Results

To achieve its gender equality objectives, CIDA uses both gender integration and specific programming approaches. Through gender integration, CIDA works with partners to integrate gender equality as a cross-cutting theme into all policies and programs. Specific programming refers to programming that has equality between women and men as a principal objective. Specific programming allows CIDA to adapt to local contexts where challenges to achieving gender equality cannot be addressed effectively through gender integration alone.

Decision Making
Rights
Development Resources and Benefits

Decision Making

Integration- The Canada Fund for Africa's (CFA) Parliamentary Strengthening Program has increased the capacity of women parliamentarians to influence decision-making, and the ability of several parliamentary systems to analyze and address gender issues. CFA worked with parliament and civil society in Niger to produce a handbook on how to conduct an effective campaign for potential women candidates in the recent national election. The outcome of those elections was an increase in the number of women parliamentarians from 1 to 14, and the appointment of 6 women to ministerial posts.

Sustainable Water and Sanitation (PASOS II) project in Honduras included training on equality between women and men and a requirement of 30 percent representation of women in water committees and sub-committees among its components. As a result, the health status of women as well as men has improved, as has women's leadership, decision-making and project management capacities.

The Election Support Fund for the Occupied Territories of Palestine trained 80 female community activists and volunteers on legal issues to promote women's rights via the Palestinian Legislative Council 25 women trained to assist in monitoring of the electoral process during Palestinian Legislative Council elections.

Specific - In Pakistan, the Women's Participation in Local Government Elections project mobilized and supported women voters and female local councilor candidates during the 2005 local elections. Through the project, 39,000 women were assisted in obtaining identity cards required to vote, 31,000 women voters were registered, and women candidates were encouraged to run for office. With support of this project, more women candidates ran for office, resulting in a reduction in the number of uncontested seats from 25 percent to 15 percent vis-à-vis the 2001 local elections.

In communities assisted by the Gender Equality Fund Phase II in Colombia, women's political participation and leadership at the local and state levels has increased: of the 7,200 women who received training on gender issues, public administration and citizenship, 1,150 were elected to regional assemblies, local planning councils and boards or as mayors and municipal councilors. More than 800 men also participated in the above training, creating an enabling environment for the development and adoption of local projects, policies and plans supportive of equality between women and men.

---

Rights

Integration - In Bolivia, CIDA's contribution to the Human Rights Ombudsman office (Defensor del Pueblo - DP) has led to a gradual increase in formal complaints by women and progress on issues of violence against women (with police and justice system).
Recently, the Special Program for Women conducted a national study of sexual violence against girls in rural areas and also a study of private employment agencies that violate domestic workers rights. The program achieved changes to the budget instructions for municipalities so that they include specific budget items for productive and family violence programs to benefit women locally.

Specific- In Mali, funding from the Gender and Development Fund in the Bandiagara circle led to the elimination of the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) in 68 villages, impacting the lives of approximately 47, 000 women and girls of reproductive age. The success of this funding also contributed to the development of a regional protocol to eliminate the practice of FGM.

---

Development Resources and Benefits

Integration- The Microfinance Investment Support Facility for Afghanistan has over 300,000 active clients, of which 72% of the clients are women.

In South Africa, CIDA has provided support to the Goelama Project of the Nelson Mandela's Children Fund, which is focused on supporting sustainable livelihoods through increasing access to credit and business opportunities in HIV/AIDS affected communities. In total, 6,000 women, men and orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV/AIDS have benefited from micro-credit income generation activities.

Specific - In Ukraine, CIDA support to the Kharkiv City Women's Fund resulted in the permanent inclusion of gender lots for the support of women's small and medium businesses in the local budget (120 thousand hryvnyas of the local budget money are spent now each year to support this component in Kharkiv).

In Senegal, the Projet Fond de Renforcement pour L'Economie Populaire (FREP) has contributed to mobilizing women in working towards reducing female poverty in Kolda. The program has provided loans to 2,700 women, and the returns on investments made by women are normally higher than 50 percent. In addition, the program is engaged in policy dialogue with Senegalese authorities, focusing on reducing inequalities between men and women.