Canada to use $100m to support women impacted by pandemic

Government of Canada has announced that it will invest 100 million CAD to support women impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Maryam Monsef, minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development, launched on Thursday a new call for proposals through Women and Gender Equality Canada’s Women’s Program. Through the call entitled “Feminist Response and Recovery Fund,” $100 million will be provided for projects helping those that need it the most.

The call for proposals is open until March 25.

The organizations that receive the funding will be able to start new projects or fund existing ones with a focus on increasing women and girls’ participation in Canada’s political, social, economic and democratic life.

“Eligible projects will tackle barriers, address harmful gender norms and attitudes, or improve policies, practices, resource distribution, networks and relationships,” said a government of Canada press release. “Recognizing the need for a feminist, intersectional response to COVID-19, Women and Gender Equality Canada will direct funding to projects supporting marginalized or underrepresented people, including Indigenous women, Black women, women of colour, women who are members of LGBTQ2 communities, and women living with disabilities or in rural or remote communities.”

The program to support women offers funding to eligible firms in three priority areas: 1. encouraging girls and women in decision-making and leadership roles, 2. improving girls’ and women’s prosperity and economic security and 3. ending violence against girls and women.

“The feminist response and recovery fund will support local; regional and national efforts to end violence against women and girls, improve women’s economic security and to increase the participation of women and girls in decision making roles,” said Monsef. “Women have been hardest hit by COVID. They continue to take on the majority of the work on the frontlines of the pandemic. The shecession is real and unless Canadian women are working, safe, with their families cared for, we will not fully recover from the pandemic.”

The government of Canada has also previously provided $100 million directly to more than 1500 organizations that support survivors of gender-based violence and their families.

CARE, an international humanitarian organization fighting global poverty and world hunger by working alongside girls and women, recognized Canada in June last year as having the most gender-responsive plan to address COVID-19 pandemic.