Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy[1] recognizes that supporting gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls is the best way to build a more peaceful, inclusive and prosperous world. To do this, it supports targeted investments, partnerships, innovation, and advocacy efforts with the greatest potential to close gender gaps and improve everyone’s chance for success. But it also works across other action areas that reflect the multidimensional nature of poverty, in support of the Sustainable Development Goals. Working in this way leads to better development results and benefits everyone, including men and boys.

Six priority action areas are identified 1) gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls; 2) human dignity, which mainly concerns health and nutrition, education and humanitarian action; 3) growth that works for everyone, and that particularly targets climate-smart agriculture, green technologies and renewable energy; 4) environment and climate action, including both adaptation and mitigation in response to climate change, as well as water management; 5) inclusive governance, democracy, human rights and the rule of law; and 6) peace and security, to promote peace processes and combat gender-based violence, while advancing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda.

To foster Growth That Works for Everyone, which includes trade-related economic growth, Canada will help increase women’s access to economic opportunities and resources. This will help women and girls achieve the economic independence they need to take control of their lives. As part of this action area, Canada will: focus its international assistance more on increasing economic leadership and empowerment of women at all levels; help improve economic opportunities for and resilience of rural women; promote women’s economic rights and access to decent work; promote greater financial inclusion for women, and equal access to capital, markets, digital technology and business development services; support technical and vocational training for women; and help address unpaid work and the disproportionate burden of care shouldered by women.

Better integration of development and other objectives, such as trade, can have positive economic effects for developing countries—and for Canada. As a trading nation, Canada’s economic strength depends on diversifying trade and identifying new markets for its goods and services. The same holds true for many developing countries.

By investing in developing countries, Canada can help to encourage inclusive growth and create jobs and improve incomes—particularly for women and girls. As the economies of developing countries strengthen and become more stable, there is an opportunity for Canada to form new and mutually beneficial trading partnerships.

Recognizing that trade has not always benefited everyone equally, Canada is committed to a progressive trade agenda that fully considers gender equality during trade negotiations, that includes strong environmental protections, and that ensures that labour provisions of all trade agreements are non-discriminatory.

Canada maintains that a balanced, rules-based international trading system will support developing countries’ efforts to expand their economic opportunities. Aid for Trade (AFT) is based on the principle that trade is a key tool for growth and development. Canada’s AFT is guided by international undertakings, particularly those flowing from WTO Ministerial meetings, G8 and G20 commitments. Canada’s AFT reached $CAD 489,797 million in 2015-2016, for a total of $CAD 2,644 billion since 2011. Canada channels its AFT through several mechanisms – bilateral assistance, multilateral institutions, and partnerships with civil society.[2]

[1] The full policy can be found here: http://international.gc.ca/world-monde/issues_development-enjeux_developpement/priorities-priorites/policy-politique.aspx?lang=eng

[2] An evergreen complete list of operational and past projects and programs can be found on Canada’s project browser: http://w05.international.gc.ca/projectbrowser-banqueprojets/?lang=eng