Minister of Health, Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana. This dialogue centered round how Rwanda tackles challenges within the well being sector, and on Canada’s Technical Assistance Partnership (TAP) program. Minister Sajjan and MP Kayabaga additionally met with Rwanda’s Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Dr. Ildephonse Musafiri, to debate Rwandan priorities in agriculture and Canada’s strategy to agriculture and meals safety below its Feminist International Assistance Policy, together with with regard to fertilizer and ladies’s financial empowerment. With Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr. Vincent Biruta, the dialogue was about avenues to additional deepen bilateral relations between Canada and Rwanda.

During the convention, Minister Sajjan, together with Minister Ien and MP Kayaba, met with President Paul Kagame, to debate regional safety, in addition to to congratulate Rwanda for internet hosting the Women Deliver Conference.

Minister Ien additionally visited the Skills, Leadership, Education (CLE) Program applied by Forum for African Women Educationalists, to find out about schooling and sexual and reproductive well being education schemes funded by Canada.

The Canadian delegation additionally visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial, a spot of remembrance and studying devoted to the victims of the Genocide in opposition to the Tutsi in Rwanda.

Minister Sajjan is accompanied by MP Kayabaga in Tanzania, the place he’ll go to tasks supported by the Government of Canada specializing in well being, SRHR, inclusive financial development, vitamin and meals safety, and meet with officers to debate points within the area and Canada’s ongoing dedication to Tanzania.

Quotes

“I appreciated this opportunity to exchange and share the stage with policy leaders, women’s rights organisations and youth advocates who are dedicated to standing up for SRHR. Gender equality and protecting SRHR are critical to advancing all of our development goals. We must continue to work together to uphold and promote the rights of women and girls. And this must include their sexual and reproductive health and rights.”

• Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of International Development and Minister accountable for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada

“As we face global crises, it is imperative that we continue to work together on empowering women and ensuring gender equality. We stand to learn so much from each other, especially from girls, women’s rights organisations and local communities, about protecting and advancing the rights of women and girls in all their diversity.”

• Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth

“I was pleased to see the many new initiatives take shape, leading to more investments and stronger partnerships. I am committed to continue advocating for pathways to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights, in Canada and everywhere. Women deserve the right to choose for their bodies and as a leader, it is our duty to protect these essential human rights.”

• Arielle Kayabaga, Member of Parliament for London West

Quick information

Canada’s 10-Year Commitment (2020-2030) to Global Health and Rights was introduced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the 2019 Women Deliver Conference in Vancouver. This dedication consists of $700 million a yr for SRHR, with an emphasis on supporting 5 significantly uncared for and underfunded areas of SRHR.

In 2021-2022, Canada’s help offered protected abortions and post-abortion care to 47,185 ladies in 18 nations via 15 tasks.

The Government of Canada is a long-standing worldwide chief on ladies’s rights and gender equality. In 2021-22, Canada was among the many high bilateral donors in supporting ladies’s rights organisations in growing nations, in addition to in ending violence in opposition to ladies and women. In only one yr, Canada and its companions reached over 42 million individuals via tasks aimed toward ending SGBV.

On June 30, 2021, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau introduced $100 million to handle unpaid and paid care work points in for low- and middle-income nations, to assist improve ladies’s capability to take part within the financial system, in schooling, and in public life. Canada is without doubt one of the main donors on care work worldwide.