Canada's New Government funds projects aimed at improving lives of women

Ottawa - The Honourable Josée Verner, Minister of International Cooperation and Minister for La Francophonie and Official Languages, today announced that Canada is committing more than $9 million to fund two projects, executed by Oxfam Canada and Oxfam Quebec respectively, to empower women in developing countries.

"Canada's New Government is committed to supporting programs and organizations that improve the lives of women around the world," Minister Verner said. "In Afghanistan, Vietnam, Africa, or Latin America, equal participation of women and men in the development of their societies and equal access to development benefits are two prerequisites for sustainable development."

Through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Canada will contribute $4.92 million over two years to Oxfam Canada's Engendering Change project. Oxfam Canada will work with civil-society organizations in nine developing countries to advocate women's rights and interests, and to promote women's participation in decision-making.

The second project announced will be executed by Oxfam Quebec in Vietnam with CIDA funding of $4.5 million over five years. This rural business development project will promote the start-up and growth of rural businesses and micro-businesses.

Today's announcement was made at an event on Parliament Hill as part of International Development Week 2007.

The event was organized in partnership with the United Nations Association of Canada. Several partners were present, including Amjad Arbab, Director of the Microfinance Investment Support Facility for Afghanistan (MISFA), and Katrin Fakiri, the program manager in Parwaz. Both work on projects funded by Canada that have a major impact on the quality of life and living conditions of women in Afghanistan.

For more information about the projects announced today, please see the enclosed backgrounder.

Information:
Nicole Lascelle
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of International Cooperation
Telephone: 819-953-6238

Media Relations Office
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
Telephone: 819-953-6534
E-mail: info@acdi-cida.gc.ca

Backgrounder

CIDA-Funded Projects with Oxfam Canada and Oxfam Québec

Oxfam Canada: Engendering Change Project
This Oxfam Canada project is intended to offer tools and promote a social environment that allows women to exercise their rights. Oxfam is collaborating with civil society organizations in nine developing countries - Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Cuba, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe - with the goal of defending women's interests and rights.

The project is based on building the capacities of civil society organizations, in particular women's organizations, women's networks and other organizations devoted to the advancement of women's rights and equality between women and men. These organizations will then share their knowledge with communities in order to promote the status of women and to improve their quality of life.

The capacity-building initiatives will focus on issues related to livelihoods, family violence, HIV/AIDS and women's participation in decision-making.

CIDA will contribute $4.92 million over two years to support this project.

Oxfam Quebec: Rural Enterprise Expansion project
This project will promote the growth of small and micro businesses in rural areas, increase their visibility and help them to find their niche in the economy. It focuses on the three Vietnamese provinces of Quang Ninh and Hai Duong in the northeast coastal region, and Thanh Hoa in the central part of the country.

The project is intended to build the capacity of the Women's Union and the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance in each of these provinces so that they can:

• establish and manage sustainable business development centres;
• promote the integration of women in the business world; and
• advance dialogue and policy that promote women entrepreneurs.

The project will help to create more employment that is decent, safe, and permanent, especially for women entrepreneurs.

A memorandum of understanding about the project was signed on December 13, 2006, in Hanoi, in the presence of representatives of the Canadian and Vietnamese governments and of the organizations from the three Vietnamese provinces participating in the project. In signing the MOU, Vietnam signified its intention to do its part toward fulfilling the project objectives.

CIDA will be providing $4.5 million over five years to finance the project.


Information:
Media Relations Office
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
Telephone: 819-953-6534
E-mail: info@acdi-cida.gc.ca