Members of Canada’s Women, Peace and Security (WPS) community welcome Minister Anita Anand’s announcement that the Government of Canada will restore the role of Ambassador for Women, Peace and Security.
This commitment comes after more than a year of sustained engagement and advocacy from civil society. Over the past months, organizations and experts across the WPS community have repeatedly called for the continuation and timely appointment of a WPS Ambassador through a series of open letters addressed to government leaders and political parties. These letters highlighted the role as a cornerstone of Canada’s leadership, coherence, and accountability on WPS.
In February 2025, members of the WPS community urged the government to ensure continuity of the Ambassador’s Office and to prioritize a timely appointment following the end of the previous mandate. In April 2025, a broad coalition called on all major political parties to commit to appointing a WPS Ambassador within the first 30 days of forming government, noting the risks to Canada’s credibility and leadership in the absence of this role.
These calls were reiterated in June 2025, with a further appeal to confirm the Office’s continuation, appoint a qualified Ambassador, and ensure the role is adequately resourced to support whole-of-government implementation of Canada’s WPS commitments.
Yesterday’s announcement is therefore a welcome and important step forward.
At the same time, this moment must mark not only a restoration, but a strengthening. The effectiveness of the WPS Ambassador role will depend on a timely appointment, a clear mandate, adequate resourcing, and sustained engagement with civil society. The Office has played a critical role in bridging government and community expertise and advancing gender-responsive peace and security policy.
In a global context marked by shrinking civic space, rising conflict, and growing challenges to gender equality, Canada’s leadership on Women, Peace and Security remains essential.
Members of the WPS community, including the WPS Network-Canada (WPSN-C) Steering Committee, stand ready to work with the forthcoming Ambassador and the Government of Canada to ensure this renewed commitment translates into meaningful action, accountability, and impact.
For inquiries, please contact:
Katrina Leclerc
Chair of the Women, Peace and Security Network-Canada (WPSN-C)
Note: This response was crafted by the 2026 Steering Committee of the WPSN-C (Katrina Leclerc (chair), Alexandria Bohémier (treasurer), Danielle Kamtié (KAIROS Canada), Denise Koh (DBA MedResRx), Kim Vance Mubanga (Egale Canada), Salamatou Tabo (ONG Développement Éco-Future & Protection, Femmes-Enfants) and Shayne Wong. It may not represent the views of all members.
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