Backgrounder: Canada announces funding for projects that support gender equality and climate action

Backgrounder

Today, Canada announced that it is providing $67.5 million in funding for 8 climate action projects. The international development funding is being distributed as follows.

Rural Women Cultivating Change

SeedChange: $14.8 million (between fiscal years 2021 to 2022 and 2026 to 2027)

This project will target remote rural regions of Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania, where farming is the primary occupation and principal use of women’s labour. The target regions are negatively impacted by climate change, food insecurity and patriarchal norms and practices that severely limit women’s household and community leadership roles, including with regard to agricultural practices. Through the use of agro-ecological approaches that encourage equitable production, sustainable resource management and market access, this project will empower women and encourage gender-transformative change. Working in collaboration with women’s rights and agriculturally-based organizations, support will be provided to advance climate adaptation, increase food security, enhance gender equality, reduce sexual and gender-based violence and improve livelihoods for rural women.

Food and Nutritional Security and Climate Change in the Sahel

Development and Peace-Caritas Canada: $13.3 million (between fiscal years 2021 to 2022 and 2025 to 2026)

This project will be implemented in the Central Sahel region of Africa. It will use a multi-pronged strategy to boost the food security and nutrition of workers, especially women and youths, in the agriculture, forestry, livestock and fisheries sectors, as well as to improve natural resources management through the adoption of practices for mitigating and adapting to climate change. In addition to enhancing the productivity and sustainability of the workers’ economic activities, the project will assure longer-term socioeconomic security by promoting inclusive governance and fostering gender sensitivity and the inclusion of issues most important to marginalized groups, including displaced persons, in local, national and regional policy-making.

Nature-Based Climate Solutions Knowledge and Capacity Initiative

International Institute for Sustainable Development: $957,000 (between fiscal years 2021 to 2022 and 2023 2024)

This project will provide training in the design, implementation and management of nature-based climate solution projects for civil society and Indigenous organizations around the world. This training will strengthen the knowledge and capacity of Southern and Northern civil society and Indigenous peoples and organizations in designing and implementing nature-based solutions for climate adaptation projects that advance gender equality, are socially inclusive and provide biodiversity benefits in the most vulnerable regions of the world, including Sub-Saharan Africa, small island developing states and least-developed countries.

Green Economy: Women’s Economic Empowerment in Tunisia

United Nations Development Programme: $7.2 million (between fiscal years 2021 to 2022 and 2025 to 2026)

This project will be implemented in 7 Tunisian regions and aims to strengthen the emergence of an entrepreneurial ecosystem with financial tools that are innovative, alternative and accessible to a wide audience, including women entrepreneurs, thus promoting sustainable and inclusive economic growth. It will work closely with Tunisian institutions to strengthen their legislative and governance capacities for the promotion of green entrepreneurship and the development of innovative and inclusive financing mechanisms. The project will also support the green private sector, especially at the local level, with the aim of focusing development on territories through a value-chain approach and the promotion of public-private dialogue.

Social Economy Project of Agricultural Services for Rural Women in Tunisia

Union des Producteurs Agricoles-Développement International [union of agricultural producers-international development]: $9.7 million (between fiscal years 2021 to 2022 and 2025 to 2026)

The project aims to improve the socio-economic empowerment and resilience of Tunisian women agri-food producers in the face of climatic hazards and shocks and environmental degradation. The project also aims to increase women’s leadership in agricultural and agri-food service structures.

Sustainable Economic Development Through Renewable Energy in Jordan

Cowater International Inc.: $4.6 million (between fiscal years 2021 to 2022 and 2023 to 2024)

This project aims to expand the use of renewable energy and energy-efficient solutions in households, schools and public institutions in some of the poorest communities in Jordan. It helps challenge gender norms by delivering gender-sensitive vocational training to women, helping them secure employment as renewable energy technicians and supporting the innovative business ideas of women entrepreneurs. Through a group of trained women energy ambassadors, the project raises community awareness of the benefits of clean energy. It empowers women to influence decision making in their communities and households and encourages investments in renewable energy solutions.

Women-Led Coal Transition Mechanism

World Bank: $15 million (between fiscal years 2021 to 2022 and 2031 to 2032)

This project aims to foster women’s climate leadership and effective participation in the design of, and decision making regarding, coal transition strategies and the implementation of projects funded by the multi-donor Climate Investment Fund Accelerating Coal Transition program, to which Canada will contribute up to $1 billion. Canada’s contribution was announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on November 1, 2021, at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties.

Improving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ Humanitarian Assistance Capacity in Multi Hazards

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance (AHA Centre) on Disaster Management: $2 million (between fiscal years 2021 to 2022 and 2025 to 2026)

This project will support the AHA Centre’s integration into disaster management of gender, protection and inclusiveness considerations and of climate change adaptation and environmental sustainability standards and measures. Specifically, the project aims to improve the capacity of ASEAN member states and local partners to provide gender-responsive humanitarian assistance and respond to natural and human-induced disasters.

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