Women, Peace and Security: Strengthening Engagement Between the Government of Canada and Civil Society Representatives

Recommendations for Global Affairs Canada

This document was prepared under contract to the Office of the WPSA by the WPSN-C.

It provides reflections and advice on how the GoC can strengthen engagements with civil society representatives/WHRDs – in Canada and at Canadian missions abroad.

The discussion and recommendations are based on the experiences of WPSN-C members, interviews with WHRDs, two brief online surveys open to both GoC officials and civil society representatives, and a literature review. The report uses the OHCHR’s definition of WHRDs which includes women and girls rights activists and peacebuilders, all those who work for gender equality, and 2SLGBTQI+ activists (a broad definition).

The report outlines general reflections and feedback, citing specific positive examples of engagement and challenges from both Canada and Canadian missions. It then provides eight recommendations:

  1. Ground all interactions in respect and support for the safety of WHRDs.
  2. Take consultations seriously.
  3. Increase funding and improve the ‘quality’ of the funding (more flexibility, reduce red tape, longer-term, etc.).
  4. Design and implement a strategy to support and engage WHRDs now in Canada.
  5. Strengthen the implementation of the Voices at Risk guidelines.
  6. Invest in increased capacity of GAC staff to respectfully and responsibly engage with WHRDs.
  7. In consultations with Indigenous women’s organizations in Canada, develop a strategy to support their ongoing inputs into Canada’s WPS work..
  8. Strengthen policy coherence, ensuring attention to WPS generally and WHRDs more specifically across all of Canada’s international engagements.

The report concludes with a concrete list of “do’s & don’ts” for GAC officials.

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