Canada invests $1.6 million to help women and girls succeed

To continue to advance gender equality and women's empowerment, the Government of Canada is investing in projects that focus on important issues like encouraging leadership and democratic participation among women and girls. Investments like these will help give them the tools they need to succeed.

"Women's rights and equality-seeking organizations play a critical role in creating a stronger, fairer and more inclusive Canada. Since 2015, we have increased direct funding to these organizations five-fold to ensure they can continue their vital work. Today's investment of more than $1.6 million to these three impactful organizations will help them build programs to empower women and girls everywhere, and advance our goal of achieving gender-equality in Canada and around the world. Each year, our partners across the country improve the lives of millions of women and girls, and we thank them for their essential work."

The Honourable Maryam Monsef, P.C., M.P.

Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development

"With this support from Women and Gender Equality Canada, CanWaCH has launched the Equal Futures Network which will: develop an online platform dedicated to mapping and amplifying the efforts of organizations advancing gender equality from coast to coast to coast; amplify the stories of impact that this work is accomplishing; and, work in partnership with organizations across the country to advance gender equality in Canada.

"The Equal Futures Network is founded on the knowledge that critical work is happening to advance gender equality across the country, across sectors, and across a diverse range of Canadians. This work is often grassroots in nature and happens in small spaces across different communities. Together, through the Equal Futures Network, we can be better seen, better heard, and better able to continue to join the fight for more equality and more justice."

Julia Anderson, Chief Executive Officer

Canadian Partnership for Women and Children's Health

"In the lead up to the 25th Anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA), the Canadian Beijing+25 Network, a grassroots network of over 60 feminist organizations, has been working collaboratively to share knowledge, resources, and recommendations. Working together in the feminist movement, diverse women's rights and feminist civil society organizations play a crucial role in the advancement of women's rights and gender equality in Canada. Our collective expertise, analyses, and recommendations for actions are vital for progress and implementation of the BPfA. As a member of this diverse pan-Canadian feminist network, the Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women is grateful to be the recipient of this funding on behalf of the Canadian Beijing+25 Network."

Jacqueline Neapole, Executive Director

Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women

"Thank you to WAGE for their additional funding for FAFIA's project 'Implementing Women's International Human's Rights'. This funding will allow FAFIA to continue working in partnership with diverse women's organizations across Canada towards gender equality by working together to reduce and eradicate the social, economic barriers women experience in their daily lives."

Hawa Y. Mire, Executive Director

Feminist Alliance for International Action

• Twenty-five years ago, leaders from 189 countries endorsed the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. This Declaration, also known as Beijing+25, was the most inclusive agenda on gender equality and women's empowerment to date, and focused on important issues like equality in political participations and leadership, access to education, reproductive rights and healthcare, and assistance to women experiencing gender-based violence.

• Budget 2019 committed $160 million over five years to the Women's Program, a program that aims to enable further community action to tackle systemic barriers impeding women's progress, while recognizing and addressing the diverse experiences of gender and inequality across the country.

• Projects funded by Women and Gender Equality Canada are estimated to have reached approximately 6 million people in 2019-20, reducing barriers for them in areas of economic equality and gender-based violence, and building capacity and confidence in the areas of leadership.

• Between 2015 and 2019, the Government of Canada increased funding to women's and gender equality seeking organizations from under $20 million per year to over $65 million per year.

• The Government of Canada has provided $100 million in emergency COVID-19 funding to organizations serving women and children experiencing gender-based violence. To date, over 1,000 organizations across the country have received emergency funding supporting over 700,000 people.

• The Government of Canada is also investing $350 million in the Emergency Community Support Fund to support charities and non-profit organizations requiring financial assistance to address the pandemic.

• On February 11, 2021, Women and Gender Equality Canada announced a call for proposals, that will provide $100 million to support women impacted by the pandemic.