Brave words need bold actions

I was pleased to be invited to the launch of Canada's new Feminist International Assistance Policy on June 9. It was a proud moment for me, an immigrant in my chosen country, to be among an intimate group to hear the announcement from Minister of International Development and La Francophonie Marie-Claude Bibeau. As the policy outlines, the federal government is reorienting public policy to put the security, rights, and economic empowerment of women and girls at the centre of its global aid strategy. I was especially proud because at Crossroads International we made the same choice more than a decade ago.

The policy promises to enhance the protection and promotion of the human rights of women and girls; increase the participation of women and girls in equal decision-making, particularly when it comes to sustainable development; and give women and girls more equitable access to, and control over, the resources they need to secure ongoing economic and social equality. These are the same tenets of our strategic plan!

The federal government has also committed to increase programs that will:

• Address sexual and gender-based violence and increase access to justice for victims
• Build capacity of local women’s organizations and movements and their work to advance legislation and policies that advance women’s rights
• Increase access to resources and growth for women including access to land; and improve economic opportunities for, and resilience of, rural women that take full account of impact on the environment and climate change
• Advance women’s leadership and decision-making in governance at all levels
• Effectively engage men and boys

In my partner visits this past year I saw example after example of innovative programming that is contributing greatly to each of these goals. Our work to advance women’s equality is benefiting whole communities.

Of course with this new mandate, more discussion of the myriad of details on how to implement a feminist international aid policy will be required. Crossroads International looks forward to working with the government and other stakeholders to facilitate a smooth implementation.

A key aspect of this implementation not yet accounted for however, is resourcing. Eighty percent of aid will go to the advancement of gender equality and empowerment of women and girls by 2021-22. This as well, is tremendous.

Yet the sum of this aid is not known. As I shared with you in advance 2017 federal Budget, Canada is on pace to have the lowest aid commitment of any Canadian government in half a century and has become a laggard among G7 countries when it comes to international aid. The most recent Budget did nothing to address this concern.

This Minister and the federal government have demonstrated courage and foresight in committing to a feminist international assistance policy. They must now back up their pledge with dollars. Investments spent wisely will realize greater gains and serve as stronger justification for the government’s strategy. 

As a country we have a lot to celebrate on this our 150th birthday and this bold policy is one of them. Planning for the next federal Budget is about to get underway. Let’s ensure this time the government gets the message: brave words need bold actions; increase international aid spending now. The women and girls of the world are depending on us.

To read more about Canada’s Feminist Foreign Policy visit http://international.gc.ca/world-monde/issues_development-enjeux_developpement/priorities-priorites/policy-politique.aspx?lang=eng#1

Seeking Justice for women in Tanzania

I have just returned from Tanzania to meet with our partners for the first time. Our discussions were frank, informative and, at times, difficult to hear. Yet I return with a sense of hope. 

The context and magnitude of the challenge of gender violence in Tanzania was startling. While Canada is not immune to issues of systemic violence, the absence of the sort of basic societal structures and policy responses in Tanzania that Canadians take for granted was alarming.

That is why it was so moving to see Crossroads volunteers with direct experience in the Canadian system —  a judge of the only Canadian Domestic Violence Integrated Court, a Crown Attorney and a manager of the Victim and Witness Services from Toronto — working with our partners KWIECO, police officers, justice officials and policy makers to share knowledge and provide training in systemic responses to gender-based violence cases in the court system.  

One of the first questions volunteers asked shelter staff concerned the first steps when a woman who is a victim of violence presents herself. Are the police called? This is a reasonable assumption, yet it underscores the many gaps in access to justice for women. Even where there is goodwill, there may not be adequate resources. For instance, police often will not answer a distress call without having the cost of the fuel to take victims to safety paid for!

This is not the least of roadblocks that await victims of violence seeking justice. Public confidence in police response is low. The place of paralegals in the justice system – among the key actors in the pursuit of justice for women – is fragile. They are not recognized by the Ministry of Justice in Tanzania. Cultural assumptions and traditions continue to be a challenge. All of this at a time when up to 40% of all public legal cases in the Kilimanjaro region are gender violence cases.

Yet I returned to Canada with great hope and determination to do more. There is demonstrable progress. Women are better informed about their rights and are better positioned to demand justice. There is greater awareness of gender-based violence generally throughout the community. In addition, paralegals are coming into the communities once a week to provide consultations. Change is being made and there is a shift in thinking. 

Crossroads and its partners are at the forefront of this change. The Access to Justice Program in Ghana and now Tanzania is inspiring.  And with support from the Government of Canada’s volunteer cooperation program, information and expertise is being shared and adapted to the local context in each of the countries where we are active. The model could have an unprecedented impact on women’s access to justice and equality across regions and countries and we need to do more.

Ending gender-based violence requires a holistic approach. More supports are needed for psychological support, where there is a clear need especially for children who have experienced or witnessed violence and access to health care, since hospitals are often far from the community so it is difficult to get evidence of assault.

Change can be painfully slow for a woman and her child staying in a remote shelter wondering if wounds can heal and justice will ever be realized. But change can, and does happen. Rights awareness and demands for access to justice are growing and as it does violence will ultimately be reduced and rights will be realized. With the collaboration of volunteers and donors, Crossroads will continue to seek that justice alongside our partners and the women and girls they serve.