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2019-2020 Global Affiars Canada departmental progress report for Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security

Table of contents

Definitions

Target: What Canada aims 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 identified for comparative purposes. A baseline can be described in a quantitative or qualitative manner.

Activity: The actions Canada will undertake to advance from the baseline to the target.

Indicator: The quantitative or qualitative marker used to gauge how well Canada is moving from the baseline to the target.

Objectives: The five main objectives of Canada’s National Action Plan represent the outcome level in the Action Plan’s theory of change. Progress in achieving a specific target contribute to advancing one of these objectives. We have assigned targets – which are generally at the action or immediate outcome level in the theory of change, to objectives to facilitate the measuring and presentation of results at the aggregate, outcome level.

Internal capacity and efficiency: The Internal capacity and efficiency category was added to collect targets that include activities aiming at improving our own capacity to implement the Action Plan, such as mandating GBA Plus training or creating gender advisor positions.

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
LGBTQ2I
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. 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 identify successes, progress, challenges, and areas for improvement.

This report covers the period of 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020. Every target is assigned a rating based on progress achieved to date, provides details on completed activities, and analyzes results. 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:

In total, 30 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 objective 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, 13% have been achieved or surpassed (4), 50% are on track (15), and 36% (11) are mostly on track.

Nine 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 objective 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 nine targets contributing to this objective, 66% are rated as on track (6), and 33% are rated as mostly on track (3).

In total, 31 targets 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 objective 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, 71% are on track (13) or have been achieved or surpassed (9), while 26% (8) targets have been rated as mostly on track. One of the targets (3%) 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.  Three of the targets are rated as on track, while one has been upgrade from the previous fiscal year to achieved or surpassed.

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 20 dedicated targets to improve internal capacity and efficiency, which supports the achievement of the five objectives without contributing to them directly. Of these targets, 75% are on track (9) or have been achieved or surpassed (6), and four are mostly on track (20%) and one requires attention.

Overall, the report demonstrates that significant efforts have been made towards the implementation and reporting on Action Plan targets. Targets that are “too early to report on” have decreased from 14 in FY 2017/18 to 1 in FY 2019/20, 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 steadily increased from 5 in FY 2017/18, to 14 in FY 2018/19, to 20 in FY 2019/20.

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 Gender Equality (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 Target: The capacity, skills, knowledge and resources for GE, primarily among Global Affairs Canada officers, are increased.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2020: On track/Internal efficiency & capacity

Baseline:

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: In FY 2019/20, a total of 236 GAC staff at headquarters and mission have attended gender equality courses delivered by Gender Equality Division’s GE specialists, a significant increase since fiscal year 2015/2016, when 135 GAC staff participated. This represents a total of six training sessions at HQ and 8 training sessions in missions, including three missions (out of the 8) in fragile and conflict-affected countries.

Positive feedback given by participants indicated that both courses Integrating Gender Equality in Programming and Managing for Gender Equality Results helped them use GAC’s GE tools more efficiently and increased the overall understanding on how to apply the feminist approach to their work, including the concept of intersectionality. This has a direct and positive impact on the quality of gender equality assessments realized by project team leaders, their ability to share good practices and guidelines for integrating gender equality into programming with partners, and the overall contribution toward meeting FIAP targets and commitments.

Close to 100% of newly approved investments, have either targeted or integrated gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, with around 25% of those specifically targeting these goals. And this progress is being recognized internationally as well. In the latest annual report, “Aid in Support of Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment” produced by the OECD DAC, Canada now ranks first overall among donors for the share of bilateral allocable aid supporting gender equality and women’s empowerment as a targeted or integrated objective at 90% of commitments on average over calendar years 2017 and 2018. This represents a significant increase since the last report where Canada’s percentage was at 76% on average for 2016 and 2017.

1.2 Target: 80% of global humanitarian assistance funding integrate GEFootnote 2 by 2021* to better meet the needs of women and girls in humanitarian settings.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2020: Target achieved or surpassed/Internal efficiency & capacity

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

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: To further articulate the Feminist International Assistance Policy, A Feminist Approach: Gender Equality in Humanitarian Action, was launched in April 2019. This sub-action area policy aims to address the systemic challenges that the humanitarian system faces in meeting the unique needs of women and girls. It also identifies areas within the humanitarian response that have received less attention from the international community.

Global Affairs Canada continued to focus its gender-responsive humanitarian action on saving lives, alleviating suffering and maintaining the dignity of those affected by conflicts or natural disasters, including by responding to the differentiated needs of women, men, girls and boys, and ensuring their meaningful participation in humanitarian responses.

Canada continued to advance efforts to strengthen capacity for and practice of gender responsive humanitarian action across the system. For example, Canada supported the Women’s Refugee Commission’s Gender Operational Review Report, published in September 2019.  The report provided recommendations to foster innovation and collective learning, establish a more structured approach to gender analysis, increase space for women to self-organize, advocate for longer-term programming, and to support fledgling women’s CSOs.

As another example, to support vulnerable populations in Venezuela and neighbouring countries affected by the regional refugee and migration crisis, in 2019-20 Canada provided $16 M in humanitarian assistance, with an emphasis on migrant women and girls, undocumented migrants and refugees, and female-headed households. This support contributed to providing gender-sensitive nutrition, WASH and health services to over 10,000 pregnant and lactating women, adolescent girls as well as children under five in Colombia. It also served to increase protections services such as psychological and legal care for GBV survivors and LGBTQ2I people through the establishment of three safe spaces and rehabilitation with GBV lenses of six shelters for vulnerable migrants and refugees in different cities in Ecuador.

Through concerted efforts, including the hiring of dedicated expert staff, GAC’s Gender Equality Division and the Humanitarian Assistance Bureau worked with departmental staff and partners to strengthen the requirements for integrating gender equality in programming and ensure Canada’s humanitarian action is fully gender-responsive. This was achieved in part through revisions to the Global Affairs Canada’s humanitarian NGO proposal template that strengthens the integration of gender considerations and through the development of a Gender-Responsive Humanitarian Action Checklist for staff to further strengthen dialogue with partners in the design, implementation and reporting on gender-responsive humanitarian action.

Priorities: 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, 2020: 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 2019, Canada advocated for strengthened prevention, mitigation and response to sexual and gender-based violence at multiple international fora.

For example, Canada co-hosted a high-level roundtable event during the World Bank Spring Meetings in 2019, titled “Collective Action for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and Girls in Humanitarian Contexts.” Many interventions focused on the prevention and response to sexual and gender-based violence. A number of specific recommendations emerged: the need to better and more systematically engage women and girls meaningfully in each response, as opposed to conducting a ‘box ticking’ exercise; the need to mobilize longer-term, more predictable funding for local women’s organizations in humanitarian contexts; and the importance of maintaining funding and increasing advocacy for specific interventions to address sexual and reproductive health and rights, prevention and response to sexual and gender-based violence, and women’s empowerment.

Canada’s Parliamentary Secretary for International Development participated at the “Ending Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Humanitarian Crises” high level event in Oslo in May 2019, where Canada committed $33 M to address GBV in emergencies. Canada’s role in the Call to Action was highlighted via Canada’s statement and the Parliamentary Secretary’s participation on a panel titled, “National Call to Action Road Maps to Combat SGBV in Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo.” As lead of the Call to Action and as a historic first for the initiative, Canada published a joint statement on behalf of 83 partners with recommendations that played a critical role in shaping the conference and bringing the international community together to galvanize action on SGBV.

Canada co-hosted a side event at the UN General Assembly in 2019 on addressing gender-based violence in DRC and South Sudan. With Canada’s Ambassador for Women, Peace and Security moderating the event, panelists shared experiences and lessons learned in responding to GBV and discussed ways to take forward global priorities and initiatives, including the Call to Action. Best practices shared included applying a survivor-centered approach and working in the humanitarian-development nexus.

Finally, Canada also delivered a joint statement on behalf of the Call to Action partners at the first Global Refugee Forum held in Geneva, Switzerland in December 2019, urging attendees to make financial and political commitments that support GBV programming in refugee and forced displacement settings and address gender inequality; promote gender-responsive localizations and increase direct funding to local women’s groups; ground programming in best practices; and reinforced the key actions of the Call to Action Road Map.

Being the lead of the Call to Action enabled Canada to have increased influence on collective efforts to mitigate, prevent and respond to gender-based violence in emergencies and to elevate this issue in multilateral fora. The Call to Action has gained momentum and credibility as a critical network for humanitarian gender-based violence actors. Canada has made significant strides to improve accountability and transparency of the initiative, and to focus on impact in the field, through, for example, supporting the implementation of the Call to Action Road Map the DRC.

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

1.4 Target: Canada demonstrates increased leadership on advancing SRHR in fragile and humanitarian settings.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2020: 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’s work in gender-responsive humanitarian action included over $74.4 M in support to sexual and reproductive health services in crisis. This support prevents death, disease and disability related to unwanted pregnancies, obstetric complications and reproductive disorders, and gender-based violence.

For example, with Canada’s support in 2019, CARE Canada provided lifesaving sexual and reproductive health services to 19,799 conflict-affected people in Borno state, Nigeria (10,050 women, 1,480 girls, 7,684 men and 585 boys). This included delivering services through mobile clinics, training healthcare service providers on sexual and reproductive health services in three primary healthcare centers, including the provision of reproductive health kits and equipment such as essential medicines, contraceptives, antibiotics, intravenous fluids and delivery beds, distributing delivery kits with items required to ensure safe and clean deliveries, and providing training on gender-based violence.

As another example, with Canada’s support in 2019, the United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA) provided high quality comprehensive and culturally sensitive GBV services to over 30,000 newly displaced women and girls in Syria, an additional 30,000 women and girls in Jordan, and supported 47 GBV service delivery points in Iraq. In addition, UNFPA programming established 21 GBV mobile teams in Syria, trained 185 service providers and/or governmental personnel on GBV in Jordan, and reached over 85,000 men, women, adolescent girls with awareness raising on GBV and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights.

Beyond programming, Canada continued to advocate, in international fora, for the need for the humanitarian system to better meet the specific needs of women and girls in humanitarian settings, including in the negotiations of resolutions and at high-level ministerial events with humanitarian stakeholders.

For example, Canada co-hosted a high-level roundtable event with the World Bank during the World Bank Spring Meetings in 2019, titled “Collective Action for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and Girls in Humanitarian Contexts.” At the event, Canada’s Minister of International Development and Minister of Women and Gender Equality launched Canada’s A Feminist Approach: Gender Equality in Humanitarian sub-policy and highlighted the importance of implementing gender-responsive humanitarian action in all humanitarian contexts and providing access to comprehensive sexual reproductive health services.

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 and respond to global peace and stability challenges. 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 gender equality principles 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 sex and gender-based violence (SGBV) and sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA).

Priorities: Increase funding for the implementation of the WPS agenda

2.1 Target:

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2020: On track – 2.1.1, 2.1.2, 2.1.3, 2.1.4 /OBJ 3

BaselineFootnote 6:

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

In FY 2018/19, PSOPs produced the following results:

Activity:

IndicatorFootnote 7:

Completed Activities:

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

% of PSOPs projects by GE score over time

Text version
 GE-00GE-01GE-02GE-03
2017/1810.20%33.90%37.80%18.10%
2018/195.00%34.80%39.70%20.60%
2019/202.34%31.25%42.19%24.22%

% of PSOPs program spending by GE score over time

Text version
 GE-00GE-01GE-02GE-03
2017/183.20%71.30%18.30%7.20%
2018/191.90%46.50%29.30%22.20%
2019/203.10%39.00%46.40%11.50%

Priorities: 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, 2020: Requires attention/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: Despite delays in the launch of the reporting cycle in the spring of 2020 due to the operational impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, coordination of the third annual whole-of-government reporting process for the Action Plan conducted by PSOPs generally proceeded efficiently.

Recognizing the extensive and complex nature of the Action Plan reporting process, the large number of new reporting focal points within GAC and other federal partners, and the difficulties brought about by working from home, PSOPs has worked diligently to build upon best practices from FY 17/18 to ensure that Action Plan focal points across the Government of Canada were supported to provide accurate and thorough data for the Action Plan report.

To do this, PSOPs undertook an update to the reporting template and instructions to simplify procedures. One-on-one sessions and informational meetings were also facilitated over video platforms and teleconferences, which covered both best practices on Action Plan reporting for the Government of Canada, and the importance and challenges of reporting on results stemming from implementation of the WPS agenda more generally. These sessions were well-received by government focal points, 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 other corporate reporting exercises to ensure consistency across lines of effort.

Efforts to undertake a mid-term review of the Action Plan and its impacts and processes to date began in the Winter of 2020 and will continue into 2021.

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, 2020: 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 tracked WPS spending uniformly, efficiently and consistently throughout the fiscal year and included results in its annual report by applying the WPS tracker methodology. The methodology extracts information from the departmental databased by applying a formula that combines GE codes, purpose codes created by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and a list of selected fragile and conflict-affected states. GAC’s Gender Equality coding framework assigns a GE code in relation to a project’s intended contribution to advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. By focusing on projects identified as GE03 (gender equality is the principal objective of the initiative) and GE02 (there is at least one intermediate gender equality outcome which will achieve observable changes in behaviour, practice, or performance that will contribute to gender equality), the method focuses only on projects that aim to significantly advance gender equality. 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, and FY 18/19 reporting on funding is consistent from year to year.

A continuing 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 20/21 to identify what percentage of WPS-related funding goes to women’s organizations. This methodology may also leave out important investments made to multilateral organizations if the entirety of the investments was not identified as meeting the GE02 or GE03 threshold.

A methodology for tracking spending on women, peace and security by other federal implementing partners has not been developed.

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

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2020: Target achieved/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:  Some clarity and consistency in reporting methodology has been attained in some targets in the report by defining their indicators with greater details allowing for clearer annual reporting data. Further efforts to improve upon the indicators and targets may be beneficial, however, this needs to be balanced against the requirement to demonstrate results year over year.

Priorities: 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, 2020: 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: The grants and contributions business process systematically integrates gender equality considerations:

2.6 Target: 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, 2020: 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: A survey of PSOPs officers showed that 37 out of the 39 officers participating responded that they applied GBA+ analysis in their work, or 95%. This sample represents a little over 50% of PSOPs officers.

Project officers systematically integrated WPS, gender, and other relevant factors into their assessments and scoping missions. Examples of results achieved include:

Priorities: Strengthen WPS and gender capacity within PSOPs

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

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2020: 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: The PSOPs’Strategic Planning and Coordination Division’s gender WPS advisor systematically reinforces the capacities of project officers to negotiate with partners a better integration of gender equality and of GBA+ in their initiatives.

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 (87% of those who reported; 47/54 total) and all deployees have completed at least one course on gender. Attendance of an introductory full-day information session on GBA+ and WPS was made mandatory for all new staff and new project officers were provided more specialized training in how to integrate gender into peace and security programming.

In 2019-20, 44 staff (36 GAC | 8 other government departments) attended PSOPs-led training on gender in fragile and conflict-affected situations, including 43% of civilians deployed to international organizations (3/7).Footnote 8 Regrettably, this represents a slight dip from the previous year, and steps are underway in 20-21 to better reflect the range and evolution of training needs.

A further external offering of training on mediation included a much richer module on gender and inclusion this year with stronger integration of female expertise and a presentation from a woman mediator and peacebuilder, as opposed to similar training offered in past years.

2.8 Target: 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, 2020:  On track/Internal efficiency & capacity

Baseline: Inconsistent integration of gender perspectives across training content.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: While there is still room for improvement to systematically integrate gender into training for PSOPs officers, 100% (3/3) of courses led by PSOPs integrate gender policies, perspectives and/or analytical tools.

Priorities: 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, 2020: 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, four 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). In addition, with the creation of the Office of the Ambassador for Women, Peace and Security, capacity to improve coordination of implementation of the Action Plan began to increase as improved outreach with focal points across the Government of Canada was undertaken in collaboration with PSOPs.

Priorities: Address SEA (together with other implementing partners)

2.10 Target:
  1. By the end of FY 2021/22, Canada demonstrates a substantial contribution to the implementation of the UN’s zero tolerance policy on SEA.
  2. By the end of FY 2021/22, Canada addresses gaps in accountability for Canadian personnel deployed to UN operations.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2020: Mostly on track/2.10.1 & 2.10.2 /OBJ 2

Canada demonstrates a substantial contribution to the implementation of the UN’s zero tolerance policy on SEA:

Canada addresses gaps in accountability for Canadian personnel deployed to UN operations:

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 reported.Footnote 9 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:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Canada demonstrates a substantial contribution to the implementation of the UN’s zero tolerance policy on SEA:

Canada addresses gaps in accountability for Canadian personnel deployed to UN operations:

Results and Progress: In 2019, Canada established the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Unit within Global Affairs Canada, which leads Canada’s effort to prevent and respond to SEA by development and humanitarian actors.

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 assistance 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 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.

During the reporting period, Canada’s leadership ensured that the 2020 report of the UN General Assembly Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations (C34) of the UN General Assembly included a strong focus on the issue of SEA, with emphasis on a victim-centered approach and victim assistance.

In particular, Canada successfully negotiated the inclusion of concrete references to accountability, disciplinary measures and/or criminal prosecution where appropriate across the UN system, including for non-United Nations personnel.

Canada also successfully negotiated the inclusion of a recommendation on creating and maintaining a work environment that prevents all forms of misconduct as part of individual performance objectives for all civilian staff, with a specific focus on senior leadership.

Canadian financial support for the UN Trust Fund on SEA, for SEA-related training, as well as the Canadian deployment to the office of the UN SEA Coordinator, have helped ensure that personnel deployed to UN operations receive the training and support required to prevent and address instances on SEA, and that the UN has the tools necessary to ensure adequate coordination and information within the UN system and between the UN and Member States, particularly troop and police contributors.

Canada’s sustained efforts, including its mobilization of like-minded Allies, helped to ensure that NATO’s first-ever policy on the prevention and response to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse was adopted by Allies in time to be noted at the NATO London Leaders’ Summit in December 2019. This new policy will help to ensure that NATO, Allies and Partners undertake measures to prevent and respond to sexual abuse and exploitation in operations.

For further activities and results related to addressing SEA, please see targets 6.4 and 7.3.

Priorities: Increase the number and role of women in peace operations

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

Progress achieved to date as of March 31, 2020: 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:

In FY 2019-2020, the Elsie Initiative for Women in Peace Operations:

Results and Progress:

Contact Group:

Advocacy and Outreach Events:

Other Events that Canada Supported:

Elsie Initiative Fund Meetings:

Target 2.12: 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, 2020: 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:

Engage relevant organizations, experts and academics in the co-creation of evidence-driven projects and project outputs to ensure PSOPs is contributing to the global evidence on the issue of barriers to uniformed women’s meaningful participation in peace operations.

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: In FY 2019/2020, the Elsie Initiative for Women in Peace Operations supported several major projects, including the Reducing Barriers for Uniformed Women in UN Peace Operations with the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF) and the Women’s Participation in UN Peace Operations project with the International Peace Institute (IPI). Both projects contribute to the global evidence of barriers to women’s meaningful participation in peace operations that tackle some of the fundamental, under-researched questions regarding uniformed women in peace operations. The outputs inform policy debates, and more in-depth analysis and recommendations for increasing women’s meaningful participation in peace operations.

Canada provided project funding to the UN Department of Operational Support to create gender-responsive minimum standards for camp accommodations in peacekeeping missions. By creating an evidence base to demonstrate which interventions are most effective and generating efforts and ideas to create more receptive environments for all personnel at mission, Canada is working to create safer and more productive working environments in select UN Missions where partner countries deploy.

Based on the evidence the Elsie Initiative has collected to date and advice provided by the Contact Group, Canada is putting forward gender-responsive recommendations to improve mission environments for all peacekeepers. This supported Canada’s engagement in the 2020 negotiations of the annual report of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations (C34), resulting in the inclusion of novel recommendations in the 2020 report, including on: properly fitting equipment, streamlined medical access, training as a tool to increase participation, the need for enabling environments and physical mission infrastructure that is gender-sensitive.

Engagement by Canada in New York at the United Nations on women in peace operations, in collaboration with other member states, influenced language in Resolution 2518 (2020), which enshrined the need for safe, welcoming, and gender-sensitive working environments for women peacekeepers for the first time in a UNSC resolution.

3. Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI)

Context: The Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) is a contributions program, with an annual programming budget of $16.3 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. 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 12 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, 2020: 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 gender equality outcomes of CFLI programming. In 2019-2020, while 76% (60/79) of CFLI Program Managers and Coordinators at reporting missions accredited to fragile and conflict-affected states have completed the gender training, some missions have not completed their reporting. This represents a 36% increase in compliance, compared with 2017-18 baseline data, but a 1% drop from that of 2018-19. This slight reduction in compliance rates can be explained by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mission operations and delays in planned training and reporting activities. It is anticipated that results for this indicator will increase upon receiving complete reporting. Of the 65 CFLI Program Manager and Coordinator positions working in fragile and conflict-affected states, reporting has been completed for 60, or 92% have completed gender training.  Fortunately, the existing availability of most Gender-based analysis+ training materials online have meant that progress towards this target remains mostly on track.

Missions continue to report that gender training has increased their ability to advise recipient organizations, especially smaller civil society organizations, on how to consult with women and girls and deliver stronger gender-inclusive projects. As one officer noted, “Gender training highlighted the great scope and depth of gender issues, which was useful in the evaluation of the quality of applicant GBAs and helped us to mainstream gender equality outcomes across all thematic programming”.

While missions did also report that some applicants found the GBA+ difficult to complete, skills learned during gender training along with key tools such as the CFLI’s step-by-step gender-based analysis guide for applicants proved to be very useful in supporting these applicants.

In 2020-2021, the CFLI Unit will continue to adapt gender and WPS training resources as needed to better fit the COVID-19 context and work towards strengthening the gender proficiency of the managers and coordinators who implement the program at Canadian missions in fragile and conflict affected states.

Priorities: 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, 2020: 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 CFLI continues to encourage enhanced integration of gender equality outcomes in projects in fragile and conflict affected states. Following the introduction of the above indicators in the 2018-19 programming cycle, the 2019-20 results show a 6% increase in the number of CFLI projects in fragile and conflict-affected states included a detailed gender-based analysis, completed prior to the submission of the application for funding, bringing the program to 67%. On the other hand, the percent of projects in fragile and conflict-affected states included consultations with women and/or girls, completed prior to the submission of application for funding has remained relatively stable at 87%. Please note that reporting on 23/256 projects is still outstanding. This reporting has been delayed largely due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mission operations. It is anticipated that the overall percentage of both indicators should increase once this reporting is received.

Missions continue to encourage and facilitate the submission of higher quality GBAs, through a number of means including communicating expectations in their calls for proposals and provided applicants with the step-by-step GBA+ guide that had been prepared as a learning resource. Some 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. Where applicants had particular challenges in completing the GBA, CFLI Coordinators often worked on an individual basis with applicants to understand and strengthen their gender-based analysis of the issues their projects were seeking to address.

4. Counter-Terrorism, Crime and Intelligence Bureau

Context: 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 countering terrorism (CT), countering violent extremism (CVE) 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 Target: 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, 2020: Target achieved or surpassed/OBJ 3

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: Completing GBA+ training allows officers in the Bureau to better understand, implement and analyze the gender dimensions of their work.

The International Crime and Terrorism Policy Division (ICP) views gender and the Women, Peace and Security agenda as a key consideration in policy analysis and guidance, and critical to understanding and responding to crime and terrorism issues, and a core competency of all officers. ICP integrates these considerations in its areas of responsibility, including the development, integration, and coordination of Canada’s international policies and diplomacy on counter-terrorism, 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, the Global Counterterrorism Forum, the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS and the Financial Action Task Force, among others. 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 Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). We also work in close collaboration with OGD colleagues working on crime and counter-terrorism files.

The Anti-Crime Capacity Building Program (ACCBP) and the Counter-Terrorism Capacity Building Program (CTCBP), the two halves of the Anti-Crime and Counter-Terrorism Capacity Building Program Division, 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. Program officers continue to learn how to incorporate gender issues into project design and provide assistance and guidance to implementing partners.

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, 2020: 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: In connection with target 4.1, colleagues have a better understanding of the various resources available to them and where they can be located.

Other Government Departments (OGDs) requests for information are now more easily answered. For example, requests for gender and trafficking in persons stakeholders lists have been utilized twice since their creation.

Priorities: Mainstream WPS and gender into CT policy and diplomacy

4.3 Target: 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, 2020: 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:

Gender perspectives continue to be integrated into CVE/CT and international crime policy, diplomacy and advocacy to a high degree. 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 gender equality 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.

ICP included in its priorities, “advocate for the importance to integrate gender-responsive, age-appropriate, victim-centered, trauma-informed and culturally-relevant approaches to preventing and combatting transnational organized crime” in multiple fora, including at UNGA, CND, and OAS resolution negotiations.

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 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.

Canada has been taking 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 contributed greatly to the discussions and drafting of an addendum to the GCTF Good Practice Document on Women and CVE. Canada also succeeded in incorporating gender-informed language, including WPS and SGBV language into several UN resolutions, including the Resolution on Victims of Terrorism. Canada also continue to bring the issue of gender and WPS to the forefront at NATO, the G7, the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (CICTE), and other forums. We continue to work on developing a system to implement qualitative and quantitative measures to track our GBA+ and WPS integration. It also included the recognition that women and girls are at a higher risk of victimization to certain forms of crime, and that victim-centred, trauma-informed approaches to countering crime are more efficient. Canada also supported and encouraged the work undertaken by international organisations to better understand the differentiated impacts of corruption as we believe these collective efforts will help the global community identify more inclusive and effective ways to prevent and address corruption.

Other Government Departments (OGDs):  The International Crime and Terrorism Policy Division’s policy work over the past year has featured close consultations with OGDs to add and integrate gender perspectives to a variety of policy documents, strategies, action plans and resolutions. Providing consulted input enables the Policy Division to not only promote gender perspectives in important texts but also to make linkages to and leverage domestic expertise and experiences, identify and highlight capacity-building opportunities and projects, and to increase Canada’s policy and programming influence in this area.

Priorities: Mainstream WPS and gender into CT and anti-crime programming

4.4 Target: 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, 2020: Mostly on track /Internal efficiency & capacity

The Counter Terrorism Capacity Building Program had 31 new projects approved in 2019/20 (2 more than in the previous reporting period). Of those 31 projects:

Overall, out of the 31 new CTCBP projects approved in 2019/2020, the portion of GE0 projects diminished from 53.5% to 35.5%, the portion of GE01 projects increased from 21% to 45%, the portion of GE02 projects decreased from 21% to 19.35%, and the portion of GE03 remained at 0%.

ACCBP had 11 projects approved in 2019/20. (7 less than in the previous reporting period). Of those 11 projects:

Overall, out of the 17 new ACCBP projects approved in 2019/2020, the portion of GE0 projects diminished from 53% to 6%, the portion of GE01 projects increased from 21% to 53%, the portion of GE02 projects increased from 21% to 41%, and the portion of GE03 projects decreased from 3.5% to 0%.

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

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

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

ACCBP projects have increased integration of gender equality results and gender-sensitive indicators. Some example projects of note include:

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

Context: 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 Target: 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, 2020: Target achieved or surpassed/OBJ 3

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

Activities:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress:With 44.97% of all active projects across the Weapons Threat Reduction Program (WTRP) coded as GE01 or above, the program has exceeded its initial commitment of 25% towards Target 5.1. of the Canadian National Action Plan.

The WTRP consistently worked with implementing partners to ensure the application of a gender lens to all relevant projects, through the use of inter-alia, gender assessments, gender experts, and consultations with relevant external stakeholders.

In addition, the WTRP has taken steps to integrate Gender-Based Analysis Plus into all stages of the project life cycle. This includes: the identification of potential gender and equality considerations by implementing partners at the project proposal stage; the identification of gender equality considerations through consultation with relevant internal and external stakeholders, including gender equality advisors; active monitoring of gender outcomes throughout project implementation; and continued tracking of gender outcomes following project closure.

The WTRP has rolled out a results based management framework that integrates WPS and Feminist International Assistance Policy commitments. This includes gender language in program indicators to facilitate more robust gender and equality results-tracking at all stages of a project as well as a Gender Equality and Women, Peace and Security assessment form as part of the project design and approval process.

Priorities: Mainstream WPS and gender into diplomacy on disarmament

5.2 Target: 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, 2020: 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:

Ensure that gender issues and perspectives are systematically considered during the analysis of resolutions. Based on this analysis, one of the following approaches will be taken:

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. The effects of these actions are being recognized today and are laying the groundwork for a high degree of continued success in these fora.

In 2019, Canada continued its work with the Geneva-based Disarmament Impact Group (which includes Canada, Ireland, Namibia, the Philippines, and the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research) to coordinate advocacy efforts to include gender considerations language in several resolutions and decision at the Disarmament and International Security Committee (First Committee) of the UN General Assembly.

Canada also strongly advocated to increase support on the gender statement at First Committee. A total of 79 states supported the joint statement, 19 more than the previous year.

6. Partnerships for Development Innovation Branch

Context: 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, 2020: 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 2019/20, 33.34% of Partnerships for Development Innovation programming targeted GE (compared to 3.8% in 2018-19). This significant increase in program funding towards strong GE projects is due to the new Equality Fund initiative.

In late 2019 and early 2020, the Equality Fund held global consultations with women’s organizations to inform the design of the initiative. Over the period of 2019-2020, the Equality Fund provided multi-year and core funding to women’s organizations through direct grants for a total of $501,500 disbursed to 23 grantee partners working in 24 ODA-eligible countries ($251,500 of which came from the GAC contribution).

Priorities: 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, 2020: 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 2019/20, 7% ($29.4 M) of Partnerships programming supported the WPS agenda.

KAIROS‘s Women of Courage: Women, Peace and Security Project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Colombia, and the West Bank (Middle East) (2018-2023, $4,456,516) increased participation of women in peace processes, the defense of human rights, and post-conflict development processes. Working with women’s rights organizations and women human right defenders, the project provides legal and psycho-social support to female victims of domestic and community violence, including to support them to become voices of change at community and national levels. The project also provides training to male allies.

In the second year, the project directly impacted 4,280 individuals (77% women): 583 women survivors of gender-based violence received psychosocial/medical support; 326 women and 141 men participated in workshops on the psycho-social impacts of war; 1299 women and 652 men participated in gender awareness training; 716 women and 204 men participated in 61 human rights training sessions on national and international frameworks; and 359 women used legal services provided by partners. Local project partners participated in 157 campaigns advocating for legislation, law reform, and initiatives related to women, peace and security, of which 54 were specifically oriented towards male allies in government, multilateral organizations, and media.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, following an awareness campaign against sexual and gender-based violence, religious, traditional and political authorities made a commitment to work in collaboration with social workers to defend the rights of women who had been raped.  In one chiefdom, for example, improvised checkpoints were subsequently banned and soldiers stopped from harassing women who travelled to sell food in Bukavu.

In the West Bank, emphasis was placed on engaging grassroots and civil society organizations, as well as key decision makers at community and national levels.  Educational and advocacy-based initiatives sought to raise awareness on human rights and international law, while encouraging decision makers to advocate for women, peace and security.

In South Sudan, more than 500 women have had the opportunity to share economic, social, and governance experiences that have helped them to feel empowered. Many of these women now feel that they have the courage to speak in public, and that they have a voice within their families and communities, including with support from male allies.  Some also have the courage to speak to media outlets regarding the campaign for peace and justice.

Priorities: 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, 2020: 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: The branch continued to increase its staff capacity in advancing gender equality, including having 84% of its staff complete the online GBA+ course, having 65% of its staff complete other gender equality and GBA+ courses and having more than 50% of its staff participate in panels or seminars on those subjects.

One new full-time Gender Equality Specialist was hired for a total of two Gender Equality Specialists now supporting the Branch. The specialists have provided gender equality training sessions for the Branch, such as for the Small and Medium Organizations call and the 2019 Health and Rights for Women, Adolescent Girls and Children call. They also presented a gender equality guide for Project Team Leaders (PTL) to support the effective implementation of projects during a pandemic. The Gender Equality Specialists have also worked closely with PTLs and partners to design projects that either target or fully integrate gender equality in branch programming and have provided them with skills to integrate gender equality in their work. There have been significant improvements in the drafting of Project Implementation Plans and Gender Equality Strategies during this review period. The Branch has also increased staff engagement with Canadian partners on advancing gender equality, including a training session with SMOs on how to create strong gender equality strategies.

Priorities: 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, 2020: 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 or standardized 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 within six months of signing the agreement. 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 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. Since September 1, 2019, all civil society organizations are required to have a code of conduct in place as a condition to be considered for funding. Proposal and funding guidance have been updated to reflect this. In August 2020, this clause was updated to also include a reference to GAC’s reporting expectations. This update was included in our contribution and grant templates in October 2020. Now that the clause has been updated and standardized, the PSEA Unit is looking at closing the gaps by ensuring the addition of the clause in the various templates and programs requiring specific adjustments as well as throughout the project cycle.

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, 2020: 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.

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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 gender equality 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. The nomination of a new Canadian Ambassador for Women, Peace and Security, and her frequent visits to New York in early 2019 also helped to cement Canada’s leadership and visibility on this file. This issue has also become a central feature of Canada’s UNSC bid.

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. The Mission took every opportunity to deliver statements at the UNSC and UNGA both in formal and high-level sessions as well as informal and working level discussions 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 over 60 member states amongst its ranks. In FY 2019/20, 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 implemented its Gender Pledge which calls 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 and at times in groups 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. 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.

Priorities: 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, 2020: 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.

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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 including as a means to achieve greater operational effectiveness. FY 2019/20 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. Thanks to the truly innovative approach of the Fund and Canada’s important financial contribution, we became recognized as a true leader in this field by the UN and other member states. The new PRMNY position created in the previous reporting period continued to provide increased capacity on gender and peacekeeping. The Mission as a whole continued to promote and advance these objectives in all aspects of its work, from UNGA Fifth Committee and C34 negotiations, within the military and police circles and as a central plank of Canada’s bid for a non-permanent seat to the UN Security Council.

Canada took every relevant opportunity to deliver statements at high-level forums calling for new and creative thinking to resolve persistent barriers to female participation and leadership in peacekeeping and to promote the innovative solutions proposed through the Elsie Initiative. During its 2020 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 and to adopt a new reporting structure. PRMNMY successfully advocated for strong language on women in peace peacekeeping, SEA and Women, Peace and Security in the final report. 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. PRMNY also took every opportunity to highlight the importance of the WPS Chiefs of Defence Staff Network and to highlight its contributions to promoting change within militaries and to reduce barriers for women in national armies and, ultimately, in UN peace operations.

It is important to recognize that despite strong political commitment from Canada and other partners, 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 unless continued efforts and more measures are taken both by the UN and member states, and in particular large troop and police contributing countries. So while Canada may be on track to achieve this particular target, much work still needs to be done in order to implement the institutional and cultural shift necessary to truly ensure the meaningful participation of women in all UN peace operations.

Priorities: 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, 2020: 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.

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Results and Progress: Canada, through its Mission to the UN, continued to be a steadfast partner of the UN in its efforts to prevent and eradicate SEA and to exert pressure to improve prevention of and response to SEA. Canada continued to support the activities of the Circle of Leadership on the prevention of and response to SEA in UN operations and proposed language in UNGA 5th Committee and C34 negotiations 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 sexual exploitation and abuse reported for peacekeeping and special political missions has increased, with 80 allegations reported in 2019 compared with 54 allegations reported in 2018 and 62 in 2017. 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 increased attention and a strong set of policies exist at the UN-level, the main challenge remains with member states and how they manage cases of sexual exploitation and abuse as well as of conduct and discipline. The issue of sexual harassment, including in the UN Secretariat and UN agencies is also become an increasing concern and one where greater attention needs to be focused.

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.

Priorities: 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, 2020: On track/OBJ 1

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

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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. The Mission continued to advocate and promote gender equality in all senior UN positions.

PRMNY succeeded in achieving gender parity in its nominations in FY2019/20. During the reporting period, Canada provided nominations and/or letters of support for 8 positions at the ASG level or above at the UN (UNDSS, SRSG VAC, Global Call for Nominations for SRSG and DSRSG positions, HCHR). Of these, 2 were men and 6 were women. At the end of this reporting period, the Mission also announced the high-profile candidature of Marcia Kran for re-election to the Human Rights Committee.

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 gender equality 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 Target: 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, 2020: 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.

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Results and Progress: Canada remains a strong, highly recognised leader within the Alliance and with Partners on advancing and promoting the WPS agenda. In 2019-2020, Canada was once again the top financial donor to the NATO WPS Office, contributing $800,000 over 2017-2021 to fund activities and programmes run by the NATO WPS Office, namely the promotion of gender mainstreaming at NATO, and the development and delivery of training. Additionally, Canada deployed a WPS expert to the NATO WPS Office in December 2019 to support the Office’s implementation of the NATO WPS Policy and Action Plan by, for example, helping to strengthen the Alliance’s monitoring and evaluation capacity as well as developing training materials on gender analysis and sex-disaggregated data. Furthermore, persistent campaigning by Canada (supported by like-minded Allies) resulted in two additional, permanent human resources beginning their assignment in the NATO WPS Office in 2019. Canada also helped ensure that additional human and financial resources related to WPS and human security will continue to be explored.

Through its consistent efforts, including in committee meetings and in public diplomacy events, Canada strengthened NATO’s WPS commitments by systematically advocating for integrating gender perspectives into all of NATO’s work. As the de facto leader of the “Group of Friends of 1325” at NATO Headquarters, Canada regularly convenes meetings of the Group to push forward the WPS agenda. Canada also raises 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 raise WPS issues during their meetings with Allies, Partners and NATO staff. Allies and Partners have come to expect this of Canada, and continue to regard Canada as a leader on WPS issues at all levels.

Canada’s voice on WPS-related issues is consistently sought-after and highly respected in the Alliance. Our contributions to NATO policy events such as the Women’s Defence Dialogues were actively solicited by NATO, and greatly appreciated.

During the reporting period, Canada hosted over 20 informal meetings with Allies, Partners and NATO Staff, including “Group of Friends of 1325” meetings, to promote and facilitate WPS implementation at NATO. The North Atlantic Council (the principal political decision-making body of NATO), with Canadian encouragement, also had one meeting dedicated to human security issues, including WPS which resulted in wider awareness of the challenges and the progress being made.

Canada also raised public awareness about WPS 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 through public diplomacy efforts. For example, as part of the activities surrounding International Women’s Day 2020, the Joint Delegation of Canada organized a mentoring event which provided a young Canadian woman just beginning her career in the Delegation with the opportunity to job shadow the Canadian Deputy Head of Mission for a day, participate in her meetings and engage with her informally in a mentoring setting.

Priorities: 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, 2020: 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.

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Results and Progress: Over the reporting period, Canada helped to ensure that WPS issues remained high-level priorities for the Alliance, including in its security frameworks. Canada’s sustained efforts, including its mobilisation of like-minded Allies, helped to ensure that NATO’s first-ever policy on the prevention and response to sexual exploitation and abuse was adopted by Allies in time to be noted at the NATO London Leaders’ Summit in December 2019. This new policy will help to ensure that NATO, Allies and Partners undertake measures to prevent and respond to sexual abuse and exploitation in operations.

Canada systematically raised gender and the importance of making progress on UNSCR 1325 in its meetings with Allies and Partners, including on cooperative security frameworks such as partnership plans or assessments, as well as in numerous informal meetings with Partners on how to better advance cooperation on WPS issues in the NATO context.

Canada helped strengthen NATO’s engagement and dialogue with civil society, including through high-profile events such as a conference on conflict-related sexual violence with the Dr. Denis Mukwege Foundation (co-organised with the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie and with Allied members of the Francophonie in November 2019), and the first-ever awareness-raising LGBTQ2I event at NATO HQ on the issue of integrating LGBTQ2I perspectives in Allied and Partner armed forces (co-organised in June 2019 with an NGO and with a like-minded Ally, on the margins of the Annual Conference of the NATO Committee on Gender Perspectives). The latter event showcased WPS as a cross-cutting and intersectional issue, and was well attended and much appreciated. The Joint Delegation of Canada to NATO also facilitated Canadian academic research on WPS issues at NATO.

Canada’s expertise as a highly respected actor on WPS issues resulted in the Canadian perspective being solicited for various WPS-related cooperative security activities with Allies and Partners, such as a visit from policymakers from Iceland (February 2020), during which Canada was part of a small panel of key Allies invited to discuss WPS at NATO, a consultative meeting with Switzerland as part of a select group of Allies on the issue of how to encourage and increase female participation in Allied and Partner armed forces (September 2019), and an Allied- and Partner-attended NATO workshop on WPS National Action Plan best practices (June 2019).

In addition, Canada contributed substantially to the development of a NATO manual on gender-inclusive language, in both English and French – Canada’s linguistic duality and WPS expertise allowed the Canadian input to add much value to the discussion. The manual will be used within the Alliance, both on the civilian and military sides, to encourage and strengthen the use of inclusive language at NATO in both formal documents and informal meetings.

Priorities: 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, 2020: mostly on track/OBJ 1

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

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Results and Progress: Women are unfortunately consistently under-represented in senior-level positions in the Alliance. In order to support the increased representation of women in senior positions at NATO, Canada has consistently highlighted the importance of female leadership at NATO, and has advocated strongly and consistently for the inclusion of measures that encourage female applicants in NATO recruitment procedures.

In addition, when possible, Canada tries to lead by example by proposing qualified Canadian women candidates: Canadian women fill relatively senior positions at NATO, including the NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative on WPS, and a Lieutenant-Colonel as the Head Gender Adviser in the International Military Staff.

Furthermore, Canada is setting positive examples by appointing female military officers to key senior positions at NATO. Notably, Canadian Commodore Josée Kurtz, the former Commander of the Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2), was the first woman to be given such a command in NATO history. One of the highest-ranking women in the Canadian Armed Forces, Major-General Jennie Carignan, is currently commanding NATO Mission Iraq (since November 2019). In addition, since September 2018, Brigadier-General Darlene Quinn has been in command of Canada’s Formation Europe and is Canada’s National Military Representative to Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers. Also, Lieutenant-General Christine Whitecross commanded the NATO Defense College in Rome from 2016 to 2020.

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, 2020: Target achieved or surpassed/OBJ 1

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

Activity:

Indicator:

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Disarmament, Peace and Security

Humanitarian

Results and Progress:

Human Rights

Disarmament, Peace and Security

9.2 Target:

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2020: 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.

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Results and Progress: Launched in 2018, the Group of Friends on WPS is led by Canada and composed of 33 member states and 14 civil society organizations observers, in addition to UN Women and the UN Population Fund. The members agreed that the Group would function as a network of well-informed stakeholders, notably by organizing WPS-relevant events and by sharing information, both at meetings and via other means (e.g. virtual discussions), in order to identify gaps and opportunities for collaboration across the different WPS sectors:

These efforts aim to mainstream WPS in existing mechanisms where applicable, avoiding duplication and maximizing impact. In its activities, the Group of Friends on WPS has engaged on:

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

9.3 Target:

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2020: 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.

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Results and Progress: As a contributor to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC) Sponsorship Programme, Canada regularly receives, through the Sponsorship Programme Coordinator, applications seeking sponsorship to attend meetings of the APMBC. In this capacity, we have consistently supported gender-balanced delegations.

Sponsorships are administered by a third party.  Canada has asked that its funding prioritize opportunities for women to be part of delegations but the number of candidates varies and is ultimately up to the sending organization.

Canada also contributes to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) Sponsorship Programme and has requested that its funding prioritize opportunities for women delegates.

Priorities: Strengthen WPS and gender analysis capacity within the Mission

9.4 Target: 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, 2020: Mostly on track/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.

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Results and Progress: 27 positions were identified as relevant under this indicator for the reporting period. These were filled by 14 women and 13 men. Of this group, 12 women and 9 men reported having received relevant training.

The 21 mission officers completed the “Gender-based Analysis +” online course offered by Women and Gender Equality Canada, but three of them also indicated that they already had relevant professional or academic expertise in gender analysis before starting their assignment in Geneva.

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 Target: 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, 2020: On track/OBJ 1

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

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Results and Progress: Canada is advancing its WPS objectives within the OIF and with member countries, notably at meetings of the Permanent Council of La Francophonie and the Ministerial Conference of La Francophonie, during Canada’s regular interventions with La Francophonie operators and bodies, and in the context of the organization’s commissions and working groups. All of these forums have given Canada the opportunity to support women’s participation and effective representation, and to stress the particular importance of advancing women’s and girls’ rights.

Canada also contributed to the creation and funding of a GE unit within the OIF that is mandated with ensuring that all programming takes GE into account, so that the organization itself becomes a GE reference, and creating projects for women.

Canada actively contributed to developing the OIF’s 4-year programming for 2019 to 2022 and encouraged the organization to take GE into account when implementing its programs and projects. Canada monitors the use of these indicators and the GE results they report on.

Through its annual contributions, Canada funds OIF activities that focus on preventing and managing crises and conflicts, as well as peacekeeping and peacebuilding.

Priorities: 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, 2020: Target Achieved or Surpassed/Internal Capacity Building

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

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Results and Progress: The training activities completed by officers responsible for La Francophonie at headquarters and those posted to PARIS allowed the team to develop the required expertise to act effectively within La Francophonie institutions in developing positions, policies and programming covering issues related to WPS and GE. These training activities also allowed for the development of better internal knowledge of the resources available to support Canada’s GE interventions in the context of La Francophonie.

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 Target: 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, 2020: mostly 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.

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Results and Progress:Progress in terms of gender equality at the OSCE remains slow, but efforts deployed over the past few years are starting to yield concrete results. VOSCE noted that while training and awareness-raising is important, the most tangible step forward will be the concrete demonstration on the part of the OSCE’s senior leadership of their commitment to gender equality including a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse, as well the creation and maintenance of truly inclusive and respectful work environments. The report contains further details on how such changes can be achieved and moved forward, something VOSCE had requested on several occasions.

In the Secretary General’s 2019 progress report on Gender Equality in the Organization, he indicated that 13 out of 16 (81%) field operations now have a mission-specific gender action plan or strategy, compared to 47% in 2016 (objective was to achieve 60% by 2017). OSCE Secretariat on Gender Focal points and advisors used to be amalgamated, but requests by delegations, amongst which Canada, to disaggregate these data and clarify the gender related roles has now provided different indicators more difficult to compare against previous data. However, repeated requests by Canada to focus on quality rather quantity when speaking of gender mainstreaming, has helped in ensuring that the Secretary General’s annual report to the Permanent Council on implementation of the 2004 Gender Action Plan would focus more on results-based reporting. While the Secretariat recognized that there are still significant gaps in the quality of reporting, this approach has helped better track progress and collect data for a more analytical reporting.

The delegation continues to regularly intervene at the OSCE to advocate for better gender mainstreaming by reiterating key messages and highlighting the latest developments in the field of Women, Peace and Security in Canada.

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

11.2 Target: 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, 2020: mostly on track/OBJ 1

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.

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Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: The delegation remains a very active voice in defending the principles of Women, Peace and Security and in promoting greater gender mainstreaming in this field. Over the reporting period, no less than eight 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.

Canada’s calls for data disaggregation for gender in OSCE field missions remain a work in progress but there is notable progress in developing these indicators. The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights for example has “gathered gender-disaggregated data to assess the impact of management decisions on opportunities for women and men and shared the good practice with other departments”. Canada will continue to support better data, in order to help the organization, identify the gaps and needs in implementing gender mainstreaming.

Priorities: 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, 2020: 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. While Canada had not identified any Canadian women candidates this year to apply on high level positions (or any candidates), the delegation insisted often and over several months that decision making vacancies be filled by women on a merit based approach. The OSCE reports that more equitable measures and selections processes “have led to an increase of women being shortlisted for professional and director posts (excluding the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM)) from 48 % in 2017 to 52 % in 2019.” The repeated call for better gender parity efforts at the OSCE have also enabled the Organization to develop its “Gender Parity Strategy 2019-2026”, introduced in July 2019, to incorporate gender equality initiatives into a strategic organizational framework. It is recognized that while progress is slow, efforts by management to the change the culture are enhanced by the support of participating States who promote gender mainstreaming.

Bilateral engagement

Middle East

Middle East Strategy: 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

Context:  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 two 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 Target: 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, 2020:  Target Achieved or Surpassed/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: Canada has significantly increased the percentage of development programming that integrates gender perspectives for the four countries in the Middle East Strategy (Iraq, Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon), from 73% at the beginning of FY 2016/17 to 97% for the FY 2019/20.

In Iraq, Canada continued to advocate a gender-sensitive approach as a means of enhancing the overall effectiveness and sustainability of stabilization and security-related efforts and supported the development of Iraqi women’s collective capacity to contribute to stability and reconciliation at the local and governorate levels.  Canada supported women’s resource centers in five governorates, which provided legal and psychosocial support, as well as livelihood services. With Canadian support, UNFPA has enabled over 12,000 women and girls to access gender-based violence (GBV) services through women protection facilities in 12 districts of Iraq. In addition, close to 300 individuals, including GBV specialists, case managers, focal points and coordinators participated in the drafting of GBV standard operating procedures.

In Syria, entrepreneurship and leadership training was provided to women to enhance their employability and ability to engage in economic activities. For example, 50 women-headed households were provided with training regarding small-scale egg production; 175 women were trained in entrepreneurship, business planning and leadership; 65 women-headed households were trained and received in-kind support for the processing and marketing of high-quality food products; three hydroponic barley production sites run by women were established to increase the income of women-headed households.

In Jordan, Canada’s assistance also helped to create more opportunities for women and youth through skills development, access to finance, and business support services, while addressing social and logistical barriers for Jordanian women. During FY 2019/20, more than 5,400 entrepreneurs, 79 percent of which were women, received business development training or grants. 200 jobs were created and occupied by women, in health, childcare, solid-waste management and renewable energy sectors. Canada also supported the Ministry of Education to implement its Gender Equality Action Plan by providing financial resources and technical assistance to the Ministry’s Gender Division.  With Canada’s support to Jordan’s National Action Plan, 632 women, including 100 refugees, received training on conflict resolution, and information sessions on their rights under the Personal Status Law. In addition, 400 trainees (50% girls) attended awareness-raising sessions promoting human rights, equality and non-violence.

In Lebanon, with Canada’s support, the UNDP conducted a study exploring the barriers and opportunities for women’s economic participation and leadership within key value chains, contributing to increased knowledge on gender equality issues and opportunities among actors working on livelihoods and women's economic empowerment programming in Lebanon.

With Canada’s support, the World Bank Mashreq Gender Facility provided technical assistance for the revision of legal frameworks that are discriminating against women, including assistance to draft a sexual harassment code for the public and private sectors.

Priorities: Undertake a gender stocktaking of programming and diplomatic engagement under whole of government Strategy
12.2 Target:
  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, 2020:  on track – 12.2.1, 12.2.2/Internal efficiency & capacity

  1. Target 12.2.1: Completed in 2018.
  2. Target 12.2.1: GE results are tracked and reported as part of the regular performance management and reporting cycle.
  3. Target 12.2.3: Completed in 2018 for the second phase of the Strategy with continuous improvements in progress with a GE Implementation Guide in development.

Baseline: Gender Stocktaking commenced in late June 2017.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: Following the Gender Stocktaking report in 2018, a Gender Equality Implementation Guide (GEIG) for the four countries under Canada’s Middle East Strategy (Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria) is under development. Internal consultations within Global Affairs Canada, as well as consultations with Women and Gender Equality Canada, have taken place. The Guide is expected to be launched for internal use in 2021. Consistent with the Feminist Foreign Policy, the Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP), and the National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS), the GEIG will provide planning tools and best practice examples to program officers, including checklists and work plans to advance gender equality and women and girls' empowerment under the four pillars of the Strategy.

Findings and recommendations from the International Assistance Evaluation Division of Global Affairs Canada on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and Girls in the Middle East and the Maghreb are expected in early 2021. They will be integrated into programming and the performance management cycle to continue to improve the quality and effectiveness of ongoing efforts to advance gender equality.

Priorities: Support local women’s rights organizations and movements working to advance WPS and GE in the Middle East
12.3 Target: 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, 2020: 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:

Results and Progress: In Jordan, UN Women established partnerships with civil society organizations such as: Arab Women Organization (AWO), Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD) and Madrasati. These partnerships focus specifically on promoting access to gender-based violence (GBV) services for women in Mafraq and Irbid; raising awareness among youth on WPS, preventing violent extremism, and gender equality in Madaba and Balqa; and strengthening the capacity and evidence-based advocacy efforts of 38 community-based organizations (CBOs) in different governorates of Jordan. Through these partnerships:

In Iraq, Canada supported the establishment of five Women’s Advisory Boards and helped build the capacity of women’s rights organizations within Iraqi civil society through workshops in organizational development, communications and outreach.  Canada helped fund the Future Forward, the Iraqi Women’s Leadership Initiative, executed by Heartland Alliance International. It successfully provided services to nearly 7,000 women, including survivors of GBV, through resource centres in different cities. The five centres supported social and economic protection for women by providing legal and mediation services, psychosocial support services, and skills-building opportunities to increase their livelihoods. For example, over two years, 4,200 women received mental health and psychosocial support services in response to incidences of GBV through outreach teams and the resource centres. The centres also provided legal services to 2,500 women, helping them to obtain civil documentation, to file domestic abuse complaints and to access government social services and benefits.

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, 2020: 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 16 Five out of seven projects supported women in improving peace and stability in Iraq.

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress:

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:

PSOPs integrated gender equality considerations within all of its projects in Iraq in FY 2019/20, for which an extensive analysis took place to ensure that it considers the different needs of women, men, boys, and girls. The projects below exemplify project activities that demonstrate support for women’s increased and meaningful participation in improving peace and security in Iraq.

PSOPs support of the project, “Empowering Women to Participate in the National Reconciliation Process,” helped increase access for Iraqi women to decision making processes relating to national reconciliation in liberated areas of Iraq. Between October and the end of December 2019, activists from Anbar, Kirkuk, Ninewa, Salah al-Din, Diyala and Baghdad organized 239 public outreach events and 75 small group discussions with citizens and decision makers to promote their gender-sensitive national reconciliation platform and increase participation in the process. Individual participants have also been recognized for their contributions a gender-sensitive national reconciliation platform, including one who was selected by the President of Iraq to serve on a new committee dedicated to addressing social cohesion and reconciliation in Kirkuk.

Priorities: Mainstream WPS and gender into peace and security efforts in Syria
12.5 Target: 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, 2020: 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 17

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress:

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.

PSOPs integrates the needs of women, men, girls and boys into all of its programming in Syria. Gender-based analysis and integration in project design strengthens the effectiveness and durability of outcomes. Each project goes through an extensive analysis to ensure that it addresses the needs of women and girls. The projects below exemplify project activities that demonstrate support for women’s increased and meaningful participation in improving peace and security in Syria.

13. Middle East Diplomatic Engagement

Iraq

Context: 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 Target: 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, 2020: 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:

Results and Progress: More than 45 advocacy initiatives undertaken, where WPS principles were raised with stakeholders.

The Canadian Embassy in Baghdad and the Office in Erbil continued activities to promote Canada’s commitment to develop Iraqi women’s collective capacity to contribute to stability and reconciliation at the local, governorate, regional, and federal levels, to enhance the overall effectiveness and sustainability of stabilization and security-related efforts, and for meaningful participation in conflict prevention, conflict resolution, and post-conflict state-building. These activities continued notwithstanding the deteriorated security situation after the beginning of grassroots anti-government protests in October 2019, increased tensions after a series of US and Iranian counter-attacks on Iraqi soil in January 2020, and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

For example, Canada and the United Kingdom were the first donors to support UN Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund in Iraq (WPHF) to enhance support to women’s civil society organizations throughout Iraq, working to create an enabling environment to effectively implement and operationalize government commitments on WPS. The Ambassador and the Embassy delegation reinforced Canada’s support for the initiative by participating in a roundtable with approximately 40 NGO partners of the WPHF.

Canada supported the establishment of five Women’s Advisory Boards and helped build the capacity of women’s rights organizations within Iraqi civil society through workshops in organizational development, communications and outreach. 85 individuals from the Women’s Advisory Boards and women’s rights organizations supported by Canada have adapted approaches and methods to advocate for inclusive governance at the local and governorate levels.

In June 2019, the Canadian Embassy attended the inauguration of the KRG President and reinforced the value of women’s participation in cabinet and senior levels of the Iraqi government. This messaging was reinforced in Baghdad during the long process to form the Iraqi federal cabinet after the 2018 parliamentary elections.

The Canadian Embassy supported and chaired the first meeting of the re-launched Kurdistan Women’s Support Network, a grouping of diplomatic missions, KRG representatives, and NGOs to advance women’s empowerment.

The Canada Fund for Local Initiatives supported three projects focused on women’s rights and gender empowerment, and two projects focused specifically on WPS priorities. This included, for example, support to safe shelters for women victims of domestic violence and skills development and economic empowerment for Yazidi women victims of Daesh-violence and sexual enslavement.

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

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

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2020: Target achieved or surpassed/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: Canada hosted a workshop on gender and inclusion, facilitated by International Civil Society Action Network, on the margins of a Working Group on Stabilization meeting in Washington. In its interventions at WGS meetings, Canada continued to urge the Government of Iraq to approve and finance Iraq’s second National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security.

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 Target: Canada promotes its WPS positions and priorities with Syrian stakeholders to increase awareness of WPS.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2020: 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: Canada continues to advocate in support of the WPS agenda as it relates to Syria at the highest levels. In 2020, there were more than 15 specific high-level engagements aimed at building commitments and encouraging actions to advance WPS objectives.

During the 2020 Brussels Conference, Canada’s Minister of International Development called for the participation of women to reach an inclusive political solution to the Syrian conflict.

In 2020, Canada hosted an event with UN Women on “Investigating Child Rights Violations in Armed Conflict with a special focus on the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic’s Conference Paper on Children’s Rights in Syria”, stressing the need for a gender-sensitive and child-rights centered approach to accountability/transitional justice efforts.

At the UN Security Council Arria Formula Meeting Briefing with the Independent International Commission of Inquiry (COI) on the Syrian Arab Republic, Canada highlighted the findings of the COI on sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).

In March 2020, Canadian officials met with the Syria-based Stabilization Committee in Gaziantep, Turkey. While it was a rare opportunity to engage with Syria-based opposition, only men were represented at the 75-person event. Canada encouraged committee members to push for women's involvement to ensure enduring solutions and stressed the importance of women's participation in Syrian stabilization and constitutional efforts.

Canada continued to identify and support Syrian partner organizations that are advancing WPS principles, including women’s participation in the peace process, by prioritizing engagements with Syrian women civil society leaders and women's organizations. In 2020, Canadian officials met with the Syrian Women’s Political Movement, the women’s representative of the White Helmets, the Syrian Women’s Peace Movement, the Syrian Women’s Peace Network, Afaq Academy on Women’s Peace and Justice programs, and the Syrian American Medical Society.

In 2020, nine Syria-related CFLI projects were implemented out of Jordan and Lebanon. All nine contributed to Canada’s WPS objectives, with mandatory women’s empowerment and gender equality criteria. The results of these projects include the following:

Both meetings hosted by PSOPs in Ottawa increased visibility of the role of women in Syria and communicated the interests of Syrian women to Government of Canada officials.

SWPM’s development of policy positions and their effective communication is a demonstration of the organization’s increased capacity to organize and coordinate the perspectives of Syria’s global diaspora. Their advocacy and position papers influence Western policy makers’ approach to development, reconstruction and engagement with the Syrian region.

Jordan

Context: 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 Target: 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, 2020:  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:

The Embassy supported a range of activities, including senior visits, and HOM-level outreach to advocate for and raise awareness of WPS with Jordanian stakeholders and has gained buy-in at the highest levels.

Results and Progress: The Embassy organized 14 high-level activities to advance WPS issues in Jordan, taking advantage of high-level visits to reach wide audiences and push forward or highlight work like the CAF’s Female Engagement Teams, the CTCBP Gendarmerie project and advance the Elsie Initiative application.  These efforts advanced work on the technical committee of the JONAP consortium, CTCBP programming and engagement at different levels.

The merger of the PSD and the Gendarmerie slowed cooperation on the Elsie Initiative application as the reorganization left the Embassy dealing with new, unfamiliar partners, and caused delays.

As a result, Canada is seen as the lead advocate for gender issues in the JAF and in the Gendarmerie (now part of the PSD). The formation of an-female platoon in the JAF and field use of trained female Gendarme officers is largely a result of Canadian support. The Gendarmerie’s submission of an Elsie Initiative funding request is largely a result of Embassy efforts. There is no doubt that traditional cultural attitudes towards gender roles mean the transformation is moving slowly and could backslide.

Lebanon

Context: 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 Target: 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, 2020: 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:

Canada hosted or attended meetings and events to advance WPS issues. Many of these activities were amplified in the Embassy’s social media:

Results and Progress: During the past year, the Embassy actively promoted WPS priorities to key Lebanese government officials and other stakeholders, such as local civil society organizations, UN agencies, and the general Lebanese public. This led to significantly higher awareness of WPS issues, including the importance of the implementation of Lebanon’s National Action Plan for UNSC Resolution1325 on WPS, amidst a deepening economic-financial crisis and subsequent COVID-19 pandemic, which have more severely affected women and marginalized groups.

The Embassy provided multiple reporting on WPS, including national protest dynamics with a WPS section (women comprise the majority of protestors and play major roles).

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 Target: 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, 2020: target achieved or surpassed/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, 16 women’s rights organizations were selected to receive multi-year funding, which helped improve the management capacity of these organizations, as well as their capacity to undertake programming and advocacy to advance gender equality. These organizations were supported to produce strategic plans and budgets that align with the priority needs of marginalized women and girls in South Sudan. These organizations also received training and coaching on financial management, governance and prevention of sexual abuse and exploitation, and project and grant management.

Four women’s networks were also strengthened and supported in advocacy activities to advance gender equality, including advocacy on the implementation of the new policy to end child, early and forced marriage and the National Action Plan 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (NAP). Canada’s support through the CFLI contributed to the Network of Empowered Women Peace Actors in South Sudan (NEWPASS) achieving a network of 28 women organisations trained as peace mediators to bring a gender-sensitive lens to the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS).

Priorities: Advance WPS in Canadian diplomatic engagements in South Sudan
14.2 TargetFootnote 19: 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: Canada is among the most active members of the Juba Women, Peace and Security Working Group (chaired by Norway and Sweden), and uses this forum to mobilize partners and leverage their advocacy on women, peace and security-related issues and opportunities.

In meetings with government interlocutors and political parties, including the office of the President, Canadian officials advocated for enhanced women’s participation in the peace process and in government institutions. While the cabinet has already been formed, ongoing emphasis is placed on state and local positions, and on parliament. This diplomatic work is complemented by advocacy in semi-public forums such as the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission, and through public activities such as radio interviews and social media.

To mark the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, Canada and the Embassies of the United Kingdom and the Netherlands co-hosted an event and released a joint statement calling for an end to gender-based violence in South Sudan. The event showcased the work of women’s rights organizations addressing gender-based violence in South Sudan, culminating in a trip by the co-hosts to a Protection of Civilians site.

Priorities: 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, 2020: 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 20

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

PSOPs support to UN Women helped to:

Results and Progress: Key results from the activities supported by PSOPs in South Sudan are as follows:

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 Target: 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, 2020: Mostly on track/OBJ 1

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: The progress made to date between the baseline and the identified targets is limited. As a micro mission that is not located in the target country, KGALI faces significant resource challenges in proactively and meaningfully integrating WPS considerations into its activities, such as visits and reports on Burundi to achieve this strategy’s objectives. Canada’s capacity to influence Burundi, including on gender issues, is limited because Canada is absent from the country and Burundi has difficult relations with the West. In addition, the Embassy of Burundi to Canada will close in January 2021 after several years without a resident ambassador, which will be another challenge. Canada’s engagement within the international community on gender issues in the context of development assistance and humanitarian support is limited, as it is done mainly from a distance from headquarters because of the nature of the multilateral mechanisms used and the mission’s limited capacity. The lack of additional resources allocated to priority countries to implement the National Action Plan on WPS can have a greater impact on missions like KGALI. In 2020/21, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially on travel and in-person meetings, will add to the challenges of implementing planned activities.

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 Target: 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, 2020: On track/OBJ 2

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

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

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 projects, which are national in scope. The development and launch of these projects deepened the dialogue with key stakeholders in the Congolese feminist movement on GE and the best approaches for tackling the root causes of SGBV. Canada also helps to advance the engagement of key stakeholders in the fights against SGBV through its active participation in coordination spaces that exist for discussing, sharing and finding joint solutions to the challenges of combatting SGBV, such as the gender inter‑donor group and the SGBV sub‑cluster.

In 2019/20, the Embassy of Canada to the DRC supported a number of SGBV awareness activities with various DRC stakeholders. These included:

Priorities: Increase the availability and use of health, psychosocial and protection services for survivors of SGBV in the DRC
16.2 Target: 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, 2020: On track/OBJ 2

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

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress:  Through initiatives funded by Canada, coordination spaces exist for effectively discussing, sharing 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 project Fight against GBV: Justice, Empowerment and Dignity of Women and Girls.

Canada ended its leadership of the Call to Action in the fight against SGBV in humanitarian situations in December 2020. It was another forum in which Canada was able to engage in policy dialogue to advance women’s rights and efforts to combat SGBV in the DRC.

The DRC government also continued its participation in the steering committee on the joint evaluation of efforts to combat SGBV. With the results of this evaluation, the Congolese Ministry of Gender, Family and Children also agreed to review and enhance the National Strategy to Combat SGBV in order to improve its effectiveness and scope. Government stakeholders are also taking part in the gender inter-donor group as well as in the SGBV sub-cluster and the Call to Action against GBV in humanitarian emergencies.

Priorities: Support the empowerment of women and girls in preventing/addressing SGBV in the DRC
16.3 Target: 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, 2020:On track/OBJ 2

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:

Canada supports 9 active projects that advance women’s and girls’ rights, empower women and help implement the WPS program in the DRC, which are coded GE02 or GE03:

Results and Progress: In 2019/20, the majority of active projects fully integrated GE or made it their main focus (including 2 GE03 projects and 7 GE02 projects), compared with 4 projects in 2018/19.

In addition to these projects, Canada finished implementing 2 other projects in 2019/20:

17. Mali

Context: 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 Target:

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2020: 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:

Project Alert International:

Interpeace:

Results and Progress: Number of new practices and tools adopted by CSOs in their legal interventions and representation in order to respect and protect the human rights of those affected by the conflict, especially women.

Number of commitments and mechanisms for conflict prevention, reconciliation and transitional justice that include women and youth at the community and national levels.

Number of women leaders supported by Canada on reconciliation and conflict prevention.

Priorities: Advance WPS in Canadian diplomatic engagements in Mali
17.2 Target: 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, 2020: 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: Number of outreach/advocacy/engagement efforts where WPS principles were advanced with stakeholders.

Number of outreach/advocacy/engagement efforts with stakeholders on the root causes of SGBV.

Priorities: Support women’s political, social and economic empowerment in Mali
17.3 Target: 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, 2020: 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 2019/20, 100% of development assistance took GE into account. Out of 23 bilateral projects, 6 projects have GE as their main result (GE03), 14 projects fully integrate it (GE02) and 3 projects partially integrate it (GE01). These projects were aimed at changing behaviours and practices that contribute to GE, the economic and political empowerment of women, and defending their rights and their access to justice and essential services, such as education and health.

Many Malian women’s organizations are dedicated to advancing women’s empowerment and rights, but lack the capacity and the means to meet their objectives. Support for women’s rights, leadership, and access to and control over resources is central to Canada’s programming in Mali. Development initiatives funded by Canada continue to help women have increased access to agricultural microcredit and support their income-generating activities. The results achieved include the following: (1) the deployment of credit products adapted to women clients, such as supply credit for women rice parboilers and input credit for women onion producers; (2) the granting of 20,143 professionalized agricultural loans, 57.52% of which went to women; (3) the creation of 4,825 jobs (2,797 held by women) in the agriculture sector; (4) 2,901 farmers with commercial crop insurance, 56% of whom are women; and (5) the financial education of 1,550 women from 38 farmers’ organizations through a financial education program led by women leaders.

In 2019/20, Canada continued to support the national health system and projects that provide women and girls with services related to reproductive health and rights, including family planning. The projects help provide quality health care, including in areas of insecurity, strengthen the capacities of decentralized government structures, and support a positive change in the beliefs, attitudes and actions of individuals and communities in terms of GE and reducing SGBV.

Canada also supported initiatives that target a more transparent public financial management system and 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 with 3,200 members to promote women’s rights, the empowerment of women and GE in Mali.

Priorities: Mainstream WPS and gender into peace and security efforts in Mali
17.4 Target: 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, 2020: target achieved and surpassed /OBJ 3

Baseline: In the FY 2016/17, there were 3 (75%) projects that included WPS principles and/or gender perspectives.Footnote 21

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: Through the project with International Alert, Canada has increased the participation of women, youth and others affected by the crisis in conflict prevention and reconciliation efforts in northern and central Mali. This was achieved through dialogue and advocacy activities conducted in community forums which assembled local authorities, security forces and civil society. Fourteen forums, constituted by 121 women (35% of a total of 348 participants) organized 113 dialogue sessions. Of these sessions, 21 addressed specific themes involving the role of women and youth in the prevention of conflict and combatting negative gender practices (such as gender-based violence).

Canadian support has resulted in Interpeace initiating focus groups to ensure the commitment of local actors (populations, authorities, security forces, defense forces, justice, etc.) of Gao, District of Bamako and Kayes, to establish community policing through dialogue and collaboration. These activities brought together 117 participants in four focus groups (including 68 women, or 50%) in order to facilitate the establishment of a community police force, which will be more attentive to the population as a whole.

Avocats sans frontières Canada is actively supporting the Commission sur la vérité, justice et réconciliation (CVJR) du Mali, one of the main pillars of the peace accord. Through the reconciliation process, public hearings have begun as part of this project where victims of human rights abuses, including those targeting women, can publicly and safely share their testimonies and begin the healing process. The first public hearing was held in December 2019 where 13 victims testified (two women). Support for the victims that testified (to ensure safety and psychological support) as well as other victims and affected family members (14 others) that accompanied the victims, was also provided. Other activities, either advocacy or the investigations of human rights abuses were also conducted with 593 people, of which 323 women and 77 girls (400) participated. All of these women and girls, most often victims/survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (100%) received some level of support, either psychosocial, or sensitization around the benefits of a reconciliation process.

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 develop specific GE initiatives to meet its objectives on advancing the rights of women and girls in Guatemala and will also ensure a high level of GE integration in all projects.

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 Target: Canada improves institutional capacity for gender-sensitive criminal investigations in Guatemala.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2020: 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 2019-20 that strengthens gender sensitive criminal investigations include:

18.2 Target: 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, 2020: 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.

Embassy of Canada advocacy activities also supported women, especially Indigenous women in positioning their priorities, recognizing their work and facilitating their access to decision-makers.

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 2019-20 the implementing partners of the “Women’s Rights and Gender Sensitive Justice” project provided psychosocial support services to 895 Indigenous women, legal accompaniment to 383 women and economic empowerment support to 276 Indigenous women victims of violence. Also, 85 men (community leaders) participated in a process on positive masculinities to transform their relationship with women and girls.

The “Strengthening the Rights of Indigenous and other Discriminated Women in Guatemala” project provided psychological and legal support to the families of the 41 victims and 15 survivors of a fire in a State-run home for children. Three local women’s and human rights organizations received $14,000 each to provide these specialized services to the victims/survivors. Legal, psychosocial, dignified reparations and communicational strategies for the case were designed during 2019-20.

Canada also continued its support to 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 unifies the efforts of government institutions and civil society that provide services in Guatemala through a web portal for victims. In 2019-20 the project worked in close collaboration with the Public Prosecutor’s Victims Attention Department and civil society to develop the structure, architecture and functionalities of the platform and to ensure a gender and culturally sensitive approach to victim services. Approximately 60% of the platform’s design was completed. Consultations with future users have involved feedback from 487 representatives of victim referral organizations, 144 victims care professionals and 46 coordinators of the Public Ministry’s victim referral network. Also, 23 Indigenous leaders were consulted. Eighty-three percent of all participants were women. The platform will be available in Spanish and four Mayan languages in 2021.

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:

Priorities: Promote respect for women’s and girls’ human rights in Guatemala
18.3 Target: Canada increases the knowledge and exercise of women’s and girls’ human rights, including SRHR.

Target achieved to date as of March 31, 2020: 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 “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. In 2019-20, a total of 935 rights holders (856 women and 79 men) were trained on the route to denounce violence. One hundred and fifty project activities during the year engaged 5,591 people including 3,197 Indigenous women and girls, 1,428 Indigenous men and boys and 966 non-Indigenous participates in training, advocacy and legal and other actions.

Through the “Strengthening the Rights of Indigenous and other Discriminated Women in Guatemala”project, a total of 441 women rights holders received training on their rights. These women are taking action in three legal cases with strong advocacy components. Fourteen surviving girls of the State-run children’s home fire continued their engagement with State officials to exercise their rights to justice and reparations. Through another strategic litigation process supported by the project, the Constitutional Court ruled in favour of an estimated 90,000 midwives in the country, requiring the Ministry of Health to adopt nine measures to guarantee access to sexual and reproductive health rights for Indigenous women with cultural appropriateness. A third case on collective intellectual property of Indigenous weavers has mobilized the participation of over 600 women in the development of a legislative proposal to protect their rights.

Women’s Voice and Leadership [$2M, 2019-2023] project has recently begun implementation and is working with a grassroots umbrella Indigenous women’s network, Tz´unnija´. The project is supporting 20 Indigenous women’s organizations representing approximately 2,400 participants. Tz´ununija´ is working to establish bridges for dialogue and advocacy with local governments and with justice officials to adopt differentiated protocols for Indigenous women to address racism and discrimination.

The Increasing awareness about voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights [$20K, 2019-2020] project focused on the role of women in private security. Training workshops involved a total of 84 women.

The Strengthening participation of Indigenous women in local politics and democracy [$22.5K, 2019-2020] project trained 45 Mayan women on international human rights instruments and produced a study by the women on political violence against women.

The Empowering Young Women at Risk [$17.5K, 2019-2020] project provided training to 262 women on gender-based violence and the culture of peace. Another 3,250 women were targeted through an advocacy campaign on these issues.

19. Haiti

Context: 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 Targets:
  1. Canada supports local women’s rights organizations and movements;
  2. Canada helps to increase the number of women who engage in political life; and
  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, 2020: 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: Canada supports local women’s rights organizations and movements. Notwithstanding the constraints resulting from the socio-political crisis and the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in Haiti, the project Women’s Voice and Leadership–Haiti ($8.3 million, 2019 to 2023) achieved most of the objectives set during this year.   More than 30 local women’s organizations implemented their activities to promote and defend women’s rights. One of these organizations, Solidarité des Femmes haïtiennes (SOFA), provided psychosocial care to 31 women who had experienced violence perpetrated by armed groups in poor neighbourhoods in Port-au-Prince. Through social worker-led group therapy, these women had an opportunity to talk about their trauma in a safe place.

In terms of increasing women’s political participation, Canada, in collaboration with UN Women and the European Union, took the initiative to develop an advocacy strategy in favour of a gender quota targeting Haitian parliamentarians, certain government authorities, the First Lady and opinion leaders. The goal was to mobilize them in favour of including a constitutional minimum threshold of 30% women candidates in the draft electoral legislation and to make them aware of respecting this constitutional threshold “at all levels of national life, notably in the public service” by developing legislation and principles for applying the quota, including sanctions if it is not met.

Canada helps to promote and support the empowerment of women and girls, including by increasing women’s political, social and economic empowerment. Through the project Support for Haitian Entrepreneurship ($19.8 million, 2014 to 2020), Canada helped to increase women entrepreneurs’ access to non-financial services and financing, notably by granting 3,222 loans to Haitian micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, 51% of which went to women entrepreneurs, and by providing 937 (40%) of non-financial services to women since 2014. In fact, 187 (33%) of the businesses strengthened and started under this support were owned by women entrepreneurs. Over the past year, 30% of non-financial services were provided to women entrepreneurs and 64% of loans granted by participating financial institutions were given to women. This favourable trend in access to credit is mainly the result of offering the Konbit Fanm product, which had a successful pilot phase in Artibonite.

Priorities: Support women’s and girls’ access to health services, including for sexuality and reproduction, and education
19.2 Targets:
  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, 2020: 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:  Canada helps to build the capacity of health institutions to take care of women and girl survivors of sexual violence and exploitation. Despite the socio-political insecurity and the health restrictions that authorities imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic in Haiti, progress has been made in the PRISMA II and Saj Fanm pou Fanm projects. The former has progressed to over 65% of the target level, despite insecurity on the roads, which caused a decrease in delivery services (3,228 institutional deliveries out of a target 3,416, a decrease from 2018/19 results (3,571)). The later was able to mitigate risks through the pre-positioning of equipment in the regions to ensure the continuity of care services. The number of institutional deliveries in the areas targeted by the project (Grande Anse, Sud-est, Nippes and Nord-ouest) increased from 13,709 to 14,607. 

Strengthening gender equality and sexual rights is on track, with support for the hiring and training of new provider staff authorized to apply the gender-sensitive standards required by departmental authorities in the emergency obstetric care supported by the project, the training of 216 staff members (190 women) on access to and quality of the institutions’ services, and the training of 140 members of women’s organizations (126 women) on GE.

Canada is developing women’s, girls’ and communities’ level of knowledge related to sexual and reproductive health and their associated rights. 3 consultations and debates were held as part of the Saj Fanm pou Fanmproject in 4 departments, for ongoing community engagement in terms of respecting women’s and girls’ rights and building the related capacities of communities leaders of both genders.

The PRISMA II project also allowed 2,464 pregnant women to benefit from economic support measures implemented in collaboration with women’s organizations.

Canada contributes to increasing the net secondary enrolment rate for girls. Although this target is reported at the end of every school year, notably through the transition of students from 6th to 7th and from 9th to 10th, or through the retention rate, it is not currently possible to report on it because of several factors, particularly because of the socio-political crisis that Haiti went through in September 2019, which caused an initial interruption of the school year until January 2020. This situation, along with the fuel shortage and frequent road blockades, increased the level of insecurity in the country and prevented beneficiaries and technical assistants, who were monitoring the data, from accessing schools.

A second significant factor was the COVID-10 pandemic, which caused a second interruption of the school year from March to August 2020. The MENFP therefore had to modify its school calendar to allow classes to resume in August 2020 and end the school year at the end of October 2020. It has therefore not been possible to collect data for the Improving Girls’ Access to Secondary Education in Haiti and School Feeding and Local Purchases in Haiti projects to report on the target.

Priorities: 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 Targets:
  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, 2020: 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:  In 2019/20, the Women’s Voice and Leadership project helped to promote and protect women’s and girls’ rights, fight GBV and provide care services for victims of sexual and psychosexual abuse and harassment. In this regard, it should be noted that the mobile company Natcom and women’s rights organizations reached an agreement that allowed a hotline to be created for the victims of GBV.

In the first year it was implemented, this project also helped 18 women’s organizations to carry out awareness-raising and advocacy activities, in the context of 16 days of activism, to say no to violence against women and girls. For example, the Assocyasyon Fanm Karenaj held a public session for 30 young women on the legal instruments related to women’s and girls’ rights. On November 30, 2020, the Fondation Toya, which also received financial support from the project, held a march to protest violence against women and girls in which women nurses, lawyers, merchants, politicians and teachers took part. The Femmes Paysannes de minière organization received direct funding that allowed it to provide training to young girls in the prevention of early pregnancy.

Moreover, because it strengthens women’s rights organizations, the project Accès à la justice et lutte contre l’impunité en Haïti, supported by Canada, helped 4 organizations (Kayfanm, MOUFHED, AFASDA and Fanm Decide) to provide legal aid and judicial assistance to about 100 women and girls who had been the victims of GBV.

Priorities: Mainstream WPS and gender into peace and security efforts in Haiti
19.4 Target: 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, 2020: 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 22

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

In Haiti, PSOPs’ continues to encourage the inclusion of gender-based results in project designs, to ensure that WPS and/or gender perspectives are reflected in new projects, and to support women’s increased participation in improving peace and security in the country. For example, PSOPs provided support to:

Results and Progress:  PSOPs projects in Haiti are supporting girls and women’s increased and meaningful participation in improving peace, security and stability.

PSOPs supported UN Women to help reduce electoral violence against women to increase the representation of women in Parliament, and to promote women’s political empowerment in Haiti.

UN Women prepared and consolidated an overview of all major laws and completed an analysis of discriminatory laws, and formulated a national strategy for gender equality before the law by 2030. They provided technical support to the Senate Commission on the adoption of the proposed violence against women law, resulting in 14 of the articles of the law already voted on by the Senate. They Organize an international seminar on the sanctions and procedures to be followed by electoral management bodies to repress electoral violence. UN Women also carried out sensitization of political parties to gender-sensitive management in 2019. This awareness helped highlight the importance of registering women activists, involving them in party management, and capitalizing on their experience to propose gender-sensitive political programs. The outreach was also an opportunity to encourage political party officials to identify the causes of under-representation of women in party leadership and during elections, and to discuss best practices for promoting women's political leadership.

PSOPs provided funding to Mercy Corps to support girls and women’s participation and involvement in communities and to contribute to gender equality. Mercy Corps offered Life Skills training to at-risk adolescents; 54% of participants were adolescent girls. The project was able to reach a large number of adolescent girls who are at increased vulnerability to exploitation and abuse and may be more at risk due to restrictions around COVID-19. In addition, participation in the project fostered the capacity of these girls to be future leaders in their communities. Of the Life Skills Trainers, 36% were young women; they acted as role models to their younger peers and showed how girls can play an active leadership role in their communities.

PSOPS also supported the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to strengthen the Haitian Border Police’s capacity to enforce security and to recognize the specific rights and needs of migrants, including girls and women. Sensitizing Haitian Border Police on key border management and protection issues contributes to enhance their understanding of migrants’ rights and international standards. IOM conducted several trainings on combating trafficking in persons, protection of the rights of migrants, child protection, prevention of violence against women and girls, and gender equality. IOM organized two training sessions for 50 protection agents of the National Office for Migration, 42 were women protection agents (84%), on case management of vulnerable migrants at the border.

PSOPs also supported the UNDP initiative to strengthen the Haitian policing, judicial and corrections institutions to ensure human rights, safety, security and access to justice progressed well during this time period. UNDP provided institutional and technical support to build the capacity of the Brigade for the Protection of Minors (BMP), with a 5-day training on the care of victims and minor offenders. This training was completed by BPM agents, judges, magistrates, and police officers and included not only the legal framework but also psychosocial skills for the care of minors.

20. Colombia

Context: 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, 2020: 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 civil society organizations (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.

Canada’s support to the peace process via the UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund has resulted in 6 projects which worked to promote and strengthen the process of reintegration of ex-combatants, through new capacities training to support income generation and new livelihoods. These efforts included gender equality measures to ensure women’s participation (e.g. complementary activities related to care economy).  39,714 victims received monetary compensation and financial education to ensure contributions supported new life plans.  594 female ex-combatants were directed impacted by these efforts, with 28 receiving specific demining training so that they could establish the only humanitarian demining group consisting entirely of ex-combatants.

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.

Canada’s support via Alinea (former Agriteam) enabled women's groups from Antioquia, Meta and Putumayo, to exercise leadership roles of water monitoring networks. In 2019, the project trained 162 public officers (55% women) and 254 community members (62% women) to monitor water quality.

Through Plan International Canada, a community strategy of action for peace, resilience and protection is being implemented through which 173 Key Protective Figures, mainly women (102 women and 71 men). These stakeholders 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. Other results from the support to Plan Canada include:

In 2019-20, a CFLI project led by the Asociación de Autoridades Tradicionales Awá Organización Unidad Indígena del Pueblo Awá – UNIPA increased awareness for political participation for 32 Awá indigenous women affected by the armed conflict and strengthened their political empowerment inside and outside the indigenous communities.

Another CFLI project led by Indepaz focused on Community participation to strengthen institutional early warning systems to protect social leaders and human rights defenders in Colombian communities affected by violence, including 176 women.

All operational projects in Colombia were implemented in a gender-responsive manner, taking into account the needs of women and worked to strengthen their capacities.

The Organization of American State’s Mission to Support the Peace Process in Colombia monitored and reported on security contexts throughout the country, and engaged and supported women from conflict-affected regions to voice their concerns, advocated for their rights relating to peace and security in the implementation of the peace agreement, contributed to peace dialogues with the ELN (since halted at the national level) and strengthened the capacities of women in leadership positions to better integrate gender and peace considerations into their work.

Through the Multi Partner Trust Fund for Colombia, PSOPs supported projects that contributed to women’s rights in terms of recovery, participation in peace and reconciliation activities and access to programs established through the Peace Agreement, such as the National Comprehensive Program for the Substitution of Illicit Crops.

Priorities: 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, 2020: 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, Canada supported efforts to enhance the capacity of the Government of Colombia to guarantee victim’s rights to justice, reparations and participation in transitional justice processes, among others.  Reconciliation spaces were created where meetings for truth were held, advancing confidence building and trust between communities etc.  In these spaces, 752,882 women victims and 842,594 men participated. Also, within the broader program, eight initiatives sought to empower women victims in their search truth, justice and reparation, which directly impacted 14,931 women and 253 girls.

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.

841 public servants (598 women, 234 men) were trained to deliver gender and youth sensitive services to victims of the armed conflict. Local institutional plans were created to improve coordination among state agencies, identifying key actions to be taken. Victims reported an improvement of 14.9% in the quality of services received. 57,392 victims of the armed conflict received services from the strengthened institutions (39,539 women, 17,853 men).

Through the project “Peace Process in Colombia: Building Confidence in Transitional Justice”, Canada supported Colombian women’s access to justice by making significant advances on cases brought before the courts on human rights violations carried out against them. This includes the presentation of a report to the Special Jurisdiction for Peace on 23 cases of sexual and gender-based violence carried out in the context of the conflict with the FARC.

Canada has also supported efforts to strengthen the understanding of transitional justice institutions and civil society on the impacts of the conflict on LGBTQ2I victims through research and documentation of conflict-related violence against LGBTQ2I people, which unpacks conflict experiences from an intersectional perspective that accounts for the differences between LGBTQ2I subpopulations, including relating to class, race and region.

Canada supported UNICEF in its efforts to work with Colombia’s transitional justice mechanism on integrating a gender-responsive child focus in its work that promotes the participation of girls and boys and responds to their special needs through a gendered approach.

Priorities: 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, 2020: 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, 1,410 women and 145 men 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 Alinea Canada, 450 producers (63% women) received technical assistance to adapt to climate change.

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

2,822 beneficiaries (2,155 or 76% women) received training in entrepreneurship and participate in Savings and Loans associations in 3 conflict-affected cities as part of their reparation processes through Plan Canada. 266 productive initiatives are being supported with capital and materials.

Through Cuso International, a total of 11,571 individuals (66% women), increased their participation in the labour market. 3,451 women are now linked to formal employment. An additional 247 micro-business owners increased profitability, benefitting 464 women (62%).

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 Profamilia, 7,321 children aged 9 to 11 (51% girls) began receiving comprehensive sexuality education, through a layered strategy with schools, families, communities and government agencies that aims to reduce gender-based violence and early pregnancies.

Through Corporación Reconciliación Colombia (CFLI project) technical marketing support has been provided to two women's organizations (150 women) in the city of Quibdó –Chocó, resulting in increased income and organizational strengthening. BGOTA also supported a CFLI project led by the Fundacion Iguaraya that strengthened the economic autonomy of vulnerable communities in Dibulla, la Guajira, (including 62 women) – by the establishment of an ecotourism cooperative, and construction of a cultural space to share local practices and knowledge on sustainable community tourism.

Priorities: 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, 2020: 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 23

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress:  PSOPs’ interventions in Colombia focus on promoting the inclusion of women in the implementation of the peace process and in addressing the ongoing post Peace Agreement violence. PSOPs supports women’s empowerment to become agents of change in this environment, and to address the different needs of women, men, girls and boys. This is exemplified in the following initiatives:

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 24
21.1 Target: 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, 2020: 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 total number of women in the forces was at its all-time high in October 2019; it has since decreased but remains higher than the total number of women recruited in 2018. As reported in the October 2019 Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) report, the vast majority of ANDSF female personnel are in the Afghan National Police in low and middle management levels, including 165 women in the General Command of Police Special Units (GCPSU). There are also female personnel in the Afghan National Army, including 110 in the Afghan Air Force (AAF) and 20 in the Afghan Special Security Forces (ASSF).

More efforts are required to increase women’s participation in the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Defence, particularly in the provinces. The Government has been advocating for greater inclusion of women in the civil service and the armed forces. Despite challenges in recruiting and retaining women in the forces, the appointment of women into key leadership positions within the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Interior (including the acting Deputy Minister of Interior in 2018, and Deputy Minister of Defense in May 2019) serve as role models and have inspired younger generations to enlist. While political buy-in contributes to greater engagement of women in the workplace, challenges related to preventing the harassment of women remains. The importance for Afghans of protecting women and their families’ honour, as well as impunity for predatory and sexualized work environments serves as a disincentive for women to participate in the workforce, including the armed forces. There is a need for greater leadership training, gender-based assessments, as well as training to senior decision-makers on gender-sensitive programming to enable women to build trusting professional relationships with their male allies and prevent harassment in the workplace.

In August 2019, Afghanistan launched its second implementation National Action Plan, in consultation with civil society organizations. This plan commits several ministries to implementing activities - including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Women Affairs, the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Defense. UN Women recently provided translated documents from Dari to English associated with the 2015-2018 report, and the Afghanistan's New National Action Plan on WPS for 2019-2022.

In 2019-2020, Canada is the donor co-chair for the Women, Peace and Security Working Group (WPS WG) alongside the current civil society representative, Executive Director of Women’s regional Network Zarqa Yaftali. UN Women is the Group’s Secretariat, and the co-chairs work closely together with UN Women through the Group to advance the WPS agenda in Afghanistan. As part of the WPS WG, Canada contributed to drafting the terms of reference for this Group.

Canada also supported the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the development of its performance measurement framework and the identification of indicators for tracking the implementation of Afghanistan’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security. This effort informs Canada’s National Action Plan commitments, with the intention to support other countries’ efforts to build their own National Action Plans. Canada’s policy dialogue and support to its implementation has helped to strengthen collaboration between Afghan civil society and government officials in the monitoring and reporting on indicators in the National Action Plan.

Priorities: Support women’s rights organizations in advancement of Afghanistan’s NAP on WPS
21.2 Target: 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, 2020: On track/OBJ 1

In FY 2019-2020, Canada’s Afghanistan bilateral programming had the following profile:

In FY 2019-2020, the PSOPs projects in Afghanistan had the following profile:

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 supports the Afghan National Action Plan through its programming on Women’s and Girls’ Rights and Empowerment that specifically addresses sexual and gender-based violence and supports the Elimination of Violence Against Women Law by strengthening implementation of policies and programs, amounting to $7.2 M CAD in fiscal year 2019-2020. Canada has worked with seven regional and international implementing partners across Afghanistan and a total of 25 Afghan women’s rights organizations to strengthen alliance-building at all levels of decision-making, to ensure that outcomes are gender-responsive.

Canada has also engaged local-level gender equality expertise and is sensitizing partners to the Feminist International Assistance Policy for project implementation and reporting.

Canada’s support to the Strengthening Afghanistan’s Future Through Empowerment project, throughWar Child Canada, contributes to strengthening Afghan civil society organizations by improving civil society organizations’ capacity to coordinate with other agencies and to advocate for and protect women’s and girls’ rights. In 2019-2020, 473 legal actors, government officials and community leaders received training on the EVAW law and 840 Community-Based Protection Mechanism members were actively identified to refer and respond to gender-based violence cases in their communities. During the reporting period, 4,017 men and women, including gender-based violence survivors, accessed legal aid counselling and 6,456 accessed psychosocial support.

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 gender equality 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 established services for the protection of women and girls from GBV. During 2019-2020, 820 individuals were sensitized on WEAT’s GBV service facilitation program and 7,124 women participated in awareness sessions around women’s rights, confidence building, psychological first aid, child marriage and women’s economic empowerment.

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 civil society organizations 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 of 2019-2020, the six FM radio stations had produced 130 radio programmes with engaging and resonant content that promotes the rights of women and girls. Her Rights, Her Voice also convenes regular Women’s Radio Network meetings to provide female journalists with a platform to discuss issues such as safety and security, workplace harassment, women’s involvement in decision-making and how to enhance their journalism skills.

The Afghanistan Women's Empowerment Program, implemented by the Aga Khan Foundation Canada, aims to increase the participation of women in economic and public life by emphasizing women's ability to successfully engage in income-generating opportunities. During the reporting period, 70 women completed vocational training and four networking events were held with the participation of 1,318 female entrepreneurs and service providers. In 2019-20, 21 female interns were engaged for practical agricultural placements and 402 attended farmer field schools, leading to significant increases in yield and income.

Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI): In FY 2019-2020, through Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, Canada supported 6 Afghan partners, aligned with Canada’s National Action plan including:

22. Myanmar

Context: 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 Target: 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, 2020: Target achieved or surpassed/Internal efficiency & capacity

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

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

The following six projects highlight examples of how the Myanmar program promotes gender equality and women and girls’ empowerment in Myanmar:

Results and Progress: Through the project implemented by MEDA, positive changes have been recorded in women exercising their voice by speaking up in community meetings, being invited to join community discussions, and being more involved in community-level decision making. 425 women participated in mentorship activities focusing on leadership, public speaking skills, self-confidence, financial management, negotiation and persuasion skills. This translated into 83% of respondents reporting participating in or leading in community groups or meetings in the last 12 months. Also, 583 (70%) of women farmers supported by the project indicated hiring farm labor or employees during the past year, 65% of which were women.

Following their experience conducting research through the Knowledge 4 Democracy Myanmar, grantees are analyzing their own organizations for ways to improve gender equality, such as better maternity leave policies for researchers, and sharing what they have learned with their communities.

Priorities: 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, 2020: Mostly on track/OBJ 2

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

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress:  The project Women’s Empowerment and Resilient Inclusive Communities in Rakhine, implemented by UNDP and UN Women, reached 4,300 people (2,100 women). 2,600 people attended awareness-raising sessions on sexual and gender-based violence and housing, land and property (HLP) rights in 15 townships; 600 benefited from legal counselling in person and 270 via a hotline. 300 were trained to provide paralegal support in remote communities. In total, 2,000 women and girls benefited from these activities. In addition, 190 people (135 women) were represented in court. (2,100 women and girl beneficiaries: 2,002 women and girls benefiting from legal information such as trainings and awareness-raising sessions and counselling through consultations and hotline, and 135 women and girls represented in court).

Through the project HER Myanmar, implemented by UNICEF and UNFPA, 1,065 women and girls accessed quality services through static and mobile clinics. 111 SRHR sessions were conducted for 1,600 women. The “Girl Shine Programme” was designed to improve the prevention of and response to violence against adolescent girls in humanitarian settings through awareness raising and empowerment.

Priorities: Mainstream WPS and gender into peace and security efforts in Myanmar
22.3 Target: 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, 2020: 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 25

Activity:

Indicator:

Completed Activities:

Results and Progress: For the past four years Canada has supported the Joint Peace Fund, a multi-donor trust fund to advance the peace process in Myanmar. As Chair of the Fund in 2019, Canada advocated for a more gender responsive approach to JPF’s work and by the end of 2019, JPF’s entire portfolio of 57 projects were either gender mainstreamed (50 projects) or gender principled (seven projects).

Canada supported the creation of the Women’s Leadership Network, a group of 16 women representing multiple ethnic groups and different sectors of Myanmar society: parliament, policy, civil society and business. Through the targeted focus on WPS, a noticeable, albeit slow, impact on the behaviour of some of the key players in the peace process during 2019 was observed. Over the course of the year, both Government and Ethnic Armed Opposition groups began making efforts to increase space for women in the peace process, or took clear steps which acknowledged the need to do so. Women and women’s organizations held high-level meetings with key leaders, outreach for women across the country and across ethnic groups was conducted to bring more awareness on women’s role in the peace process and to address gender mainstreaming in Disarmament Demobilisation and Reintegration/Security Sector Reform.

Through a project with Internews, 63 women journalists and activists (30 in Myanmar and 33 in Sri Lanka) were trained on ways of supporting peaceful pluralism and the role of gender in this space. Inclusion and diversity were topics of focus, with dedicated activities concentrating on raising “women’s voices” in advocacy and media. These trainings also created an informal networking opportunity between media and civil society and is contributing to more inclusive media articles.

COVID-19 hit the Asia region early in 2020, hampering a number of new projects focusing on justice and accountability issues for women and girls, particularly those from the Rohingya population. Access to Cox’ Bazaar and the halt to in-person training activities has pushed any activities into the virtual space, making it difficult to reach some of the most vulnerable populations. The impact of COVID 19 at the time of this reporting was already being felt through an increase of burden on women and girls, through their disproportionate role in community medical services, caring for family members and increase in domestic and sexual violence. Implementing partners are working to pivot their resources and focus to manage these new realities and to ensure the needs of women and girls are at the forefront of responses.

Annex 1

Methodology for Objective Ratings

The ratings for individual targets were assigned with the following considerations:

To ensure quality control, the Action Plan coordination team at Global Affairs Canada reviewed all target ratings for accuracy, consistency and cohesion across the departmental reports. Feedback and recommendations were provided to responsible focal points, resulting in each individual target rating undergoing several rounds of consultations, discussion, and approval. This extensive process allowed for reduced subjectivity and improved accuracy.

Rating scale for achievement of targets:

RatingDescription
0Too Early to Report: We launched a new initiative the reporting fiscal year. We cannot report on progress.
1Attention Required: Our efforts are not on track to achieve the target by the end of action plan/specified date.
Experiencing serious problems and intervention is required to ensure the target will be met by the end of action plan/specified date.
2Mostly on Track: Our efforts are mostly on track to achieve the target by the end of action plan/specified date.
Experiencing manageable problems and minor attention/intervention is required to ensure the target will be met by the end of action plan/specified date.
3On Track: Our efforts are on track to achieve the target by the end of action plan/specified date.
Normal procedures/level of effort are sufficient to achieve the target by the end of action plan/specified date.
4Target Achieved or Surpassed: We achieved or surpassed the target by the end of action plan/specified date.

Annex 2

Summary of progress in meeting targets

 Internal capacity & efficiencyObjective 1 - Conflict prevention, resolution and peacebuildingObjective 2 - Prevent and address SGBV and SEAObjective 3 - Gender equality, human rights and empowermentObjective 4 - Gender-responsive humanitarian action and SRHRObjective 5 - WPS in peace operationsTotal
Too early to report on0001001
Attention required1000011
Mostly on track411380026
On track9156132348
Target achieved or surpassed64090120
Total20309312496
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