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Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security 2017-2022 - Global Affairs Canada - Progress report for fiscal year 2018-2019

Table of Contents

Definitions:

Target: What would Canada like to accomplish by the end of the lifespan of the Action Plan OR by the proposed target date?

Baseline: A “baseline” is a clearly defined starting point (point of departure), thus as of April 1, 2017 from where implementation begins.   The baseline can be described in a quantitative or qualitative manner. 

Activity: What actions will Canada undertake in order to advance from the baseline to the target?

Indicator:  What are the quantitative or qualitative indicators that Canada is moving from the baseline to the target and/or accomplishing the proposed activities? 

Abbreviations

ACCBP
Anti-Crime Capacity Building Program
CFLI
Canada Fund for Local Initiatives
CSO
Civil society organizations
CT
Counter-terrorism
CTCBP
Counter-Terrorism Capacity Building Program
CVE
Counter-violent extremism
DRC
Democratic Republic of Congo
FARC
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
FY
Fiscal year
GBA+
Gender-based Analysis Plus
GBV
Gender-based violence
GE
Gender Equality
ICRC
International Committee of the Red Cross
IGAD
Intergovernmental Authority on Development
IOF
International Organisation of La Francophonie
LGBTI
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex
NAP
National Action Plan
NATO
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
NGO
Non-governmental organization
OECD
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
OSCE
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
P/CVE
Prevention and Countering of Violent Extremism
PSOPs
Peace and Stabilization Operations Program
SEA
Sexual exploitation and abuse
SGBV
Sexual and gender-based violence
SRHR
Sexual and reproductive health and rights
UNGA
United Nations General Assembly
UNSCR
United Nations Security Council Resolution
VAW
Violence against women
WMD
Weapons of mass destruction
WTRP
Weapons Threat Reduction Program
WPS
Women, Peace and Security

Executive summary

Global Affairs Canada’s implementation plan for the Government of Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) includes 96 targets across development assistance, humanitarian action and peace and stabilization efforts.

The targets in the implementation plan are set for a selection of countries and programs to focus our efforts and facilitate progress measurement. However, Global Affairs Canada recognizes that implementation of the WPS agenda is a cross-cutting effort, and strives to integrate the agenda into all relevant lines of effort. This report is therefore not an exhaustive overview of all departmental efforts to implement the WPS agenda, but rather provides a snapshot of this work to provide transparency and exemplify successes, progress, challenges, and areas for improvement. 

This report covers the period of 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019. Every target is assigned an objective rating based on progress achieved to date, provides details on completed activities, and analyzes results and progress. Changes were made to the GAC implementation plan in FY 2018/19 to ensure that targets, activities, and indicators better capture progress, clarify language, reduce redundancies, and become more ambitious.

Each target has been assigned a ratingFootnote 1 as follows:

0 - Too Early to Report

1 - Attention Required

2 - Mostly on Track

3 - On Track

4 -Target Achieved or Surpassed

In total, 28 targets contribute to achieving Objective 1: Increase the meaningful participation of women, women’s organizations and networks in conflict prevention, conflict resolution, and post-conflict statebuilding. This includes targets on supporting greater representation of women in institutions and mechanisms responsible for conflict prevention and resolution, as well as supporting gender mainstreaming efforts of these institutions; providing support to women’s organizations for advancing gender equality, including on preventing sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV); as well as all targets related to advocacy on WPS. Of the targets contributing to this objective, 64% have been achieved or surpassed (3) or are on track (15), with 36% (10) are mostly on track. All of the targets for Objective 1 can now be reported on (in FY 2017/18 five targets could not be reported on) and none are rated as needing attention.

Ten targets contribute to Objective 2: Prevent, respond to and end impunity for SGBV perpetrated in conflict and sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) by peacekeepers and other international personnel, including humanitarian and development staff. This includes targets such as building the capacity of health institutions to address SGBV cases; enhancing the knowledge and exercise of women’s and girls’ human rights, including those related to SGBV and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR); as well as enhancing the use of justice support services, particularly in cases related to SGBV. Of the ten targets contributing to this objective, 60% are rated as on track (6), and 40% are rated as mostly on track (4). No targets for Objective 2 require attention, and all targets are able to be reported on (reduced from three instances where targets were too early to report on in FY 2017/18).

In total, 31 contribute to Objective 3: Promote and protect women’s and girls’ human rights, gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in fragile and conflict-affected settings. This includes targets on gender mainstreaming in counter-terrorism and international anti-crime policy and advocacy; integration of gender issues into diplomacy on disarmament; women’s political, social and economic empowerment in fragile and conflict-affected states; gender-sensitive criminal investigations; women’s access to justice and legal representation; as well as girls’ access to education. Of these targets, 68% are on track (13) or have been achieved or surpassed (8), while 29% (9) targets have been rated as mostly on track. None of the targets for Objective 3 require attention, and one is too early to report on.

Two targets contribute to Objective 4: Meet the specific needs of women and girls in humanitarian settings, including the upholding of their sexual and reproductive rights and access to sexual and reproductive health services, with both targets being rated as on track.

A total of four targets contribute to the Action Plan’s final objective, Objective 5: Strengthen the capacity of peace operations to advance the WPS agenda. The Elsie Initiative for Women in Peace Operations has made substantial contributions to advance this objective, and new targets with indicators have been added to the Implementation Plan to enable the measuring of the Initiative’s results and contributions to implementing the Action Plan. All of the four targets for this objective are rated as on track.

Beyond the targets assigned to meet the five objectives of the Action Plan, the GAC implementation plan also measures internal capacity and efficiency, as success in this area is critical to ensuring that WPS principles are advanced in all of the department’s work. The GAC implementation plan has 21 dedicated targets to improve internal capacity and efficiency, which supports the achievement of the five objectives without contributing to them directly. Of these targets, 80% are on track (14) or have been achieved or surpassed (3), while 3 are mostly on track and 1 needs attention.

Overall, the report demonstrates that significant efforts have been made toward improving reporting and efforts on implementation of the Action Plan. Most notably, targets that are “too early to report on” have been decreased from 14 in FY 2017/18 to 1 in FY 2018/19, demonstrating that increased efforts have been made across the department to collect the necessary data to produce this report. Furthermore, the number of targets that have been achieved or surpassed has increased from 5 in FY 2017/18 to 14 in FY 2018/19.

Thematic programs

1. Global Issues and Development Branch

Context: Through the Global Issues and Development Branch, Global Affairs Canada engages with multilateral and international organizations to advance Canadian development and humanitarian priorities. These partners have the capacity, expertise, and mandate to address global challenges, achieve sustainable development results, including in fragile and conflict-affected states, and respond effectively in humanitarian crises. Initiatives supported by this program help Canada shape international assistance policy, promote an effective and efficient multilateral development and humanitarian system, and address global issues – including GE and the empowerment of women and girls; environment, climate action and water; peace and security; human rights, governance, democracy and inclusion; health, education and nutrition; and inclusive and green economic growth.

Canada’s humanitarian assistance aims to save lives, alleviate suffering and maintain human dignity for people affected by humanitarian crises.  This includes providing financial support to experienced humanitarian partners responding to these crises, such as United Nations agencies, the Red Cross/Red Crescent movement and non-governmental organizations, founded on the humanitarian principles of human dignity, neutrality, impartiality and independence. It also includes engagement with humanitarian organizations and networks to support and strengthen the capacity of the humanitarian system. Canada’s increasing support to experienced humanitarian partners in SRHR in emergencies, is helping to address gender-based gaps in access to reproductive health services; to integrate comprehensive GBV response and treatment in reproductive health; and provide safe spaces for women and girls.

Priorities

Mainstream WPS and GE into Canada’s conflict prevention, relief and recovery efforts

1.1 TargetFootnote 2: The capacity, skills, knowledge and resources for GE, primarily among Global Affairs Canada officers, are increased. 

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK /Internal efficiency & capacity

Baseline:

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: In FY 2018/19, a total of 163 GAC staff at headquarters and missions have attended the GE courses delivered by GAC GE specialists, an increase from FY 2015/16, when 135 GAC staff participated.

Positive feedback given by participants indicated that both courses (‘Integrating GE in Programming’ and ‘Managing for GE Results) provided a comprehensive overview of GE concepts and contributed to increased department-wide understanding for how to apply the new Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP) to their work.

In FY 2018/19, GE tailored training was provided by GE Specialists to two missions. Participants in this specific context agreed that their knowledge in GE has improved and they felt confident to use what they learned in the ‘Managing for GE Results Training’ course. In addition, due to the high level of interest and support for GE and women’s empowerment in the GAC Bangladesh Program, participants felt that this training should be extended by one day to cover the elements of the course more in-depth and to allow more time to master the use of indicators.

In FY 2018/19, the Feminist International Assistance GE Toolkit for Projects has been made available to the public, including external partners. This toolkit aims to provide guidance to GAC officers and partners in designing GE integrated and specific international assistance projects that will contribute to the FIAP’s targets. Tip sheets on feminist approach to monitoring and evaluation were made available to WVL programs, including in fragile and conflict-affected states (e.g. DRC, South Sudan, Kenya, Mali, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Myanmar). These tip sheets aim to provide guidance on feminist values and principles guiding the WVL Program. The GE Coding Chart for Education in Conflict and Crisis Affected Environments was also made available for use by staff. This chart provided guidance to GAC projects officers regarding GE coding on education projects in humanitarian settings and fragile and conflict-affected states.

Prior to the distribution of these tools, consultations with relevant branches across GAC took place to ensure that the needs of staff and partners were properly addressed. For instance, the GE Coding Chart for Education in Conflict and Crisis Affected Environments is the result of an interdepartmental working group led by MGS (with the contribution of MGG, KFM, MFMZ). GE specialists continue to provide technical support, advice and share these tools with project officers and partners to help them better integrate and target GE results into programming in particular in support of Canada’s G7 $400 M Charlevoix commitment on quality education for girls, adolescent girls and women in conflict and crisis situations.

1.2 TargetFootnote 3: 80% of global humanitarian assistance funding integrate GE by 2021* to better meet the needs of women and girls in humanitarian settings.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: TARGET ACHIEVED OR SURPASSED/Internal efficiency & capacity

Baseline: 53% of global humanitarian assistance funding integrates GE.

Activity: 

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: To increase integration of GE in its programming, the International Humanitarian Assistance Bureau sought to build awareness and increase capacity. These efforts continued from the previous FY, and sought to maintain momentum by leveraging high-level/ministerial events but also at the local level through field missions with partners. Canada continues to leverage its existing networks and pushes for the application/implementation of existing tools on gender-responsive humanitarian action.

In June 2018, Canada, alongside other G7 donors, committed to the G7 Whistler Declaration on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and Girls in Humanitarian Action which sought to promote system-level change, and to ensure that humanitarian action is principled, evidence-based, and empowering. Within the Declaration, Canada committed to hosting a high-level meeting in 2019, ahead of the Women Deliver 2019 Conference in Vancouver, to review progress in addressing GE in humanitarian action. Some of the tenets of the Declaration include strengthening women and girls’ access to health care and increasing accountability to affected populations.

Beyond advocacy efforts internationally, Canada continues to promote gender-responsive humanitarian action through its annual funding processes. A new approach was adopted this year, which included specific criteria to ensure proposals had a strong analysis.

Canada has developed an Action Plan to advance gender-responsive humanitarian action in the Rohingya context. It focuses on improved leadership, accountability and strengthened field-level implementation and coordination of gender-responsive humanitarian action in this context. A series of projects are being developed with partners to operationalise this approach.  This includes the UN Women-led ‘Gender Hub’ to improve the gender-responsiveness of the entire humanitarian response through training programmes and technical support for humanitarian workers about gender, GBV, and SEA. The results, best practices and challenges from this innovative and complementary tranche of funding will be used to demonstrate further evidence on the importance of gender-responsive humanitarian action in all responses. During High Level Week at the United Nations General Assembly, former Minister of International Development Marie-Claude Bibeau co-hosted a high-level panel with the Government of Bangladesh to build momentum on the G7 Declaration from June and to highlight Canada’s approach to the Rohingya response.

In February 2019, Global Affairs Canada and the Humanitarian Response Network (HRN) co-hosted a public lecture event by Under-Secretary-General and Emergency Relief Coordinator (USG/ERC) and Head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Mark Lowcock and side panel with former Minister of International Development Marie-Claude Bibeau on gender-responsive humanitarian action.

Realize women's and girls' human rights, particularly on preventing and responding to sexual and GBV in humanitarian settings

1.3 Target: Advocacy by Canada on preventing and responding to SGBV in emergencies is increased. 

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/OBJ 4

Baseline: In FY 2017/18, 13 Canadian events, statements, speeches and interventions to UN Executive boards and other multilateral foraFootnote 4 that explicitly bring attention to GBV in emergencies.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: In the reporting period, Canada advocated for GE and strengthened prevention and response to GBV in emergencies in its statements at United Nations Executive Boards, at UN General Assembly events and resolution negotiations, and other events, as well as through engagement with senior officials of different states and organizations in 25 occasions.

In June 2018, under Canada’s leadership, G7 States issued the Whistler Declaration on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and Girls in Humanitarian Action. The Declaration includes a commitment to strengthen prevention and response to GBV in crises by upholding international law and humanitarian principles, and supporting the field implementation of the Call to Action on Protection from GBV in Emergencies. The following examples speak to some efforts Global Affairs has undertaken to advocate for broader inclusion of SGBV.  

For example, on September 27, 2018, during UNGA at the “Children and Women Under Attack: Ending GBV in Emergencies” event, Canada’s Deputy Minister of International Development, Diane Jacovella, spoke about the steps Canada has taken to strengthen prevention, mitigation and response efforts, and urged others to strengthen the quality of programming, have targeted programming that responds to specific gaps in meeting identified needs, and build partnerships for a comprehensive approach to addressing and responding to GBV risk.

As another example, on December 10, 2018, Canada and the European Union co-hosted an event to underscore the handover of the leadership of the Call to Action. H.E. Daniel J. Costello, Ambassador, Mission of Canada to the European Union, delivered closing remarks where he identified Canada’s priorities for the Call to Action, which include strategically shaping the Call to Action into the next phase, through the development of the next multi-year Road Map; continuing with field-level implementation of the Call to Action to drive sustainable change and help the most vulnerable; and to engage local actors and women’s organizations.

On February 7, 2019, Canada and the Women’s Refugee Commission (WRC) organized a day-long brainstorming meeting on the Call to Action Road Map, “Looking Ahead to 2020 and Beyond.” This meeting was the first step of a two-year revision process.

Canada hosted a panel discussion “Assessing Needs and Saving Lives” at United Nations Headquarters with humanitarian partners on February 8, 2019 to answer questions about the Call to Action, its goals and achievements, and to explore further how can transform the delivery of humanitarian assistance on the ground.

Canada advocated for the inclusion of strong language on prevention and response to GBV in humanitarian United Nations and ECOSOC resolutions in FY 2018/19. For example, with Canada’s support, the ECOSOC June 2018 resolution urges Member States to continue to prevent, investigate and, as appropriate, prosecute acts of sexual and GBV while ensuring the safety of victims in humanitarian emergencies. 

Reduce gender inequalities in access to and control over the resources and benefits of development

1.4 TargetFootnote 5Footnote 6: Canada demonstrates increased leadership on advancing SRHR in fragile and humanitarian settings.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/ OBJ 4

Baseline: In FY 2017/18, Global Affairs Canada disbursed $215M to provide access to or increase use of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services in fragile and conflict-affected countries. Canada made 23 public interventions in international fora that explicitly promoted SRHR in fragile and conflict-affected countries and demonstrated Canada’s high-level commitment to this issue.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: Canada continues to demonstrate leadership in advancing SRHR in fragile and conflict-affected settings. In FY 2018/19, Canada updated its funding guidelines for Canadian partners, requiring those partners who outline activities in sexual and reproductive health to provide more information. This information includes, a minimum, of reporting against two key performance indicators and the percentage of the budget allocated to SRHR activities. Alongside the additional information required in its funding, Canada has advocated for the inclusion of SRHR-related language and programming in different international fora. Examples include:

Canada continues to contribute to promoting SRHR in the global development agenda through the participation in and support to high-level international events. This reporting cycle is challenging.  The Bureau is looking at opportunities to better track this engagement for future reporting. Some highlights and outcomes of Canada’s contributions include:

In addition, during the reporting period, the Department disbursed $233M to provide access to or increase use of SRH services in fragile and humanitarian settings, compared to $215M in FY 2017/18.

2. Peace and Stabilization Operations Program Bureau (PSOPs)

Context: Canada is taking concrete actions to prevent and respond to conflicts abroad and to support UN peace operations in building a more peaceful and prosperous world. In 2018, Canada’s Peace and Stabilization Operations Program (PSOPs) became a permanent program within Global Affairs Canada (GAC).  This is an important step forward in how the Government of Canada is equipped and structured to prevent conflict, respond to peace and stability challenges, and support transformative changes in how political, economic and social power are negotiated, shared, and used by different actors in fragile and conflict-affected states. PSOPs is the Government of Canada’s principal platform for conflict prevention, stabilization and peacebuilding. It engages in Fragile and Conflict Affected States (FCAS) leveraging resources of, and partnerships with, multilateral institutions, NGOs, implementing partners, and like-minded nations. PSOPs contributes to improved peace, security, and stability for all people in FCAS. Its policy, operations, and programming are guided by GBA+ and principles of GE to ensure gender-responsive interventions and inclusive access to justice, social services, economic opportunity, political power and good governance. PSOPs also coordinates the implementation of Canada's NAP on WPS. It actively promotes the role of women in conflict resolution, prevention and post-conflict state building, and contributes to the prevention of and accountability for SGBV and SEA.

Priorities

Increase funding for the implementation of the WPS agenda

2.1 TargetFootnote 8,Footnote 9: 

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK – 2.11, 2.1.2, 2.1.3, 2.1.4 /OBJ 3

Baseline:

In FY 2017/18, PSOPs produced the following results:

Activity:

Indicator:  

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: In order to reach the targets, a number of actions have been adopted within PSOPs that are having a positive impact:

Some concrete results of these actions include:

Report on the implementation of the Action Plan

2.2 Target: Annual progress reports on implementation of the Action Plan are aimed to be tabled in Parliament every September.  In addition, an independent mid-term review and summative evaluation is conducted six (6) months after the end of the report in collaboration with civil society.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/internal efficiency and capacity

Baseline: Annual progress reports for the first Action Plan were often tabled 12 months after the end of the reporting year, both because it took a minimum of six months to finalize the report (to receive input from the Action Plan partners, draft, consult, approve, translate and edit), and due to operational requirements. A mid-term evaluation was conducted.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: PSOPs’ reporting process is functioning well in its second year, but aims for continuous improvement. Recognizing the extensive and complex nature of the Action Plan reporting process, PSOPs has worked diligently to build upon best practices from FY 17/18 to ensure that GAC focal points and implementing partners are supported in providing accurate and thorough data for the Action Plan report. To do this, PSOPs updated the reporting template and instructions to be more clear and streamlined. One-on-one sessions and informational meetings were also facilitated, which covered both best practices on Action Plan reporting for the Government of Canada, and the importance and challenges of reporting on the WPS agenda more globally. These sessions were well-received by GAC focal points and implementing partners, and it was clear that those who participated were able to integrate lessons learned into their reporting. Moving forward, PSOPs is committed to exploring how to better align Action Plan reporting with GAC corporate reporting to leverage internal reporting expertise and ensure consistency across lines of effort.

2.3 Target: Tracking and reporting on Global Affairs Canada’s WPS-related funding is consistent and lends itself to year-over-year comparison by 2018/19.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/internal efficiency and capacity

Baseline: Global Affairs Canada began tracking and publishing department wide WPS-related funding in FY 2014/15. However, the results were inconsistent due to a variety of factors, including the differences in the project management systems and the subjective definition of WPS-related projects.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: PSOPs continued tracking WPS spending uniformly, efficiently and consistently throughout the fiscal year and included results in its annual reporting. The methodology is based on a combination of GE codes, purpose codes created by the OECD, and a list of selected fragile and conflict-affected states. By focusing on projects identified as GE03 and GE02, the method focuses only on projects that aim to significantly advance GE. The sub-themes of the WPS agenda are captured by the select OECD purpose codes. By using the same methodology as in FY 2017/18, reporting on funding is consistent from year to year.

A challenge with the current system is that it does not report on what types of organizations receive funding. Recognizing the importance of funding Women’s Rights Organizations, and the clear ask from civil society for transparency on which organizations receive WPS-related funding, GAC will endeavor to update the tracking methodology in FY 2019/20 to identify what percentage of WPS-related funding goes to women’s organizations.

2.4 Target: Robust, coherent, and clearly measureable indicators are established and used by 2018/19

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/ Internal efficiency and capacity

Baseline: Some of the indicators in the GAC implementation plan are not robust or easily measureable.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress:  The Implementation Plan indicators have been updated and strengthened for Global Affairs Canada, to improve their coherence and measurability.  While there is a need for consistency in implementation plans from year to year, there is also a necessary recognition that the contexts in which this Action Plan reports on change from year to year, and so must our activities. After completing the first year of reporting for the second Action Plan in FY 2017/18, officers were able to identify where implementation plans could be improved to better report and be more ambitious in future reporting cycles. For example, targets that were already met in the first FY of reporting were made more ambitious; redundancies were removed; indicators and activities were revised and streamlined; and language was clarified where possible. These changes will allow for the FY 2018/19 report to better capture progress. The changes made to the implementation plans also balance both a need for consistency in the plan, and the recognition that the implementation plans are evergreen documents that at times necessitate updating to ensure transparent reporting and increased commitments to implementation.

Mainstream WPS and gender into PSOPs standard policies and procedures

2.5 Target: By the end of FY 2021/22, all policies, strategies, and processes systematically integrate gender perspectives.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/Internal efficiency & capacity

Baseline: WPS is a priority for PSOPs, gender is integrated in all aspects of the programs tools and templates to ensure that gender is mainstreamed in all PSOPs programming. PSOPs Interdepartmental Advisory Board will now also discuss WPS matters.

Activity:

Indicator: 

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: PSOPs Project Accountability Team endorses each project’s concept and objectives and confirms alignment to policies such as the Feminist International Assistance Policy and Canada’s NAP on WPS.

2.6 TargetFootnote 10: PSOPs will systematically consider the WPS agenda and gender and intersecting identity factors in its policy work, in its contributions to the planning for civilian, police and military deployments, and during its assessment and scoping missions to ensure that PSOPs’ interventions are gender-responsive and integrate and promote the WPS agenda.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/Internal efficiency & capacity

Baseline:

In the FY 2016/17, GBA+ and the WPS agenda were not systematically applied by PSOPs policy officers. Of programming and deployment assessment and scoping missions, 11 out of 15 (73%) included meetings with women’s groups and women’s ministries.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress:

Strengthen WPS and gender capacity within PSOPs

2.7 TargetFootnote 11: By the end of FY 2021/22, PSOPs significantly strengthens its gender expertise.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/Internal efficiency & capacity

Baseline: In FY 2016/17, PSOPs had no gender advisors, but 3 gender focal points who were responsible for reviewing projects from a gender perspective. 60% (15) of PSOPs programming officers and their supervisors completed a gender (including GBA+) or WPS course. No reliable data exists for civilian deployees on GBA+ training prior to 2017-18 and the gender in in fragile and conflict-affected states training was first introduced to staff in 2017/18. Prior to that, only 2 PSOPs project officers and one civilian deployee had attended the course offered by the UK in London.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: With a regular turnover in staff, the number and percentage of PSOPs deployees and staff who have completed online introductory GBA+ training year over year can fluctuate. Nevertheless, the overwhelming majority of staff (86% of those who reported; 52/75 total) and deployees (100% of those who reported; (16/16 total, with response rate of 84% (16/19 total) have completed at least one course on gender. In addition, 72% of project officers have attended in-classroom training on gender in the context of conflict and fragility.

Three in-house, in-classroom gender courses relevant to officers came on line in 2018-19, increasing considerably the selection and availability of relevant gender training and adding in-house training on WPS for the first time. This increase has allowed PSOPs to train and sensitize many more, and more varied staff on the gendered nature of peace and security work and the specific challenges and opportunities it poses (51 Global Affairs Canada employees and 14 from other government departments, including civilian deployees).

These courses have also been designed to complement one another and provide opportunities for deeper dives specific to programming or policy-work. It is also worth noting that, as the selection of training has increased, so too has the level of sophistication and knowledge of participants observed in subsequently piloted courses, leaving time in course design for more advanced, in-depth, or targeted content.  

Further external offerings of training on preventing electoral violence, mediation and security-sector reform also provided staff within PSOPs and across the Department with the opportunity to learn more about the gender considerations in each of these areas, as well as the potential entry points for involving women and addressing the differential gendered impacts.

2.8 TargetFootnote 12: By the end of FY 2021/22, all thematic training on working in fragile and conflict-affected states systematically integrates gender perspectives.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019:  ON TRACK/Internal efficiency & capacity

Most course participants no longer question the importance of integrating gender and seek rather to understand how best to do it.

Baseline: Inconsistent integration of gender perspectives across training content.

Activity:

Indicator: 

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: The entire suite of FCAS-related training offered by Global Affairs Canada covers and builds skills in one or more of the following: GBA+; raising awareness of Canada’s feminist foreign and international assistance policies; and improving people’s understanding of Canada’s NAP on WPS.

Gender considerations were also incorporated, at PSOPs’ request, into the outside FCAS-related training that was offered to staff in 2018/19.

In addition, Global Affairs now has biannual offerings of a course that looks at how to understand and analyze gender in the context of peace and security. This course is open to all GC employees working in FCAS and on peace and security.

Dedicate resources for the Action Plan

2.9 Target: By the end of the FY 2017/18, the management and coordination of the Action Plan’s implementation is supported with sufficient financial resources, and several officers FTEs.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/Internal efficiency & capacity

Baseline: Two officers responsible for the WPS policy and coordination of the Action Plan in FY 2016/17. Operational budget is earmarked for expenses related to the Action Plan management.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress:  The WPS unit now has a team of one deputy director, three policy advisors and one student.  All are dedicated wholly to WPS policy and the coordination of the Action Plan. PSOPs allocated operational budget expenses related to the work, in particular for the annual progress reports (editing, translation and printing).

Address SEA (together with other implementing partners)

2.10 TargetFootnote 13: By the end of FY 2021/22, Canada demonstrates a substantial contribution to the implementation of the UN’s zero tolerance policy on SEA.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: MOSTLY ON TRACK/OBJ 2

Baseline:  Allegations of SEA in UN operations continue to emerge, including incidents involving Canadian peacekeepers. From 2013 to 2017, six substantiated allegations of SEA, which involved Canadian police peacekeepers, were reportedFootnote 14. Canada’s existing reporting, investigating and accountability mechanisms are being used to their full extent. Nevertheless, gaps exist that preclude the UN and Canada from ensuring that perpetrators may be brought to justice in all appropriate cases.

Activity:

Note: Other important SEA activities are carried out as defined by other Action Plan partners and by Global Affairs Canada through Canada’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York.

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: Canada’s strategy and Action Plan to address SEA remains under development. Consultations with key stakeholders, including notably Justice Canada, are ongoing. Canada continued to move forward on key elements of its Action Plan regardless, including through the provision of targeted support to the work of relevant UN bodies and offices, as well as continued advocacy for the full implementation of the UN Secretary General’s Zero Tolerance Policy. This included joining 48 other Member States in a Collective Statement to reaffirm our commitment to support efforts to combat SEA across the UN system. Canada worked to ensure UN peacekeeping missions continued to receive the resources and support necessary to prevent and address incidences of SEA in the field.

Canada co-hosted the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial preparatory meeting on WPS in Addis Ababa in January 2019, organized a discussion amongst UN Member States, the UN Secretariat and civil society on implementation of the Zero-Tolerance Policy its advancement in the context of the UN’s Action for Peacekeeping initiative.

For activities and results related to addressing SEA perpetrated by development and humanitarian personnel, please see target 6.4

Increase the number and role of women in peace operations

2.11 TargetFootnote 15: Canada takes concrete steps to help increase uniformed women’s meaningful participation in UN peace operations.

Progress achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/ OBJ 5

Baseline: Commitment by the Government of Canada to support the United Nations to achieve gender representation targets for uniformed women in peace operations.

Activity: 

Indicator: 

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress:  In FY 2018/19, the Elsie Initiative for Women in Peace Operations: established bilateral technical assistance and training partnerships with the Ghana Armed Forces and Zambia Police Service; collaborated with the UN to design a multi-partner trust fund, which the UN launched in March 2019, and to which Canada contributed CAD 15 million; provided assistance to the UN’s Department of Peace Operations to improve its ability to support and benefit from women’s increased participation in peace operations; commissioned the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF) to develop a comprehensive and innovative barrier assessment methodology, which the Ghana Armed Forces, Zambia Police Service, the Canadian Armed Forces and up to six more military and police institutions worldwide will undergo. This barrier assessment methodology will be publicly available in 2020, and reports will be published by DCAF regarding high-level findings from these assessments over the course of the Elsie Initiative.

As part of the Initiative, Canada has established an eleven country Contact Group to support the design and implementation of the Initiative, as well as political advocacy. In FY 2018/19, Canada hosted seven Contact Group meetings in Ottawa, with five taking place at the Ambassador level, and two taking place at the working level. Canada undertook seven international advocacy events, including three at the Ministerial level, providing Canada, the Contact Group and other stakeholders an opportunity to speak about the Initiative, and seek feedback from a wide range of interlocutors.   

Target 2.12Footnote 16: By the end of FY 2021/22, Canada provides a substantial contribution to the global evidence of barriers to women’s meaningful participation in peace operations in uniformed military and police roles, which is made available to Elsie Initiative partner countries, UN member states, UN entities, civil society, academics and think tanks.

Progress achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/ OBJ 5

Baseline(s): Zero peer and non-peer reviewed research papers, policy papers, issues briefs and reports supported by the Elsie Initiative. Zero comprehensive assessments or related perception surveys on the issue of barriers to uniformed women’s meaningful participation in peace operations supported by the Elsie Initiative.

Activity: 

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: In FY 2018/19, the Elsie Initiative for Women in Peace Operations supported three major projects, which will significantly strengthen the evidence base with respect to the meaningful participation of women in peace operations.

The Elsie Initiative established two evidence-based projects: Reducing Barriers for Uniformed Women in UN Peace Operations with DCAF and the Women’s Participation in UN Peace Operations project with the International Peace Institute (IPI). Both projects aim to provide a substantial contribution to the global evidence of barriers to women’s meaningful participation in peace operations through the conduct of original research, and the publication of a series of barrier assessment and research products (re: issue briefs and policy papers) that grapple with some of the fundamental, under-researched questions regarding uniformed women in peace operations. The outputs will include the development and publication of a comprehensive barrier assessment methodology for police and military institutions, as well as research products that will inform policy debates, and more in-depth analysis and recommendations.

In August 2018, DCAF published the Elsie Initiative Baseline Study. This research identified 14 major barriers to women’s meaningful participation in UN peace operations, residing in the national and UN context. The Baseline Study has enhanced engagement with T/PCCs and the UN on the Initiative, and informed dialogue at the national and international levels. This discourse also informed decisions by DCAF with respect to areas of examination for the comprehensive barrier assessment methodology, which will be implemented with the Ghana Armed Forces and Zambia Police Service. This methodology will triangulate data from relevant national institutions in order to identify specific barriers to uniformed women’s participation in peace operations. DCAF will produce country-specific reports comprising of a summary of the national findings, as well as recommendations for policy and programmatic changes moving forward, and a final summative report. The barrier assessment methodology itself will be publicly available in 2020.

3. Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI)Footnote 17

Context: The Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) is a contributions program, with an annual programming budget of $14.7 million to support small-scale, high impact projects, in countries which qualify for Official Development Assistance (ODA). The objectives of the program are to: 1) contribute to the achievement of Canada’s thematic priorities for international assistance; 2) assist in the advocacy of Canada’s values and interests and the strengthening of Canada’s bilateral relations with foreign countries and their civil societies; and 3) provide humanitarian assistance in the immediate aftermath of natural disasters and emergencies. The CFLI is a unique fund in that most projects are designed and implemented by local CSO that understand and respond to local needs and priorities. The CFLI is managed by Canada’s embassies and high commissions with projects being selected and monitored by Canadian diplomats. All CFLI projects must align with thematic priorities that are reviewed and updated on an annual basis. For FY 2018/19, the thematic priorities are:

Priorities

Strengthen the gender proficiency of CFLI program managers and coordinators at Canadian Embassies and High Commissions

3.1 Target: By the end of FY 2021/22, the CFLI significantly strengthens the gender proficiencyFootnote 18 of the managers and coordinators who implement the program at Canadian Embassies and High Commissions (also known as “missions”) in fragile and conflict affected states.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: MOSTLY ON TRACK/Internal efficiency & capacity

Baseline:  In the baseline year 2017-2018, 32 out of 80, or 40% of CFLI Program Managers and Coordinators   at missions accredited to fragile and conflict-affected states had completed gender training by the end of FY 2017/18.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: All mission staff working on the CFLI program are required to take gender training in order to strengthen their ability to evaluate proposals through a gender lens and to enhance the GE outcomes of CFLI programming. In 2018-2019, 77% (59/77) of CFLI Program Managers and Coordinators at missions accredited to fragile and conflict-affected states reported that they had completed gender training.  This represents a 37% increase in compliance, compared with 2017-18 baseline data. 

Missions reported that gender training increased their ability to advise recipient organizations, especially smaller CSO, on how to consult with women and girls and deliver stronger gender-inclusive projects. As one officer noted, “by having completed the online Status of Women GBA+ training, both CFLI Program Manager and CFLI coordinator were better equipped to explain the CFLI requirements to new partners. Following the training, the Mission organized a workshop with seven NGO representatives to go through the CFLI criteria and respond to any questions partners had.” A number of missions appreciated the comprehensiveness of the Status of Women online course which provided new assessment methods to better select, manage and monitor projects.

A few missions reported that they found it difficult to apply their new gender knowledge and analysis skills in practice. This may have been partly due to a lack of experience as well as the more general nature of the Status of Women GBA+ course. To address this concern, CFLI training and guidance to missions will be updated to incorporate more practical, CFLI-specific advice, including case studies.

In 2019-2020, the CFLI Unit will continue to deliver a robust WPS module during upcoming regional training. In addition, teleconference sessions with missions will be organized to connect CFLI program managers directly with Global Affairs Canada gender experts and provide them the opportunity to ask questions and exchange best practices.

Enhance GE outcomes of CFLI projects

3.2 Target: By the end of FY 2021/22, the CFLI enhances the GE outcomes of projects in fragile and conflict affected states.

Target achieved to as of March 31, 2019: MOSTLY ON TRACK/Internal efficiency & capacity

Baseline:  In the baseline year 2018-2019, 61% of CFLI projects in fragile and conflict-affected states were informed by a detailed gender-based analysis and 88% were informed by consultations with women and/or girls.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: The above indicators were introduced in the 2018-19 programming cycle as a means to enhance and track the GE outcomes of CFLI projects in fragile and conflict-affected states. The quality of the GBA+ prepared by a recipient organization was evaluated by the CFLI Program Manager and Coordinator at mission using a standardized assessment matrix. The following results will be used as baseline data to track ongoing progress in the future: 

The new requirements aim to foster a gender-sensitive approach in the selection and implementation of CFLI projects. These changes were generally well received by missions and implemented with relative success during this baseline year. As one CFLI Program Manager reported: “Gender equality considerations were taken into account in the management and implementation of the CFLI Program. Some organizations included meaningful consultation with women and girls before starting their projects and included diverse groups of women, men, girls and boys in the planning of their projects.”

To encourage and facilitate the submission of higher quality GBAs, missions communicated expectations in their calls for proposals and provided applicants with the step-by-step GBA+ guide that had been prepared as a learning resource. A few missions also delivered GBA+ workshops to prospective CFLI partners, and/or encouraged partners to take the Status of Women Canada GBA+ online course to build their gender proficiency. Missions reported that many applicants, particularly local CSOs that do not normally work on gender issues, found it difficult to complete a GBA+. To address this challenge, CFLI Coordinators often had to work on an individual basis with applicants to understand and strengthen their GBA+ of the issues their projects were seeking to address. Going forward, additional operational resources will be made available to missions, upon request, to support the delivery of GBA+ training workshops to recipient organizations.

4. Counter-Terrorism, Crime and Intelligence Bureau

ContextFootnote 19:  The work of the Counter-terrorism, Crime and Intelligence Bureau includes policy and programming components. The programming component is referred to as the Anti-Crime and Counter-Terrorism Capacity Building Programs (ACCBP and CTCBP). ACCBP and CTCBP have recently conducted a GBA+ of their programs to assess the impact of programming on gender and other intersecting factors.  Using the results of the analysis, ACCBP and CTCBP will continue to integrate gender and diversity issues where possible, with a focus on accounting for the differential impacts of security sector operations on women, men, girls and boys. They have also embedded a gender analysis and human rights section in all their project development and implementation tools. ACCBP and CTCBP are also responsible for developing, integrating and coordinating Canada’s international policies on CT, countering violent extremism and transnational criminal activity, in both bilateral and multilateral arenas. Gender is a key consideration in policy analysis and guidance, critical to understanding and responding to crime and terrorism issues, and a core competency of all policy and programming officers.

The Bureau is also responsible for developing, integrating, and coordinating Canada’s international policies and diplomacy on CT, addressing violent extremism and transnational criminal activity, in both bilateral and multilateral arenas. This includes fostering international cooperation to combat terrorism and crime, and representing Canada in various forums such as the G7 Roma-Lyon Group, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs, Global Counterterrorism Forum and the Financial Action Task Force. The division is also responsible for CT/countering violent extremism and anti-crime partnerships with foreign governments and international, regional, and non-governmental organizations including the UN, the Organization of American States, the G7, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and the OSCE.

Priorities

Strengthen WPS and gender analysis capacity within ACCBP/CTCBP

4.1 TargetFootnote 20: By the end of the FY 2021/22, 100% of officers in the Counter-Terrorism and Crime Program and Policy Teams have gender and/or WPS training at the end of each FY to increase the Programs’ capacity for gender-responsive interventions.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: TARGET ACHIEVED OR SURPASSED/OBJ 3

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: The work of the Counter-terrorism, Crime and Intelligence Bureau includes policy and programming components. The programming component is referred to as ACCBP and CTCBP. ACCBP and CTCBP have recently conducted a GBA+ of their programs to assess the impact of programming on gender and other intersecting factors. Using the results of the analysis, the Capacity Building Programs will continue to integrate gender and diversity issues where possible, with a focus on accounting for the differential impacts of security sector operations on women, men, girls and boys. ACCBP and CTCBP have also embedded a GBA+ and human rights section in all their project development and implementation tools. ACCBP and CTCBP are also responsible for developing, integrating and coordinating Canada’s international policies on CT, countering violent extremism and transnational criminal activity, in both bilateral and multilateral arenas. Gender is a key consideration in policy analysis and guidance, critical to understanding and responding to crime and terrorism issues, and a core competency of all policy and programming officers. The Bureau is also responsible for developing, integrating, and coordinating Canada’s international policies and diplomacy on CT, addressing violent extremism and transnational criminal activity, in both bilateral and multilateral arenas. This includes fostering international cooperation to combat terrorism and crime, and representing Canada in various forums such as the G7 Roma-Lyon Group, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs, Global Counterterrorism Forum, the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS and the Financial Action Task Force. The division is also responsible for counterterrorism/countering violent extremism and anti-crime partnerships with foreign governments and international, regional, and non-governmental organizations including the UN, the Organization of American States, the G7, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and the OSCE. We also work in close collaboration with OGD colleagues. As a result of the training and in team discussions that follow, all officers at International Crime and Terrorism Policy Division can confidently integrate GBA+ analysis and input into policy, advocacy and diplomacy efforts. 

4.2 Target: The officers in ACCBP and CTCBP have access to resources in order to integrate gender perspectives and WPS into their work.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK /Internal efficiency & capacity

Baseline: As of 2016/17, ACCBP and CTCBP offers did not have a place to access resources to assist in integrating gender into their work.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: As a result of having resources available, officers are now able to familiarize themselves with key GE issues as they relate to CT and transnational crime. Officers are proactively raising the issues with partners at project development, and when necessary, dedicated meetings with the Gender Specialist are organized. Additionally, officers are including GE considerations in project memoranda.

Mainstream WPS and gender into CT policy and diplomacy

4.3 TargetFootnote 21: Canada demonstrates leadership in ensuring that gender and WPS considerations are integrated into CVE/CT and international crime policy, advocacy and diplomatic efforts.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/ OBJ 3

Baseline: While no qualitative or quantitative measures are currently in place, officers are cognizant and mindful of referencing gender and WPS considerations.

Activity:

Indicator:  

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: International Crime and Terrorism Policy Division continues to actively and thoughtfully integrate gender considerations and the WPS agenda into all lines of effort.

The Counterterrorism, Crime and Intelligence Bureau continues to demonstrate a strong commitment to ensuring that gender and WPS considerations are integrated into Counterterrorism and Countering Violent Extremism (CVE/CT) and international crime policy, advocacy and diplomatic efforts. The bureau continues to have a gender focal point whom policy officers frequently consult when looking to incorporate gender considerations and language into all lines of effort. During this reporting period, Canada took an even greater role in bringing gender-informed perspectives to the CVE/CT space through its participation at 9 events focused on gender and counterterrorism/counter crime, as well as ensuring gender and WPS considerations were a central, not peripheral, aspect of the discussion in every international forum attended. For example, Canada, together with the International Civil Society Action Network, made a presentation on Gender at the regional meeting of the GCTF’s Special Initiative on “Challenges of Reintegrating Families of Foreign Terrorist Fighters,” and provided input into the outcome ‘Good Practice Document on the Challenges of Reintegrating Families of Foreign Terrorist Fighters’, and other GCTF documents being developing in this past FY. Canada also succeeded in getting new WPS and SGBV language into UN resolutions  We continue to work on developing a system to implement qualitative and quantitative measures to track our GBA+ and WPS integration.


Canada continues to emphasize that gender is not just about women, and includes analysis and responses that consider masculinities. The Bureau continues to integrate important notions related to women’s equality, participation, empowerment and leadership, but also highlights the role that masculinities play in the context of terrorism and violent extremism and the ways in which healthy masculinities can contribute to effective and sustainable solutions as well. Moreover, in Canada’s efforts to promote the integration of GE into anti-crime and CVE/CT advocacy and policy, we continue to identify and engage gender specialists who are male and experts to collaborate with us. All policy officers working on anti-crime and CVE/CT are increasingly equipped to integrate gender and WPS into written products (including input on resolutions from the UN, NATO, OSCE, La Francophonie and other multilateral organizations), where appropriate, and raise relevant issues in diplomatic and advocacy efforts at international forums where possible. The gender focal point supports the integration of gender considerations into all lines of CVE/CT and anti-crime efforts, as necessary.

Mainstream WPS and gender into CT and anti-crime programming

4.4 TargetFootnote 22: The officers of ACCBP and CTCBP integrate gender and WPS considerations into CT programming in a systematic manner, and increase programming that has a specific focus on gender and WPS

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: MOSTLY ON TRACK /Internal efficiency & capacity

Baseline: There is an embedded gender and human rights section in all project development and implementation tools.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: Projects have increased integration of GE results and gender-sensitive indicators. Some example projects of note include:

A project on Community-based Border Management in Libya and Tunisia aimed to contribute to conflict and border management that respects the fundamental rights of civilians. The final results indicated that women continue to face distinct barriers to active participation due to ongoing discrimination on the basis of traditional gender norms, as well as a lack of investment in their skills. The implementing partner expressed concern that due to a local conservative culture and limited political and economic opportunities for women, actively promoting a gender approach risks encountering local resentment of the partner and possibly could pose a security risk.

Still, the project managed to include nine female members and a total of 61 members in five locations and one community workshop on Gender Based Violence could take place. Direct involvement of women in violence-reduction work on the border proved to be pre-mature, as social behaviour patterns in the target region are detrimental to improved community engagement of women.

5. Policy and Programming on Non-Proliferation, Arms Control and Disarmament

ContextFootnote 23:  Canada’s Non-Proliferation, Arms Control and Disarmament activities include both policy and programming elements.  Target 5.1 relates to the Weapons Threat Reduction Program (WTRP), which is the primary programming vehicle for Canada to globally address threats posed by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and related materials. The WTRP works with partner countries, regional and international organizations, and non-governmental organizations to implement programming to address WMD threats (nuclear and radiological; biological; chemical) as well as to support the universalization of treaties and conventions related to the proliferation of conventional weapons. Through the Program, Canada continues to play a leadership role globally in the area of weapons threat reduction. Target 5.2 relates to Canada’s non-proliferation, arms control and disarmament (NACD) policy activities within the context of Canada’s participation within the United Nations General Assembly’s First Committee, which is responsible for NACD issues.

Priorities

Mainstream WPS and gender into WTR programming

5.1 TargetFootnote 24: The WTRP integrates gender and WPS considerations into its programming in a systematic manner, with at least 20% of projects having GE01 or greater coding by the end of FY 2021/22.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: TARGET ACHIEVED OR SURPASSED/OBJ 3

Baseline: 0% of projects have GE01 or greater gender coding

Activities:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress:  Given that 41.44% of all active projects across the Weapons Threat Reduction Program scores a GE01 or above, the program has exceeded its initial commitment of 20% towards Target 5.1.

In addition, the Weapons Threat Reduction Program has taken steps to integrate GBA+ into all aspects of the project life cycle wherever possible. This includes: the identification of potential gender and equality considerations by implementing partners in the project proposal stage; the identification of gender equality considerations through consultation with relevant internal and external stakeholders; active monitoring of gender outcomes throughout project implementation; and continued tracking of gender outcomes following project closure.

Mainstream WPS and gender into diplomacy on disarmament

5.2 TargetFootnote 25: A GBA+ carried out on all resolutions of the UN General Assembly’s First Committee (responsible for disarmament, global challenges and threats), proposed or considered by Canada, and gender perspectives integrated.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: MOSTLY ON TRACK /OBJ 3

Baseline: While gender perspectives were integrated whenever possible in FY 2016/17, there was not yet a formal process to ensure they are applied to every resolution.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: Canada’s active diplomacy and multilateral engagement has focused on increasing gender participation and perspectives in disarmament dialogues and decisions. These actions are having recognized effects today and are laying the groundwork for a high degree of continued success in these fora.

Canada has been working to increase the inclusion of gender perspectives in resolutions and decisions at the Disarmament and International Security Committee (First Committee) of the UN General Assembly. Canada is a founding member of a core group of partner States in Geneva that worked collectively to strategize and successfully advocate for the adoption or enhancement of gender perspectives in 10 of 68 resolutions and decisions adopted by the Committee in 2018, including Canada’s own Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty resolution. This represents an increase in the total number of resolutions with a gender dimension from 15% (9 resolutions with gender perspectives on 58 resolutions total) in 2017 to 25% (17 resolutions with gender perspectives on 68 resolutions total) in 2018.

6. Partnerships for Development Innovation BranchFootnote 26

ContextFootnote 27: The Partnerships for Development Innovation Branch is Global Affairs Canada’s key operational platform supporting the active engagement of Canadians in international development, notably by supporting Canadian civil society entities working in collaboration with developing country partners to reduce poverty through thematic programming as well as youth internships and the deployment of volunteers. Canadian entities in this context include non-governmental organizations; the private sector; colleges, universities, and research entities; provincial and regional councils; and foundations. Partnerships for Development Innovation leverages the expertise, knowledge, networks and resources of Canadian entities and their local partners. Its programming is able to operate in all Official Development Assistance-eligible countries, including in fragile and conflict-affected states. For example, Partnerships for Development Innovation has supported projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Colombia, Afghanistan, Haiti and South Sudan. For these and other projects, Partnerships for Development Innovation pays particular attention to the integration of GE. For example, it supported a project in South Sudan to empower conflict-affected rural youth to become more economically productive and engaged in their communities. This project promoted education for youth, especially girls.

Priorities

Strengthen the integration of GE into its programming, including the promotion and realization of women’s and girls’ rights, particularly in fragile and conflict-affected states.

6.1 Target: Canada will increase the percentage of Partnerships programming that targets GE (GE03) or fully integrates GE (GE02).

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/OBJ 3

Baseline: In 2017-18, 1.42% of Partnerships programming targeted GE and 45.77% fully integrated GE.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: In FY 2018/19, 3.8% of Partnerships for Development Innovation programming targeted GE (compared to 1.42% in 2017-18) and 52.3% fully integrated GE (compared to 45.77% in 2017-18).

The branch continued to support Canadian partners to strengthen the integration of GE into their programming. This included support to 21 new initiatives spanning 18 countries managed by Canadian small and medium organizations, including: (i) IMPACT: Transforming Natural Resource Management, whose initiative seeks to improve laws, regulations, policies and initiatives in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and Zimbabwe to enhance women’s security and advance GE in the mining sector; (ii) equality effect (e²), whose initiative seeks to end impunity for child rape in Kenya by improving child rape investigations by police officers and improving access to justice for victims; and (iii) SAJE Montréal Métro (Nord-Sud-Est-Ouest), whose initiative seeks to empower female victims of the armed conflict in Colombia through the creation and development of small and medium enterprises and women’s associations. 

The branch took concrete steps to help establish the Partnership for Gender Equality (PGE). It conducted consultations, established an External Advisory Committee, and issued an Expression of Interest followed by an Invitation for Full Proposals to design and manage the initiative. The PGE aims to mobilize additional resources from the private sector, philanthropic community, civil society and other donors to create a sustainable and predictable source of funding for women’s organizations and movements that advance women’s rights, GE and the empowerment of women and girls in developing countries. 

Explore programming opportunities with Canadian entities to support the WPS agenda. 

6.2 Target: Canada will increase Partnerships programming to support the WPS agenda.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/OBJ 3

Baseline: Partnerships programming has been implemented in many fragile and conflict-affected states. However, only a modest percentage of it has been directly related to WPS.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: In 2018-19, 7.1% ($23M) of Partnerships programming supported the WPS agenda.

In December 2018, the Branch launched in the Dismantling Barriers and Improving the Quality of Education for Women and Girls in Fragile, Conflict and Crisis Situations Call for Proposals to Canadian organizations, as part of Canada’s $400-million commitment to education for women and girls in crisis and conflict situations, announced in June 2018 at the G7 Summit in Charlevoix, Quebec. The Call will allocate up to $80 million over 5 years to support initiatives that target or fully integrate GE.

The Branch continued to support the KAIROS Women of Courage: WPS Project. The initiative empowers women human rights defenders and women’s rights organizations to participate in peacebuilding, reconciliation and human rights processes in Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Philippines, South Sudan, and the West Bank.  

In its first year, 4,700 direct beneficiaries (3,632 women, 1,068 men) and almost 1,000 intermediary beneficiaries (of which 87% are women) were reached by this project.  This includes five grassroots women-focused partner organizations that provided psycho-social support to 1,052 women victims and survivors of militarized conflict and war while empowering them to be peace builders. It also included 48 human rights training sessions on national and international frameworks related to WPS in which about 800 women and 200 men participated. Legal services were provided by these partners that helped 425 women claim their rights. During that same period, partners participated in 26 networks contributing to policy and advocacy related to WPS and human rights. They were also able to come together, share strategies, advocate and build capacity on their collective work through a South-South gathering of ten representatives drawn from all partner organizations.

Increase staff capacity on GE and promote staff engagement WPS policy and programming activities across the department.

6.3 Target: Canada will strengthen its GE capacity and WPS engagement

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/Internal efficiency & capacity

Baseline: In 2017/18, the Partnerships for Development Innovation Branch (Branch) had one GE specialist. A majority of Branch staff completed the Status of Women Canada’s GBA+ online course during GBA+ Awareness Week.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: Canada continued to increase its staff capacity on advancing GE, including having 85% of its staff complete the online GBA+ course, increasing staff dedicated to advancing GE to 3.5 full-time equivalents, and conducting a training session on issues related to education for women and girls in fragile, conflict and crisis situations. Increased capacity has resulted in a stronger integration of GE in Branch programming, with all new initiatives either targeting or fully integrating GE. It has also increased staff engagement with Canadian partners on advancing GE.

Encourage and support partners to strengthen policies and procedures to prevent and respond to SEA in the delivery of international assistance.

6.4 Target: Canada’s partners will have stronger policies and procedures to prevent and respond to SEA.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/OBJ 2

Baseline: Currently, not all of Canada’s partners have Codes of Conduct or related policies/procedures to prevent, investigate and respond to SEA.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: Before 2018, there was no formal requirement for Canadian and other NGO partner organizations delivering development assistance to have measures and policies in place to prevent and respond to SEA. In November 2018, a new clause was added to the terms and conditions for contribution agreements requiring funding recipients to have a publicly available code of conduct to prevent, investigate and respond to SEA. All new contribution agreements for international development are subject to this requirement. The code of conduct must include a mechanism for confidential reporting, processes to monitor compliance with the code of conduct, training on SEA for staff, and remedial measures where misconduct is proven. It applies to all local partners and ultimate recipients of Global Affairs Canada development funding. This measure is helping to ensure that all Canadian partners have strong policies and procedures in place to prevent and respond to SEA, in turn reducing the risk that beneficiaries of Canadian assistance will be victims of SEA. To further reduce the risk of SEA occurring in the context of Global Affairs Canada-funded initiatives, Global Affairs Canada also explored opportunities to help increase SEA prevention and response capacity among Canadian implementing partners, in partnership with the Canadian Council for International Cooperation (CCIC).

Multilateral engagement

7. Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations

Context: The United Nations (UN) plays a significant role in the development of norms and guidelines pertaining to WPS. A wide array of New York-based UN bodies address WPS, including first and foremost the Security Council, but also the General Assembly (UNGA), the Peacebuilding Commission, as well as departments such as the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, the Department of Peace Operations, and funds and agencies such as UN Women and UNFPA. The WPS agenda has become increasingly institutionalized at the UN, with the adoption of nine UNSCRs pertaining directly to WPS, the completion of a Global Study on 1325, the establishment of an Informal Experts Group in the Security Council, Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund, and the appointment of gender and women protection advisors to key UN offices and field missions. That being said, a number of challenges remain for the full implementation of WPS commitments at the UN: WPS is not mainstreamed throughout the work of the organization; several key members of the UN, including permanent members of the Security Council, do not fully support the WPS agenda;  there are recurring incidents of SEA by UN peacekeepers and staff;  insufficient resources are dedicated to gender issues in the UN’s peace and security functions;  too few women are appointed to senior roles at the UN or serve as peacekeepers; and implementation of WPS commitments remains weak.

Canada is seen as a leader on WPS at the UN as a key architect of UNSCR 1325, the Chair of the 58-member Group of Friends of WPS, a major donor to WPS efforts, and a principled voice on this issue. Canada can help advance the WPS agenda at the UN through advocacy and information sharing with member states and the UN, leadership in the Security Council and UNGA negotiations, collaboration with civil society groups, and public messaging including through social media.

Priorities

Support the increased and meaningful participation of women in peace processes

7.1 Target: Canada demonstrates strong commitment at the UN to ensuring increased and meaningful participation of women in peace resolution processes, including in conflict prevention, mediation and post-conflict reconciliation, and more specifically delegations to peace resolution processes.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/OBJ 1

Baseline: Of the 504 agreements signed since the adoption of resolution 1325 in 2000, only 27% included references to women. In peace processes between 1992 and 2011, women made up only 2% of chief mediators, 4% of witnesses and signatories, and 9% of negotiators.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: Canada continues to be seen as a leader on the WPS agenda at the UN. This is in part due to its role in developing UNSCR 1325, but it is sustained through the chairing of the Group of Friends of WPS and the broader promotion of GE and women’s empowerment in various forums within the UN system. Canada leadership on the Elsie Initiative for Women in Peace Operations, building upon Canada’s Feminist Foreign Policy and Feminist International Assistance Policy has further bolstered Canada’s credentials as a leader in this area.

Canada has consistently and visibly called for the meaningful participation of women in all areas of peace and security, notably conflict prevention and peace processes. In total, the Mission delivered eight statements at the UNSC and UNGA (representing an increase over the previous year) that recognized women as agents of positive change in the context of peace processes, and called for accountability for sexual violence, and consistently raised the issue of women’s political participation in PBC meetings. Canada also raised the meaningful participation of women regularly as part of its chairmanship of the Group of Friends of WPS, which now counts 58 member states amongst its ranks following the inclusion of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary as new members. In FY 2018/19, the Mission convened the Group of Friends six times, facilitating discussions with experts on a variety of issues related to the agenda, including women’s meaningful participation in the peace processes. The Mission also adopted a Gender Pledge which called for gender balance delegations and the promotion of women’s participation in all aspects of peace and security. Members of the Mission also met several times on an individual basis to exchange information on challenges and opportunities with women’s organizations such as the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders, PeaceWomen, the NGO Working Group on WPS, and women civil society briefers to the UNSC. Lastly, the mission maintained close contact with UN Women, the Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO), and the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), to discuss how best to include women in peace processes.

Despite these efforts, the participation of women in peace and security decision making remains very low. In 2018-2019, there were also serious setbacks for women’s participation in peace negotiations in Afghanistan, CAR, Libya, Mali, and Yemen. There has also been a general downtrend in the inclusion of gender provisions in peace agreements. While not in Canada’s control, these cases have highlighted the failures of the current approach on women’s participation despite repeated and high level calls for increasing women’s participation in peace processes.

Support the integration of gender into UN peacekeeping

7.2 Target: Canada demonstrates strong commitment to supporting gender-responsive UN peacekeeping missions, including aiming to double the number of women peacekeepers, in line with UNSCR2242.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/OBJ 5

Baseline: Women make up only 3% of UN military peacekeepers; several vacancies remain in gender advisor and women protection advisor positions in UN missions; and implementation of WPS guidelines is incomplete in UN peacekeeping missions.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: Canada is one of the strongest and most visible proponents at the UN of increasing gender responsiveness of UN peace operations and of encouraging women’s full and meaningful participation as a means to achieve greater operational effectiveness. FY 2018/19 saw a major positive change in discussion on women in peacekeeping due to the Elsie Initiative for Women in Peace Operations led by Canada, and in particular the Elsie Initiative Fund for Uniformed Women in Peace Operations. PRMNY also created a new position in the political section to lead on gender and peacekeeping, was successful in including strong reference to women’s participation in the Declaration of Shared Commitments on UN Peacekeeping Operations, and helped organize a UN peacekeeping ministerial preparatory conference on WPS and peacekeeping in Addis Ababa.

Canada delivered a number of statements at high-level forums up to and including the ministerial level, calling for new and creative thinking to resolve persistent barriers to female participation and leadership in peacekeeping. During its 2019 substantive session, PRMNY negotiated in partnership with Australia and New Zealand to champion the inclusion of gender-responsive language in the documents of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations. While the Committee consensus broke down over other issues, PRMNY succeeded in strengthening language, particularly on SEA in the draft document. In the annual session of the UNGA’s Fifth Committee, Canada remained a strong advocate for the indispensable role of women in UN peacekeeping operations, continually emphasizing that women’s participation at all levels is key to the operational effectiveness of missions. This included prioritizing and supporting posts in the UN peacekeeping budget implementing WPS activities such as women protection advisors, gender advisors, and SEA investigators. The Committee, however, did not reach consensus on a cross-cutting resolution which traditionally includes a policy section on WPS. Moreover, during the reporting period, the 1325 Military and Police Advisors Network and the WPS Chiefs of Defence Network did not hold any meetings.

Canada has met the minimal targets set by the UN’s Uniform Gender Parity Strategy for women’s participation in peacekeeping, with 17% of its Military Observers and Staff Officers and 10.4% of its troops being women, exceeding the UN’s contribution target. However, it is important to recognize that despite strong political commitment from Canada, the participation of women in peace operations overall is still very low and will not meet the targets to double the number of women peacekeepers set out in UNSCR 2242 and reinforced in the Uniform Gender Parity Strategy.

Support the prevention of SEA in UN peace-keeping operations

7.3 Target: Canada demonstrates strong commitment to strengthening the UN peacekeeping prevention efforts, accountability measures, transparency, and tangible victim support for SEA.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/OBJ 2

Baseline: The UN recorded 145 allegations of SEA involving UN peacekeepers and civilians in 2016. However, many more cases go unreported, the UN lacks support for survivors of SEA and there are loopholes in accountability for SEA by UN staff. Moreover, several Member States are actively seeking to weaken the UN’s response on SEA.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: PRMNY has exerted pressure on the UN system and Member States to improve prevention of and response to SEA through a number of high-level statements to the UNSC, UNGA, as well as other fora pertaining to UN funds and programs. Statements encouraged the UN Secretariat to show greater leadership to improve its system-wide response to SEA, encouraged a victim-centered approach, and pushed back on the efforts of some Member States to water down commitments, shift blame, and hamper the Secretary-General’s ability to take decisive action. In FY 2018/19, there has been a marked increase in attention regarding SEA by humanitarian actors.

Canada, through its Mission to the UN, continued to be a steadfast partner of the UN in its efforts to prevent and eradicate SEA. Canada joined a collective statement of the Circle of Leadership on the prevention of and response to SEA in UN operations and proposed language in UNGA 5th Committee to strengthen the UN’s response.  These actions complement and extend the ongoing financial and in kind support provided by Canada to both the United Nations Trust Fund on SEA and the Office of the Special Coordinator on SEA.

According to the UN, the number of cases of SEA reported for peacekeeping and special political missions has decreased, with 54 allegations reported in 2018, compared with 62 and 104 reported in 2017 and 2016, respectively. As with all cases of sexual violence, these numbers underestimate the scale of the problem. Moreover, underreporting of allegations implicating personnel from other UN entities and non-UN personnel working with implementing partners is a continuing concern.

While it has taken significant actions, Canada is still falling short of achieving its targets. Canada’s criminal code does not address cases of SEA committed by Canadian UN personnel who might otherwise benefit from immunity. There continue to be other loopholes in the Canada’s approach to conduct and discipline for experts on mission. Despite Canadian funding to an SEA Victims Trust Fund, UN financial support for victims of SEA is almost completely lacking and far from sufficient. There continues to be discrepancies between different parts of the UN system on how to address SEA. Finally, the UN SG hasn’t consistently repatriated peacekeepers from all countries with records of systematic sexual violence in conflict.

Promote the increased representation of women in senior positions at the UN

7.4 Target: Canada demonstrates strong commitment to promoting greater representation of women in senior UN positions, especially those dealing with peace and security issues.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/OBJ 1

Baseline: As of January 2017, 21% of UN senior positions were filled by women.

Activity:

IndicatorFootnote 28:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: Canada is a strong supporter of the Secretary General’s Gender Parity Strategy, which operationalizes the goal of gender parity, moving the UN from ambition to action. Overall, progress during the reporting period was positive.

PRMNY succeeded in achieving gender parity in its nominations in FY 2018/19. During the reporting period, Canada provided nominations and/or letters of support for 8 positions at the ASG level or above at the UN (UNEP, WFP, UNDSS, CITES, UNDP, UNICEF). Of these, 3 were men and 5 were women and two (one woman and one man) were successful in securing the positions. In the fall of 2018, Canada also nominated 13 women to the UN Senior Women’s Talent Pipeline.

The Mission committed to regularly consulting with Member States, women’s groups, and groups promoting gender parity women and girls on the full range of policy areas, not simply those directly on the topics of GE and women’s rights. Canada participated in the meetings of the Friends of Gender Parity.

8. Canada at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization

Context: Canada is actively engaged in the advancement of the WPS agenda at NATO. The Joint Delegation of Canada works to mainstream GE and integrate gender and WPS considerations across committee work and in decisions taken at NATO. Canada is the largest contributor to the NATO 1325 Trust Fund, contributing $400,000 over FY 2017/18 to fund activities and programs run by the Office of the NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for WPS. Canada actively participated in shaping and developing the NATO WPS Policy and Action Plan. The Delegation of Canada promoted the organization of a meeting of the North Atlantic Council in March 2017 to review progress in the implementation of the NATO WPS Action Plan, which placed this issue on the Council's agenda on a periodic basis going forward. The North Atlantic Council is the principal political decision-making body of NATO. Canada pushed for language to strengthen the references to WPS in the Communiqué for the NATO Warsaw Summit in 2016, which was ultimately adopted into the text. In March 2016, Canada co-hosted with Iceland an event to mark International Women's Day, including a conference on GE with Permanent Representatives, Military Representatives, and senior NATO Representatives, and social media activities throughout the day. Canada is among the core group of the Friends of UNSCR 1325 at NATO and regularly convenes meetings of this group to push forward the WPS agenda at NATO. The Joint Delegation of Canada to NATO also published social media campaigns for the 16 days to Combat Violence Against Women and for International Women's Day, which have received pick-up internationally by prominent social media accounts. Canada provides financial assistance to the Office of the NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for WPS, and also staffs the person who is now International Military Staff Office of the Gender Advisor at NATO headquarters; Canada works very closely with both of them on WPS issues at NATO.

Canada’s efforts are warranted because though progress has been made in integrating gender perspectives in NATO training, operations, and guidelines, women remain under-represented in the Alliance, particularly in decision-making positions. NATO Allies averaged 10.3% of women in their military ranks in 2014 with only 5.7% of women in NATO’s operations and missions. Furthermore, some Allies maintain restrictions for women in certain combat roles, a hurdle removed in Canada.

Priorities

Mainstream WPS and gender into NATO’s policies, activities and efforts on collective defence

8.1 TargetFootnote 29: Canada remains a recognized leader within the Alliance on advancing and promoting WPS, helping to ensure that NATO and Allies increasingly integrate gender perspectives and WPS in all NATO’s work.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK /OBJ 1

Baseline: NATO has a good track record of integrating gender perspectives into military doctrine, pre-deployment training and planning for major NATO out-of-area operations. However, more work is needed to integrate gender into activities related to collective defence.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: In 2018, Canada was once again the top financial donor to the NATO WPS Office, with the aim of promoting GE and gender mainstreaming at NATO, as well as supporting the revision and implementation of NATO’s WPS Action Plan. Canada also successfully led Allied efforts to secure additional human resources for the Office, and contributed to preparations for the deployment of a Canadian resource to the Office as a voluntary national contribution to the Alliance.

Through its consistent efforts and contributions, including in committee meetings, in public diplomacy events, and at the July 2018 Brussels Summit, Canada strengthened NATO’s commitments on WPS by systematically advocating for integrating gender perspectives into all of NATO’s work. Canada is also among the core group of the “Friends of UNSCR 1325” at NATO Headquarters and is seen as its de facto leader, regularly convening meetings of this group to push forward the WPS agenda at NATO. The Joint Delegation of Canada to NATO raised WPS and gender issues in every committee when appropriate, at all levels, both on the civilian and military sides, and Canadian officials visiting NATO from Canada also raised WPS issues during their meetings with Allies, Partners and NATO staff. Allies and Partners have come to expect this of Canada, and regard Canada as a leader on WPS issues.

Canada also raised public awareness about WPS issues at NATO through two active Twitter accounts (one in each official language), which feature NATO’s #WeAreNATO campaign as well as the work of women at NATO, from both the diplomatic and military perspectives; and supported the work of NATO’s Public Diplomacy division to populate a library of visual content with pictures of women civilians working at NATO for use in future social media campaigns.

Canada hosted an awareness-raising and advocacy event to launch International Women's Day 2019 activities at NATO Headquarters, highlighting the work of the NATO WPS Office, with senior representatives from Allies, Partners and NATO Staff, both civilian and military, and from civil society. Canada also actively participated in a meeting of the North Atlantic Council on International Women’s Day in March 2019, regarding challenges faced on the ground in conflict-affected or post-conflict States. In addition, Canada contributed to enabling enhanced NATO cooperation with civil society, including through financing the third annual meeting of the Civil Society Advisory Panel on WPS in October 2018.

During the reporting period, Canada hosted over 15 informal meetings with Allies, Partners and NATO Staff to promote WPS implementation at NATO, and the North Atlantic Council, which is the principal political decision-making body of NATO, had two meetings dedicated to WPS issues.

Enhance cooperation between NATO, Allies and partners on WPS in NATO’s work

8.2 Target: Canada demonstrates strong commitment to ensuring that WPS priorities are systematically included in NATO cooperative security frameworks, including defence and capacity-building projects on a systematic basis.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/OBJ 1

Baseline: Partners’ WPS-related activities are increasing, but continue to be undertaken in an ad-hoc manner, and upon Partners’ requests, rather than as a requirement by NATO.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: In 2018, Canada helped to ensure that WPS issues remained key high-level priorities for the Alliance, including in its security frameworks. For example, at the NATO Brussels Summit in July 2018, Canada pushed for language to strengthen the references to WPS in the Summit Declaration which was agreed by Leaders, recommendations which were ultimately adopted into the text. Also, the Joint Delegation of Canada to NATO promoted the holding of a meeting of the North Atlantic Council (the principle decision-making body of the Alliance) in November 2018 on the implementation of the revised WPS Action Plan, where Canada strongly advocated for the Action Plan’s robust implementation. Canada actively participated at all levels in shaping and developing the implementation framework for the NATO WPS Policy and Action Plan, which will help ensure that WPS priorities are systematically included into NATO cooperative and security frameworks.

Canada helped to ensure that NATO, Allies and Partners will undertake measures to prevent and respond to sexual abuse and exploitation in operations, through consistent and substantial Canadian engagement in the ongoing drafting of NATO’s first policy on SEA.

Canada systematically raised gender and the importance of making progress on UNSC Resolution 1325 in its meetings with Allies and Partners, including on cooperative security frameworks such as partnership plans or assessments, and defence education and capacity building. In 2018, nearly 65% of Partners actively engaged in partnership frameworks with NATO listed or mentioned WPS or gender issues, including for example the integration of gender perspectives in defence education and capacity building, the participation of women in the military, or WPS or gender issues as clear partnership goals.

NATO, Allies and Partners recognize Canada’s leadership on WPS issues: Canadian views on WPS issues were regularly solicited and highly appreciated in various meetings and events with Partners, including a public diplomacy event with a group of women decision-makers from Mauritania on women in the security and defence sector in December 2018. Canada actively advanced WPS at policy and public diplomacy events, including at: the NATO/Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) high level conference on WPS (September 2018); a public diplomacy event with a group of women decision-makers from Mauritania on women in the security and defence sector (December 2018); and a NATO policy workshop on SEA (January 2019). 

Promote the increased representation of women in senior positions at NATO

8.3 Target: Canada supports the increased representation of women in senior positions at NATO.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: MOSTLY ON TRACK/OBJ 1

Baseline: The increase in the number of women in NATO senior level positions is stagnating.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: Canadian women fill relatively senior positions at NATO: this includes a Lieutenant-Colonel as Gender Adviser in the International Military Staff, and a Canadian government official as Deputy Director of the NATO Liaison Office in Kyiv. The NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative on WPS, the Gender Adviser to the NATO mission in Iraq, the Political Adviser at the NATO Senior Civilian Representative’s Office in Afghanistan and the Commandant of the NATO Defence College are all Canadian women in senior NATO posts. Canada works very closely with both the Gender Adviser and the SRSG WPS in particular on WPS issues at NATO.

In order to support the increased representation of women in senior positions at NATO, Canada contributed to a Canadian-funded study on identifying barriers to representation of women in senior positions at NATO, which was conducted in 2017, and is now working with the NATO WPS Office to ensure that, building on the data from this first study, a second study including statistical analysis will be carried out to obtain more robust findings.

9. Permanent Mission of Canada in Geneva

Context:  The mission participates in a range of Geneva-based UN bodies and other intergovernmental organizations that are active on security, human rights, humanitarian issues, migration, health, labour and disarmament, as well as trade and development, and that can effect change in the lives of women and girls in fragile and conflict-affected states. Among these organizations are the Human Rights Council; UN High Commissioner for Refugees; International Organization for Migration; International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies/ICRC; International Labour Organization; World Health Organization; and the Conference on Disarmament. The mission also engages on a number of additional Geneva-based processes that are relevant including on protection of medical missions and on standards for private military and security companies. In addition, Canada is a governing board member or participant in many relevant Geneva-based international CSO and advocacy groups. 

Priorities

Advance WPS in Geneva-based multilateral fora and other organizations

9.1 Target: By the end of FY 2018/19, the Mission develops key messages on WPS and uses them systematically in multilateral institutions and processes, governing boards and councils, and advocacy groups that can effect change in the lives of women and girls in fragile and conflict-affected states. 

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: TARGET ACHIEVED OR SURPASSED/OBJ 1

Baseline: The Mission advances the WPS agenda on a consistent basis.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress:

Human Rights

Canada successfully advocated for language concerning the human rights of women and their participation in peace processes in several resolutions concerning fragile and conflict-affected states at the HRC, including Burundi (A/HRC/39/14), Central African Republic, (A/HRC/39/19), Democratic Republic of Congo (A/HRC/39/20), Libya (A/HRC/40/L.6/Rev.1), Mali (A/HRC/40/L.2), Myanmar (A/HRC/RES/40/L.19), Somalia (A/HRC/39/23), South Sudan (A/HRC/40/L.16/Rev.1), Syria (A/HRC/38/16, A/HRC/39/15 and A/HRC/40/L.7) and Yemen (A/HRC/39/21).

Disarmament, Peace and Security

At October 2018 First Committee of the UN General Assembly, Canada led a process to increase gender perspectives in resolutions. Work began in Geneva with a Core Group of like-minded. The Core Group pursued the issue in New York successfully contributing to the adoption of new language on gender in five resolutions on conventional weapons, and enhanced existing language in a sixth (all in Cluster Four). Canada also spurred inclusion of language on gender by Pakistan in a Cluster Six resolution, by Germany in a Cluster Five resolution and by Japan in its Cluster One “United Action” resolution, while our own Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT) resolution included gender language for the first time.  In addition, for the second year, Canada delivered a national statement on gender during Cluster Five and drafted a joint statement with Sweden and Ireland on Gender and the Disarmament Machinery, which was delivered by Namibia on behalf of 57 states. Both civil society and other delegations recognized Canada for its initiatives on gender issues and Reaching Critical Will noted that Canada and Sweden had helped increase the number of resolutions with a gender dimension from 15% in 2017 to 25% in 2018.

At the August 2018 CCW GGE on LAWS meeting, Canada sponsored a side-event titled “What's Gender Got to Do With It? – Feminist Approaches to Disarmament and LAWS”, supporting an open dialogue with CSO with the shared goal of mainstreaming gender analysis in this disarmament forum. Panelists were five women representatives of the following organizations: Reaching Critical Will, Mines Action Canada, International Committee for Robot Arms Control, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom Cameroon, and Project Ploughshares. Ambassador McCarney moderated the discussion and reiterated Canada’s commitment to supporting an open dialogue with CSO on the shared goal of mainstreaming gender analysis in non-proliferation, arms control and disarmament fora.

In November 2018, Canada and the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) co-hosted a side-event titled “Women and Youth in Mine Action: Building stronger communities”. Panelists included women (3) and men (2) mine action experts who were nationals of Afghanistan, Canada, France, Iraq and Somalia. The objectives of Canada’s second NAP on Women Peace and Security were reiterated and noted as relevant to taking a gender-based approach to mine action.

During the May 2018 Preparatory Committee meeting for the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), Canada supported a side event on enhancing participation and inclusion of women in the NPT process.

At the APMBC Meeting of States Parties (MSP) in November 2018, Canada and the other members of the DIG co-hosted a briefing on gender in the APMBC, where the DIG and GMAP presented a tailored factsheet on gender in the APMBC, to support States Parties in integrating gender perspectives in their work at the MSP and beyond. The factsheet reiterates our key message that women, girls, boys and men are affected differently and disproportionately by anti-personnel mines.

At the 22nd International Meeting of National Mine Action Programme Directors in February 2019, Canada organized a side-event with GMAP on the protection from SEA (PSEA) with the aim of building knowledge on PSEA in the mine action sector. Panelists included women (3) and one man mine action experts who were nationals of Canada, Cambodia and Italy. Canada’s commitments to GE and to addressing SEA were reiterated and noted as essential to advancing human rights and achieving peace, security and sustainable development.

Humanitarian

Canada actively engaged in the formal consultations that led to the Global Compact for Refugees, consistently pressing for the inclusion of gender-sensitive language and the recognition of specific needs and capabilities of women and girls.

Ambassador McCarney delivered an official statement during the launch of the Joint Response Plan to the Rohingya crisis, noting Canada’s Gender Responsive Humanitarian Action model as an innovative approach to strengthen gender mainstreaming in humanitarian response.

9.2 Target Footnote 30:

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: TARGET ACHIEVED OR SURPASSED – 9.2.1, 9.2.2/OBJ 1 & 1

Baseline: There is an informal network of friends of WPS that meets periodically to coordinate for the Human Rights Council.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress:

Launched in 2018, the Group of Friends of WPS is led by Canada and composed of 31 member states, an increase from 14 members in FY 2017/18, and 13 CSO observers, in addition to UN Women and the UN Population Fund. The members agreed to use the Group to maintain a network of well-informed stakeholders, notably by organizing WPS-relevant events and by sharing information, both at meetings and in other commonly used formats, in order to identify gaps and opportunities for collaboration across the different sectors involved in the Group:

These efforts aim to mainstream WPS in existing mechanisms where applicable, avoiding duplication and maximizing impact. In its activities, the Group of Friends of WPS has engaged on WPS issues related to the ATT, exploring how to support the Latvian Chair in its focus on gender and GBV. It has also engaged on WPS issues related to the HRC, exploring the possibility to organize a WPS event during a UPR session. As the leader of the Group, Canada has planned three events to take place early in FY 2019/20:

Support the increased and meaningful participation in Geneva-based fora of women from fragile and conflict-affected states

9.3 TargetFootnote 31:

  1. By the end of FY 2019/20, the mission has sponsored of partnered to support at least three activities related to women in FCAS per year.
  2. By the end of FY 2021/22, the mission supports at least 20 women or women’s groups per year.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: MOSTLY ON TRACK – 9.3.1, 9.3.2/OBJ 1 & 1

Baseline: Canada supported two women’s groups in the FY 2015/16. A number of programs indicated that this was something that they are not presently doing, or are not consistently doing, but see this as a potential area for advancement.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress:

As a contributor to the Sponsorship Programme of the APMBC, Canada regularly receives Sponsorship Programme Coordinator applications seeking sponsorship to attend meetings of the APMBC. In this capacity, we have consistently expressed our support for gender-balanced delegations.

The Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) also has a Sponsorship Program funded by voluntary contributions. Canada is not currently contributing, but if we decide to do so in the future, this would allow us to exert similar influence in this forum.

With regard to this target, the following challenges have been identified. First, the multilateral calendar is extremely busy and it is often not known until fairly short notice that women or women’s groups from conflict-affected and fragile states will be in Geneva. This creates challenges for meeting scheduling. Related to this, women from fragile and conflict-affected states are often in Geneva for participation in major international meetings in which their potential interlocutors for more detailed conversations are already heavily engaged (10+ hour days), making scheduling of meetings even more challenging.

Strengthen WPS and gender analysis capacity within the Mission

9.4 TargetFootnote 32: By the end of the FY 2018/19, all Mission officers working with internationally-oriented institutions and organizations that have the ability to effect change in the lives of women and girls in fragile and conflict-affected states are trained in gender competence and develop, on an ongoing basis, gender expertise as it relates to their respective responsibilities.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ATTENTION REQUIRED/Internal efficiency & capacity

Baseline: 12 out of 27 officers confirmed having taken departmental-organized training. Among those that had not taken the training, 2 had a relevant professional or academic expertise in gender analysis.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: 26 positions were identified as relevant under this indicator for the reporting period. These are currently filled by 14 women and 12 men. Of this group, ten women and four men reported having received relevant training.

Out of those who have not completed such training, many indicated their intention to do so. In FY 2019/20, it will be important to remind staff that GBA+ online training is available and to share the relevant information to access this training. 

The course contributed to strengthening capacities on gender and human rights among a diverse, cross-regional group of delegates to the Human Rights Council, specifically by providing an introduction to treaties and other instruments of international law pertaining to discrimination and VAW, women’s and girls’ rights, compliance mechanisms in place, and progress and challenges in applying the legal framework to achieve GE. As a result, participants became more familiar with concepts and tools available to integrate a gender perspective into the work of the Human Rights Council.

10. Canada at the International Organization of La Francophonie

Context: One of the four major priorities of la Francophonie is peace, democracy and human rights. The International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) programming in this area, which is directly supported by Canadian voluntary contributions, includes transitions and electoral processes; support for State and civil society actors in the areas of democracy, human rights, as well as crisis and conflict prevention and management; and the maintenance and consolidation of peace. WPS is addressed notably through the Francophone Women’s Network for Peace. Within the OIF, there are several opportunities to raise issues and promote solutions related to WPS: the various meetings of the OIF working groups and commissions; the meetings of the Permanent Council of La Francophonie and of the Ministerial Conference of La Francophonie; the Francophonie Summit and various thematic conferences; meetings of various boards and general assemblies of operators and of other institutions of La Francophonie (Association internationale des Maires francophones, Agence universitaire de la Francophonie , Senghor University, Institut de la Francophonie pour le développement durable); the preparation of the OIF’s strategic framework, programming, strategies; as well as the preparation of resolutions and statements by Heads of State and government.

Priorities

Advance the WPS agenda in La Francophonie

10.1 TargetFootnote 33: Key messages on WPS are used regularly in relevant OIF meetings that can effect change in the lives of women and girls in fragile and conflict-affected states.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/OBJ 1

Baseline: Canada advances the WPS agenda on an ad hoc basis.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: A number of events advanced Canada’s WPS objectives within the IOF and among member countries, notably during Conseil permanent de la Francophonie and Ministerial Conference meetings and during the La Francophonie Summit in Yerevan in October 2018. The various IOF commission and working group meetings also served as a forum for disseminating Canada’s messages. Canada took action to support the effective representation and participation of women and to place particular importance on the human rights of women and girls. WPS considerations are also addressed during meetings and as part of the work of the Francophone Women’s Network for Peace.

In October 2018, Canada supported the adoption of the IOF’s 2019-2022 programming (Ministerial Conference of La Francophonie) and La Francophonie’s strategy for the promotion of gender equality and the rights and empowerment of women and girls (La Francophonie Summit). Canada played an active role in preparing these two documents and incorporating wording on gender equality. Canada took advantage of the development of the IOF strategy to promote Canada’s messages on women, peace and security. Through its annual contributions, Canada indirectly funds IOF activities on crisis and conflict prevention and management as well as the consolidation of peace and peacekeeping.

The Secretary General of La Francophonie also promoted women’s participation in conflict prevention and resolution. At the initiative of the IOF, Government of Canada and University of Ottawa, an international conference dedicated to the “Saint Boniface Declaration on Conflict Prevention and Human Security, 12 years later” was held in Ottawa from May 9 to 11, 2018. This event supported women’s participation in the conflict prevention or resolution process.

Strengthen gender analysis capacity within Global Affairs Canada’s La Francophonie-team

10.2 Target: By the end of FY 2021/22, two officers working on the OIF, one Ottawa-based and one Paris-based, are trained on gender to provide, on an ongoing basis, gender expertise as it relates to their respective responsibilities.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: TARGET ACHIEVED OR SURPASSED/internal efficiency and capacity

Baseline: 5 out of 5 officers identified as not having formal training.

Activity:

Indicators:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: The officers have a greater awareness of gender issues and are better able to identify shortcomings in that respect in texts proposed for meetings of La Francophonie institutions and in programming activities. They have a better knowledge of the resources available to them and can quickly identify experts who could provide them with support.

11. Canada at the Organization for Security and Co-operation In Europe

Context: Canada has been actively engaged in ensuring the adoption of several specific policies and measures in support of GE for the OSCE, both with participating States and within the Organization itself. Canada promotes the continued implementation of the 2004 OSCE Action Plan for the Promotion of Gender Equality (APPGE), advocates for the provision of more detailed data in its annual GE report, and helps identify ways for the Organization’s Secretariat, institutions and field operations to further integrate GBA+ in day-to-day operations. Canada also actively advances and promotes priorities such as:

Priorities

Mainstream gender and WPS in the OSCE Secretariat, Institutions, and Field Missions

11.1 TargetFootnote 34: Canada demonstrates strong commitment to supporting the OSCE Secretariat in promoting better integration of gender perspectives in its activities and operations.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/OBJ 1

Baseline: The OSCE Secretariat is demonstrating efforts to address its weak track record in integrating gender perspectives in all three dimensions of comprehensive security by establishing internal mechanisms and by completing the development of its 2017-2020 Road Map for the implementation of the Gender Action Plan, which sets priorities and an accountability framework for each department.  

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: While progress in terms of GE at the OSCE is slower than we would like, several initiatives are taking place, which are helping the integration of gender perspectives in the activities of the organization. The delegation regularly intervenes at the OSCE to advocate for better gender mainstreaming by reiterating key messages and highlighting the latest developments in the field of WPS in Canada.

In terms of Gender Action Plan, Canada advocated specifically for all OSCE field missions to develop their mission-specific strategy on at least two high level occasions: in the response to the OSCE Secretary General presentation of the Gender Action Plan and to OSCE Heads of Mission meeting.  There has been improvement as well on this issue with two additional OSCE field missions having completed their Gender Action Plan as of mid-2018, with 10 out of 15 (66%) OSCE field missions having developed their action plan.

On at least four occasions, Canada made interventions encouraging OSCE field missions and organizations to have a mission specific Gender focal point. The ambassador also stated at the Permanent Council that while a focal point is a useful step, gender integration should be “every staff member’s responsibility”*, to remind all that GE is not only a question of number and quota. Still, there are from 83 to 117 Gender Focal Points/groups across the Organization, depending on the definition of a “Focal point”: larger OSCE field operations can have large network of people dealing with gender in one capacity or another, while some have official Terms of References, others are part of gender working groups or local / mission gender networks.

Once again, the Canada’s leadership and efforts in OSCE Unified Budget negotiations in 2019 resulted in increased resources allocated to the OSCE Gender Unit for the implementation of gender mainstreaming. Canada did not provide new funding to the OSCE for the year 2018-2019, limiting our ability to integrate gender perspective in programmatic activities.

* Amb. Cayer in response to the SG 2017 annual progress report on the implementation of the 2004 OSCE Action Plan for the promotion of GE, 5Jul19)

Mainstream WPS and gender into the politico-military efforts of the OSCE

11.2 TargetFootnote 35:  Canada demonstrates strong commitment to ensuring the systematic integration of gender perspectives into OSCE capacity-building initiatives and outreach activities such as training, conferences, workshops, etc., especially with defence forces, operational law enforcement agencies, and other security-related government entities.  

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: MOSTLY ON TRACK/OBJ 1

The Canadian delegation supported and secured participations of several Canadians to be key speakers on issues related to WPS at the OSCE: 

Baseline: The OSCE has a weak track record of integrating gender perspectives into its work in political-military affairs. In 2015, the number of gender projects at the OSCE increased, with a total of 81 projects reported within the political-military dimension that included gender perspectives. In the first dimension (political-military), only 11% of the projects reported had GE as a principal objective, 35% had GE as a significant objective or were fully gender mainstreamed, while the majority (54%) reported to have mainstreamed gender with regard to female participation only. Canada (RCMP/ Global Affairs Canada HQ/ VOSCE) participated in the first OSCE meeting on Gender Mainstreaming in Operational Responses to Violent Extremism and Radicalization that Lead to Terrorism in November 2016 and contributed to its main recommendations.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: While the delegation did not have the resources to hold workshops or conferences on the importance of integrating gender-perspective in the politico-military dimension, it has been an active voice in defending these principles and in promoting greater action in this field. Over the reporting period, no less than nine Canadian statements and interventions were delivered at the OSCE (Ministerial Council, Permanent Council, Forum for Security Cooperation and other OSCE fora) with a strong content promoting and defending the integration of gender considerations in the political-military efforts of the OSCE, including in counter terrorism and violent extremism.

The delegation was key in including important elements related to WPS and gender during the negotiations of two Ministerial Council adopted decisions (Combatting Child Trafficking; Combatting Violence Against Women), three drafts decisions (Foreign Terrorists Fighters; Small Arms and Light Weapons; Women’s Political Participation) and  one “Group of Friends” statement on SSG/R.

Unfortunately, despite Canada’s calls, data disaggregation for gender in OSCE field missions remained low as of mid-2018 but might possibly increase in the 2018 Gender Action Plan report (to be release in late July 2019).

Promote the increased representation of women at the OSCE

11.3 Target: By 2020, the 2004 OSCE Gender Action Plan is fully implemented by the OSCE Secretariat, with leadership by Canada.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: MOSTLY ON TRACK/OBJ 1

Baseline: The 2004 OSCE Gender Action Plan has yet to be fully implemented, and requires updating. Women are systematically under-represented in political-military related positions, whilst over-represented in human rights and fundamental freedoms positions. Women are also present in low numbers amongst the heads of OSCE institutions and field operations. In 2015, for all non-HOM seconded posts to OSCE field missions, Canada nominated 42 women candidates as compared to 164 men (of which none of the eight DHoM candidates were women.)  Canada successfully advocated for an upgrade of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission’s Gender Adviser in the 2017-2018 budget of the Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.

Activity:

Indicator

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: For Canada, increasing the representation of women overall and particularly in senior positions at the OSCE remains a long-term commitment. Unfortunately, in the reporting period, women counted for only 31.88 % (95 applications) of nominations made by Canada for all OSCE secondments. The delegation approached several Canadian women to bring to their attention high-level vacancies at the OSCE.  However, numbers remain on the low side, with women holding only 28% (5 out of 18) of Heads of institutions and mission’s positions at the OSCE and 25% of deputy positions, in 2017. On the positive side, in 2018, the OSCE reported having achieved parity amongst its staff in the Secretariat’s Transnational Threat department and at the OSCE regional office in Montenegro. Canada will continue its efforts in reaching out to potential female candidates in applying to key positions in the hope to successfully increase these numbers.

The Delegation continued to find creative, yet limited, ways to fund speakers to attend several events and speaking opportunities to advance the active participation of women in the OSCE. The delegation managed to invite three Canadian women to participate in OSCE-related events, on all substantive issues dealt with by the OSCE, directly or indirectly related to WPS. 

Bilateral engagement

Middle East

Middle East StrategyFootnote 36: On February 2, 2016, Cabinet approved the Whole of Government Strategy for Support to the Global Coalition Against Daesh, and Broader Engagement in Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. The three-year Strategy (April 2016 – March 2019) integrates foreign policy, defence, and development so that Canada can make a modest but effective contribution to international efforts to help address the crises. The $2 billion commitment includes new funding of $1.5 billion, plus $0.6 billion in existing funding, to support Canada’s continuing efforts, to address immediate security threats while also providing support for the ongoing humanitarian crisis and longer-term development, security and stabilization needs in the region. Iraq and Syria are the main theatres of conflict and sources of instability in the region, while Jordan and Lebanon are the two neighbouring countries most at risk of destabilization, as they bear some of the greatest burden of the Syrian refugee crisis and face growing security concerns. In addition, Canada’s increasing support to experienced humanitarian partners in SRHR in emergencies, including in the Middle East, is helping to address gender-based gaps in access to reproductive health services; to integrate comprehensive GBV response and treatment in reproductive health; and provide safe spaces for women and girls. This whole-of-government Strategy is led by Global Affairs Canada, in partnership with the Department of National Defence, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, the Communications Security Establishment, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

12. Middle East Development Programming

ContextFootnote 37:  This section pertains to the coordination and integration of the whole-of-government Strategy in the Middle East. Thus some targets below pertain more broadly to Humanitarian Assistance, Security and Stabilization, Diplomatic Engagement as well as Development. In 2019, the Government of Canada renewed the whole-of-government Strategy in the Middle East for an additional 2 years to March 2021. 

The Middle East Development Program operates in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. Like most of Canadian development programming over the past two and a half decades, it has made a concerted effort to advance gender equality objectives through its programming to reduce poverty and improve economic development, accelerate human and social development, defend human rights, build the capacity of women’s rights organizations, and create more equitable societies. The Middle East Development Program operates in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan.

Priorities

Increase mainstreaming of WPS and gender into development programming in Middle East

12.1 TargetFootnote 38: Canada will significantly increase the percentage of programming that integrates gender perspectives for the four countries under the Middle East Strategy (2016-2019).

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019:  ON TRACK / Internal efficiency & capacity

Baseline:  At the beginning of FY 2016/17, 73% of development programming integrated GE at the GE01 to GE03 levels under the Middle East Strategy  

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: 90.5% of development programming for the four countries under the Middle East Strategy is now gender-integrated, compared to the baseline of 73% in April 2016.

GAC promotes GE in Lebanon, including through chairing the gender donor coordination group and through policy dialogue and advocacy on a bilateral basis. GAC lobbies for improved sex-disaggregated data collection, analysis and reporting on gender.  This has yielded results for the Ministry of Education’s “Reaching All Children with Education Program”, which has started to provide more sex-disaggregated data and analysis in its donor reporting.

GAC funding enabled UNICEF to better protect girls’ rights in Lebanon, including through a new Child Protection Policy for the Education Sector which was developed and adopted by the Ministry of Education.

Canada is also advancing women’s economic rights in the region. During FY 2018/19, Canada supported Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon to develop NAPs for Women’s Economic Empowerment.  In January 2019, GAC co-organized, with the World Bank, a high-level Mashreq Conference to advance Women’s Economic Empowerment under the auspices of Lebanon's Prime Minister. Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon presented plans and set concrete 5-year targets to increase women's labour force participation, including through legislative and other reforms. Canada’s $10 million contribution launched the establishment of a multi-donor funding facility, managed by the World Bank, to provide technical assistance to implement the plans.

In FY 2018/19, GAC contributed $1.4 million to a pooled fund managed by UN Women to provide the technical assistance and capacity building that Jordan requires to effectively implement its NAP (JONAP) to comply with UNSCR 1325 on WPS. The JONAP is a key policy framework to address Jordan’s security and stability issues, with a focus on GE and women’s meaningful participation in peacebuilding efforts. The JONAP also focuses on providing gender-responsive security, justice, and social services to Jordanian and refugee women and girls; and on fostering a culture of peace and GE in their society.

Through development programming in Iraq, Canada supports local NGOs to develop their capacity to promote women’s empowerment and encourage local governments to address the needs of women and girls in their programs and policies. In addition, Canada has funded a National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) polling project in Iraq. This study explored changes in gender roles pre- and post-Daesh. On the whole, the focus groups suggest that women in Iraq are at a pivot point when it comes to equality, facing both new opportunities to further improve their status and formidable pushback from those with more traditional values.  This information has been used by local organizations to improve their programming and advocacy for women’s rights.

Through development programming in Syria, Canada supports the economic empowerment and resilience of women, including through vocational training and livelihoods support in local communities.

A GAC development project in Lebanon, implemented by UNDP, is i) establishing and strengthening government facilities, including women’s shelters that provide GBV-related services; ii) enhancing capacities of service providers, including the judiciary and law enforcement officers, on GBV-related issues, and iii) conducting advocacy and awareness campaigns on GE and harmful practices against women, targeting responsible authorities and beneficiaries. The initiative is also using demographic and reproductive health systems data to identify a) health gaps and needs of women and girls; b) increase knowledge of policy makers and provide them technical expertise required to revise reproductive health policies, plans, curricula and guidelines; c) increase skills of health professionals to plan and deliver high quality reproductive health services; and d) provide essential reproductive health equipment, commodities and supplies to health facilities with the greatest need.

Undertake a gender stocktaking of programming and diplomatic engagement under whole of government Strategy

12.2 TargetFootnote 39:

  1. Facilitate a common understanding of the GE context in the 4 Middle East Strategy countries, and provide a baseline inventory of GAC initiatives integrating GE.
  2. Changes to the baseline will be tracked.
  3. Identify options to improve the quality and effectiveness of GE efforts in a potential second phase of the Middle East Strategy after FY 2018/19, if approved by Cabinet. 

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019:  ON TRACK – 12.2.1, 12.2.2/Internal efficiency & capacity

  1. Completed in previous FY
  2. Changes to integration of GE in Development Programming are being tracked
  3. Completed in previous FY

Baseline: Gender Stocktaking commenced in late June 2017.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: GAC divisions of the Middle East Strategy have a document providing a common understanding of the status of GE in the four countries.  The Gender Stocktaking document also provides a baseline of the status of women in the four countries, challenges experienced by men and boys, and the status of GAC programming in the summer of 2017 as a baseline. Options for future programming are also included. This document also provides the analysis and basis for the various versions of the gender-based and diversity analyses for the Middle East Strategy. The draft Action Plan contains measures that various GAC divisions can undertake to improve their own and partner capacities in GE, and to improve accountability and communications on GE in the four countries of the Middle East Strategy over the remainder of the five years to 2020-21. 

Support local women’s rights organizations and movements working to advance WPS and GE in the Middle East

12.3 TargetFootnote 40: Canada establishes a mechanism through which to provide direct support to women’s rights organization in the four countries of the Middle East Strategy.

Assuming at least another 4 years to undertake implementation:

  1. Canada enhances advocacy by women’s rights organizations to advance WPS and GE in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan
  2. Canada improves the management, programming and sustainability of local women’s rights organizations in the four countries of the Middle East Strategy.
  3. Canada increases the effectiveness of sub-national, national and regional women’s rights platforms, networks, and alliances to affect policy, legal and social change

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: MOSTLY ON TRACK – 12.2.1, 12.2.2, 12.2.2/OBJ 1

Baseline: There is limited funding and institutional strengthening for women’s rights organizations and an absence of coordinated collective action on the part of women’s rights organizations in the four countries of the Middle East Strategy.

Activity:  

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

The Women’s Voice and Leadership Program of the Middle East Strategy has been delayed due to delays in contract tendering.  The Heartland Alliance project is underway and is working to support selected women’s organizations.

Results and Progress: Contracting for the Women’s Voice and Leadership Program was delayed, but is now expected to be undertaken within a year.

Heartland Alliance Iraq (HAI) project became operational in 2018-19 and is supporting women’s rights organizations to advance WPS and gender equality. HAI is building the capacity of four women’s rights partner organizations and is also supporting the coordination of civil society participation in the formation of the 1325 National Action Plan for Iraq.  Results that have been achieved include the following:

Four local Community-based Organizations (CBOs) partnered with HAI, and were issued grants after the selection process was finalized. The four partner organizations had their capacity assessed and HAI worked collaboratively with each CBO to develop a capacity-building plan which will be implemented in the coming year of the project.  It is too early to report on the number of supported women’s organizations which increased their reach. However, these four CBOs have expanded their advocacy services with key stakeholders at the national and regional levels.

Canada, through HAI, is supporting four CBOs to become members of a UNSC Resolution 1325 network, with one CBO each in the following 4 locations: Muthanna, Baghdad, Sulaymaniyah, and Basra. They are engaged in several training and mentorship activities to this end.  In addition, HAI is helping to improve coordination between the 1325 Alliance and the 1325 Network of NGOs in Iraq with support from the Government of Iraq’s 1325 Taskforce. These two separate groups of NGOs are working with other stakeholders to create a new 1325 National Action Plan for Iraq. 

HAI conducted an assessment to review the effectiveness of existing laws, policies, and strategies impacting women’s economic rights, protection, and political leadership.

Context, PSOPs programming in Iraq: The PSOPs programming in Iraq is linked to Canada’s membership in the Global Coalition to Counter Daesh, as well as PSOPs country strategy. From a geographic perspective, its programming focuses on areas that have been liberated from Daesh in the governorates of Anbar and Ninewah. Since Canada serves as gender focal point for the Global Coalition’s Working Group on Stabilization, Canada leads by example and ensures that WPS is integrated into all PSOPs programming in Iraq. Currently, PSOPs programming is based on three thematic lines of effort:

Priorities

Mainstream WPS and gender into peace and security efforts in Iraq

12.4 Target: Canada, through PSOPs, demonstrates support for women’s increased and meaningful participation in improving peace and security in Iraq by ensuring that gender perspectives are integrated in 100% of projects.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: TARGET HAS BEEN ACHIEVED OR SURPASSED/OBJ 3

Baseline: In FY 2016/17, four out of seven Iraq-PSOP projects (57%) integrated gender perspectives. Footnote 42 Five out of seven projects supported women in improving peace and stability in Iraq.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: In most cases, the results achieved were equal to or higher than expected. Project evaluations were positive and the activities made significant contributions to improving the use of the technology in the work of journalists in the MENA region. The project contributed to increasing capacity and knowledge of local organizations that strengthened and make safer the work of women journalists and human rights defenders involved in the project. The regional networking allowed increasing pressure on governments to push forward on human rights changes and to monitor governments’ commitments.

PSOPs-supported projects contributed to increasing the knowledge and capacity of male and female journalists to improve their participation in peace and security through the following outputs: A 5-day regional Training of trainers seminar on digital security in Amman,(16f / 4 m); a 4-day regional training of seminar on improving reporting on GBV in Amman (12 f / 4 m); training 16 journalists + 4 coordinators from Jordan, Lebanon, Sudan and Iraq; 8 in-country workshops on using media more effectively for researching, documenting and reporting about GBV were carried out in Iraq, Jordan and in Lebanon. 303 people were trained to improve the coverage of GBV in the media; and the development of a code of ethics for enhancing gender sensitive media coverage. This code of ethics has been discussed and adapted in each country to perform the in-country trainings on GBV.

Context, PSOPs programming in Syria: Syrian women’s political participation, in the best of cases, has been tokenized in politics over the past 50 years with little political space for women to be actively involved. Syrian women now more than ever have the opportunity to influence the transitional peace process and play a leading role in the UN-led Syria peace process negotiations. Currently, the ongoing conflict disproportionately affects women and girls. PSOPs programming in Syria will take into account the different needs of girls, women, boys and men as well as their opportunities to participate in decision-making in all peace and security activities and support women’s decision-making and leadership in peace-building. PSOPs programming is also taking an active role in supporting women’s active participation in the UN-led peace process and connecting women at the grassroots level with women playing a role in the peace process at the UN.

Priorities

Mainstream WPS and gender into peace and security efforts in Syria

12.5 TargetFootnote 43: Canada, through PSOPs, demonstrates support for women’s increased and meaningful participation in improving peace and security in Syria by ensuring that gender perspectives are integrated in 90% of projects.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: TARGET ACHIEVED OR SURPASSED/OBJ 3

Baseline: Out of the 12 Syria- PSOPs projects in the FY 2016/17, 6 (50%) of the projects in Syria integrate WPS principles and/or gender perspectives.Footnote 44

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: Overall results achieved include:

PSOPs’ $4.5M women-centered project with Mayday Rescue, for example, is supporting the White Helmets’ life-saving work in Syria by allowing them to recruit and train female volunteers and to establish new centres that will strengthen the organization’s reach and capacity to provide critical services to all Syrians in need, particularly women and girls.

The project has successfully enabled the establishment of a cadre of women volunteers as a critical component of the organization. There are now 43 rescue teams led by women; and 390 women volunteers (290 of whom were recruited under this project) including 31 women in leadership positions. They serve communities throughout non-Regime held areas of Northwest Syria with awareness, health care, and social services as well as providing support to the main operational centres. Efforts to convince the organization to establish a Board of Directors position reserved for a female representative were not successful; however women representatives did participate in the Assembly General Meeting and made strong representations, and two female members were elected to the board of directors after the project ended.

The success of the project is notable given considerable previous resistance from the male-dominated, largely conservative leadership of the organization to expanding the role of women. Participation of women is now seen by the organization’s leaders as an integral part of their organization. The success of the project was evident in the organization’s response to the evacuations in March-April 2018, in which female volunteers were at the forefront of, and highly visible in, efforts to receive and resettle IDPs arriving on ‘green buses’ in the rebel-controlled north.

13. Middle East Diplomatic Engagement

Iraq

ContextFootnote 45: The Government of Iraq’s implementation of its’ NAP on UNSCR 1325 (2014-2018) has been limited. Currently, Iraq is in the process of developing the new 5-year Action Plan, but it is unclear whether the newly-formed government will show greater commitment to its implementation than the last one. Canada has recently expanded its diplomatic presence in Iraq, in both Baghdad and Erbil, and has increased somewhat it’s capacity to engage with the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government on WPS issues. However, the security environment remains restrictive, posing challenges for Canadian diplomats to travel outside the main cities of Baghdad and Erbil to engage with local authorities and organizations.

Priorities

Advance WPS in Canadian diplomatic engagements in Iraq

13.1 TargetFootnote 46: Canada promotes its WPS position and priorities to Iraqi government officials and stakeholders to increase awareness of WPS.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019:  ON TRACK/OBJ 1

Baseline: Canada raises topics with senior government interlocutors related to: protection of women and girls, special consideration for survivors of Daesh atrocities, women and policing/women’s inclusion in the security sector, women as part of reconciliation processes, female genital mutilation, and other WPS-related issues.

Activity:

Indicator:

Timeline:  Two years (to correspond with length of the Middle East Strategy, barring renewal)

Completed Activities:

Five sets of remarks with content on Canadian priorities on WPS and Iraqi needs delivered by Ambassador or Head of Office in Erbil at WPS-related events: launch of the 16 days of Activism against Gender-based Violence Campaign, International Human Rights Day, gender-sensitive policing workshop, peacebuilding and reconciliation, Iraqi women’s leadership initiative.

Over 20+ bilateral meetings held by the Ambassador, Head of Office in Erbil, and/or political counsellor with senior Iraqi federal and Kurdistan regional officials in which Canada’s support to Iraq’s new NAP, and Canada’s prioritization of WPS were conveyed.

Multiple meetings with Iraqi civil society, international NGOs and UN agencies focusing specifically on elements of WPS. This included meetings with local NGOs and female journalists on SGBV.

Two Canada Fund for Local Initiatives projects worth $61,123 supported local Iraqi civil society efforts on WPS-related priorities. Two additional CFLI projects supported complementary goals in terms of women’s empowerment and the protection of women’s rights.  The Canada Fund for Local Initiatives projects succeeded in expanding Canada’s connections with local government and civil society. Canada’s contribution was also visible through the presence of its logo, and in all materials related to the projects.

The Embassy’s social media accounts prioritize WPS and GE.

Results and Progress: The Canadian Embassy in Baghdad and its office in Erbil were able to step up significantly their outreach and activities to promote Canada’s commitment to the rights of women and girls, including a clear focus on WPS and on supporting Iraq’s new NAP.  Key themes addressed included: support to Iraq’s second National Action Plan; inclusion of women in political process and peacebuilding; support for gender-sensitive policing; combatting harassment and SGBV; advancing female representation in the parliamentary system. The Ambassador systematically advocated for the inclusion of women in peace-building and conflict prevention and resolution processes, and attention to their needs in peacebuilding and post-conflict settings. Both the Ambassador and the Erbil Head of Office delivered remarks at several events that highlighted key issues in WPS (policing, NAP, peacebuilding, women in parliament).

The Embassy and the office also systematically used their social media (Facebook and Twitter) to promote the message, including posting WPS-related live video on WPS-related events. WPS or gender-related posts averaged several per month.  The Embassy has posted video of all the Ambassador’s participation in major events on WPS, with professional subtitling, and these items consistently have a high following.

The Canada Fund for Local Initiatives was focused exclusively on women’s rights and gender empowerment, and of four projects, two (valued at a total of $61,123) were focused specifically on WPS priorities. One project promoted the role of young people in reducing the harassment of girls and battered women in public places in Diyala province. Project activities included training courses, community awareness forums, seminars and workshops for youth, and use of radio and print for educational purposes. The number of direct participants/beneficiaries was 2,700. 

The second project raised awareness of the importance of women’s participation in public and political life and increasing the opportunities for women in decision-making positions in Anbar province. Project activities included training workshops, capacity-building, seminars, the establishment of working groups, a forum with local government officials, and use of media for awareness-raising. The total number of direct participants/beneficiaries totaled 196.

Provide a platform for advancing WPS in stabilization efforts through the Global Coalition against Daesh’ Working Group on Stabilization

13.2 TargetFootnote 47: Canada maintains efforts to advance WPS in the Global Coalition against Daesh’ Working Group on Stabilization.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/OBJ 5

Baseline: Canada’s Chargé d’Affaires in Baghdad currently co-leads an informal diplomatic group with women Iraqi parliamentarians and PSOPs represents Canada as the Gender Focal Point of the Global Coalition against Daesh’ Working Group on Stabilization.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: Relevant results include:

To date, gender has been integrated through all the activities related to the Working Group on Stabilization (WGS) including the meetings held in Washington, and Baghdad as well as the three meetings organized for the Stabilization Task Force. For all these events, Canada (through PSOPs), promoted and delivered gender-related agenda items as well as side events seeking to increase awareness among Coalition members, the Government of Iraq and other relevant stakeholders.

Syria

Context: Canada works closely with like-minded partners and Syrian stakeholders towards reaching a political solution to Syria's protracted conflict. Seven tragic years of conflict have added significant challenges to, and led to a deterioration of, women rights and the situation of Syrian women and girls living in and outside the country (when displaced by the conflict). Canada has continued to be highly active in supporting the meaningful participation of women in Syrian peace negotiations, and meaningful participation of women’s organizations and networks in conflict prevention. Canada will continue to prioritize women’s empowerment and increased and meaningful participation in political dialogue and decision making as well as GE, inclusiveness and protection generally.

Priorities

Advance WPS in Canadian diplomatic engagements concerning Syria

13.3 TargetFootnote 48,Footnote 49: Canada promotes its WPS positions and priorities with Syrian stakeholders to increase awareness of WPS

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/OBJ 1

Baseline: Canada has raised, with Syrian stakeholders, issues related to women’s empowerment and participation in Syrian representative and governing bodies; women participation in political transition and future reconciliation processes; the protection of women and girls, with special considerations for issues related to SGBV, child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation; and Canada is recognized as a strong advocate for the participation of women in Syrian peace talks. However, there are persisting complex challenges in improving GE, women’s empowerment, inclusiveness, protection, and participation in the peace process.

Activity:

Indicator:  

Timeline: Two years (to correspond with length of the Middle East Strategy, barring renewal)

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: There were over 100 Canadian efforts to advance WPS principles, build commitment and to encourage actions to advance WPS.

Given the cultural context, and the conflict which has empowered (primarily male) belligerent actors versus other elements of Syrian society, and with rising rates of conservatism in key communities, the political advancement of women has been challenging. Women remain significantly under-represented in Syria's political process, and in Syrian opposition bodies. 

During the March 2019 Brussels Conference on the Future of Syria and Days of Dialogue with civil society, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs delivered hard-hitting Canadian messages on the importance of GE, women's representation, ending SGBV and GBV (including against both women and men in Assad's detention facilities), and accountability for war crimes.  Canada also prioritized engagement with Syrian women civil society leaders, and women's organizations.

Canada continues to identify and support Syrian partner organizations advancing WPS positions. For example, Canada hosted a delegation of six Syrian opposition women negotiators to share their perspectives on resolving the Syrian conflict and increasing women's political participation. They met with the Parliamentary Secretary, Ministers' Offices, senior officials, others from across the government of Canada, and members of the Syrian diaspora, including new refugee communities.  They also web-cast a public event co-sponsored by IDRC and hosted at the Centre for Pluralism, and conducted CBC and CTV media interviews.

Canada engaged the EU in supporting WPS initiatives in Syria. As a result, the EU is now a leading WPS donor. Together with the EU, Canada held the inaugural meeting of the Women, Peace and Security Working Group, bringing Syria stabilization donors together to coordinate and support meaningful participation of women in political decision-making and conflict resolution, and to prevent SGBV.  Like-minded donors have expressed a desire to reconvene with greater regularity.  Together with the EU, Canada also co-sponsored and co-chaired two workshops in Gaziantep on political capacity-building for women, and on engendering the Syrian constitution. The EU has carried this initiative forward, contributing to a decision of the Syrian Negotiating Commission to increase the number of women they have nominated to the Constitutional Commission for Syria. This contributed to a notable increase in their commitment to ensuring that gender equality is enshrined in their approach to developing a new Syrian Constitution.  

Diplomatic advocacy contributed to a decision taken by the leadership of Syria Civil Defence to incorporate female White Helmets' volunteers into their management cadre. At their Annual General Meeting, they took the decision to include women in the Board of Directors (previously exclusively male), and in early 2019, held elections for women's representatives.

Canadian diplomats worked with local PSOPs' partners to familiarize women survivors of sexual violence in Assad's prisons of the mandates of the International Impartial and Independent Mechanism and the UN Commission of Inquiry to assist them to come to informed decisions on whether to provide their testimonies to the two UN organizations.  This was done with a view to pursuing accountability, and ending impunity for the commission of sexual violence in Syria's detention facilities.

In CFLI projects, the following results were achieved:

Jordan

ContextFootnote 50: Jordan has demonstrated support for and is implementing strategies that focus on women’s empowerment (National Strategy for Women and Government's Vision 2025). However, women still do not have the same legal status and rights as men. Discrimination, domestic violence, and child, early and forced marriage are enduring concerns, both in host communities and especially among Syrian refugees. Diplomatic advocacy continues to support Canada’s efforts to prioritize GE, women’s economic and political empowerment, inclusion, and protection.

Priorities

Advance WPS in Canadian diplomatic engagements in Jordan

13.4 TargetFootnote 51: Canada promotes its WPS position and priorities to Jordanian government officials and Jordanian stakeholders  to increase awareness of  WPS.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019:  MOSTLY ON TRACK/OBJ 1

Baseline: Canada has raised, with senior Jordanian interlocutors and stakeholders, issues related to women’s empowerment and participation in Jordanian representative and governing bodies; women and policing/women’s inclusion in the security sector; the protection of women and girls, with special consideration for SGBV, child, early and forced marriage; and other WPS-related issues. However, challenges in improving GE, women’s empowerment, inclusiveness and protection persist.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: There were seven Ambassadorial initiatives where WPS principles were advanced with stakeholders, including:

Results also included:

Lebanon

ContextFootnote 52: Lebanon continues its slow and fragile transition from the civil war, addressing its many structural challenges including lack of good governance, high levels of corruption, limited economic growth, human rights limitations, and recurrent security challenges due notably to the presence of armed groups. While Lebanon appears fairly progressive compared to many other Arab countries with respect to many rights, some fundamental rights are still not fully recognized and respected. While the Lebanese government has remained focused on political and security issues, such efforts have slowed progress in a number of other areas, such as the improvement of women’s status in society, GE, human rights and good governance. While being one of the most vulnerable communities in the country, facing all of these challenges, including the influx of Syrian refugees, women have become advocates for social cohesion within and between communities. Under its Middle East Strategy, Canada has put GE, women’s protection, empowerment, and inclusiveness at the top of programming and advocacy efforts in Lebanon.

Priorities

Advance WPS in Canadian diplomatic engagements in Lebanon

13.5 TargetFootnote 53: Canada promotes its WPS position and priorities to Lebanese government officials and stakeholders to increase awareness of WPS.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019:  MOSTLY ON TRACK/OBJ 1

Baseline: Canada has raised with senior Lebanese interlocutors and stakeholders, topics related to women’s empowerment and participation in Lebanese representative and governing bodies; women and policing/women’s inclusion in the security sector; the protection of women and girls, with special consideration for SGBV violence, child, early and forced marriage; and other WPS-related issues. However, challenges in improving GE, women’s empowerment, inclusiveness and protection persist.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: The Canadian Ambassador in Lebanon raised WPS nine times with senior government officials, notably including two meetings with the Minister of the Interior. Ms. Raya al-Hassan, Minister of the Interior was appointed in February 2019.  Although previously a Minister of Finance in Lebanon in 2009 – 2011, Ms. al-Hassan is also the first woman in the Arab world to be appointed Minister of the Interior. 

The Ambassador hosted a one-day session on WPS for Women MPs at the MENA FemParl Conference, held in Beirut. The very successful FemParl Conference in Lebanon also reached significant numbers on social media during a one-day Women, Peace and Security blitz. The event was also covered by two of the major Lebanese newspapers and the Ambassador further discussed the initiative on a political TV show.

The Ambassador also met with the Lebanese Armed Forces Commander and discussed issues related to WPS.  Other Ambassadorial meetings raising WPS issues were held with: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Director General of the Internal Security Forces; the Director General of General Security; the Head of Police for Mount Lebanon, and the Head of the Embassy Police Force.

The Ambassador, along with Embassy staff, met with different Lebanese stakeholders to discuss gender integration, including Canada’s efforts in Lebanon.

The Embassy staff meets regularly with UN Women (three times) and met twice with the National Commission of Lebanese Women (NCLW). Both organizations are involved in the draft of the National Action Plan on WPS.

Africa

14. South Sudan

Context:  South Sudan is one of the world’s most fragile states and women and girls remain one of the most marginalized groups. Conflict continues to impact women and girls differently and disproportionately, and continues to violate their rights. Women are also consistently excluded from conflict prevention and peace activities. The South Sudanese government has a NAP on UNSCR 1325 (2015-2020), but its implementation capacity is limited. Given South Sudan’s extreme fragility, the political and security environment presents numerous challenges for programming and diplomatic engagement related to the WPS agenda.

Canada’s bilateral development assistance in South Sudan is focused on meeting the basic needs of the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and girls. Empowering women and girls and reducing gender inequalities is also at the core of Canada’s development approach. Canada’s programming supports the delivery of gender-sensitive basic health services, including maternal, newborn and child health, with increasing attention to SRHR. In particular, Canada is working with local partner organizations to empower women and girls to make their own decisions about their sexual and reproductive health, free from discrimination, coercion and violence, and to positively influence attitudes and social norms related to SRHR. Canada is also supporting efforts to improve food security by boosting food production, protecting livelihoods, and strengthening community resilience to hunger, including by working directly with women farmers to increase their participation in production and marketing activities. Canada regularly engages with the Government of South Sudan to advocate for the needs and rights of women and children affected by the conflict. This includes an emphasis on protecting women and girls from high levels of SGBV, including the use of rape as a weapon of war. Canada also monitors the human rights situation for women and girls and actively engages advocates for the meaningful inclusion of women leaders in the peace process.

The PSOPs programming is taking into account the different needs of girls, women, boys and men, as well as their opportunities to participate in decision-making in all peace and security efforts. PSOPs is supporting women’s decision-making and leadership in peacebuilding and the efforts aimed at addressing the underlying root-causes of conflict and violence, particularly addressing unequal power relations and discrimination against women and girls.

Priorities

Increase the support to local women’s rights organizations in South Sudan

14.1 TargetFootnote 54: Canada increases targeted support to local women’s rights organizations and movements working to empower women and girls and advance GE. By 2021/22, 15 women’s rights organizations and movements are supported by the bilateral development program and through CFLI,

Progress achieved as of March 31, 2019:  ON TRACK/OBJ 1

Baseline: One women’s rights organization and/or movement  received support via  the bilateral development program and through the CFLI in FY 2016/17

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress:  During the reporting period, Canada supported seven local women’s rights organizations and/or movements working to empower women and girls and advance GE.

For example, with support from the CFLI, the non-profit organization Crown the Woman produced a film and a comic book to facilitate campaigns on early, child and forced marriage in schools in Juba and discussions among students, parents and teachers as a way to advance the fight against SGBV. In addition, the Women Development Group (WDG) mapped out actors and established referral pathways on SGBV and early marriage in Wau to support parents and secondary school girls to access services and manage cases of SGBV.

Advance WPS in Canadian diplomatic engagements in South Sudan

14.2 TargetFootnote 55: Canada increases advocacy on the WPS agenda in diplomatic engagement with South Sudan.

Progress achieved as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/OBJ 1

Baseline: No advocacy specific to the WPS agenda in diplomatic engagement with South Sudan.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress:  During the reporting period, Canada supported 18 outreach/advocacy/engagement efforts with stakeholders where WPS principles were advanced.

For example, the Canadian embassy hosted two lunches for women leaders from women’s networks and civil society to share their priorities and insights on women’s roles for the implementation of the Revitalization Agreement, and for consolidating peace more generally in South Sudan. The Canadian Embassy also supported a local initiative to facilitate coverage, by national community radio stations, of the April 2018 High Level Revitalization Forum (HLRF) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, which allowed satellite consultations of women in communities outside of Juba.

Canada also mainstreamed WPS in advocacy discussions, including stressing to South Sudanese senior government officials and political leaders the importance of enhancing GE. This included a statement on reports of sexual violence on women and girls in the Bentiu area, Unity State, calling for immediate action.

Mainstream WPS and gender into peace and security efforts  in South Sudan

14.3 Target: Canada, through PSOPs, demonstrates support for women’s increased and meaningful participation in improving peace and security in South Sudan by ensuring that WPS principles and gender perspectives are integrated into 100% of projects.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: TARGET HAS BEEN ACHIEVED OR SURPASSED/ OBJ 3

Baseline: In FY 2016/17, there were 2 (100%) projects that supported women to participate in improving peace and security in South Sudan. Both projects integrated WPS principles, and both projects increased the budget to integrate more WPS elements.Footnote 56

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: PSOPs helped women participate in promoting peace in South Sudan through:

Specific results include:

15. Burundi

Context: In April 2015, President Nkurunziza of Burundi announced that he would be running for a third term in the election planned later that year. Burundian authorities engaged in systematic and brutal repression of any form of dissent to President Nkurunziza’s decision, and this crackdown intensified following the May 2015 coup attempt. Large segments of Burundi’s population, the political opposition, and many members of the international community deemed his decision unconstitutional and in contravention of the 2000 Arusha Agreement. According to reports from the UN, local and international NGOs such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, the violence orchestrated by President Nkurunziza’s regime has targeted many groups and individuals perceived as opponents of the regime. Women and girls have been the target of SGBV, notably rape, principally from the Imbonerakure youth militia.

As Canada does not have a physical diplomatic presence in Burundi, visits to the country and information-gathering from bilateral and multilateral partners on the political and humanitarian situation are a significant part of how Canada scopes out opportunities for diplomatic or programmatic action and advocacy on Burundi. Therefore, in order to ensure that the needs, interests and challenges of Burundian women and girls are taken into consideration in the development of Canada’s plans and actions in Burundi, Canadian officials reporting on Burundi will ensure that their conflict analysis integrates gender perspectives and gender-based concerns, specifically those related to women and girls

Priorities

Increase Canada’s knowledge of issues pertaining to women and girls in the context of the conflict in Burundi

15.1 TargetFootnote 57: Canada increases its understanding of the differential impact of the conflict on Burundian women, men, boys and girls. At least half  (50% per FY) of reports and analytical products, produced by the mission in Kigali and/or Global Affairs Canada headquarters, relating to the situation in Burundi, will integrate and/or address gender-based perspectives.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: MOSTLY ON TRACK/OBJ 1Footnote 58

Baseline: Owing to the nature of the conflict, Global Affairs Canada reporting on the situation in Burundi already captures gender-based concerns. However, this approach to reporting is not fully integrated into routine practice. Also, there is currently no systematic tracking of reporting and analysis that comprise gender-based and women’s issues.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: Burundi has been dealing with a political crisis since 2015, when President Nkurunziza announced that he would be running for a third term, in contravention of the Arusha Agreement and the Constitution, according to a large number of citizens and members of the international community. Since 2015, the political opposition, media, civil society and citizens viewed as being critical of the regime have been subjected to violent repression, including sexual and gender-based violence, by the state’s security forces and the youth militia of the President’s party called Imbonerakure.

The nature of the political crisis in Burundi too often involves young people, who are both the perpetrators and the targets of human rights violations, with women falling victim to politically motivated sexual violence and, as a vulnerable group, suffering from the lack of basic services and the worsening of the economic recession. As a result, the analytical products and reports provided did not take full account of gender‑based considerations. Access to information, including reliable data, is difficult in Burundi due to strict restrictions imposed by the government on civil society and international players. Owing to the political nature of the reported events, little information was available, which affected KGALI’s ability to achieve this objective.

However, GBA+ will continue to be very much a matter of importance over the coming reporting period for Burundi, even though the crisis is showing no signs of abating. As the presidential election of May 2020 draws near, Canada’s interest and that of our citizens will grow, particularly with respect to the inclusiveness of the election. 

To date, KGALI has held 25 meetings with the stakeholders concerned in Burundi and Uganda. No meetings with women’s rights organizations have taken place, but most of the organizations with which meetings were held provide services to women and girls. Some even have targeted programs for these groups.

16. Democratic Republic of Congo

Context: Canada provides humanitarian and development assistance to the DRC to address the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable, including those affected by the country’s ongoing conflict and state fragility.  Canada’s development assistance aims to improve the health of women and children, advance their rights, increase their political, economic and social empowerment, and support democratic governance and peaceful pluralism. Canada’s programming in the DRC includes efforts to combat SGBV at the national and regional levels, with a focus on provinces affected by conflict in the Eastern region. Programming is aligned with the DRC’s National Strategy to Combat GBV (2009). Through projects and policy dialogue, Canada advocates for the rights of women and girls, women’s empowerment and the end to impunity for perpetrators of sexual and gender-based crimes and promotes social behavioural change. Projects provide health, psychosocial and legal services and assistance to survivors of SGBV, strengthen key national institutions, and support local women’s organization to advance gender equality and women’s rights. More broadly, Canada engages in policy dialogue with the DRC government, the donor community and other stakeholders on a broad range of issues related to women’s rights and participation in society, including the fight against SGBV. This includes advocating for greater commitment by the DRC government on the prevention of SGBV and the fight against impunity, improving donor collaboration, promoting coherent efforts and approaches, and increasing protection measures for women and girls affected by the country’s regional conflicts.

Priorities

Increase the number of leaders committed to and engaged in the fight against all forms of sexual and GBV in the DRC

16.1 TargetFootnote 59: Canada engages with key DRC stakeholders in the prevention and behavioural change efforts in order to strengthen their commitment to address the root causes of SGBV

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/OBJ 2

Baseline: Some awareness of root causes but little is translated into action.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Canada contributed $350,000 (2017‑2019) for a joint evaluation of efforts to combat SGBV in the DRC with a view to identifying good practices and the most effective approaches. This evaluation was finalized and shared in 2019.

Results and Progress: Since 2006, Canada has been committed to combatting SGBV through its various initiatives, the most recent of which are the Fight against GBV: Justice, Empowerment and Dignity of Women and Girls in the DRC and Women’s Voice and Leadership in the DRC, which will have national implications. The development and launch of these projects led to extensive dialogue with key players of the Congolese feminist movement on gender equality and the best approaches for tackling the root causes of SGBV. Canada also contributes through its participation in coordination spaces that exist for discussing, exchanging and finding joint solutions to the challenges of combatting SGBV, such as the gender inter‑donor group and the SGBV sub‑cluster. It is also through the SGBV sub‑cluster that the sector’s joint evaluation could be conducted.

The Embassy of Canada to the DRC supported a number of SGBV awareness activities with various DRC stakeholders. These included:

In the wake of the Women Deliver international conference, the Canadian Embassy brought together some 30 women’s organizations in Kinshasa so that they could develop an action plan and commit to concrete actions over the next 12 months, particularly as concerns health and SGBV.

Increase the availability and use of health, psychosocial and protection services for survivors of SGBV in the DRC

16.2 TargetFootnote 60:  Canada supports the measures outlined in DRC’s National Strategy to Combat GBV (2009) to increase national leadership and coordination and make services available to survivors of SGBV.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/OBJ 2

Canada continued its activities to build the capacities of local authorities and responsible departments to implement strategy components and participated in the various coordinating bodies with government representatives.

Baseline: Plan exists but it requires updating, as well as a dedicated budget.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

The projects Women’s Voice and Leadership in the DRC and Fight against GBV: Justice, Empowerment and Dignity of Women and Girls, launched in the last year, comprise components aimed at improving the capacity of women’s rights organizations and the coordination of players working in this sector, including efforts to combat SGBV.

Results and Progress: Through initiatives funded by Canada, coordination spaces exist for effectively discussing, exchanging and finding joint solutions to the challenges of combatting SGBV. These include the gender inter‑donor group and the SGBV sub‑cluster, in which Canada is very active, as well as provincial cooperation spaces as part of the most recent project Fight against GBV: Justice, Empowerment and Dignity of Women and Girls. In addition, the joint evaluation of initiatives to combat SGBV provided an important forum for Canada to disseminate its key messages in dialogue with key partners in this sector, including Congolese authorities. Canada also assumed the leadership of the Call to Action in the fight against SGBV in humanitarian situations. This is another forum in which Canada will have a chance to engage in policy dialogue to advance women’s rights and efforts to combat SGBV in the country.

In the context of an electoral year in the DRC and a rotation in the office of President, the DRC government’s progress on measures in the National Strategy remained limited in 2018/19. However, the government adopted the second generation of its National Action Plan for the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325. This plan was adopted on September 7, 2018, and covers four pillars, including prevention and protection, in addition to addressing the coordination of interventions in this area. The DRC government also continued its participation in the steering committee on the joint evaluation of efforts to combat SGBV, which speaks to a certain degree of commitment. With the results of this evaluation, the Congolese Ministry of Gender, Family and Children agreed to review and enhance the National Strategy to Combat SGBV in order to improve its effectiveness and scope. Government players are also taking part in the gender inter‑donors group as well as in the SGBV sub‑cluster and the Call to Action against gender‑based violence in humanitarian emergencies.

Lastly, on March 6, 2019, Felix Tshisekedi, the new President of the DRC, appointed Chantal Yelo Mulop as Special Advisor in charge of youth and efforts to combat violence against women. Ms. Mulop also took part in the Women Deliver conference in June 2019 with the personal support of Canada’s Ambassador to the DRC.

Support the empowerment of women and girls in preventing/addressing SGBV in the DRC

16.3 TargetFootnote 61: Canada continues to advance a portfolio of projects to advance the rights of women and girls, women’s empowerment, and the implementation of the WPS agenda in DRC.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/OBJ 2

Four projects supported by Canada, in which gender equality is fully integrated and women are at the core of initiatives, as both beneficiaries and promoters (three GE03 projects and one GE02 project).

Baseline: Many women’s organizations are dedicated to advancing women’s empowerment and rights but lack capacity and the means to advance their objectives.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: In 2018/19, Canada launched and began to implement four new projects that integrate gender equality and has made certain that project partners keep women at the core of initiatives, both as beneficiaries and key implementation players:

In addition to new projects, Canada has continued to implement the Support for Civil and Electoral Education project (GE02, Development and Peace, $9.9 million, 2015-2020), which aims to increase participation in the electoral process and democratic life in the DRC. The project supports capacity-building among civil society organizations and an extensive civic and electoral education campaign with specific focus on the engagement of women and youth.

17. Mali

ContextFootnote 62: Since 2012, Mali has been facing profound governance, development and security challenges. Instability is persistent and is progressing, while the security context is becoming more complex. While Mali’s fragility is more noticeable in the north and increasingly so in the centre of the country, the country as a whole is still in a very precarious situation. In the north and centre, humanitarian and development organizations’ access to civilian populations remains a challenge. The government and most armed groups in the north signed a Peace and Reconciliation Agreement in June 2015, but there has been slow and uneven implementation of the accord and increasing attacks by terrorist groups. Despite the presence of the French CT force, and a large UN peacekeeping mission, the country continues to face serious threats to its stability and security. Traditionally, women in Mali have been active behind the scenes in resolving conflict in their communities. However, very few women and women’s groups have participated in peacebuilding activities and fewer still have been actively involved in the formal peace process in Mali.

In FY 2018/19, Mali was the second-largest recipient of Canadian international assistance in Sub-Saharan Africa.  Canada is engaged in policy dialogue with the Government of Mali, the donor community and other stakeholders on a broad range of issues related to women’s rights and participation in society, and Canadian development assistance is intended to help the country build a brighter future for its people by concentrating on access to sexual and reproductive health care services; nutrition; improving the quality of education and vocational training; increasing agricultural productivity; and better governance and accountability. This also includes support to Mali’s transitional justice and national reconciliation process.  Canada is an active member of the donor coordination groups in Mali and maintains an ongoing and open dialogue with Malian authorities. Canada is also co-leading the GE donor coordination group and uses this platform to promote the rights and empowerment of women and girls.  Canada also uses other platforms and networks (e.g. International Women’s Day, VIP visits, sector committees and working groups, the Francophonie) to show its support for the implementation of UNSCR 1325 in Mali and also the implementation of the Mali national gender plan, which was developed with Canada’s assistance.

Priorities

Support the increased and meaningful participation of women in reconciliation and conflict prevention and enhance women’s access to justice in Mali

17.1 TargetFootnote 63:

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK – 17.1.1, 17.1.2/OBJ 3 & 1

Baseline:   Limited capacity of CSOs to promote human rights and support women leaders in their reconciliation and conflict prevention efforts.  Justice, prevention and reconciliation for women, minors and other persons affected by the crisis in Mali (JUPREC) [2014-2021].

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: With the support of the Justice, Prevention and Reconciliation (JUPREC) project in Mali in 2018/19, the individuals responsible for legal aid and judicial assistance in civil society organizations adopted new practices fostering improved service delivery and access to justice. For example, the establishment of three mobile legal clinics improved access to justice for individuals in circumstances of vulnerability, particularly women and girls. In 2018/19, legal aid services were provided to 1,414 individuals. More than 86% of these services were provided to women victims, which confirms their desire to have access to the justice system. Also in 2018/19, the files of 61 women victims of gender‑based violence were assigned to lawyers. Five of those cases were tried before the national courts during the year, with verdicts in favour of the victims. This progress shows an increase in legal services provided to women and girl victims of gender‑based violence and discriminatory practices. In addition, women and girls are more likely to defend their rights and are increasingly seeking support from lawyers in the context of respect for their rights. This is also an important behavioural change because divorce is still a taboo in Mali.

The JUPREC project also continued capacity-building among 28 peace committees at the community level in six regions of Mali. These cooperative spaces contribute to national reconciliation, conflict resolution and conflict prevention efforts as well as to outreach on violence issues, in particular gender‑based violence. Therefore, community facilitators at the project level who work with the peace committees were able to educate 195 victims, including 76 women, and guide them to regional TJRC offices in order to support complaint submissions. These committees give a voice to women and foster their visibility and decision‑making power at the community level, in addition to including women as leaders in the committees’ conflict prevention and management work.

Advance WPS in Canadian diplomatic engagements in Mali

17.2 TargetFootnote 64: Increased advocacy and engagement with interlocutors, including government officials, on Canada’s WPS position and priorities on WPS in Mali.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/OBJ 1

Baseline: Canada raises issues with Malian authorities and other donors related to: the protection of women and girls and representation of women in the security sector (as part of reconciliation processes), female genital mutilation, SGBV, peacebuilding activities (including economic empowerment), and other WPS-related issues.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: In 2018/19, Canadian representatives in Mali stepped up their advocacy efforts on the priorities of the women, peace and security agenda with Malian authorities as well as with international and local partners in Mali. Canada contributed to the creation of the informal group Friends of 1325, which comprises various donors and UN Women to advance policy dialogue on the women, peace and security agenda in Mali. Canada brought a case on behalf of the group before the new Minister of Social Cohesion, Peace and Reconciliation to stress the importance of integrating women into the peace process in Mali. These mobilization and policy dialogue efforts led to the adoption of a National Action Plan for the implementation of Resolution 1325. In addition, in 2018/19, Canada continued to co‑chair the donors group on gender equality and women’s empowerment in Mali. Canada played a key role in developing a new work plan that will help coordinate efforts and focus on sub‑sectors, such as the women, peace and security agenda, as well as gender-based violence. This coordination group is becoming more involved with the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and the Family and in implementing Mali’s National Gender Policy. Canada continues to maintain a high‑level dialogue with the Malian government on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) projects for FY 2018/19 focused on women’s rights:

  1. International Women’s Day. To mark the event during a ceremony attended by the President and Prime Minister of Mali, members of government and several thousand people, mostly women, Canada made a case on behalf of Mali’s technical and financial partners in favour of the rights of women and girls, particularly by combatting gender‑based violence and consulting civil society on the development of the National Agreement Law. As part of International Women’s Day celebrations, Canada held a training session for some 60 Bamako youth on the National Gender Policy, gender‑based violence and the law on quotas in appointed and elective positions. The Embassy concluded the day with a reception, during which testimonials were given on the situation of Malian women and girls and Canada’s leadership role in combatting inequality in Mali. This was an opportunity to bring to the fore Canada’s leadership in advancing women’s rights and to promote Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy.
  2. 16 Days of Activism celebrations: Canada funded the production of a special Musoya radio program to participate in the Orange the World campaign. The Ambassador took part in the program and talked about Canada’s commitment to the promotion of the rights of women and girls and its actions in Mali. Social media messages reached over 25,000 people.

Support women’s political, social and economic empowerment in Mali

17.3 TargetFootnote 65: Canada’s development initiatives promote the empowerment of women and girls, including increasing women’s political, social and economic empowerment.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: MOSTLY ON TRACK /OBJ 3

Baseline: Operational development projects that integrate GE and support to women’s political, social and economic empowerment in Mali (2017-2018).Out of 28 operational development projects: 20 projects are coded GE02 (71%) and 2 projects are coded GE03 (7%)

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: In accordance with Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy, Canada’s development program in Mali fosters gender equality, the empowerment of women and girls, and the promotion of their rights. In 2018/19, 100% of development assistance in Mali is dedicated to gender equality; 20 projects fully integrate gender equality, while 3 projects have gender equality as the main result. These projects are aimed at changing behaviour and practices that contribute to gender equality and contributing to the economic empowerment of women, access to justice, access to essential services, such as education and health, and women’s inclusion in national public policies.

Support for women’s rights, leadership, and access to and control over resources were the key focus of our programming efforts in Mali in 2018/19. For example, development initiatives funded by Canada continue to help women have increased access to agricultural microcredit as well as support for their income-generating activities. In 2018/19, Canada continued to support the national health system and projects providing women and girls with services related to reproductive health and rights, including family planning. Moreover, Canada supported initiatives that target a more transparent public financial management system and that encourage all citizens to participate in governance structures and democratic processes. Since 2019, through the Women’s Voice and Leadership project in Mali, Canada has been supporting 20 local women’s rights organizations and 7 networks comprising 3,200 members to promote women’s rights, the empowerment of women and gender equality in Mali.

Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) projects for FY 2018/19 focused on women’s rights 

Empowering women and girls to promote gender equality in the rural communes of Sido and Méridièla: The project supports women’s groups in the regions of Méridièla and Kabassala with respect to their economic activities to ensure their financial independence and allow them greater decision-making power in the household and in the community.

Mainstream WPS and gender into peace and security efforts in Mali

17.4 TargetFootnote 66:  Canada, through its PSOPs, demonstrates support for women’s increased and meaningful participation in improving peace and security in Mali by ensuring that WPS principles and/or gender perspectives are integrated in 80% of projects.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/OBJ 3Footnote 67

Baseline: In the FY 2016/17, there were 3 (75%) projects that included WPS principles and/or gender perspectives.Footnote 68

Activity: 

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: PSOPs projects and activities in Mali supported women’s engagement in peace and security activities, and focused on capacity-building. During the reporting period, 10/12 projects (83%) integrate GE considerations (GE01 and GE02), and 2/12 projects (17%) explicitly target GE (GE03). For example, 240 women and young leaders (out of 688 persons) have been trained by the Women Investing in more Secure Environments (WISE II) programme. 80 women have been trained as trainers, 8 community resource persons (males and females), and 360 community leaders) have been trained on women’s empowerment, advocacy, participatory governance processes, political engagement, the peace process, and conflict resolution. Complementary training on use of social media for advocacy has ensured that more than 60% women trained now actively apply their knowledge and skills to reach new and expanded audiences at quartier, faction and village levels through advocacy and replication meetings to support the different peace and development outcomes.

Twenty‑two women indicate having learned new things about their participation in the peace process and about institutional and constitutional reforms.

In all, 29 people, including 7 women, mostly from the “Search for Truth” sub‑commission, took part in working sessions to develop an interview guide and a summary table of the (historical, political and economic) causes of conflict and to identify key speakers to interview.

Latin America and the Caribbean

18. Guatemala

Context:  In 2016, Guatemala commemorated the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Peace Accords formally ending a 36-year internal armed conflict that left over 200,000 people dead and over one million people displaced, the majority of whom were Mayan Indigenous Peoples. Unfortunately, many of the underlying causes of the armed conflict are yet to be resolved. Achieving GE and the full exercise of women’s and girls’ rights remain a significant challenge in Guatemala’s society that is largely dominated by men. Discrimination and racism particularly affect Indigenous women and girls. VAW is widespread: Guatemala has the third highest rate of femicide in the world. The promotion, protection and respect for the rights of women and girls are at the centre of Canada’s development programming in Guatemala.  Canada seeks to strengthen:

Canada will use all programming channels and diplomatic tools available to advance this work including policy dialogue with Guatemalan state officials, civil society, especially women’s organizations, and with the international donor community. 

Priorities

Support a gender-responsive approach to transitional justice, reconciliation and security sector reform in Guatemala

18.1 TargetFootnote 69: Canada improves institutional capacity for gender-sensitive criminal investigations in Guatemala.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/OBJ 3           

Baseline: As of April 2017, Canada had one project approved but no advances on gender-sensitive criminal investigations.  Six women’s rights and gender-justice projects with criminal investigation strengthening components were in the design and/or seeking approval stages.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: Results from programming in FY 2018/19 that strengthens gender sensitive criminal investigations include:

18.2 TargetFootnote 70: Canada increases women’s and girls’ access to justice and use of justice support services, particularly in cases related to SGBV.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/OBJ 2

Baseline: As of April 2017, Canada had no operational projects providing support services to women survivors of SGBV. Three new projects were in the design, planning and/or seeking approval stage to support this target.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Three projects are working directly with women and girls to provide gender sensitive legal, psychological, and other justice-related social services.

Nine public awareness raising and advocacy activities were implemented by the Canadian Embassy including trial monitoring, the release of a public statement, a visit by Canada’s Special Advisor on Indigenous Issues, the presentation of a human rights award, a community visit to a region strongly impacted by the internal armed conflict and the hiring of an Indigenous professional from that region, as well as the use of social media to post messages and programming related to women’s and girls’ access to justice.

Results and Progress: Canada is supporting three projects that include components on providing women survivors of violence (and other human rights violations) with access to gender-sensitive legal, psychological and other justice-related social services. 

In 2018-19 the implementing partners of the “Women’s Rights and Gender Sensitive Justice” project identified and negotiated agreements with nine local organizations to provide services to Indigenous women survivors of violence. These discussions and the construction of the project baseline involved 206 participants 62% (128) were women and 38% (78) were men.

The “Strengthening the Rights of Indigenous and other Discriminated Women in Guatemala” project held workshops on international human rights standards and law with four women and three men from three local women’s and human rights organizations providing legal support to the families of the 41 victims and 15 survivors of a fire in a State-run girl’s home.

Canada also supported the “Technological Platforms to Strengthen Public Responsibility and Citizen Participation” project to improve access to and the quality of, standardized services to crime victims - focusing particularly on women, children, minorities and vulnerable people who have been victims of violence. The project seeks to unify the efforts of government institutions and civil society that provide services in Guatemala through a web portal for victims. In 2018-19 extensive research and consultation with stakeholders, including 846 women and 246 men (from all major ethnicities including Indigenous people), provided key information on addressing the needs of diverse groups within Guatemalan society, allowing for programming to be designed in a way that empowers them to receive services and make informed choices on steps they can take.

The Canadian Embassy has used a variety of advocacy tools to raise awareness about the rights of women and girls and especially Indigenous women and girls to access justice in a post-conflict society. These include:

Canada joined UN Women and other donors in promoting the active involvement of government, private sector, donors and academia to take innovative actions and initiatives to achieve GE and women’s economic empowerment as part of International Women’s Day activities.  During the event, Canada took the opportunity to launch its #GenderPledge with a commitment to make every effort to ensure that all public events it organizes have balanced gender representation.    

Promote respect for women’s and girls’ human rights in Guatemala

18.3 TargetFootnote 71: Canada increases the knowledge and exercise of women’s and girls’ human rights, including SRHR.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/OBJ 3

Baseline: As of April 2017, Canada had two operational small initiatives working on SGBV and one operational multilateral project on SRHR. Four new projects were in the design, planning and/or seeking approval stage to support this target.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress:

The “Promotion of Democratic Participation of Indigenous Women in Quetzaltenango” project supported more than 450 Indigenous women to increase their knowledge to identify, reduce and report VAW and their awareness of the importance of participating in decision-making processes in the department of Quetzaltenango. As a result of the project, two Indigenous women now represent the region at the Departmental Development Council. The project is finished and fully achieved its expected results.

The “Women’s Rights and Gender Sensitive Justice” project includes components on training and accompaniment of women, and the local women’s organizations that support them, to exercise their rights.  It is too early to report on results, however, 128 women were consulted on their needs.

Through the “Strengthening the Rights of Indigenous and other Discriminated Women in Guatemala” project 14 surviving girls of the fire participated in meetings with State officials to exercise their rights to justice and reparations.

19. Haiti

ContextFootnote 72: Despite the absence of conflict, Haiti remains a fragile state marked by weak institutions, political volatility, control of the economy by a handful of private interests, and vulnerability to natural disasters and external shocks.

Addressing issues relating to women’s rights, GE, and women's participation in decision-making spheres is a stark challenge within Haitian society. The promotion, protection and respect for the human rights of women and girls and for issues relating to WPS take on special importance in this context, and will be an important part of Canada’s development programming in Haiti in each of its priority sectors. In this context, Canada will continue its efforts to strengthen:

As women and girls play a key role in their communities’ development, the programs’ and projects’ focus on those priorities (i.e. ongoing projects and planned projects that will be submitted for approval) will help to improve the economic, social and political well-being of women and girls so that they can fully play their role in the Haitian society. Canada will promote and support the empowerment of women in meaningful decision-making spheres and will develop specific initiatives for the promotion and protection of and respect for the rights of women and girls

Canada will continue to foster sectoral initiatives in which GE will be strongly integrated, and will also engage in a policy dialogue with the government of Haiti, Haitian civil society (especially women’s organizations), and the donor community, on the rights of women and girls, chiefly in the three priorities mentioned above. The Haitian state has a weak capacity to address SGBV, Canada thus supports initiatives that address SGBV issues and that encourage the presence of women in decision-making platforms relating to such issues. The achievement of objectives associated with these priorities depends in large part on the approval of projects currently in the planning stage.  The following indicators, baselines and targets will be considered, and further indicators, baselines and targets will also be provided following consultations with civil society.  Moreover, efforts will be undertaken to identify these indicators, baselines and targets and ensure their measurability.

Furthermore, Canada, through its PSOPs, will engage in efforts designed to strengthen Haiti’s public governance institutions in the security and justice sectors and proactively target violence prevention efforts to effectively enforce security and protect the human rights of its citizens. For example, PSOPs will support the engagement and participation of women/girls at all levels of decision-making; prevent VAW/girls and promote women’s rights; provide gender-sensitive training; and give women and girls access to and control over resources.

Priorities

Women’s socio-economic empowerment through economic and civic engagement of women in decision-making spheres

19.1 TargetsFootnote 73 :

  1. 1.      Canada supports local women’s rights organizations and movements;
  2. 2.      Canada helps to increase the number of women who engage in political life; and
  3. 3.      Canada helps to promote and support the empowerment of women and girls, including by increasing women’s political, social and economic empowerment

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: MOSTLY ON TRACK/ 19.1.1, 19.1.2, 19.1.3/ OBJ 1, 3 & 3

Baseline: Capacities of Haitian CSO are weak; women’s political engagement is low. Currently, only 4 out of 148 parliamentarians are women.

Activities:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress:

Through the efforts of Canadian, international and local organizations, considerable progress was made in strengthening local women’s rights organizations and movements and in increasing women’s engagement in political life. 

In 2018/19, significant progress was made in the Palmes region through the Municipal Cooperation Program – Phase 2 [$19.3 million, 2014‑2018]. Local authorities now use more effective planning and governance tools, with greater cooperation with citizens’ groups. In Port‑au‑Prince, a policy against sexual harassment in the workplace and a gender equality statement were approved by the municipal council, in addition to a process for dealing with sexual harassment complaints. Lastly, women’s groups in local governance bodies were formed to better represent women’s interests and needs. A number of training sessions took place for executives and elected officials on violence towards women in politics.

The Women’s Voice and Leadership project in Haiti [$8.3 million, 2019‑2023] has begun its first activities following its official announcement in February 2018. The initiative aims to help local women’s organizations implement their activities and increase their capacities in the areas of advocacy for and defence of women’s rights, organizational management, coordination and service delivery.

The project in support of inclusive local governance [$16 million, 2018‑2021] also began its first activities successfully. The purpose of this project is to strengthen the capacity of local populations to participate fully in the development of their community. The project aims to train women mayors and to better integrate women’s needs and concerns into local development. In 2018/19, two major studies were conducted, namely a qualitative and quantitative gender study on the employment sector in 12 communes, and a study on female representation in administrative, political, associative and entrepreneurial sectors within border communes.

With respect to the empowerment of women and girls, particularly their political, social and economic power, projects funded by Canada provided thousands of women with support in 2018/19 in developing their businesses and enhancing their self‑determination and empowerment. Canada supports the development of financial insurance systems for small and medium‑sized farm businesses [$19.5 million, 2010‑2019] and the structuring of entrepreneurship [$19.8 million, 2014‑2019]. In addition to training on running a farm business and customized consulting services, more than 20,000 women had access to credit and over 1,300 women obtained farm insurance since the projects began. The expansion of farm insurance in Haiti is an achievement in itself. Access to these financial services makes it possible for beneficiaries to not only grow a business and farm operations, but also improve food security and their quality of life.

During 2018/19, Canada also supported the Women’s Digital Summit in Haiti in spring 2018 and the second edition of the Women’s Economic Forum in Haiti in fall 2018. These events are important for increasing and strengthening women’s capacities to create and manage their businesses. 

Lastly, the initiatives selected to enhance agri‑food value chains and the adaptation to climate change in Haiti [$50 million, 2019‑2024] will aim to, among other things, increase the value‑added of agri‑food chains for women and youth, while respecting the environment, and improve the climate adaptation of targeted agri‑food chains. However, it is too early to report on the results of these initiatives given their recent launch.

Support women’s and girls’ access to health services, including for sexuality and reproduction, and education

19.2 TargetFootnote 74:

  1. Canada helps to build the capacity of health institutions to take care of women and girl survivors of sexual violence and exploitation;
  2. Canada increases the level of knowledge on the part of women, girls and communities related to reproductive and sexual health and associated rights.
  3. Canada contributes to increasing the net secondary enrolment rate for girls. 

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: MOSTLY ON TRACK/ 19.2.1, 19.2.2/ OBJECTIVE 3; TOO EARLY TO REPORT/19.2.3/OBJ 3

Baseline: Weak capacity of health care and education institutions; Weak level of knowledge on the part of women, girls and communities related to reproductive and sexual health and associated rights. The net secondary enrolment rate for girls is 16.5% (2015-2016).

Activities:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress:

With respect to, on the one hand, increasing the capacities of health care institutions to provide care for women and girls victims of sexual and gender‑based violence and, on the other, improving knowledge about reproductive and sexual health and related rights among women, girls and communities, Global Affairs Canada launched a call for proposals in 2018 entitled “Improving Citizen Participation in Haiti’s Health Sector” with a maximum value of $20 million over five years in order to improve Haitians’ right to health, particularly the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and adolescent girls. The projects selected will have to help, among other things, to improve Haitian health organizations and the effectiveness of civil society, including organizations that protect the rights of women and adolescent girls, in asserting these rights.

The project to strengthen the midwifery profession and services in Haiti [$15 million, 2018‑2022], implemented by the United Nations Population Fund, has begun its first activities successfully. The purpose of this project is to strengthen government’s capacity to train, recruit, deploy and retain midwives in Haiti’s most disadvantaged regions. The project will also increase the capacity of Haiti’s Ministry of Public Health and Population to manage and regulate midwifery education and practice, and increase the capacity of Haiti’s National Midwifery Association to promote this occupation. In 2018/19, the many results achieved included 12.9% national coverage for midwifery services, with a focus on underserved areas, and an increase in the number of students enrolled in midwifery education programs (118 students). To date, 8,122 pregnant women have received health care services and more than 10,000 women and girls have been educated about sexual and reproductive health issues in connection with this project.

The PRISMA II integrated mother and child health care project in Artibonite [$20 million, 2017‑2021] continues to achieve its results. The number of deliveries in supported organizations was higher than initially anticipated at 3,571 per year. In addition, the number of women who received prenatal care increased to 2,355, that is, 79% of the target. The project also raised awareness of sexual and reproductive health and gender‑based violence issues among thousands of Haitians, including health care staff, teachers and support workers. 

With respect to its contribution to increasing the net rate of high school enrollment among girls, Canada has continued its historic support for school feeding implemented by the World Food Programme in order to reduce malnutrition and increase school attendance, particularly among girls. During 2018/19, 180,000 children, including 51.9% girls, received nutritious meals every school day.

Canada’s contribution to the Inter‑American Development Bank “Back-to-School” program [$20 million; 2011‑2017] has ended. The cumulative program results are impressive. In all, 13 schools built through the program offer high school education to over 1,600 girls. These schools are also equipped with infrastructure, including separate bathrooms, and materials that optimize learning for girls. The program provided some 50 training sessions and workshops, including modules on gender equality issues, to school staff. The aim of neutral education is to provide these Haitian girls with better opportunities and to build a more just world for them.

Canada also supports improved access to high school education for girls through a contribution to the “Providing an Education of Quality in Haiti” program [$25 million; 2018‑2022] implemented by the World Bank. Canada’s contribution will support, among other things, further integration of gender equality into all program components.

Recent data on the net high school enrollment rate among girls over the past few years are not yet available for Haiti.

Promote and protect the human rights of women and girls, their access to justice and security, and take special measures to protect them from SGBV  

19.3 TargetsFootnote 75:

  1. Promote and safeguard the human rights of women and girls and take special measures to protect them from sexual and GBV;
  2. Canada supports Haitian institutions and civil society to address SGBV issues; and
  3. Canada supports the improvement of the legal framework for women, particularly with regard to the protection of women, girls and boys from SGBV.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: MOSTLY ON TRACK/ 19.3.1, 19.3.2, 9.3.3 /OBJ 3

Baseline: Ability of the Haitian state to address SGBV is low. Haitian legislations protecting women from sexual harassment, domestic violence and sexual violence in several sectors are lacking.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress:

With respect to the promotion and protection of the fundamental rights of women and girls and special SGBV measures, on the one hand, and Canada’s support for Haitian institutions and civil society, on the other, notable progress was made in 2018/19.

The Initial Training and Professional Development for the Haitian National Police’s Managerial Staff project [$22.5 million; 2010-2019] contributed during the year to significant changes in practices within the Haitian National Police and police officers’ behaviour as concerns gender equality, in addition to increasing the number of women in decision‑making positions. For example, gender equality and SGBV issues are fully integrated into the Police Academy’s practices and procedures. The curriculum includes specific modules on SGBV and human rights. The greatest success is the implementation of a harassment prevention and resolution mechanism at the Academy, a change that is making a tremendous difference. During the year, 67 police commissioners took training on combatting violence against women and girls as part of the course on human rights. This training has a definite impact on the prevention and protection work of the Haitian police as concerns SGBV and human rights issues.

The Accessibility to Judicial Services project [$18.16 million; 2017‑2022] began its first activities in 2018/19 and is already achieving good results. For example, Lawyers Without Borders Canada made a powerful case before the Inter‑American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) against the impunity for violence against women in Haiti. This case was possible through the networking of the Haitian Office of Citizen Protection and Haitian women’s associations.

The Assisting Vulnerable Children and Women in Haiti’s Border Areas project, implemented by the International Organization for Migration [$5.825 million; 2015‑2018] ended in September 2018. The purpose of this project was to protect vulnerable Haitian migrants, particularly women and children, illegally crossing the border with the Dominican Republic. These migrant women and their children are very vulnerable and are often the victims of violence, mistreatment or exploitation. The cumulative results of the projects are considerable. Border authorities are now better able to combat the adverse effects of illegal migration and human trafficking. The 295 protection officers trained as a result of the project can intervene more effectively with respect to human rights, child protection, SGBV prevention and family planning issues. Vulnerable migrants now have easier access to protection services and better services for reintegrating into society. In all, 2,073 beneficiaries, including 1,076 women, obtained identity documents, 79 children were reunited with their families, 538 women engaged in income‑generating activities, and 74 girls returned to school in September 2018. Lastly, a call centre is now operational, providing emergency psychological help on a daily basis to highly vulnerable migrants, including women and children victims of trafficking or gender‑based violence. As a result of the project, a shelter is also open for women and children victims of sexual violence.

In 2018/19, with respect to its support for enhancing the legal framework, Canada provided specialized technical assistance adapted to Haitian legislation to ensure that the country has all the tools it needs to develop a national law on SGBV. This assistance enabled the development of a draft framework law guaranteeing better protection for women and girls against any forms of gender‑based violence as well as penalties for the perpetrators of such acts. Presently on the legislative agenda, its adoption would be a historic milestone in efforts to combat violence against women and girls in Haiti.

Mainstream WPS and gender into peace and security efforts in Haiti

19.4 TargetFootnote 76: Canada, through PSOPs, demonstrates support for women’s increased and meaningful participation in improving peace and security in Haiti by ensuring that WPS and gender are integrated in 80% of projects.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: TARGET ACHIEVED OR SURPASSED/OBJ 3

Baseline: In the FY 2016/17, there were 2 (50%) projects that supported women to participate in improving peace and stability in Haiti. The 2 projects integrated WPS considerations in the logic model and performance measurement frameworks.Footnote 77

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: All PSOPs projects in Haiti supported women to participate in improving peace and stability. Specifically, PSOPs funding is supporting the engagement and participation of women/girls at all levels of decision making; preventing VAW/girls and promote women’s rights; providing gender sensitive training; and giving women and girls’ access to and control over resources.

For example, PSOPs provided $4.7 M (2016-2019) to Mercy Corps to implement community violence reduction initiatives in Haiti’s low-income urban areas.  The project incorporated key elements of GE into the project such as a strategy regarding the selection of youth researchers, fundamental lifeskills trainers, interns and entrepreneurship trainees to ensure as close to equal participation as possible and achieved 50% participation of women in these programs.  Mercy Corps also implemented gender specific discussion/focus groups, ensuring female leads build their confidence, and to give women an equal chance to present during community forums and events.  Finally, Mercy Corps’ Gender Adviser conducted introductory gender awareness discussions with all youth leaders and most of the local grantees under the community violence reduction micro projects fund.  In addition, these groups had to complete Mercy Corps’ Code of Conduct training, which includes a session on the prevention of sexual exploitation and sexual harassment.  Several community groups also implemented their own projects in their communities to address women's equality and/or GBV.

PSOPs also provided $3.2M (2017-2019) to Viva Rio to implement other community violence reduction initiatives in Haiti’s low-income urban areas.  Viva Rio incorporated key elements of GE into the project by creating a gender equity unit, responsible for increasing the understanding of gender issues by communities and police, and worked to reinforce the integration of GE into project activities. Viva Rio’s gender unit coordinator, started participating in security-related meetings with community leaders and police, co-organized a gender and reforestation training with Viva Rio’s environmental team and provided a leadership workshop to Viva Rio’s girls’ soccer team. Other partnerships included the referral of six participants of our coding bootcamp to Society of Women Coders’, whose main goal was to foster the inclusion of girls in the Information Technology market. The participants will be part of a mentorship network after the activity and be connected with other women coders from different parts of the world.

The work with local organizations is an important element of Viva Rio’s gender strategy. Viva Rio has supported 7 local women-led organizations with initiatives such as events and workshops regarding gender issues.  Viva Rio fortified its role as a facilitator between a wide variety of actors - from grassroots to government entities - who are engaged in the promotion of gender equity and women’s rights, reinforcing its advocacy role.

An analysis of the percentage of women participation in project activities shows that there are still some gaps to address. As a response, Viva Rio has been implementing initiatives specifically for women. Under the security umbrella, an analysis of the security meetings’ minutes show that gender issues are still not directly brought up in their agenda. However, as the results of the aforementioned survey on women’s participation, women leaders see the meetings as a safe space where they can share their main security and community development concerns with their inputs being taken into consideration.

20. Colombia

ContextFootnote 78: Colombia’s internal armed conflict with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) was the longest running armed conflict in the Americas. It killed over 220,000 people; displaced more than 7.1 million and resulted in 60,000 disappearances. Although there is no official data, it is estimated that at least 500,000 women were targeted with sexual violence. Colombia has the second highest number of landmine victims in the world (after Afghanistan), and Colombians have suffered grave human rights violations and destabilization in rural areas.  In 2016, the Government of Colombia and the FARC signed a peace agreement that ended over 50 years of internal armed conflict. The implementation of this agreement brings great opportunities for Colombia. However, challenges remain related to violence at the hands of other armed and guerilla groups, criminality, poverty, corruption, and human rights abuses, including an increase in the number of assassinations of human rights defenders (343 people between January 2017 and August 2018). The peace agreement with FARC includes specific provisions related to: advancing women’s rights to rural economic development and political participation; illicit drugs; victims’ assistance; and demobilization, disarmament and reintegration of former combatants. Canada is supporting these efforts.

Canada has a strong record of advancing GE, human rights and empowerment of women and girls in Colombia through international assistance, the CFLI, and PSOPs programming.  In 2016, Canada announced $78 million in funding for initiatives to support Colombia’s peace implementation, including $20 million to the UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund for Post-Conflict in Colombia. This programming aims to empower women as agents of peace. Investments in rural development are supporting women’s increased and meaningful participation, including as decision-makers, in rural cooperatives and associations; as well as enabling equal access to and control over resources such as credit, infrastructure and land. Canadian supported initiatives acknowledge and address the differential impact of conflict on women and girls, and analyze the factors that support women to succeed in the marketplace and increase their skills, which is important in the post-conflict context. Canada also focused on education and youth programming to protect Colombian children and youth (particularly girls) from violence, exploitation and abuse. This work is supporting efforts to transform unequal gender relations among youth in conflict zones, and create educational opportunities for vulnerable girls and teenage mothers. In 2017-2018, Canada chaired Colombia’s International Cooperation Gender Coordination Group, coordinating the efforts of more than 40 organizations to advocate and advance GE and women's rights in Colombia. The Group has been instrumental in promoting the participation of women in Colombia’s peace negotiations.

Priorities

Support the increased and meaningful participation of women in peacebuilding, recovery and conflict resolution

20.1 Target:  Canada increases the capacity of women engaged in peacebuilding, recovery and conflict resolution activities.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/OBJ 1

Baseline:  In FY 2016/17, Canada’s development program in Colombia supported two gender sensitive initiatives that increased meaningful participation of women and girls in peacebuilding, recovery and conflict resolution, as well as the reintegration of women combatants.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: Canada, working through well-known organizations that have a presence in post-conflict regions of Colombia, has worked to strengthen the capacity of women engaged in peacebuilding, recovery and conflict resolution activities, via small, medium and larger scale initiatives. 

Canada’s support to the peace process via the UN Multi-partner Trust Fund has resulted in 16 projects implemented by CSO (10 women’s organizations, and 4 indigenous and afro-Colombian organizations) to strengthen women’s organizations in 60 post-conflict municipalities. 4,484 people (80% women) benefited directly from: (1) reconciliation dialogues between rural women and former FARC women combatants; (2) awareness raising and training of 1,689 women and girls on UN Resolution 1325 and on Gender provisions of the Peace Agreement; and (3) increased women’s advocacy in Local Public Plans for Peace Agreement implementation.

Through the HALO Trust, Canada provided mine risk education to 3,196 persons (48% women) living in mine affected zones; and supported the work of demining teams (41% women staff) to clear 63,402 square meters and destroy 100 explosive devices, thus benefiting more than 1,355 persons (610 women and girls) in five of the most mine-contaminated departments of Colombia.

Number of people benefited by projects funded by Global Affairs Canada to prevent sexual and GBV, including child, early or forced marriage, or victim intervention:

Number of people affected by projects funded by Global Affairs Canada that support women's leadership in governance decision-making processes:

Number of CSO supported by Global Affairs Canada funds to promote Human Rights and/or inclusive governance (SDG 5, SDG 16 and SDG 17)

Canada’s support via the Agriteam Foundation enabled women's groups from Antioquia, Meta and Putumayo, to exercise leadership roles of water monitoring networks. In 2018, the project trained 57 public officers (59.6% women) and 95 community members (71.6% women) to monitor water quality.

Through Plan International Canada, a community strategy of action for peace, resilience and protection was developed, through which 98 Key Protective Figures, mainly women (74 women and 24 men), were trained in protection and gender issues and implemented creative initiatives that respond to the restorative measures and actions, thus contributing to the Guarantees of Non-Repetition and efforts to build protective spaces for girls, boys, adolescents and youth.

Within a Leadership and Local Capacities for Peace training course, 176 young leaders (101 women), increased their understanding of the dimensions of the conflict and how the public policy on victims responds to these issues, thus strengthening their capacities to take ownership of the policy and navigate post-conflict issues and the challenges of peacebuilding. 

Enhance access to justice, compensation services and protection for women and girls

20.2 Target: Canada enhances access to justice, protection and compensation services for women and girls survivors of violence caused by the conflict.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/OBJ 3

Baseline:  In 2016/17, Canada’s bilateral development program in Colombia supported three projects that promoted women’s and girls’ access to victims’ services in conflict-affected areas.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: Through the UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund, two projects were implemented in coordination with the National Victims’ Unit to provide economic, psychosocial and symbolic compensations to victims of the conflict. A total of 20,402 women were individually compensated, and another 22,803 women participated in collective compensations addressed to communities affected by specific events of conflict.   

Four other projects implemented by women’s organizations, working in 33 municipalities, are supporting women’s victims’ participation in the comprehensive system of truth, justice, reparation and non-repetition. These projects aim at recognizing and documenting patterns of VAW, building and collecting information through participatory research including community measures of self-protection to be delivered in comprehensive reports for the Transitional Justice System.

Two other projects, approved by the Multi-Partner Trust Fund address GBV. One, in five conflict-affected municipalities, seeks to strengthen community and institutional responses towards GBV cases. The other, in seven conflict affected municipalities, aims at strengthening the role and capacities of the National Police towards GBV attention by including a gender approach in the Rural Police, therefore improving the gender sensitive response of Rural Police as first responders towards different forms of GBV.

Canadian funding has targeted girls and boys affected by the armed conflict and strengthened the capacity of institutions in charge of ensuring child rights to provide services to victims of armed conflict, with emphasis on protection against SGBV. In 2018, Canada, working through the consortium Mercy Corps and War Child, helped develop three work plans with the Colombian Family Welfare Institute (ICBF) to increase the knowledge of ICBF staff at a national and departmental level on how to protect children and youth from risk, including SGBV. In addition, 4,586 children (53% women) participated in after-school activities (child rights, gender, self-protection and peer protection), surpassing the proposed target by 160%.

Working through Plan International Canada, member entities of the National System of Attention and Integral Reparation for Victims (SNARIV) are supported to provide improved services to victims of the armed conflict, including attention to the differential needs of girls and women. This process begins with a certificate program to train public servants and teachers in comprehensive care and reparation of victims of the armed conflict, including content that increases the capacity of public servants to identify and recognize gender gaps and provide services to victims free of gender stereotypes. A total of 798 participants had completed the first cohort, the majority of them women (74%), including SNARIV public servants and teachers. As part of this process, 41 teachers (26F, 15M) were selected to construct action plans for their schools in order to integrate differential approaches (gender, children’s rights and ethnicity) in their plans and daily practice.

In parallel, work is undertaken to increase knowledge among communities of the pathways of attention and care for victims of the armed conflict.

Support women’s empowerment and the advancement of GE, including through the engagement of men and youth

20.3 Target:  Canada enhances access to quality education and sustainable livelihoods for girls and women as key components for a sustainable peace.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/OBJ 3

Baseline:  In FY 2016/17, Canada’s development program in Colombia economically empowered 3,600 women through financial education and provided access to quality education in conflict affected rural areas to 2,109 boys and girls.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: Through the UNMPTF, 976 women and 204 men have benefited from local economic empowerment initiatives including:

ViaCo-operative Development Foundation of Canada, financial and business development services were provided to 54 rural cooperatives and producer associations, benefitting 13,006 producers (30% women); while 10,048 producers from 45 organizations (30% women) accessed associative loan. Such loans are granted to the collective group, instead of individual producers, creating stronger relationships and organizational practices.

Through Agriteam Canada, 3,683 producers (1,337 women) were trained in clean production and adaptation to climate change through field schools, and 667 producers (214 women) received technical assistance to adapt to climate change.

Through the Mercy Corps and War Child consortium, students participated in a training which focused on leadership to promote SRHR, participation in school government scenarios and leadership in activities in their communities. With a “train the trainer” approach, the project allowed lessons learned and activities to be replicated by students with new groups. 875 children (411 girls) learned about GE, GBV, gender stereotypes and the peaceful resolution of conflicts through soccer; while 2,691 children (1,341 girls) worked on the protection component of self-care and self-esteem in conflict-affected contexts. 1,091 teachers (691 women) received training to help identify GBV in the classroom and use assistance protocols for cases of violence and abuse. 

Through Développement international Desjardins, 58,035 loans were granted to women from PASAC's agricultural credit and microcredit methodologies and 6,043 women received training in financial education across all programs. In addition, an amount of 1 million dollars CAD has been invested to reach 13,400 women in support in post-conflict zones. 64% of this amount has been disbursed to date.

4,046 beneficiaries (3,417 or 84% women) have participated in the formation of Savings and Loans associations in 3 conflict-affected cities as part of their reparation processes through Plan Canada. 38 of these associations (predominantly women) have collectively saved approximately CAD $81,420. An additional 1,205 young people (1,017 women) completed training in entrepreneurship and gender-transformative life skills, including development of business plans for entrepreneurial activity. To date 116 entrepreneurship initiatives have been selected to receive support capital, including 83 initiatives of women entrepreneurs.

Through Cuso International, a total of 11,075 individuals (7,329 women or 66%), increased their participation in the labour market. 2,897 women are now linked to formal employment. An additional 47 micro-business owners increased profitability for 156 women (63%).

Through Socodevi, 961 women completed basic accounting and calculation of production costs training (100% of the target). 805 women completed at least 80% of the training program on “Leadership and management of agricultural exploitations”. In 88.7% of family business units, women have improved their level of access and control over natural and economic resources. 5,306 persons (41.3% women) were trained on the production value chain. In addition, Socodevi transferred agro-industrial and environmental technology to 3,808 small producers (42.6% women).

Through the CFLI, Canada supported the project "Margure, Women for Peace and Entrepreneurship” that helped increase the income of 40 women coffee farmers, most of them victims of armed conflict, associated with Cooperativa de Caficultores del Sur del Tolima Limitada - Cafisur. This was achieved through the improvement of the coffee production infrastructure used by the women and the implementation of a process of ecological coffee processing, to obtain high quality coffee. The project also included training in GE issues, inclusion and participation as victims of the conflict in search of entrepreneurial and empowerment alternatives.

Mainstream WPS and gender into peace and security efforts in Colombia

20.4 Target: Canada, through PSOPs, demonstrates support for women’s increased and meaningful participation in improving peace and security in Colombia by ensuring that WPS principles and/or gender perspectives are integrated in 75% of projects

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: TARGET ACHIEVED OR SUPRPASSED/OBJ 3

Baseline: In the FY 2016/17, there were 7 out of 11 projects (63%) that included WPS and/or gender perspectives.Footnote 79

Activity: 

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: PSOPs’ interventions in Colombia focused on promoting the inclusion of women in the implementation of the peace process, empowering them to become agents of change in the post-conflict environment, and address the different needs of women, men, girls and boys.

For example, as transitional justice arrangements are a key component of the peace agreement in Colombia, PSOPs’ $2M contribution to Lawyers Without Borders (2016-2019) is supporting the Victims’ Chapter of the agreement as well as civil society and the national government with the implementation and monitoring of transitional justice mechanisms. The project is helping to build the confidence of Colombian society, particularly of women and girls, in the transitional justice system and contributing to the reaffirmation of the rule of law.

PSOPs is also contributing $536,000 (2016-2019) to Conciliation Resources to help build the capacity of Indigenous women to effectively contribute to Colombia’s peace implementation process. The project is working towards creating awareness and influencing decisions that take into account the needs of Indigenous communities, including those of Indigenous women and girls.

Through a $2M contribution to the Office of the UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights (2016-2019), PSOPs is helping to ensure that the rights of women and girls are fully realized in the post-peace accords period in Colombia by addressing the differential impacts of conflict violence on women and men, boys and girls, and on Indigenous and Afro-Colombian populations. This includes specific recognition of barriers faced by these groups in accessing mechanisms of justice. The project responds to increases in threats and violence against human rights defenders that have been on the rise in the post-conflict period by training women human rights defenders to employ self-protection measures and share this knowledge with other women.

PSOPs is also contributing $617,774 (2018-2019) to MADRE to support Afro-Colombian communities in contributing to the implementation of the Ethnic Chapter of the Colombian Peace Agreement using an approach that integrates gender considerations from the Afro-Colombian perspective. In addition to advocacy efforts, the project works to transform Afro-Colombian community-based protection systems into gender-responsive services that enhance women’s physical protection and addresses gender inequality and GBV.  The project also supports a citizen’s observatory on GBV against Afro-Colombians to document and memorialize their experiences of the conflict, raise awareness about past abuses, and help survivors seek justice and healing.

PSOPs projects supported women’s increased and meaningful participation in improving peace and security in Colombia, through:

Asia

21. Afghanistan

Context: Decades of conflict and fragility have deepened and legitimized the practices that deny women and girls their human rights, mobility and opportunity, and ultimately their equal status with men and boys. Women and girls throughout Afghanistan are disadvantaged by: their low participation in politics and governance; un-implemented laws that protect women; limited access to justice; pervasive SGBV; cultural practices that undermine women’s and girls' rights; poor access to health services; poverty and economic dependence on men; and inadequate access to education and high female adult illiteracy. In addition, women continue to face major obstacles regarding economic opportunities, as well as norms that discourage women from working outside of the home and seeking financial independence. Most women lack literacy and financial management skills. Most Afghan businesswomen are unable to access credit or financing. Though laws protect women’s rights to property and inheritance, in reality many women still struggle to claim their economic and property rights. Despite modest gains over the past decade, ongoing conflict hampers the overall progress of women’s economic, political and social rights.

Development programming in Afghanistan is focused on empowering women and girls through increased support to women organizations and improved access to education and health care services. Canada will continue supporting the delivery of reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health care to women and girls living in hard-to-reach communities.

Canada supports Afghanistan’s NAP on UNSCR 1325 (2015-2022) through its programming, policy dialogue, and diplomatic engagement.  Afghanistan’s NAP was initiated in 2013 by the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and developed in consultation with 21 government institutions, leading CSO, and the Afghan Women’s Network, which convened seven provincial consultations to feed into the development of the Plan. It was publicly launched in June 2015. Afghanistan’s NAP aims to increase women’s participation in peace processes and the security sector, as well as to address issues around protection and relief and recovery services for women. Canada is also a strong proponent of ensuring the retention and recruitment of women in the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces and their observation and implementation of the WPS agenda. Canada also supports Afghanistan’s NAP through programming that advances women’s social and economic empowerment, including addressing SGBV and supporting the Elimination of VAW Law. 

Priorities

Support the increased representation of women in the Afghan National Defence and Security ForcesFootnote 80

21.1 TargetFootnote 81: Canada actively supports the implementation of Afghanistan’s NAP on UNSCR 1325. Afghan National Defence and Security Forces have targets for recruitment of qualified women, particularly at the low and middle management level, as part of the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces sustainment. The goal is to reach the targets set for women within the Afghan National Police and the Afghan National Army: 5% for the police and 0.75% for the army.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/OBJ 1

Baseline: Canada supports recruitment of qualified women within the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces through ongoing dialogue with the Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Defence, as well as targeted projects under the Law and Order Trust Fund and the Afghan National Army Trust Fund.  (In 2016, Afghan National Police recruitment levels were 2% and Afghan National Army recruitment levels were 0. 53%)

Activity:

Indicator: 

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: The percentage of women serving in the Ministry of Interior (Police) increased from 2% in 2016 to 2.7% as of April 2019. In 2018, there are 3,465 women serving a total force of 124,629 police officers. This shows progress towards achieving the 5% of the police being women. The national army recruitment also showed improvement. As of April 2019, there are nearly 1,200 women in the Afghan National Army (0.6% of the army).

Many challenges remain for the recruitment and retention of women with the Afghan National Police, as there are entrenched cultural barriers and a general lack of commitment to implement gender-sensitive strategies to address harassment. Police women report significant barriers in terms of career advancement and promotion, resulting in few women in positions of leadership or authority in the security sector.

Through UNDP’s Law and Order Trust Fund for Afghanistan (LOTFA), a multi-donor pooled funding mechanism, Canada supports GE training, which will help promote women’s recruitment, retention and professional development within the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces. This funding will promote increased employment for women in the Afghan public service and security forces, particularly for women in leadership roles. LOTFA will aim to strengthen gender-responsive policing by improving the Afghan National Police’s ability to enforce existing VAW laws, such as the Law on Elimination of VAW.

Canada made a financial contribution for Women’s Police Town Phase I to provide secure family housing buildings for 300 women and their families. The project began in June 2018 and is scheduled for completion in May 2020. Canada contributes to the planning and design work for phases III and IV, which will consist of the construction of apartment buildings, a medical facility, market, fitness center and community center and parking. The design for phase III expected to be completed in March 2019, with phase IV designs completed in December 2019.The Canadian contribution is part of a larger project with equal funding from Sweden.

A Canadian deployed to NATO’s Senior Civilian Representative (SCR) Office initiated the creation of the Ministry of Interior Gender Working Group to coordinate donor technical assistance for gender within the Ministry of Interior. The SCR advocated successfully for functional Family Response Units to be sufficiently staffed by police women and properly resourced throughout the country to tackle allegations of domestic violence.

The representative effectively promoted and formulated recommendations to troop and police contributing-countries to enhance the participation of women in peace operations. In an effort to promote the inclusion of women in peace talks, thanks to the Canadian civilian deployed to NATO a ‘No Peace without Women’ campaign was launched in 2018 to raise awareness about the importance of including Afghan women in the peace process, featuring a logo developed by Afghan artists and activists.

Canada’s support to the Women Peace Studies Organization through CFLI, contributed to the installation of billboards and distribution of brochures to reduce the stigma and change mind-sets that prevent the recruitment of women police in Kunduz, Takhar and Badakhshan provinces in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior. Six civic education sessions were provided to hundreds of young women led to the enrollment of 12 female graduates or university students in Kunduz, Takhar and Badakhshan provinces to join Afghan National Police Forces. Nine billboards were installed in three provinces encourage educated women and girls to join the Afghan National Police force and contribute to a change of attitudes towards female police officers.

The Artlords project, established with support of Canada, contributed to promotion of peace and security, encouragement of women to join the Afghan Security Forces and equality of rights among men and women in Afghanistan. This project promotes the equality of rights of men and women in Afghanistan through street art. Three designs were selected and painted in five provinces. Thus, a total of 15 murals were painted in Baghlan, Parwan, Maidan Wardak, Laghman, and Nangarhar provinces to promote peace, security, GE, and human rights with creative messages and slogans.

Support women’s rights organizations in advancement of Afghanistan’s NAP on WPS

21.2 TargetFootnote 82: In direct support of the goals outlined in Afghanistan’s NAP on WPS, 35 Afghan women’s rights organizations are supported through the Women’s and Girls’ Rights and Empowerment sector programming.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: ON TRACK/OBJ 1

In FY 2018/19, the Afghanistan Program produced the following results:

Baseline: In FY 2016/17, Canada supported one women’s rights organization through policy dialogue and Women’s and Girls’ Rights and Empowerment sector programming.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: Canada contributed to the development of regional networks of women through the Her Voice, Her Rights project. The implementing partner, BBC Media Action, in collaboration with six FM radio stations were supported to produce   gender sensitive and gender transformative programming to raise awareness on social challenges, strengthen women’s leadership, provide coordination among CSO by sharing knowledge on services available, and provides tools to strengthen the capacity of women mediators in the context of ongoing as peace talks.

As part of the Her Voice, Her Rights project in Afghanistan, the team facilitated a two-day women’s networking event in Balkh Province – bringing together 42 female journalists from across the country in April 2019. Participants discussed security challenges for journalists, barriers to women and girls’ empowerment, and story ideas to tackle harmful social stigma holding women and girls back.

Canada funds the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), an independent national body with the mandate to promote and protect human rights. In March, the AIHRC launched a series of public hearings on “Women and Peace” across the country in support of UNSCR 1325 and Afghanistan’s own NAP focused on enhancing the participation of Afghan women in the Peace process.

Canada’s support to the Strengthening Afghanistan’s future through empowerment project contributes to strengthening Afghan CSO by improving CSO’ capacity to coordinate with other agencies and to advocate for and protect women’s and girls’ rights. In 2018-2019, 1200 Community Based Protection Mechanism members were trained to identify and refer GBV cases and 25 people (private attorneys, policy community and religious leaders) were trained on topics such as the EVAW law, women’s legal rights, types of GBV survivor cases, and procedures for registering GBV cases.

Relief International's Women’s Enterprise, Advocacy and Training (WEAT) program in Afghanistan was established with support from the Government of Canada. The project promotes an enabling environment for GE by providing access to necessary information and assets, and building women’s confidence and support to women in decision-making agencies. The project trained prosecutors, paralegals and police on strategies and services for the protection of women and girls’ from GBV. Prior to 2018-2019, 1.045 individuals received training on the EVAW. Of these trainees, 964 were police officers, 46 prosecutors and 34 paralegal in three provinces: Nangarhar, Ghazni and Kapisa (9% of the trainees were women). In 2018-2019, as part of an advocacy campaign to raise awareness on GBV related issues, 30 billboards advertising EVAW were displayed in cities and villages of the three provinces for a period of two months. They also conducted an evaluation of the training on EVAW, to reflect on lessons learned, the participants’ reactions and behavioral changes.

Through Oxfam Canada project called Amplify change, Canada supports women’s rights organizations and networks by providing survivors of violence with access to support services and economic opportunities. Through collaboration and knowledge sharing, the project addresses GBV by supporting stakeholders to strengthen policies and programs and contributes to women and girls’ participation in decision-making processes. In FY 2018/19, 2116 individuals (men, women, political and religious leaders) were trained on women’s legal rights and laws that safeguard women’s legal rights, especially from an Islamic perspective.

In FY 2018/19, through CFLI Canada supported the five Afghan partners that focused on women’s empowerment and rights, aligned with Canada’s WPS agenda:

The Women, Voice and Leadership – Afghanistan project will start in 2019-2020 in partnership with Asia Foundation. This project addresses GE and the empowerment of women and girls through capacity building, advocacy and strengthening networks and alliances between women’s rights organizations. It will focus on helping women knowing and claiming their rights and providing local’s women’s group organizations with multi-year funding to respond quickly to unforeseen events and opportunities.

22. Myanmar

ContextFootnote 83: Since August 25, 2017, the grave humanitarian and security crisis that continues to unfold in Myanmar stands as a global tragedy, which has led more than 730,000 Rohingya to flee their homes in Rakhine State and seek refuge in neighbouring Bangladesh. SGBV has featured significantly in this conflict and Canada will continue to advocate for the human rights of the Rohingya and on the need to bring perpetrators of violence to account.

The Rohingya crisis starkly underscores the importance of pursuing GE in Myanmar. To date, Myanmar’s progress in GE includes equality in legal and policy frameworks, such as constitutional guarantees for equal rights without discrimination against any Myanmar citizen on the basis of sex. Myanmar has ratified and endorsed the major international conventions and agreements on GE and women’s and children’s rights, and its National Strategic Plan for the Advancement of Women (2013–2022) is based on the priority areas of the Beijing Platform for Action. Significant challenges remain despite this progress, including limited public sector capacity, policy implementation gaps, varied performance among and within sectors, traditional cultural values related to women’s roles and responsibilities that shape familial relationships, limited women’s participation in decision making and access to resources, and allowing GBV to occur with impunity. Moreover, Myanmar’s peace process has largely excluded gender concerns and women’s participation in both process and substance. The level of women’s inclusion during peace agreement negotiations has been low.

In response, Canada’s bilateral development program will work with partners to integrate GE results across development programs, increase support for SRHR, including ending SGBV, and increase support for women and girls’ and GE through the support of local organizations. PSOPs programming in Myanmar will support and strengthen the capacities of various groups, including women’s groups, to increase their participation and capacity to influence decisions on the peace process. In addition, PSOPs programming opportunities in Myanmar will take gender perspectives into account when deciding which initiatives to fund.

Priorities

Support local women’s rights organizations and movements working to advance GE and WPS

22.1 TargetFootnote 84: Canada strengthens the integration of GE and women and girls’ empowerment in bilateral development programming to 90% of funding by the end of the FY 2021/22 to increase GE and meaningful participation of women in public life in Myanmar

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: TARGET ACHIEVED OR SURPASSED/Internal efficiency & capacity

Baseline: 73% of funding integrates GE in results (FY 2017/18).

Activity: 

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Approval of five new bilateral projects (total value of $60M over 3-5 years) with significant integration of GE results or targeted specifically at women’s empowerment and support to women’s organizations:

Funding was provided to four out of five of the approved projects during the reporting period and project inception phase for these projects commenced.

Results and Progress:

During the reporting period, Canada strengthened the integration of GE results and women’s empowerment in bilateral development programming from 73% to 91% of funding to increase GE, advance women’s rights and promote more meaningful participation of women in all aspects of life in Myanmar. The increased funding and integration of GE is attributed to Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy and Canada’s Strategy to Respond to the Rohingya Crisis in Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Increase the support for SRHR and rights including ending SGBV

22.2 Target: The support for (SRHR) and ending SGBV in bilateral development programming is increased by 2021/22.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: MOSTLY ON TRACK/OBJ 2

Baseline: No projects target SRHR in the FY 2017/18.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress:

Mainstream WPS and gender into peace and security efforts in Myanmar

22.3 TargetFootnote 86: Canada, through its PSOPs, demonstrates support for women’s increased and meaningful participation in improving peace and security in Myanmar by ensuring that WPS principles and gender perspectives are integrated in 75% of projects.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2019: TARGET ACHIEVED OR SURPASSED/OBJ 3

Baseline: In the FY 2016/17, there was 1 project (50%) that integrated WPS principles and gender perspectives in Myanmar.Footnote 87

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: The original baseline was developed based on a limited number of projects, for which, 50% integrated WPS. This past FY, a significant number of projects became operational. PSOPs worked diligently with partners programming in Myanmar over the course of the year to push their efforts further in integrating GE and WPS within their initiatives. All nine projects supported, totaling $10.9M (2016-2019) demonstrated support for women’s increased and meaningful participation in improving peace and security in Myanmar. Canada actively supported justice and accountability measures to bring to justice the perpetrators of gross human rights violations and other international crimes, including SGBV, against the Rohingya and other ethnic minorities in Myanmar. 

Canada is also continuing to demonstrate its support for the peace process in Myanmar through an additional $3M contribution to the Joint Peace Fund (2019-2020.  Canada, as the Chair of the JPF in 2019 through its Ambassador to Myanmar, is working to ensure the projects supported through the Fund are inclusive, gender responsive and conflict sensitive. 

Among the many challenges in Myanmar, the marginalization of women and vulnerability to sexual and GBV due to a number of factors, including entrenched gender inequality, a lack of decision making power, and limited scope for their autonomy and agency. In addition, systematic barriers limit the realization of the rights of women and girls to safety, health and well-being, and ongoing inequality continues to restrict their participation in public and private life, including limited access to services and opportunities. Moreover, the voices of women in the political domain are limited with predominantly male leaders in positions of power, including the male dominated civilian government. Through its longer term programming, PSOPs addresses gender inequalities by seeking opportunities that address specific Women’s Peace and Security issues, and targeting.

Annex 1:

Summary of progress in meeting targets:

Internal capacity & efficiency

Objective 1
Conflict prevention, resolution and peacebuilding

Objective 2
Prevent and address SGBV and SEA

Objective 3
Gender equality, human rights and empowerment

Objective 4
Gender-responsive humanitarian action and SRHR

Objective 5
WPS in peace operations

Total

Too early to report on 0001001
Attention required1000001
Mostly on track310490026
On track14156132454
Target achieved or surpassed33080014
TOTAL212810312496
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