Oxfam Canada Submission to International Assistance Review

Led by a feminist Prime Minister, and with a new commitment to bringing a feminist lens to all international assistance, Canada has an opportunity to become a global leader by pioneering an approach that truly tackles the root causes of poverty and inequality.

A feminist approach has the power to transform societies. Such an approach must build women’s agency and challenge systemic inequality, unjust power systems and discriminatory norms, laws, policies and institutions at all levels. It must also emphasize learning, collaboration, participation, inclusivity and responsiveness in its processes and partnerships.

As co-chair of the Women’s Rights Policy Group, and as an organization with longstanding experience with feminist policy and programming, Oxfam Canada makes the following recommendations to Canada’s International Assistance Review. They focus first and foremost on how to strengthen Canada’s leadership on women’s rights and gender equality, and how to effectively mainstream a feminist approach throughout the thematic policy priorities outlined in the Minister’s discussion paper.