Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security – 2023 to 2029

Acronyms
Letter from the ministers
Executive summary
Section 1: Women, peace and security in a changing world
- Building from a global agenda
- The Government of Canada’s evolution in implementing the WPS agenda
Section 2: Designed for impact
Section 3: Delivering on commitments
Annex A: Monitoring, evaluation and learning framework
Annex B: Key terms
Annex C: History of the WPS agenda
Annex D: Associated documents and resources

Acronyms

2SLGBTQI+: Two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex. The + refers to many other identities, such as asexual, pansexual, aromantic and more
CEDAW: Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
FIAP: Feminist International Assistance Policy
GBA Plus: Gender-based analysis plus
GBV: Gender-based violence
KPI: Key Performance Indicator
MEL: Monitoring, evaluation and learning
NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization
SDG: Sustainable development goals
SGBV: Sexual and gender-based violence
SRHR: Sexual and reproductive health and rights
TFGBV: Technology-facilitated gender-based violence
UN: United Nations
UNDRIP: United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
UNSCR: United Nations Security Council resolutions
WPS: Women, peace and security
YPS: Youth, peace and security

Letter from the ministers

Decades of research are unequivocal: Gender equality is the foundation for a more peaceful world. Where it is most lacking, states are almost twice as likely to be unstable and more than three times as likely to have a government that is autocratic and corrupt.

Across the globe, women―including young women―are courageously standing up for democracy, peace, justice and human rights. They are leading the way at a time when their rights are under threat and their voices are increasingly being silenced, both online and offline.

Fighting for gender equality it is not a favour to women, nor is it a struggle for women alone to undertake. Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security is the product of collaboration between an unprecedented number of federal partners―a reflection of Canada’s clear-eyed understanding of the interconnected and evolving nature of threats to peace and security. This action plan highlights the widespread positive impacts associated with women’s full and meaningful inclusion in decision-making processes, as well as in peace- and security-focused institutions.

Since the launch of Canada’s second action plan in 2017, much has evolved―including what is required to demonstrate leadership with respect to women, peace and security. Foundations for Peace: Canada’s Third National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security seeks to maintain the country’s leadership through meaningful action at an international level. It also includes more commitments at the domestic level than previous action plans. These commitments address global issues, such as the rise in climate emergencies and increases in technology-facilitated, gender-based violence, including attacks targeting women peacebuilders and human rights defenders living in Canada and abroad.

The action plan recognizes that the Government of Canada continues to focus on addressing gender-based discrimination, violence, oppression and marginalization faced by women in Canada, particularly among Indigenous women, girls, Two Spirit, and gender-diverse people. It also recognizes that leadership by Indigenous women and gender-diverse people is essential to achieving sustainable peace and security for all.

Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security takes a comprehensive approach to peace and security. It reflects Canada’s commitment to working on these issues with humility and integrates insights and lessons learned from the 2 previous action plans.

Crucially, this action plan was shaped by years of guidance from committed civil society organizations and leaders, as well as Indigenous Peoples in Canada and women on the front lines of conflict around the world. We are profoundly grateful to them and to all who will work together to continue to bring this action plan to life.

The Honourable Gary Anandasangaree
Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations

The Honourable Bill Blair
Minister of National Defence

The Honourable Patty Hajdu
Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario

The Honourable Ahmed Hussen
Minister of International Development

The Honourable Marci Ien
Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth

The Honourable Mélanie Joly
Minister of Foreign Affairs

The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc
Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs

The Honourable Marc Miller
Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

The Honourable Mary Ng
Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development

The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor
Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence

The Honourable Arif Virani
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Executive summary

The world is witnessing what the United Nations Secretary General has described as “the reversal of generational gains”^{Footnote 1} of women’s and girls’ human rights. Anti-gender and anti-feminist movements are growing, and backlash against human rights is gaining traction within Canada and around the world, both online and in person. Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people continue to face violence and insecurity within Canada due to the ongoing effects of colonialism.

At the same time, women are on the front lines building peace. Their protection and meaningful inclusion in institutions and decision-making processes are not only worthy ends unto themselves, but they are a means to enhance sustainable peace and security for all.

The women, peace and security (WPS) agenda was born from the advocacy of a global movement led by women experiencing armed conflict, crisis and instability. It is both a commitment to gender equality and a call to action to promote and protect the rights and agency of women, girls and gender-diverse people.

The agenda has evolved since the year 2000, when the United Nations Security Council passed resolution 1325, prompted by the increasingly complex and changing nature of conflict, emerging security threats, new technology, competition in the Arctic and outer space, and shifts in the geopolitical landscape.

Just as the WPS agenda has evolved, so too has the Government of Canada’s approach to implementing it. Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security was informed by valuable lessons learned through Canada’s first and second action plans (from 2011 to 2016 and from 2017 to 2022, respectively). These lessons include bridging the divide between the domestic and international implementation of the WPS agenda, developing an intersectional feminist approach and strengthening partnerships with civil society and Indigenous Peoples.

Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security brings partners together to work strategically, effectively and flexibly on 6 focus areas, selected because of their responsiveness to existing needs and the potential for Canadian leadership to have transformative impacts.

Building and sustaining peace: focuses on increasing support for women and gender-diverse peacebuilders and human rights defenders, women’s rights organizations and feminist movements to carry out their work
Security, justice and accountability: focuses on improving security, justice and accountability for all―particularly women, girls and gender-diverse people―in Canada and abroad
Crisis response: focuses on ensuring that the needs of women, girls and gender-diverse people are addressed in the Government of Canada’s responses to peace and security-focused crises in Canada and abroad
Sexual and gender-based violence: focuses on reducing sexual and gender-based violence―including online―in conflict, post-conflict and humanitarian contexts, and ensuring perpetrators are held accountable (including actors working in peace, humanitarian, international development and security sectors in Canada or abroad)
Leadership and capabilities: focuses on strengthening the capabilities of the Government of Canada and its partners to fully implement the action plan and ensuring Canada is a recognized leader and trusted partner in advancing the WPS agenda
Inclusion: focuses on meaningfully integrating diverse, intersectional and anti-racist perspectives throughout all of the Government of Canada’s efforts on women, peace and security

This action plan is comprised of an overarching framework and implementation plans, or statements of support, by all 10 federal partners:

Canadian Armed Forces and Department of National Defence
Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada
Department of Justice Canada
Global Affairs Canada
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Indigenous Services Canada
Public Safety Canada (with contributions from the Correctional Service of Canada)
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Veterans Affairs Canada
Women and Gender Equality Canada

Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security was developed with the guidance of peacebuilders in Canada and around the world, whose leadership remains indispensable. The Government of Canada will continue its formalized partnership with civil society through the national action plan advisory group, co-chaired with the Women, Peace and Security Network-Canada. The Government of Canada will also continue to diversify and increase its engagement with civil society representatives and Indigenous Peoples.

To support the implementation of the action plan, a coordination hub will be established at Global Affairs Canada. The hub will facilitate communication across partners and with external stakeholders, strengthen implementation, increase efficiencies, and support timely and effective monitoring, evaluation and learning. The Government of Canada will report to Parliament annually.

By prioritizing humility, openness and leadership, Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security endeavours to address the most pressing peace and security challenges of the day. The action plan also prepares the Government of Canada to respond effectively to the inevitable challenges and crises that will materialize in the coming years. By supporting women, girls and gender-diverse people, the world will become more peaceful and secure because gender equality is the foundation for enduring peace.

Section 1: Women, peace and security in a changing world

Building from a global agenda

Violent conflict continues to exacerbate existing inequalities, a dire situation as more than 614 million women and girls lived in conflict-affected countries in 2022, double the number from 2017.

Source: UN Secretary General’s 2022 Report on Women, Peace and Security

The women, peace and security (WPS) agenda was born from the advocacy of a global movement that recognized a troubling paradox: Despite often bearing the devastating consequences of violent conflict, and playing multiple roles in peace and security, women^{Footnote 2} are rarely seen as solution bearers, knowledge holders or essential partners for peace. Yet, when women’s inclusion is prioritized, enduring peace is more likely.^{Footnote 3}

This global movement, led by women experiencing armed conflict, crisis and instability, brought their transformative vision to the heart of the United Nations in 2000. These women convinced Security Council members, including Canada, to pass United Nations Security Council resolution 1325, a landmark resolution that acknowledges the effects of violent conflict on women and girls while recognizing their vital roles in building and sustaining peace.^{Footnote 4}

Resolution 1325, now accompanied by 9 subsequent resolutions on women, peace and security, formed the foundation of the WPS agenda more than 2 decades ago. The agenda goes beyond the traditional characterization of women and girls solely as victims of violence and armed conflict and considers them crucial actors in enabling and achieving long-lasting peace. It calls for women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in all stages of conflict prevention, resolution and reconstruction and at all levels of decision making. It also aims to promote and protect the human rights of women and girls, including in relation to conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence.

The WPS agenda asserts that the protection of women and their meaningful inclusion in institutions and decision-making processes are not only worthy goals unto themselves, but they are a means to enhancing sustainable peace and security for all. For example, when women participate meaningfully in the negotiation of a peace agreement, the probability of that agreement lasting at least 2 years increases by 20%, and the probability of it lasting 15 years increases by 35%.^{Footnote 5}

The agenda has evolved since 2000, prompted by the increasingly complex and changing nature of conflict, emerging security threats, new technology and shifts in geopolitical landscapes. As a result of civil society’s ongoing leadership, commitments by governments and institutions, and evolving normative frameworks, the WPS agenda now extends beyond the scope of the UN Security Council resolutions themselves. It reflects an expanded understanding of security and calls for greater recognition of the interconnectedness between domestic and international security issues. It encourages countries that are not currently dealing with domestic armed conflict to reflect on the crises, violence and insecurity women experience within their own borders.

Women’s leadership and the WPS agenda have already prompted meaningful change and progress. Today, well over 100 states and numerous multilateral and regional organizations have action plans on women, peace and security, committing to advancing gender equality and women’s human rights and advocating for women’s leadership in building a more equal, sustainable and peaceful future.

Women’s participation in UN peacekeeping is increasing.^{Footnote 6} At local levels, women have led successful negotiations across conflict lines to secure access to water and humanitarian aid, brokered the release of political prisoners and mediated local ceasefires to halt violations against civilians.^{Footnote 7} Colombia’s most recent peace negotiations had gender parity, and some perpetrators of sexual violence in Iraq, Syria and the Central African Republic are being brought to justice.^{Footnote 8}

Despite progress, a divide remains between commitment and action. Particularly troubling is what the UN Secretary General described as “the reversal of generational gains”^{Footnote 9} of women’s and girls’^{Footnote 10} human rights. Online and in-person attacks on women human rights defenders and peacebuilders—including environmental and Indigenous land defenders, 2SLGBTQI+ communities and people with disabilities—are on the rise and underreported.^{Footnote 11} There are also devastating impacts of online violence, including a chilling effect on democratic participation; the normalization and encouragement of violent, misogynistic and transphobic beliefs and behaviours; the emboldening of far-right groups, including neo-Nazis; and rollbacks on women’s rights. Meanwhile, as the work of women’s rights organizations continues to go underfunded, military expenditures are on the rise worldwide. Even among UN-led or co-led peace processes, women’s representation is decreasing. Across their 5 processes in 2022, women’s representation stood at only 16 per cent, compared to 19 per cent in 2021 and 23 per cent in 2020. In peace processes led by national governments or other organizations, women were almost completely absent. Of 18 peace agreements reached around the world in 2022, only 1 was signed or witnessed by a representative of a women’s group or organization.^{Footnote 12}

As gender equality does not exist anywhere, the WPS agenda is relevant everywhere, including in Canada. As Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls showed, Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people face violence and insecurity within Canada due to the ongoing effects of colonialism. With over 1,100 police-recorded cases of Indigenous women and girls murdered or missing between 1980 and 2012, the report stated that Indigenous women and girls made up 24% of female homicide victims at the time of the report’s publication, despite only representing 4% of the Canadian population.

Women are on the front lines, resisting, as the number of countries moving toward authoritarianism is increasing, with 9 out of 10 people living in countries where civic freedoms are severely restricted.

(Source: Civicus Monitor 2021)

Facing similar challenges as other security forces and institutions worldwide, women and gender-diverse people in Canada’s security sector face barriers to their full, equal, and meaningful participation. Anti-gender and anti-feminist movements^{Footnote 13} are growing, with their backlash against human rights gaining traction both within Canada and around the world.^{Footnote 14}

In the face of these challenges, it is essential to be even more diligent, coordinated, strategic and transformative in implementing the women, peace and security agenda. By working with humility and openness, the Government of Canada will continue building strategic partnerships to face common challenges in ways that are informed, inclusive and intentional.

“Given the growing threats worldwide toward women, especially those who are racialized, have a precarious migrant status and are part of queer communities, Canada must continue being a leader worldwide in promoting women’s human rights. Investments, political strategies, speaking out, energy and policy coherence are all required, including in multilateral fora where antifeminist setbacks are all too common. However, these efforts by the Canadian government must be made in concert with domestic actions. [Canada’s third National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security] provides an excellent opportunity to articulate and resource a coherent approach.”

Source: Women, Peace and Security Network – Canada, Fostering Feminist Peace at Home, 2023

The Government of Canada’s evolution in implementing the women, peace and security agenda

The Government of Canada was one of the original supporters of resolution 1325 on the Security Council and has since championed its implementation through multilateral institutions reaching every continent. For over 2 decades, the Government of Canada has chaired the Group of Friends of Women, Peace and Security at the United Nations, a network now including all 5 regional groups and the European Union.

Canada is one of the only countries to have created an official role for civil society to advise on the implementation of its National Action Plan. It was the first country in the world to appoint an ambassador for women, peace and security. Canada is also recognized for its commitment to tangible change through its creation of the Elsie Initiative for Women in Peace Operations.

The Government of Canada has supported women peacebuilders in numerous ways. It has advocated for and supported their full, meaningful and equal participation in a range of peace and security processes and introduced flexible funding models aimed at responding to the unique needs of women’s rights organizations and feminist movements, including those working in fragile and conflict-affected states. The Government of Canada disburses humanitarian assistance that directly targets gender equality, responds to sexual and gender-based violence, and advances sexual and reproductive health and rights. It has also advanced implementation of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQIA+ People National Action Plan.

Just as the women, peace and security agenda has evolved, so too has the Government of Canada’s approach to implementing it. This approach is informed by the valuable lessons learned through Canada’s first and second action plans (from 2011 to 2016 and from 2017 to 2022, respectively).

The Government of Canada developed the current action plan, Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, from a standpoint of humility and determination to continuously improve. Valuing the wisdom and expertise of others, the Government of Canada has actively sought input, feedback and critical thinking from within and outside the government. These insights have been shared by convening regular advisory group^{Footnote 15} meetings in partnership with civil society; commissioning external reviews and evaluations; listening to and learning from the experiences of other countries; seeking input from women peacebuilders, human rights defenders, Indigenous Peoples, civil society and academia; and continuously reflecting on and adapting internal measures. The Government of Canada is grateful to all who contributed to this evolution.

Being transparent, tracking impact

To better describe to Canadians the impacts of efforts related to the women, peace and security agenda, the Government of Canada has improved its approach to monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) within this action plan. This revised approach will allow the Government of Canada to increase its responsiveness to emerging issues and pivot when needed.

Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security has fewer but more meaningful indicators than previous action plans. For example, the Government of Canada is focusing less on the number of people trained and more on whether training results in changed behaviour. Action plan reporting will also include more qualitative assessments, including descriptive examples of impact.

Being fit for purpose

The Government of Canada’s ability to effectively implement the women, peace and security agenda relies, in part, on its internal capacity. In order for the agenda to be fully operational across the federal government, all relevant federal departments and agencies must come to the table as equal partners.

Since the first action plan, the number of federal partners has grown from 3 to 10, with Veterans Affairs Canada joining most recently. Canada also appointed an Ambassador for Women, Peace and Security in 2019 to enhance and broaden implementation of the Government of Canada’s commitments. Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security will further build the Government of Canada‘s capacity for more consistent implementation and strengthen interdepartmental learning, collaboration and coordination.

Strengthening partnerships and working with civil society and Indigenous Peoples

Women peacebuilders and human rights defenders, including young women, know what they need. They have innovative solutions to shared challenges.

The Government of Canada’s commitment to being a trusted partner, and to being guided by the work of women peacebuilders, Indigenous Peoples and other stakeholders, has evolved since the first National Action Plan, when there was no specified role for civil society, Indigenous organizations or non-government groups. In the second National Action Plan, the Government of Canada formalized a partnership by creating an advisory group, co-chaired by the civil society organization, the Women, Peace and Security Network-Canada, and the Government of Canada. Through Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, the Government of Canada will continue its formalized partnership with civil society through this advisory group. The Government of Canada will also strengthen action plan partners’ coordinated approach to engaging with Indigenous Peoples and communities.

Bridging the domestic and international divide

Canada is not experiencing armed conflict within its borders. While the country maintains a focus on advancing the women, peace and security agenda internationally, Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security includes more commitments that will be implemented domestically than previous National Action Plans.

Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security reflects the intersection of the WPS agenda and a broad range of issues which, though international in nature, can have domestic implications for Canada. These issues include the rise in climate emergencies, which can impact migration and exacerbate drivers of conflict, and increases in technology-facilitated gender-based violence, including disinformation campaigns and cyberattacks targeting women peacebuilders and human rights defenders living in Canada and abroad.

The action plan reflects the importance of Government of Canada institutions focused on peace and security. It addresses systems and services that work to prevent and/or respond to sexual misconduct. It also targets efforts by the Canadian Armed Forces to foster an organizational culture that supports the recruitment, retention and career progression of women and continued operational effectiveness. It also targets efforts by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to increase women’s leadership in international peace operations.

The action plan also recognizes that the Government of Canada is implementing the WPS agenda through a range of efforts aimed at addressing gender-based discrimination, violence, oppression and marginalization faced by women and gender-diverse people in Canada, particularly Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people. It acknowledges the intersecting discrimination and violence based on gender, Indigenous identity, socio-economic status and other identity factors, as well as underlying historic causes—in particular, the legacy of colonialism and the devastation caused by the residential school system. It also acknowledges that leadership by Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit and gender-diverse people is essential to achieving sustainable peace and security for all.

Developing an intersectional, feminist approach

An intersectional^{Footnote 16} , feminist approach recognizes and responds to the reality that while all women face inequality, they do not all face inequality in the same way. Such inequality manifests in discrimination and exclusion.^{Footnote 17}

Gender-based analysis plus (GBA Plus) and the WPS agenda are not one and the same. GBA Plus is a tool for conducting intersectional analysis. The WPS agenda is a normative framework that calls for specific outcomes, namely respect for the rights of women and girls during conflict and crisis and women’s full and meaningful participation in all aspects of conflict prevention, resolution and reconstruction. The WPS agenda identifies a desired end state; GBA Plus presents options for achieving it. Implementing the WPS agenda requires insights and information obtained through GBA Plus.

Under Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, and by using gender-based analysis plus^{Footnote 18} , the Government of Canada seeks to better understand the experiences and needs of women and gender-diverse people who face multiple forms of oppression and discrimination in contexts of insecurity and in peace and security institutions. The women, peace and security agenda does not suggest that women are inherently more peaceful than men; it does not consider women to be a homogenous group; nor does it focus solely on women.

Confronting and countering racism

Anti-Asian racism,^{Footnote 19} Islamophobia^{Footnote 20} and antisemitism^{Footnote 21} have been on the rise in Canada. Black peoples, Indigenous Peoples, and other racialized communities continue to confront discrimination and racism, both at home and abroad. An inclusive and intersectional feminist approach necessitates an explicit focus on anti-racism as part of the implementation of Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security. By centering the expertise and agency of diverse women and gender-diverse people, and valuing the knowledge and expertise of partners around the world—particularly in fragile and conflict-affected states—the Government of Canada aims to proactively dismantle structures that perpetuate systemic racism. It will, in turn, foster meaningful inclusion through its efforts to advance the WPS agenda.

Saying what we mean: “Gender,” “sex” and “women”

This action plan refers to “women, peace and security” because it is a globally used term that originated from relevant UN Security Council resolutions. However, it does not use “women,” “sex” and “gender” interchangeably, recognizing the difference between the terms.^{Footnote 22} A gender-based approach acknowledges and responds to the structural and individual impacts of socially constructed gender roles, patriarchy and misogyny.

While much of this action plan focuses on women, the Government of Canada recognizes that the terms “women” and “men” are often associated only with cisgender and heterosexual experiences and perspectives. These binaries can exclude^{Footnote 23} and dismiss the experiences and perspectives of sexually and gender-diverse people.^{Footnote 24} The Government of Canada recognizes that the use of the term “sex” is sometimes essential, especially when referring to health care needs and services. The inclusion of the word “sex” is also essential for transgender individuals, who may require primary care services related to their sex, separate from their gender identity.

This action plan uses the terms “women,” “gender” and “sex” intentionally. It endeavours to avoid a reliance on gender binaries, to be inclusive of non-binary people and to recognize that transgender women are women and, therefore, inherently part of the WPS agenda.

Section 2: Designed for impact

Vision and principles

Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security is a guiding strategy for the Government of Canada’s engagement in peace and security contexts and will enhance peace, security and equality for all people. The meaningful inclusion and protection of women, girls and gender-diverse people are not only ends unto themselves; they are also a means to enhancing peace, security and equality for everyone. Entire communities benefit when women and gender-diverse people can fully enjoy their human rights, live in peace and security, and fully participate in decision-making processes.

During the development process of Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, federal partners identified 4 principles that were used to draft the document. These principles are the foundation for how the Government of Canada will implement the action plan and represent the Government of Canada’s leadership on women, peace and security and its commitment to learning and adapting. To ensure the Government of Canada is being held accountable to these principles, while implementing the action plan, annual discussions on progress will take place with the Advisory Group, co-chaired with civil society.

Humility: The Government of Canada recognizes and trusts the expertise of those most impacted by patriarchy, misogyny, discrimination, inequality, exclusion, colonization, violence and insecurity. The Government of Canada also recognizes that some of its own actions have perpetuated gender inequality, racism and other forms of marginalization, discrimination and colonialism. By seeking the guidance of individuals with lived experience from both inside and outside of government, at home and abroad, the Government of Canada will implement Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security with humility and be an open learner who identifies and discusses challenges and is always willing to listen, learn and improve.

Responsiveness: The Government of Canada will adapt its implementation of Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security to respond to emerging needs, changes in the broader environment and ongoing learning. The objectives, roles, responsibilities and overarching vision are clear, but will allow for adaptability to ensure that the action plan remains effective and focuses its efforts where they will have the most impact.

Coherence: Recognizing that we are stronger when we work together, a coherent approach means collaborating effectively with internal and external partners to achieve the goal of advancing the WPS agenda. This means working diligently within the Government of Canada, with other states, with Indigenous Peoples and with civil society, including local civil society actors, to reinforce each other’s work and prevent silos and duplicating efforts.

Trust: The Government of Canada endeavours to remain a trusted leader in advancing the WPS agenda. The Government of Canada will listen first, and in particular, to women peacebuilders and human rights defenders, as well as Indigenous Peoples. In engagements with others, the Government of Canada will be honest and provide as much transparency as possible. The Government of Canada will seek to communicate clearly, be a vocal advocate for progress and protect the voices that it trusts.

Structure of Canada’s National Action Plan

Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security covers the years 2023 to 2029. Coordinated by Global Affairs Canada, the action plan consists of the overarching framework found in this narrative, as well as implementation plans and statements of support drafted by partners.

Adopting a thematic approach

The world will inevitably change during the lifespan of Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, and the Government of Canada’s efforts will need to change with it. This action plan brings partners together to work strategically, effectively and flexibly in 6 focus areas selected for their responsiveness to existing needs and for the potential Canadian leadership has to effect transformative change:

Building and sustaining peace
Security, justice and accountability
Crisis response
Sexual and gender-based violence
Leadership and capabilities
Inclusion

Many issues covered by this action plan are relevant to multiple focus areas. To reflect the evolving nature of the WPS agenda, Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security is not structured around the traditionally understood pillars of the agenda—prevention, participation, protection, and relief and recovery—however, the pillars are reflected throughout.

Partners

The following federal departments and agencies will advance the WPS agenda through Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security. Most partners have developed department or agency-specific implementation plans, which provide context for their focus, concrete commitments, and ways to track progress and carry out initiatives that advance the WPS agenda. The actions of 2 partners—Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada and Indigenous Services Canada—are described in their respective statements of support, which identify ongoing initiatives and previously established reporting commitments.

Canadian Armed Forces and Department of National Defence

Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada

Department of Justice Canada

Global Affairs Canada

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

Indigenous Services Canada

Public Safety Canada (with contributions from the Correctional Service of Canada)

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Veterans Affairs Canada

Women and Gender Equality Canada

Policy alignment

Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security is not a standalone effort, but rather one part of a larger Government of Canada ecosystem of policies, programs and initiatives including:

Building a Foundation for Change: Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy 2019–2022
Canada’s Disability Inclusion Action Plan 2022
Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy
Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy
Emergency Management Strategy for Canada: Toward a Resilient 2030
Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan . . . Building our future, with pride 2022
Feminist Foreign Policy
Future of Diplomacy: Transforming Global Affairs Canada – Discussion paper (June 2023)
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan
National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence
National Cyber Security Strategy
National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking 2019-2024
Strong, Secure, Engaged: Canada’s Defence Policy
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act

Further information about alignment with existing action plans and strategies can be found in department or agency-specific implementation plans or statements of support.

Focus areas

Focus area 1: Building and sustaining peace

Our vision:

Women and gender-diverse peacebuilders and human rights defenders, women’s rights organizations and feminist movements have greater support to carry out their work.

Why the Government of Canada will focus on building and sustaining peace:

Inclusive and sustainable peace is foundational to the fulfilment and enjoyment of universal human rights for all. Women and women-led rights organizations and movements are on the front lines building peace and preventing violent conflict in their communities, despite facing increasing and devastating backlash. They are under-resourced and facing targeted gender-based violence, defamation, disinformation and smear campaigns, surveillance, online harassment and violence, and other transnational threats.^{Footnote 25}

The rise of anti-gender movements, and increased backlash against women’s rights, feminist and 2SLGBTQI+ movements, both at home and abroad^{Footnote 26} , demonstrates the fragility of hard-won rights. These attacks are preventing peacebuilders and rights advocates from doing their critical work and deterring them from participating in the public sphere.

A peaceful future requires the promotion, protection and support of those who are building and sustaining peace within Canada and around the world. By listening to, investing in and facilitating access to the decision making made by women and gender-diverse peacebuilders and human rights defenders, women’s rights organizations and feminist movements, the Government of Canada is investing in a more peaceful world.

How the Government of Canada will help build and sustain peace:

With respect to women and gender-diverse peacebuilders and human rights defenders, women’s rights organizations and feminist movements, the Government of Canada will:

continue to advocate for their meaningful participation in peace and security efforts and related decision-making processes
strengthen their capacities to influence and participate in peace and security efforts and related decision-making processes, including by enabling funding that is more risk-tolerant, flexible and better suited to their needs and circumstances
enhance the groups’ protection from diverse security threats, including violence, harassment, and human rights abuses and violations
strengthen Government of Canada systems and capabilities for engagement with women and gender-diverse peacebuilders

Themes related to Focus area 1:

Women and gender-diverse peacebuilders
Women’s rights organizations
Feminist movements and networks
Peacebuilding
Peacebuilders
Human rights defenders
Grassroots organizations
Conflict prevention
Conflict resolution
Violence prevention
Decision-making processes
Peace processes
Knowledge exchange

Focus area 2: Security, justice and accountability

Our vision:

Improved security, justice and accountability for all—particularly women, girls and gender-diverse people—in Canada and abroad.

Why the Government of Canada will focus on security, justice and accountability:

Security and justice actors^{Footnote 27} have significant roles to play in responding to the needs of women, girls and gender-diverse people in the face of an increasingly complex global security context. These actors often play life-saving roles in conflict and crisis situations, including protecting civilians, preventing and reducing armed conflict, and providing recognition and recourse to victims and survivors of violence. At the same time, it is important to recognize the historical and ongoing roles of some security and justice institutions in perpetuating insecurity and systemic harm.

Building on significant global momentum to address barriers facing uniformed women, Canada committed to extending and expanding the Elsie Initiative for Women in Peace Operations, a Canada-led, multi-stakeholder initiative, for a second phase (from April 2022 to March 2027). This commitment was made to increase collaboration between the United Nations, member states and partners to advance the meaningful participation of women in peace operations and support the implementation of the United Nations Uniformed Gender Parity Strategy.

Women and gender-diverse people have the same rights as men to participate fully, meaningfully and equally in public affairs, including with matters of peace and security. Their participation as civilians and uniformed personnel also strengthens the work of these sectors. This is true from operational to decision-making levels, on issues such as space and climate security, peacekeeping, arms control, mine action and disarmament, and in addressing chemical, biological, radiological, cyber and nuclear threats.

The world is experiencing non-traditional security challenges, such as cyber threats (including technology-facilitated, gender-based violence (TFGBV) and disinformation and the misuse, abuse and perpetuation of harmful stereotypes and biases by artificial intelligence and machine learning), climate change, economic insecurity, competition in space, radicalization to violence and pandemics. Women are often at the forefront of communities’ responses to these challenges, acting as first responders and mitigating their impact on security. Integrating a gender-transformative approach into our understanding of emerging security threats will enable us to better respond by meeting the needs of diverse demographic groups.

Climate change-related conflict and insecurity, in particular, disproportionately affect women and girls as they often have less access than men to decision making, and they do not have the resources required to respond to its impacts. Climate change also generates forced migration and the associated risks of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. In situations of disaster, women and girls have higher levels of mortality and morbidity; their access to justice systems, education, and sexual and reproductive health services is disrupted, and the risk of recruitment by terrorist groups increases.

While women are exceptionally impacted by climate change, they are under-represented in the development of adaptation strategies. Women, particularly Indigenous women, are uniquely positioned to help achieve sustainable natural resource management, climate-resilient communities, and enhanced peace and security. Their leadership with respect to climate, peace and security is essential.

Armed conflict, violence and crisis undermine and limit access to justice and security. Restoring the rule of law and increasing access to justice is foundational in protecting and advancing women’s rights, preventing further armed conflict and achieving sustainable peace.^{Footnote 28} Focus area 2 addresses both the immediate justice and accountability needs of women, girls and gender-diverse people in crisis and conflict situations; it also works to strengthen legal frameworks and institutions that support the rule of law. Focus area 2 aligns with Canada’s continued efforts to ensure equal access to justice for all. The aim is to strengthen rule of law institutions and legal frameworks to increase the participation of and access to justice for women, girls and gender-diverse people.

How the Government of Canada will focus on security, justice and accountability:

The Government of Canada will:

increase the full, equal and meaningful participation of women and gender-diverse people in security and justice sectors, including as uniformed personnel, by working with state and non-state partners to support the identification and removal of barriers to their participation
strengthen the capacities of security and justice sectors to implement their mandates by identifying and addressing the priorities of women in crisis and conflict situations and integrating gender perspectives in military operational planning, implementation and reporting
improve awareness and capacities within security and justice sectors to address the gendered dimensions of security threats, including threats that are non-traditional or emerging
promote the leadership of women and gender-diverse people to prevent, address and mitigate the impacts of climate change-related conflict and insecurity
support increased access to justice and justice-related services by taking into account women, girls and gender-diverse peoples’ specific needs and priorities

Themes related to Focus area 2:

Security sector reform
Rule of law
Strengthening legal frameworks
Legal institutions
Access to justice
Transitional justice
Emerging drivers of conflict and instability
Mine action
Cyber security
Preventing radicalization to violence
Climate change
Disruptive technologies
Meaningful participation in security sector
Peacekeeping
Gender-responsive security operations

Focus area 3: Crisis response

Our vision:

Responses to peace- and security- focused crises in Canada and abroad are responsive to the needs of women, girls and gender-diverse people.

Why the Government of Canada will focus on crisis response:

The world is facing multiple and often converging crises affecting peace and security. They are protracted, multidimensional and occurring at an accelerated pace.

During times of crisis, pre-existing inequalities and discriminatory social norms are exacerbated as women, girls and gender-diverse people are distinctly and disproportionately impacted. In times of humanitarian crises, women and girls face increased levels of gender-based violence, along with exclusion from life-saving services and decision-making processes.^{Footnote 29}

Globally, there has been a lack of political will to prioritize having crisis response efforts informed by gender perspectives. As crises intensify in scale and scope, the Government of Canada’s need to respond to them will only increase in frequency and complexity in the coming years. By more intentionally addressing the experiences and needs of women, girls, and gender-diverse people in its responses to crises, the Government of Canada can avoid undermining peace and security by unintentionally reinforcing unequal power relations and contributing to gender equality setbacks. Crisis response relates to early warning systems: climate and other disaster risk preparedness, reduction, response and management (at home and abroad); responses to civil and political unrest resulting in violence; humanitarian action; urgent responses to armed conflicts (including migration and asylum); and responses aimed at managing security and humanitarian implications of emergency situations, such as pandemics, natural disasters and democratic collapse.

How the Government of Canada will improve crisis response:

The Government of Canada will:

increase the Government of Canada’s capacity to integrate the WPS agenda in analysis and cross-government responses to crises
take an intersectional feminist approach at every step of the Government of Canada’s response to conflict and crisis, including by strengthening the collection of disaggregated data and the application of gender-based analysis plus
continue to deliver gender-responsive emergency support and humanitarian assistance in conflict and crisis contexts, both at home and abroad
sustain the promotion of and support for the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in decision making related to humanitarian assistance and crisis response
continue to provide targeted settlement supports to women, girls and gender-diverse immigrants, including refugees, upon arrival to Canada

Themes Related to Focus area 3:

Humanitarian response
Natural disasters
Crisis response
Early intervention
Disaster risk preparedness
Political unrest
Emergency situations
Evacuations
Post-conflict recovery
Humanitarian-development-peace nexus

Focus area 4: Sexual and gender-based violence

Our vision:

Women, girls and gender-diverse people live free from sexual and gender-based violence, including online, in conflict, post-conflict and humanitarian contexts. Perpetrators of sexual and gender-based violence are held accountable: in particular, actors working in peace, humanitarian, international development and security sectors in Canada or abroad.

Why the Government of Canada will focus on addressing sexual and gender-based violence:

Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV)^{Footnote 30} is one of the world’s most pervasive, deadly and deeply rooted human rights violations. It can also be a significant barrier to meaningful participation in peace and security efforts by women and gender-diverse people, including within Canada.

SGBV is exacerbated before, during and after armed conflict due to pre-existing systemic and structural inequalities, the increased militarization and presence of weapons, reduced civic space and as a deliberate tactic of fear and violence against civilians. It is difficult to track exact rates of SGBV incidents worldwide due to under-reporting.^{Footnote 31} In situations of armed conflict, it is estimated that for every report of sexual violence, 10 to 20 cases go undocumented.^{Footnote 32} SGBV is perpetrated on people of all genders, including men and boys. It has significant economic impacts, costing some countries up to 3.7% of their gross domestic product (GDP).^{Footnote 33} SGBV also occurs when individuals abuse their power by sexually exploiting or abusing those with whom they serve or the very people they are meant to protect or help.

The Mass Casualty Commission, an independent public inquiry examining the 2020 mass casualty in Nova Scotia, found that sexist and racist myths and stereotypes continue to result in ineffective and inconsistent responses by police services to SGBV. Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls said the ongoing violence experienced by Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people constitutes genocide^{Footnote 34} and demonstrates the ongoing threats to their individual and community experiences of security.

Technology-facilitated gender-based violence^{Footnote 35} also threatens national security and contributes to the rollback of women’s and girls’ rights and advancements in gender equality. Online harassment and abuse faced by women and 2SLGBTQI+ people frequently silence them, causing them to withdraw from public, political and online spaces, which negatively impacts their mental and physical health. These online spaces are increasingly exploited by extremist groups that promote misogyny, in particular, for recruitment purposes. Gender-based attacks and disinformation threaten basic rights, create fissures in societies that erode participation and social cohesion, and result in real world harms.

How the Government of Canada will prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence:

The Government of Canada will:

increase efforts to center the perspectives of victims and survivors in preventing and responding to SGBV, including by supporting institutions, organizations and initiatives that keep the safety, dignity and priorities of victims and survivors at the center of their work
sustain and strengthen efforts to prevent and respond to SGBV in conflict, post-conflict and crisis contexts, including SGBV perpetrated by actors working in peace, humanitarian, international development and security sectors in Canada or abroad. This includes working to eradicate sexual misconduct in Canadian peace and security-focused institutions^{Footnote 36}
increase the ability of state and non-state actors to prevent and address sexual and gender-based violence and hold perpetrators to account
update programs, benefits and services for Canadian Veterans who have experienced military sexual trauma
ensure there is no impunity for Canadians responsible for sexual exploitation and abuse
strengthen its understanding of and ability to respond to TFGBV and the connections between violent extremism, disinformation and gender-based violence
take a trauma-informed, culturally relevant, gender-responsive and victim-centered approach to deliver programs and develop resources and tools that meet the needs of victims and survivors of human trafficking
continue to implement the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan

Themes related to Focus area 4:

Sexual exploitation and abuse
Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV)
Gender-based violence (GBV)
Technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV)
Gendered disinformation
Human rights violation
Sexual misconduct
Unequal power relations
Discriminatory gender and social norms
Systemic and intersecting oppression, exclusion and discrimination
War crimes
Conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV)
Ending impunity
Professional standards of conduct
Individual and inter-generational harm
Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)

Focus area 5: Leadership and capabilities

Our vision:

Canada is a recognized leader and trusted partner in advancing the WPS agenda. The Government of Canada and its partners have the necessary capabilities to deliver on its vision.

Why the Government of Canada will focus on leadership and capabilities:

The Government of Canada’s long-standing commitment to and expertise on gender equality is one of its greatest strengths. Leadership and sustained commitment to gender equality is needed if there is to be continued progress in a time of increasing backlash against the WPS agenda and against women and 2SLGBTQI+ rights.

As a long-time, consistent champion of women, peace and security, and with membership in a variety of international organizations and forums^{Footnote 37} , Canada is well-placed to play a convening and advocacy role in the advancement of the WPS agenda.

Leadership requires enhanced capabilities to deliver the Government of Canada’s vision. Initiatives and commitments under Focus area 5 will better equip the Government of Canada and its partners in effectively implementing Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security. This leadership includes strengthening skills, increasing knowledge, and developing and disseminating tools, resources and expertise within the Government of Canada.

How the Government of Canada will demonstrate its leadership and build capabilities:

The Government of Canada will:

strengthen its own capacities to implement Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security fully and consistently, including through internal tools and resources and opportunities to share knowledge between federal partners
champion the WPS agenda, including by supporting other countries and regional organizations to formulate and uphold their respective commitments to women, peace and security
convene diverse groups to focus on women, peace and security globally, including through sustaining and expanding groups of friends of women, peace and security
raise awareness within the Government of Canada and develop training for public servants on departmental commitments related to Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security
improve the collection of disaggregated data related to women, peace and security
improve the monitoring and evaluation of the action plan to improve transparency and accountability

Themes related to Focus area 5:

Mainstreaming women, peace and security
Partnerships
Enhanced capabilities
Research
Leadership
Advocacy
Disaggregated data
Skills building
Tools
Resources
Training
Expertise
Gender-based analysis plus
Monitoring, evaluation and learning

Focus area 6: Inclusion

Our vision:

The implementation of the women, peace and security agenda reflects a diversity of needs and experiences, including under-represented, marginalized and under-served people. Decolonization, anti-racism and intersectionality are mainstreamed through all of Canada’s women, peace and security efforts.

Why the Government of Canada will focus on inclusion:

In recent years, there has been an increased focus on anti-racism, decolonization and intersectionality in the women, peace and security sector. This is in large part due to the persistent and systemic barriers faced by many women, gender-diverse people and young people who experience multiple forms of oppression and discrimination. Failing to identify and work to address these barriers risks perpetuating their existence and continuing to under serve equity-deserving communities.

Central to identifying and addressing these barriers is recognizing and trusting the knowledge and guidance from diverse elements of civil society in the development and implementation of Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security. Inclusion is integral to progress on the WPS agenda, and the Government of Canada will increase its efforts to implement the agenda in a way that is inclusive and anti-racist.

While the term “intersectionality” is widely used in the WPS agenda, its integration has been limited and is often difficult to operationalize. The ultimate goal is to meaningfully integrate diverse and intersectional perspectives throughout all of the Government of Canada’s women, peace and security efforts, just as Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security seeks to mainstream women, peace and security throughout all of the Government of Canada’s broader peace and security work.

How the Government of Canada will advocate for a more inclusive WPS agenda and mainstream inclusion throughout its efforts:

The Government of Canada will:

increase the representation of diverse uniformed women in international operations
actively welcome under-represented perspectives and new partners to advance the WPS agenda, including by creating opportunities for enhanced collaboration with actors focused on the youth, peace and security agenda
create opportunities and support efforts to enhance the meaningful participation of youth, particularly young women, across a range of efforts and initiatives related to peace and security
strengthen a coordinated approach across action plan partners to engage meaningfully with Indigenous Peoples and organizations with respect to the WPS agenda
improve the integration of 2SLGBTQI+ perspectives and considerations in Canada’s efforts to advance the WPS agenda
promote the consistent use of specific tools, including gender-based analysis plus, to better integrate intersectional and diverse perspectives in the shaping and implementing of policies and initiatives that contribute to achieving the WPS agenda

Themes related to Focus area 6:

Intersectionality/intersectional approach
Diverse perspectives
Root causes of exclusion
Youth, peace and security agenda
Anti-racism
Institutional change
Human rights
Recruitment, retention and career progression
Partnerships

Section 3: Delivering on commitments

Governance and coordination

With 10 partners at the table, a strong governance and coordination structure is critical in ensuring the Government of Canada is working effectively and coherently to maximize impact and meet its commitments. Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security will continue to be coordinated by Global Affairs Canada, with oversight on their department or agency commitments from the:

Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations

Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development

Minister of Foreign Affairs

Minister of Indigenous Services

Minister of International Development

Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Minister of National Defence

Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs

Minister of Veterans Affairs

Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth

Coordination hub

To maximize implementation and impact of the action plan, a coordination hub will be established at Global Affairs Canada. This hub will increase coordination among partners and with external stakeholders, strengthen partners’ capacities, increase efficiencies, and support timely and effective monitoring, evaluation and learning.

Director general steering committee

The Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security director general steering committee is comprised of directors generals within partner agencies and departments. It is a forum for senior officials to offer oversight, direction, consultation and deliberation. It creates coherence between the action plan, and relevant cross-government policies and plans, and the sharing of good practices, lessons learned and challenges regarding action plan implementation. Partners may choose to have their director general on the steering committee serve as a departmental women, peace and security champion by promoting events and initiatives and encouraging thought leadership.

Monitoring, evaluation and learning community of practice

The Government of Canada established a monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) community of practice following a recommendation by external assessors in the mid-term review of Canada’s second National Action Plan on women, peace and security. The group seeks to address results-based management and reporting challenges as well as institutionalize learning as part of Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security. The MEL community of practice enables the identification and exchange of good practices, feminist approaches and the provision of consistent technical guidance and expertise across partners.

Focal points coordination group

The focal points coordination group consists of working-level officers from across all action plan partners. This group allows for cross-government coordination and learning and facilitates a coherent cross-government approach to implementation and reporting.

Partnership with civil society and Indigenous Peoples

Civil society’s leadership and guidance is indispensable. The Government of Canada formalized its partnership on women, peace and security with civil society under the previous action plan through the action plan advisory group. The action plan advisory group will continue under Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security and will be co-chaired with the Women, Peace and Security Network-Canada.

Beyond the action plan advisory group, the Government of Canada will also continue to diversify and increase its engagement with a range of civil society and Indigenous organizations advancing the WPS agenda at home and abroad. The Government of Canada will engage with local civil society organizations through its mission network and partners–working in partnership with Indigenous Peoples, academics and research networks studying women, peace and security–and engage with civil society in international forums.

The Government of Canada is committed to fundamentally transforming its relationship with Indigenous Peoples in Canada based on recognition, respect, cooperation and partnership. Indigenous Peoples have the right to participate, and be heard, in decisions that affect them at the global, regional and local levels. Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security follows the legal imperatives that govern the Government of Canada’s interactions with Indigenous Peoples. Genuine collaboration, inclusion and the meaningful participation of Indigenous Peoples are indispensable in achieving the aims of the WPS agenda.

Resourcing

Commitments in Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security will be delivered through partner programs, practices, policies and operations. In addition to integrating women, peace and security into existing lines of funding, the Government of Canada will continue funding women, peace and security through the Peace and Stabilization Operations Program at Global Affairs Canada. The Government of Canada is also dedicating resources for the coordination of the action plan, including for coordinating and supporting partners, supporting civil society partnership and engagement, and monitoring, evaluation and learning.

Monitoring, evaluation and learning

Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security has developed a robust monitoring, evaluation and learning framework, informed by feminist approaches to MEL, to ensure the Government of Canada understands and demonstrates the effects of its efforts. This is a critical accountability and learning tool and will allow for pivoting in response to emerging issues. Civil society and external stakeholders also play an important role in this accountability process. By reporting publicly on successes and challenges, the Government of Canada strives to have an open dialogue with stakeholders in Canada and around the world on the implementation of Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security.

Recommendations from the independent mid-term review of the second action plan, as well as civil society’s input and evolving feminist and good practices in women, peace and security national action plans, have informed the Government of Canada’s approach. The framework is based on results-based management to better reflect the contributions of a growing number of partners; facilitate more cross-department collaboration, implementation and collective learning; and improve reporting practices. It was created with partners and aims to better describe cross-government efforts, results and challenges.

Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security has made improvements in monitoring, evaluation and learning by:

ensuring that the mandates and contributions of partners with implementation plans are reflected in the logic model
fostering greater coherence among departmental implementation plans through increased alignment and shared commitments
adopting more meaningful key performance indicators, with a clear path to developing a baseline, targets and timelines, fostering accountability and enabling meaningful comparisons across different years to gauge progress more effectively
improving integration with internal reporting processes
increasing the internal capacity of the Government of Canada to deliver on an outcome-focused monitoring, evaluation and learning plan
leveraging a results-based management expertise to support partners with implementation plans

A feminist approach to monitoring, evaluation and learning

Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security builds on the Government of Canada’s experiences with feminist MEL, which is grounded in 3 core principles: (1) all humans are equal; (2) gender inequality leads to social injustice; and (3) gender-based inequalities are systemic. Building on these principles, feminist MEL prioritizes collaborative and participatory processes that provide a platform for voices of diverse women and foster learning that strengthens collective ownership, humility and adaptability throughout the implementation of Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security. The Government of Canada recognizes that a feminist MEL methodology entails the direct participation of those affected by policies and programs from the outset. Feminist MEL also entails co-ownership and meaningful participation while recognizing and respecting the agency and time of all stakeholders. In the implementation of Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, the Government of Canada will strive to strengthen its feminist approaches by engaging with the advisory group and seeking opportunities to learn from other state and non-state actors using feminist MEL approaches. Examples of planned activities include:

engaging with the advisory group on MEL and action plan results on a continuous basis
collaborating with the advisory group to establish targets for key performance indicators tied to each focus area
reducing the reporting burden on partner civil society organizations by focusing on fewer indicators and drawing on existing reporting processes
committing to more qualitative approaches that recognize social change cannot always be captured in quantitative measures
disaggregating data and using stories of change to learn from and amplify diverse experiences
encouraging and supporting independent civil society MEL as parallel processes to the Government of Canada’s MEL processes
adopting a flexible approach that allows for course-corrections based on lessons learned and creating space for partners and civil society organizations to adapt to changing circumstances

Key performance indicators

To ensure action plan reporting is focusing on results rather than activities, and to advance the Government of Canada’s commitment to transparency, Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security will track a limited number of results-oriented key performance indicators (KPI) annually. These KPIs represent key lines of work. Annual reporting will include progress, challenges and areas for improvement. The action plan will track 2 types of key performance indicators:

Central key performance indicators represent major areas of work in each focus area and were intentionally built to aggregate data and information that partners with implementation plans are already collecting. Partners with implementation plans will report on at least 1 central key performance indicator, as applicable.
Department/agency-level key performance indicators represent key areas of work from implementation plans. Partners with implementation plans will report on at least 1 department/agency-level key performance indicator, as applicable.

Targets for each key performance indicator will be added to the action plan after the first year of implementation. This approach will allow partners with implementation plans to spend the first year of implementation developing strong methodologies to measure change by gathering baseline data and working in collaboration with the advisory group to establish clear and realistic targets tied to each focus area. Reporting will measure progress toward these targets and document challenges along the way. Not all partners will report directly on key performance indicators; however, to maintain transparency and accountability, the coordination hub will work with partners and the advisory group to track progress on the action plan annually.

Reporting and evaluation

In consultation with the advisory group, the Government of Canada identified numerous lessons related to monitoring, evaluation and learning that were gained through the implementation of the first 2 action plans. Building on these insights, the reporting cycle for this action plan is designed to enhance responsiveness, transparency and accountability to the many communities impacted by its implementation.

The Government of Canada will report to Parliament on the action plan annually through a progress brief that reports on key performance indicators, noting year-over-year changes. Every second year, the progress brief will be accompanied by a narrative report, with additional details on efforts by partners. The action plan will also undergo mid-term and summative evaluations.

Additionally, as part of the Government of Canada’s work to improve its own capacities and continue to demonstrate leadership related to women, peace and security, it will initiate 2 thematic studies over the course of the action plan. The Government of Canada will work with internal and external partners, particularly the advisory group, to identify areas where focused research and reporting could improve action plan implementation. Themes may correspond to relevant geopolitical issues, emerging peace and security challenges, geographic areas or other issues. The thematic studies will be publicly available.

Annex A: Monitoring, evaluation and learning framework

Key performance indicators

KPI 1.1

Focus area

(1) Building and sustaining peace

Outcome^{Footnote 38}

[Qualitative] Evidence of mandatory integration of GBA Plus into analysis conducted to set the RCMP’s National Action Plan agenda and implementation plans

Type of KPI

RCMP KPI

Logic model

Ultimate outcome

1000 Enhanced peace and security for all people in Canada and abroad

Focus area 1: Building and sustaining peace

Intermediate outcomes

1100 Strengthened gender-responsive and/or gender-transformative approaches to building and sustaining peace in Canada and abroad

Immediate outcomes^{Footnote 39}

1110 Increased capacity of women in all their diversity to advance the WPS agenda and equitably participate in sub-national, national or international peace and security efforts and related decision-making processes

1120 Strengthened Government of Canada institutional capacity to engage with and support the safety of international and domestic women peacebuilders, women's rights leaders and women's rights organizations

1130 Increased awareness within the international community of the importance of including women and gender-diverse peacebuilders in decision making

Focus area 2: Security, justice and accountability

Intermediate outcomes

1200 Improved application of gender-responsive and/or gender-transformative approaches to security, justice and accountability

Immediate outcomes

1210 Improved capacity of partners and external state and non-state actors to prevent and address gendered dimensions of non-traditional security threats and evolving issues (e.g., cybersecurity, the prevention and countering of violent extremism, the unlawful recruitment and use of girl and boy child soldiers, and impacts of climate change on peace and security)

1220 Strengthened capacity of external state and non-state actors to advance gender-responsive approaches to justice and security, including the recruitment and deployment of uniformed women in peace operations

1230 Enhanced capacity of partners to improve access to justice for women, girls and gender-diverse people in Canada or abroad

1240 Increased capacity of security sector partners to integrate women, peace and security issues and gender perspectives in military operational planning, implementation and reporting

1250 Increased capacity of Foundations for Peace: Canada's National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security partners to provide and/or support service providers who provide security and justice services to Indigenous women, girls and gender-diverse peoples within Canada that are responsive to their unique contexts and needs

Focus area 3: Crisis response

Intermediate outcomes

1300 Improved application of gender-responsive and/or gender-transformative approaches to crisis response in Canada and abroad

Immediate outcomes

1310 Improved mechanisms for coordination within and across Government of Canada partners to implement gender-responsive measures in crisis response

1320 Strengthened capacity of partners to deliver gender-responsive humanitarian responses and assistance and emergency support in conflict and crisis contexts, particularly at the outset

1330 Increased operational capacity of the international humanitarian system to provide principled and gender-responsive humanitarian assistance, including fulfilling the unmet needs of individuals who belong to vulnerable and marginalized populations

NB: Much of this terminology is evolving. The evolution of language within communities may inform future developments.

Anti-racism: Refers to the active process of identifying and eliminating racism by changing systems, organizational structures, policies, practices and attitudes so that power is redistributed and shared equitably

Conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV): Refers to rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution, forced pregnancy, forced abortion, forced sterilization, forced marriage and any other form of violence of comparable gravity, which is directly or indirectly linked to a conflict. Depending on the circumstances, it could constitute a war crime, a crime against humanity, torture or other gross violations of human rights or, in some instances, genocide^{Footnote 40}

Cyber security: Refers to the protection of digital information, as well as the integrity of the infrastructure housing and transmitting digital information. More specifically, cyber security includes the body of technologies, processes, practices, and response and mitigation measures designed to protect networks, computers, programs and data from attack, damage or unauthorized access so as to ensure confidentiality, integrity and availability

Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP): Refers to the policy Canada launched in 2017, positioning Canada as a champion for gender equality in its international assistance programming. The FIAP applies a human rights approach to promoting 6 interlinked areas for action

Fragility: Refers to the accumulation and combination of risks plus the insufficient capacity by a state, system and/or communities to manage, absorb or mitigate its consequences. This exposure to risk can lead to negative outcomes, including violence, armed conflict, protracted political crises and chronic underdevelopment. Risks and coping capacity are measured in 6 dimensions to include political, societal, security, economic and environmental aspects^{Footnote 41}

Gender: Refers to socially-constructed roles, behaviours, expressions and identities of girls, women, boys, men and gender-diverse people. It influences how people perceive themselves and each other, how they act and interact, the distribution of power and resources in society, and people’s social, health and economic outcomes

Gender diverse: Refers to individuals who do not identify as exclusively men or exclusively women or who do not identify anywhere along a masculine-feminine spectrum. This may include individuals who are non-binary, Two-Spirit, genderqueer, agender or who identify in another way in the gender continuum

Gender equality: Refers to equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities for women, men and non-binary people in all their diversity

Gender mainstreaming: Refers to the act of ensuring that gender perspectives and attention to the goal of gender equality are central to all activities, such as policy, programming and advocacy, and in all phases: planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation

Gender-based analysis plus (GBA Plus): Refers to an analytical tool that is used to support the development of responsive and inclusive policies, programs and other initiatives. GBA Plus is a process for understanding who is impacted by the issue, identifying how the initiative could be tailored to meet the diverse needs of the people most impacted and anticipating and mitigating any barriers to accessing or benefiting from the initiative. GBA Plus is a tool for intersectional analysis that goes beyond biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences to consider other factors, such as age, disability, education, ethnicity, economic status, geography, language, race, religion and sexual orientation. The Government of Canada has sustained its commitment to gender-based analysis since in 1995, when it first committed to gender mainstreaming as part of the ratification of the United Nations’ Beijing Platform for Action

Gender-informed/gender-sensitive/gender-responsive: Refers to the process by which people and organizations develop the ability to consider the demographics and histories of the populations in delivering interventions, programs and services, as well as recognize how their various life factors have impacted their overall experiences. Being gender-informed/-sensitive/-responsive also identifies and acknowledges people’s different needs, aspirations, capacities and contributions (of the gender)and carries out changes for an improvement of quality of life for all

Gender transformative: Refers to interventions that go beyond gender responsiveness and specifically aim at transforming unequal gender relations to promote shared power, control of resources, decision making and support for women’s and girls’ empowerment

Inclusive: Refers to an approach that promotes human rights, gender equality, peaceful pluralism and respect for diversity. A particular focus is placed on the inclusion of marginalized groups and people at risk, such as religious and ethnic minorities, Indigenous Peoples, people with disabilities and people who are targeted or at risk of persecution by state and/or non-state actors as a result of their gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, social caste or race

Intersectionality: Refers to a framework for understanding how multiple overlapping social and structural factors shape experiences, opportunities and outcomes for people, as well as create barriers, discrimination and exclusion

Justice sector: Refers to a complex web of institutions and actors that are involved in the delivery, administration, management and oversight of justice

Meaningful participation: Refers to the presence and leadership of women in conflict resolution, conflict prevention and peacebuilding processes where they contribute to, and are included in, all aspects of planning and decision-making processes; hold leadership positions; have access to the same training, promotion and career advancement opportunities as their colleagues who are men; hold positions in line with their training and expertise; and are in a workplace free from all forms of harassment, bullying and intimidation

Multiple and intersecting discrimination: Refers to individuals who have layered identities based on intersecting identity factors, such as gender, ethnicity, race, religion, age, sexual orientation and ability. The discrimination they face is multidimensional, and its various components cannot be addressed separately

Oppression: Refers to the unjust use of power to disempower, marginalize, silence or otherwise subordinate specific groups or categories, often in order to further empower and/or privilege the oppressors

Race: Refers to a social construct. This means that society forms the preconceptions around the idea of race based on perceived physical traits, as well as geographic, historical, political, economic, social and cultural factors, even though none of these can legitimately be used to classify groups of people

Security sector: Refers to all the structures, institutions and personnel responsible for security provision, management and oversight at national and local levels. The security sector includes both actors that use force and those responsible for controlling how force is used through management and oversight. These actors are state security providers who are responsible for security management and oversight, which includes civil society. From the point of view of good security sector governance, the role of the security sector is to provide for state and human security. There are different definitions of the security sector: The narrowest include only state security institutions, while the more common definitions are more comprehensive, including all state and non-state actors that influence security and justice within a state

Sex: Refers to a set of biological attributes in humans and animals. It is primarily associated with physical and physiological features, including chromosomes, gene expression, hormone levels and function, and reproductive/sexual anatomy. Sex is usually categorized as female or male, but there is variation in the biological attributes that comprise sex and how those attributes are expressed. Sex (assigned) at birth refers to the label one is given at birth based on physiological factors, including hormones, chromosomes and genitals. Most people are assigned male or female, as per socially constructed and medicalized standards, which is what is put on birth certificates. The assignment of a biological sex upon a newborn infant, based on visible/external sex characteristics, may or may not align with internal, hormonal and/or chromosomal sex characteristics, as well as how they feel or eventually identify with age

Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV): Refers to any act that is perpetrated against a person’s will, is based on gender norms and unequal power relationships, and can be sexual in nature. It encompasses harassment, intimidation, threats of violence, coercion, exploitation, and abuse in public and private spheres, as well as in digital contexts. It can be physical, sexual, emotional, psychological or economic and can form the basis for discrimination, social exclusion and stigmatization or the denial of resources, work or access to services. It can inflict physical, psychological, sexual and economic harm on women, girls, men, boys and non-binary individuals. It can include domestic and intimate partner violence and forced labour, including indentured and domestic labour, and it includes all forms of sexual violence, such as rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution, human trafficking or sexual exploitation in exchange for services, among other forms of sexual violence. It includes harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation/cutting.

SGBV affects every society and every social class and occurs in both private and public life. Whether the context is the use of rape as a tool of war, sex trafficking or other forms of violence, it is often exacerbated in conflict settings and a violation of human rights in all cases. It is a disempowering force that erodes a person’s self-dignity, health and ability to participate in social, economic and political life. GBV is a barrier to gender equality, sustainable development and peace. SGBV is a barrier to gender equality, sustainable development and peace and is rooted in gender inequalities. It is intensified by other forms of discrimination, including racism, colonialism, disability, homophobia, transphobia and poverty

Sexual violence: Refers to a form of gender-based violence (GBV). Sexual violence in conflict includes rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution, forced pregnancy and forced sterilization or abortion. The international legal framework clearly establishes that rape and other forms of sexual violence may constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. Many states have laws that punish these acts, either as specified crimes or as ordinary crimes under national law. The International Criminal Court in the Hague will, in some instances, have jurisdiction. Some international treaties and, arguably, customary international law oblige states to either prosecute or extradite people who commit war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. The international regime and many states agree that amnesty cannot be granted for these serious violations of international law

Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR): Refers to human rights as applied to sexuality and reproduction. It asserts that all individuals have the right to make informed decisions governing their own bodies and access a full range of services, education, counselling and information. It also asserts that the gendered inequalities, discriminatory social norms and institutional structures that limit the attainment of SRHR are addressed. SRHR includes 4 distinct yet interconnected fields: sexual health, sexual rights, reproductive health and reproductive rights

Systemic racism or institutional racism: Refers to patterns of behaviour, policies or practices that are part of the social or administrative structures of an organization that create or perpetuate a position of relative disadvantage for racialized people. These practices, policies and behaviours may appear neutral on the surface but they, nevertheless, have an exclusionary impact on racialized people

Technology-facilitated gender-based violence: Refers to any form of gender-based violence in which technology is used to cause harm. This can include online threats or insults, online harassment, stalking someone using GPS or social media, forcing a partner to share passwords and sharing someone’s sexual images without consent. Women, girls and transgender and gender-diverse youth are at a higher risk of experiencing violence online than other groups

Transformative change: Refers to the process in which positive results are achieved and sustained over time through their institutionalization in policies, laws, programs, practices, attitudes and behaviours. The process addresses the root causes of inequality (in other words, unequal power relations) by shifting power into the hands of the marginalized, thereby creating more sustainable change

Transitional justice: Refers to judicial and non-judicial measures that are implemented to redress legacies of human rights abuses. Measures include criminal prosecutions, truth and reconciliation commissions, reparations programs and various kinds of institutional reforms

Transgender: Refers to a person who does not identify, either fully or in part, with the gender associated with the sex assigned to them at birth. It is often used as an umbrella term to represent a wide range of gender identities

Two-Spirit: Refers to, and is a collective English term for, a broad diversity of identities and experiences surrounding the interrelatedness of multiple aspects of identity including gender, sexuality, community, culture and spirituality. Some Indigenous People identify as Two-Spirit rather than, or in addition to, identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or another similar identity. Other individuals prefer culturally-specific terms, and others still prefer terms like Indigiqueer. Not all Indigenous People from 2SLGBTQI+ communities identify as Two-Spirit.

Women’s and girls’ empowerment: Refers to women and girls taking control over their lives by setting their own agendas, gaining skills and developing self-reliance. Policies and programs can support these processes. Women and girls can be empowered, for instance, by establishing conditions in which women make decisions about their use of resources and income (economic empowerment), have access to good quality education (social empowerment) and participate in political life (political empowerment)

Youth, peace and security (YPS): Refers to the agenda that was established through the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250 in 2015, followed by 2 subsequent resolutions (resolution 2419 in 2018 and 2535 in 2020). The resolutions recognize young people’s important role in international peace and security and identifies 5 pillars for action: participation, protection, prevention, partnerships, and disengagement and reintegration. This agenda distances itself from stereotypical views of youths as either victims or perpetrators of violence in conflict situations, thus recognizing young people’s fundamental and positive role in peace and security. The United Nations Security Council resolutions on YPS advocate for the inclusion of youth voices in decision-making roles at all levels of government and seek to include them meaningfully in peace processes

2SLGBTQI+: Refers to the acronym used by the Government of Canada to describe a Canadian community. 2S: at the front, Two-Spirit people, recognized as the first 2SLGBTQI+ communities. A term that describes non heterosexual and/or non-cisgender Indigenous sexual and gender identities and expressions. The term “Two-Spirit” comes from the Northern Algonquin word niizh manitoag, meaning two spirits. It represents the presence of masculine and feminine traits within an individual. L: Lesbian; G: Gay; B: Bisexual; T: Transgender; Q: Queer; I: Intersex, considers sex characteristics beyond sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression; +: is inclusive of people who identify as part of sexual and gender-diverse communities, who use additional terminologies

Annex C: History of the WPS agenda

Milestone	Year
ECOSOC resolution 11 (II) establishing the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)	1946
CEDAW	1979
Establishment of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia	1993
Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action	1995
Canada's Cabinet Commitment to GBA	1995
ECOSOC resolution 1996/6	1996
Five-year review of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (Beijing + 5)	2000
UNSCR 1325	2000
UNSCR 1820	2008
UNSCR 1888	2008
Canada's National Action Plan on gender-based analysis	2009
UNSCR 1889	2010
UNSCR 1960	2010
Canada launches first National Action Plan on women, peace and security	2011
UNSCR 2106	2013
UNSCR 2122	2013
UNSCR 2242	2015
Canada launches second National Action Plan on women, peace and security	2017
Canada launches the Elsie Initiative for Women in Peace Operations at the Vancouver UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial Conference	2017
UNSCR 2467	2019
UNSCR 2493	2019
Canada's appointment of an Ambassador for women, peace and security	2019
Canadian Armed Forces releases MOWIP Report	2022
Canada launches third National Action Plan on women, peace and security	2023

Decades of effort, largely driven by civil society, have produced a legal framework and set of international norms—the WPS agenda—that address the situation of women and girls in conflict. Civil society advocacy led to the unanimous adoption of the United Nations Security Council resolution 1325 on October 31, 2000. As the UN Security Council’s chair at the time, Namibia brought forward resolution 1325, which was strongly supported by Bangladesh. Canada voted for resolution 1325 as a non-permanent member of the Security Council in 2000 and has co-sponsored subsequent resolutions of the Security Council on women, peace and security. In 2000, Canada formed the Group of Friends of Women, Peace and Security, an informal group of 53 UN member states. This group, currently chaired by Canada, shares information and best practices and conducts periodic joint advocacy in the UN context.

The landmark United Nations Security Council resolution 1325 on women, peace and security was groundbreaking as it was the first time that the international community recognized gender as a cross-cutting theme with an application to security issues. Resolution 1325, accompanied by 9 subsequent resolutions on women, peace and security over the next 20 years, form the WPS agenda. The agenda was originally defined by 4 pillars: participation, protection, prevention, and relief and recovery. However, as international peace and security have evolved since 2000, the agenda has evolved with them. Efforts on women, peace and security now extend beyond the scope of the UN Security Council resolutions themselves.

The WPS agenda framework recognizes that armed conflict affects people differently based on their gender. It goes beyond the characterization of women and girls as victims of conflict and considers them crucial actors in enabling and achieving long-lasting peace. The WPS agenda is localized through national action plans, and to date, over 100 UN member states have adopted a National Action Plan (“action plan”) on women, peace and security.

Annex D: Associated documents and resources

Building a Foundation for Change: Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy (from 2019 to 2022)

Canada’s Action Plan for the Implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolutions on Women, Peace and Security (from 2010 to 2016)

Canada’s Action Plan for the Implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolutions on Women, Peace and Security (from 2017 to 2022)

Canada’s Disability Inclusion Action Plan 2022

Canada’s Feminist Foreign Policy (link to be included)

Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy

Elsie Initiative for Women in Peace Operations

Elsie Initiative Barrier Assessment - Results of the Measuring Opportunities for Women in Peace Operations Assessment for the Canadian Armed Forces

Emergency Management Strategy for Canada: Toward a Resilient 2030

Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan . . . Building our future, with pride 2022

Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy

Future of Diplomacy: Transforming Global Affairs Canada Discussion Paper (June 2023)

The Federal Gender-Based Violence Strategy

Implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People Act

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan

National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking (from 2019 to 2024)

Progress Report on Canada’s National Action Plan (from 2017 to 2022) for the Implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolutions on Women, Peace and Security Fiscal Year (2020 to 2021)

Public Safety Diversity and Inclusion Framework

Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

Strong, Secure, Engaged: Canada’s Defence Policy

The First Public Report of the National Risk Profile

Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act

United Nations Security Council resolutions on women, peace and security:

United Nations Security Council resolution 1325 (2000)

United Nations Security Council resolution 1820 (2008)

United Nations Security Council resolution 1888 (2008)

United Nations Security Council resolution 1889 (2009)

United Nations Security Council resolution 1960 (2010)

United Nations Security Council resolution 2106 (2013)

United Nations Security Council resolution 2122 (2013)

United Nations Security Council resolution 2242 (2015)

United Nations Security Council resolution 2467 (2019)

United Nations Security Council resolution 2493 (2019)

United Nations Security Council resolutions on youth, peace and security:

United Nations Security Council resolution 2250 (2015)

United Nations Security Council resolution 2419 (2018)

United Nations Security Council resolution 2535 (2020)

Footnotes

Footnote 1

Annual report of the UN Secretary General on women, peace and security, October 2022.

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Footnote 2

When the action plan references “women,” “girls” and/or “gender-diverse people,” this is inclusive of all women, girls and gender-diverse people, unless otherwise stated. This includes women facing multiple and intersecting forms of oppression, inequity and exclusion based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, sex characteristics, race, ethnicity, culture, place of birth, religion or belief, language, geography, education, income, age, disability and other identity factors. Women in all their diversity are not referenced systematically throughout the action plan as all women, including young women, are inherently included in the Government of Canada’s definition of a “woman.”

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Footnote 3

UN Women, Making Women Count - Not Just Counting Women: Assessing Women’s Inclusion and Influence on Peace Negotiations, 2016.

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Footnote 4

UN Security Council, UN Security Council Resolution 1325, 2000.

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Footnote 5

UN Women, The Global Study on the Implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, 2015.

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Footnote 6

UN Security Council, Remarks by UN Women executive director to UN Security Council, 2023.

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Footnote 7

UN Security Council, Remarks by UN Women executive director to UN Security Council, 2023.

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Footnote 8

UN Security Council, Remarks by UN Secretary General to UN Security Council, 2023.

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Footnote 9

UN Security Council, Annual report of the UN Secretary General on Women, Peace and Security, 2022.

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Footnote 10

Women, young women and girls all face inequalities, which differ depending on their age and society’s perception of their age. This action plan recognizes that the differential hurdles that women of various ages face have similarities, but are different. The youth, peace and security agenda is relevant to implementing and achieving the goals of the WPS agenda, as well as Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security. There are synergies between the two agendas, as both work toward countering exclusionary practices in the peace and security sector and specific threats they face due to the intersection of their age and gender. Recognizing that young women face specific barriers, Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security aims to break down silos between the youth, peace and security and the WPS agendas. Young women are not mentioned systematically throughout this action plan as they are inherently integrated into the definition of a “woman,” however, the acknowledgment of young women’s identities as both “youth” and “women” is important and highlights the significant challenges young women face both in Canada and abroad.

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Footnote 11

UN Security Council, Report of the Secretary General on conflict-related sexual violence, 2022.

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Footnote 12

UN Security Council, Remarks by UN Women executive director to UN Security Council, 2023.

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Footnote 13

The anti-gender and anti-feminist movements are international movements that oppose gender theory, gender mainstreaming, gender policies and gender equality. Often, anti-gender and anti-feminist movements focus their efforts on opposing 2SLGBTQI+ rights, in particular trans rights and reproductive rights. There is no unifying definition of the anti-gender and anti-feminist movements, however they are often focused on the denial of human rights.

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Footnote 14

Human Rights Watch, The Global Backlash Against Women’s Rights, 2023; Equal Rights Coalition, Anti-Gender Movement Background Paper, 2022.

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Footnote 15

The action plan advisory group for Canada’s second National Action Plan on women, peace and security (from 2017 to 2022) was comprised of civil society experts and government officials to exchange experiences and best practices, discuss challenges and develop innovative solutions related to implementation of the action plan.

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Footnote 16

The term “intersectionality” was first developed by American scholar and law professor Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989 and is an approach that “sees the way in which various forms of inequality often operate together and exacerbate each other.” Her 1989 paper “Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex” offered a critique of the ways in which mainstream feminism did not substantively address the experiences of Black women. Intersectionality is rooted in Black feminism, and the experiences of Black women, and seeks to centre the voices and experiences of people facing multiple and intersecting forms of oppression, inequality and exclusion.

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Footnote 17

An intersectional feminist approach means accounting for and responding to the multiple and intersecting forms of oppression, inequality and exclusion that various groups experience. Applying an intersectional approach requires us to recognize, respond to and mitigate the ways in which multiple compounding factors influence a person’s access to opportunities. Systemic barriers based on identity factors (including, but not limited to, gender, sex, race, ethnicity, culture, place of birth, religion, language, geography, education, income, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, perceived gender, age and disability), group membership (social networks, peer groups and family affiliations) and social contexts (attitudes, norms, beliefs and cultures shaping daily realities) all contribute to keeping people from achieving equality, peace and security. Intersectionality is at the centre of this action plan’s feminist approach as it recognizes the need to break down structural barriers and work toward transformative change to eliminate these forms of oppression, inequality and exclusion.

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Footnote 18

One way to implement an intersectional feminist approach with GBA Plus is through tools such as the one developed by the Native Women’s Association of Canada, which uses culturally relevant gender-based analysis: A Policy Roadmap for Culturally Relevant Gender-Based Analysis (CRGBA).

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Footnote 19

Angus Read Institute, Canadian Race Relations Foundation: Canada-China tensions and the impact on Canada’s Asian diaspora, 2023.

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Footnote 20

National Council of Canadian Muslims, NCCM Recommendations: National Summit on Islamophobia, 2021.

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Footnote 21

Government of Canada, Factsheet – Antisemitism in Canada, 2023.

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Footnote 22

The term “gender” refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviours, expressions and identities of girls, women, boys, men and gender-diverse people. It influences how people perceive themselves and each other, how they act and interact, and the distribution of power and resources in society. Gender identity is not confined to a binary (girl/woman, boy/man) nor is it static; it exists along a continuum and can change over time. There is considerable diversity in how individuals and groups understand, experience and express gender through the roles they take on, the expectations placed on them, relations with others and the complex ways that gender is institutionalized in society.

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Footnote 23

The exclusion of 2SLGBTQI+ issues in the WPS agenda and the use of a narrow, binary understanding of gender are major criticisms of this agenda. Omitting gender identity and sexual orientation has disregarded the needs of 2SLGBTQI+ people in peace and security efforts, while also failing to understand the roles that “sexuality and gender norms play in sustaining systems of political power,” in Mason, Sofia. “Why queering the agenda should be the next step for Women, Peace and Security.” Centre for Youth and International Studies. 9 December 2020. See also: Hagen, Jamie. (2016) “Queering women, peace and security.” International Affairs, vol 92, no. 2.

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Footnote 24

The Government of Canada acknowledges that for millennia, many Indigenous cultures have acknowledged the existence of people who did not fit the woman-man gender binary. There are cultures around the world that have various ways of thinking about gender that go beyond the binary. According to Statistics Canada, in 2022, more than 41,400 people identified themselves as non-binary in Canada. Statistics Canada, Canada’s Transgender and Non-Binary Populations: Data Visualization Tool, 2022.

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Footnote 25

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Civil Society Workshop Outcome Document, 2022.

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Footnote 26

Human Rights Watch report, The Global Backlash Against Women’s Rights, 2023; Equal Rights Coalition, Anti-Gender Movement Background Paper, 2022.

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Footnote 27

While Focus area 2 references security and justice sectors, Focus area 2 is not a catch-all for everything related to security and justice. Work by security and justice actors are relevant to multiple focus areas. The purpose of Focus area 2 is to focus on increased security and access to justice for women, girls and gender-diverse people, as well as the participation of women and gender-diverse people in these sectors.

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Footnote 28

UN Women, Rule of law: Justice and security.

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Footnote 29

UN Women, Closing the Gender Gap in Humanitarian Action.

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Footnote 30

SGBV is not limited to physical violence and can include any word, action or attempt to degrade, control, humiliate, intimidate, coerce, deprive, threaten or harm another person. SGBV can take many forms, including cyber, physical, sexual, societal, psychological, emotional and economic. Neglect, discrimination and harassment can also be forms of GBV.

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Footnote 31

Understanding the complex intersectionality of gender with other factors (race, religion, sex, etc.) is crucial in addressing the issue of gender-based violence. It is also important to acknowledge that while men and boys may also experience such violence, it disproportionately affects women and girls.

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Footnote 32

UN, Sexual harassment and gender-based hate speech, 2023.

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Footnote 33

International Monetary Fund, The Heavy Economic Toll of Gender-based Violence: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa, 2022.

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Footnote 34

As per Canada’s 2021Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan, “The violence the National Inquiry heard about amounts to a race-based genocide of Indigenous Peoples, including First Nations, Inuit and Métis, which especially targets women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people. This genocide has been empowered by colonial structures, evidenced notably by the Indian Act, the Sixties Scoop, residential schools, and breaches of human and Indigenous rights, leading directly to the current increased rates of violence, death and suicide in Indigenous populations.”

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Footnote 35

TFGBV can include image-based abuse, harassment and abuse, stalking and monitoring, device and app control, public disclosure of private information and doxing, impersonation, threats of violence, hate speech, misinformation and disinformation, and misogyny linked to radicalization and violent extremism.

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Footnote 36

For further information about sexual misconduct in Canadian security institutions, see: Report of the Independent External Comprehensive Review (Arbour Report) and Broken Lives, Broken Dreams: The Devastating Effects of Sexual Harassment on Women in the RCMP (Bastarache Report).

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Footnote 37

Government of Canada, Partnerships and organizations, 2023.

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Footnote 38

Note that the number preceding each outcome corresponds with the numbering in the Logic model below.

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Footnote 39

Immediate outcomes measures changes in the capacities of intermediaries or program participants. They include changes in knowledge, opinions, skills, awareness, attitudes, ability, willingness and motivation.

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Footnote 40

UN, Handbook for United Nations Field Missions on Preventing and Responding to Conflict-Related Sexual Violence, 2020.

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Footnote 41

OECD, States of Fragility 2022

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Date Modified:: 2024-03-28

Foundations for Peace: Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security – 2023 to 2029

Contents

Acronyms

Letter from the ministers

Executive summary

Section 1: Women, peace and security in a changing world

Building from a global agenda

The Government of Canada’s evolution in implementing the women, peace and security agenda

Being transparent, tracking impact

Being fit for purpose

Strengthening partnerships and working with civil society and Indigenous Peoples

Bridging the domestic and international divide

Developing an intersectional, feminist approach

Confronting and countering racism

Saying what we mean: “Gender,” “sex” and “women”

Section 2: Designed for impact

Vision and principles

Structure of Canada’s National Action Plan

Adopting a thematic approach

Partners

Policy alignment

Focus areas

Focus area 1: Building and sustaining peace

Our vision:

Why the Government of Canada will focus on building and sustaining peace:

How the Government of Canada will help build and sustain peace:

Themes related to Focus area 1:

Focus area 2: Security, justice and accountability

Our vision:

Why the Government of Canada will focus on security, justice and accountability:

How the Government of Canada will focus on security, justice and accountability:

Themes related to Focus area 2:

Focus area 3: Crisis response

Our vision:

Why the Government of Canada will focus on crisis response:

How the Government of Canada will improve crisis response:

Themes Related to Focus area 3:

Focus area 4: Sexual and gender-based violence

Our vision:

Why the Government of Canada will focus on addressing sexual and gender-based violence:

How the Government of Canada will prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence:

Themes related to Focus area 4:

Focus area 5: Leadership and capabilities

Our vision:

Why the Government of Canada will focus on leadership and capabilities:

How the Government of Canada will demonstrate its leadership and build capabilities:

Themes related to Focus area 5:

Focus area 6: Inclusion

Our vision:

Why the Government of Canada will focus on inclusion:

How the Government of Canada will advocate for a more inclusive WPS agenda and mainstream inclusion throughout its efforts:

Themes related to Focus area 6:

Section 3: Delivering on commitments

Governance and coordination

Coordination hub

Director general steering committee

Monitoring, evaluation and learning community of practice

Focal points coordination group

Partnership with civil society and Indigenous Peoples

Resourcing

Monitoring, evaluation and learning

Annex A: Monitoring, evaluation and learning framework

Key performance indicators

KPI 1.1

Focus area

OutcomeFootnote 38

Key performance indicator (KPI)

Type of KPI

KPI 2.1

Focus area

Outcome

Key performance indicator (KPI)

Type of KPI

KPI 2.2

Focus area

Outcome

Key performance indicator (KPI)

Type of KPI

KPI 2.3

Focus area

Outcome^{Footnote 38}

Immediate outcomes^{Footnote 39}