The G7 Summit is an important opportunity to take concerted action on the world’s most pressing challenges, including making sure more people benefit from our rapidly changing economy. Canada is announcing the following initiatives as concrete actions in support of key areas of attention at the G7 Summit in Biarritz, France.
Strengthening the partnership with Africa
AFAWA (Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa): $12.5M to the African Guarantee Fund
In partnership with the African Development Bank, Canada will invest in the African Guarantee Fund to improve access to finance for women entrepreneurs in Africa.
Dr. Mukwege’s Panzi Foundation: $2M
Canada will support the Panzi Foundation, founded by Dr. Denis Mukwege, to implement a sexual and reproductive health and rights project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Tackling the climate crisis and protecting our shared environment
Green Climate Fund (GCF): $300M
Canada’s contribution to the GCF’s first replenishment will enable the GCF to provide finance needed by developing countries to limit or reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, and to adapt to the impacts of climate change.
Global Environment Facility’s Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF): $7.5M
The LDCF helps the world’s most vulnerable countries adapt to the effects of climate change. Canada has previously contributed $50 million to the LDCF.
Gender and Climate Finance: $5M to Convergence
Canada will work with Convergence to support the development of innovative climate finance initiatives in which gender is a core element.
The Incubator Network: $9M
In support of the Ocean Plastics Charter agreed in Charlevoix, the Incubator Network seeks to prevent plastic waste from entering the world’s oceans by developing inclusive and sustainable waste management systems. In India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, the Incubator Network will generate sustainable jobs in waste management, particularly for women and marginalized populations, and support local governments, community organizations and the private sector.
Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance (ORRAA): $2.5M
In support of the Charlevoix Blueprint for Healthy Oceans, Seas and Resilient Coastal Communities, Canada’s support for ORRAA will help mobilize innovative financing solutions to protect ocean health and build resilience to extreme weather events for vulnerable coastal communities.
Fighting inequalities through education
Gender equality was a top priority for Canada during its G7 Presidency. A key outcome of the 2018 G7 Summit was the mobilization of $3.8 billion to support quality education for women and girls living in crisis, conflict-affected and fragile states. The following projects show Canada’s continued commitment to advancing gender equality through quality education, particularly in Africa, consistent with the focus in France’s G7 Presidency on fighting inequalities.
School Feeding Platform: Breaking Barriers to Girls’ Education: $30M
This project will establish a new School Feeding Programme for children and adolescents to increase attendance at the primary and secondary school levels and improve learning conditions in displacement settings, addressing, in particular, the barriers to education faced by girls and adolescent girls and improving their nutrition.
Interagency Network on Education in Emergencies (INEE): $2M
The INEE is an open, global network of UN agencies, NGOs, donors, governments, universities, schools, and affected populations working together to ensure all persons have the right to quality education in emergencies and post-crisis recovery.
Empowering Adolescent Girls to Learn and Earn (EAGLE) – Mozambique: $9.5M
The project works in six districts of the Manica and Sofala provinces of Mozambique to expand basic literacy, numeracy and skills development of 3,000 vulnerable, out-of-school adolescent girls, including adolescent mothers and those with disabilities or HIV/AIDS. The project aims to expand their economic empowerment and improve their capacity to protect themselves from sexual and gender-based violence.
Improving Girls’ Rights to Education in Niger: $7M
The project will promote girls’ rights to education by reducing gender disparities facing girls in schools and family environments that limit their access to quality education. The project will also offer innovative solutions in education to address the vulnerabilities in Niger. This project will directly benefit up to 100,000 school-aged girls (7-18).
School Reintegration for Child Survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in South and North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): $8.2M
This project will support the reintegration of child survivors of SGBV into a safer school system in conflict-affected and marginalized communities in North and South Kivu provinces, DRC. More than 14,000 girls and 14,000 boys aged 6 to 16, including 720 girl and 180 boy survivors of SGBV, will directly benefit from the project.
Equal Access to Education in Cameroon: $10M
This project will promote inclusion and equal access to education in Cameroon for girls and children aged 4-15, who have disabilities, in regions affected by humanitarian crises in the Far North, Littoral and West regions of Cameroon. The project will focus on girls who are refugees, returnees and internally displaced.
Strengthen the Right of Girls to Complete Safe and Timely Schooling in Burkina Faso: $14M
The project aims to ensure the right of girls and boys aged 6 to 16 to obtain a safe and gender-sensitive education by addressing the urgent and growing needs of children in areas of Burkina Faso where security is compromised.
Equality for Girls’ Access to Education in the Democratic Republic of Congo: $7M
This project will reduce barriers that prevent girls from attending school, while reinforcing the quality and gender-responsiveness of formal and non-formal education services in the provinces of North Kivu and Kasai.
Improving Learning Transitions and Retention for Girls' Empowerment in Rural and Remote Areas of Somalia: $11M
The project, implemented by CARE Canada, will improve access to quality education for up to 25,000 marginalized young girls aged 10-19, including sedentary and nomadic girls; and girls with disabilities and/or affected by conflict and violence.
Improving Adolescent Girls Inclusive Education: Mali: $20.3M
This project will promote the right to inclusive, quality and gender responsive education for 90,000 young and adolescent girls in 11 communities in Segou and Mopti conflict-affected regions. This initiative will be implemented by Plan International Canada in partnership with World Vision Canada and Save the Children Canada.
Educating Vulnerable and Hard to Reach girls and adolescent girls in northeastern Nigeria: $9.2M
This project will focus on conflict-affected states of northeastern Nigeria (Yobe, Adamawa, and parts of Borno) where early recovery work is possible. The project will aim to improve the basic skills of girls and women affected by the conflict so they can earn an income.
Community Based Education in South Sudan: $8.5M
This project will improve access to education and learning opportunities for 9,900 marginalized and vulnerable out of school children – especially girls – and will increase access to schooling by establishing 300 non-formal schools that will offer a quality primary education.
Global Partnership to End Violence against Children: $5M
In support of the Safe to Learn Campaign, Canada will work with UNICEF to support activities in five African countries that specifically focus on addressing violence as a barrier to girls’ education.
UNdaunted - Educating Girls with Disabilities in Somalia: $5M
UNICEF Canada will use Canada’s investment to leverage additional funding from Canadian philanthropists to invest in removing barriers to girls’ education. The project seeks to benefit 22,500 adolescent girls in Somalia.
Inclusive Education for Palestinian Children with Disabilities – West Bank and Gaza: $4M
This project, implemented by Humanity & Inclusion Canada, will promote the inclusion and access of girls and boys with disabilities in the West Bank and Gaza to gender- and disability-responsive inclusive education.
SALALEM: Prosperity and Advancement for Palestinian Women and Youth – West Bank and Gaza: $10M
This project, implemented by Catholic Relief Services, will improve learning outcomes of young women and youth with disabilities in the West Bank and Gaza. The project will result in improved learning for work skills and job-readiness, and reduced barriers to workforce entry.
Gender-Responsive and Inclusive Technical and Vocational Education and Training in the West Bank: $10M
This project, implemented by Canadian Lutheran World Relief, will aim for improved and equitable learning and employment outcomes for women and girls, especially women with disabilities, in the West Bank.