A Prosperous Africa: Sustainable Development and Economic Cooperation

Canada announced over $168 million in funding at the A Prosperous Africa: Food Security, Climate Change and Economic Cooperation session during the Canada-African Union Commission High-Level Dialogue. The funding is being distributed as indicated below.

Expert Deployment Mechanism for Climate Action in Africa

Partners: Alinea International, Econoler and WSP Canada

Funding announced: $15 million (2021 to 2026)

This project deploys Canadian climate change experts to partner with governments, NGOs, private sector organizations, civil society organizations and post-secondary institutions on targeted, short-term technical assistance projects in support of the implementation of the Paris Agreement across the region—with a focus on increasing women’s abilities so that they can fully participate as active agents of change.

Women-Led Agro-Ecology in West Africa

Partner: Inter Pares

Funding announced: $5.5 million (2022 to 2027)

This project will address the challenges that rural women and girls in Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal and Togo face due to unequal access to knowledge and to natural and financial resources, as well as limited opportunities for political agency, decision making and leadership roles. By strengthening women’s rights while helping them implement agro-ecological approaches and sustainable business practices, this project will contribute to poverty reduction and climate resilience and deliver meaningful changes in the lives of rural women, girls and members of their communities. Inter Pares will work with local partners that organize and mentor women’s groups at the village level to strengthen their power and influence. Partners will provide training in agro-ecology, fostering the production of nutritious crops that have adapted over generations to flourish in local conditions. The project will help to establish processing and distribution networks owned and operated by women’s collectives that will sell directly to consumers in nearby urban areas.

Accelerating Regional Business Growth

Partner: RENEW International Canada, Ltd.

Funding announced: $18 million (2022 to 2029)

This project will help address the constraints faced by the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector by providing long-term gender-sensitive and climate-smart training, mentorship and advice. This will help entrepreneurs implement gender-sensitive internal policies, improve their financial management, attract investment and navigate the complex rules and regulations of regional trading. The project will also generate evidence from gender-responsive SMEs to advocate for national and regional gender-sensitive policy reform and will educate regional and international investors on the benefits of gender lens investing. The project will benefit SME entrepreneurs across East Africa as well as workers who will be formally employed in jobs that deliver a fair income, security in the workplace and social protection.

Sudan Free of Female Genital Mutilation

Partners: UNICEF, United Nations Population Fund, World Health Organization

Funding announced: $8.8 million (2022 to 2024)

This project seeks to reduce the rates of female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage across Sudan. It will do this by: empowering girls, women and members of communities to discuss, challenge and transform harmful social and gender norms; engaging those in social movements, particularly young people and health care professionals, in advocacy to transform harmful social and gender norms; supporting prevention, protection and care services to be appropriate, high-quality and effective in reaching those at risk of, or those who have survived, FGM or child marriage; and supporting the development of laws and policies on FGM and child marriage.

Strong Girls, Strong Communities: Nomadic Education

Partner: UNICEF

Funding announced: $9.2 million (2022 to 2024)

This initiative builds upon an existing project that aims to address barriers—to both supply and demand—that prevent children in Sudan, particularly girls, from attending school. It expands the focus to nomadic children who have among the lowest rates of school enrolment in the country and broadens the geographic scope of the project, targeting the states with the highest proportions of nomadic people. It will do this by: making use of alternative learning options; increasing access to permanent schools, where appropriate; addressing specific social norms that prevent schooling in nomadic communities; and increasing places in preschool to reduce families’ reliance on girls as caregivers for younger siblings during the school day.

DANBÉ: Communities Committed to the Dignity of Malian Women

Partner: International Medical Corps UK

Funding announced: $820,000 (2022 to 2026)

This project component aims to strengthen the capacity of 28 health facilities in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic through the training of health personnel on infection prevention and control, communication and social mobilization and the provision and proper management of inputs. These health centres would also be provided with personal protective equipment.  

Women and Children from Artisanal Mining Communities

Partner: Cowater International Inc.

Funding announced: $10 million (2022 to 2026)

This project aims to improve the economic empowerment and well-being of women and children in artisanal mining communities in the Keniéba circle in Mali through several activities, including: supporting the creation and structuring of local associations and savings groups; training women and adolescent girls in modern, safe and environmentally friendly mining techniques and in alternative sectors; establishing 4 incubation centres for micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and supporting the creation, management and formalization of MSMEs by women and adolescent girls. Activities also include: carrying out awareness campaigns on the rights of children and women in relation to their work in the artisanal mining sector; strengthening the capacity of village protection and alert committees to identify and respond to cases of child labour in artisanal mines and to support them in the implementation of programs for the re-schooling of children.

Socio-Economic Development of Vulnerable Populations in the Sahel

Partner: Cowater International Inc.

Funding announced: $30 million (2022 to 2028)

The project aims to provide drinking water to, and improve the socio-economic well-being of, women and girls in 3 communities in Burkina Faso through better access to health and education services and through interventions in support of economic growth.

Canada’s Contribution to the Sahel Alliance

Partner: German Society for International Cooperation

Funding announced: $300,000 (2022 to 2024)

This contribution is the fee required by all members of the Sahel Alliance for its secretariat. Through its contribution, Canada supports the proper functioning and strengthening of the activities of the secretariat, such as the coordination of members’ actions, the organization of general assemblies and steering committees and the implementation of the decisions taken by the alliance.

Inclusive Violence and Crime Prevention in South Africa

Partner: German Society for International Cooperation

Funding announced: $5 million (2021 to 2024)

This project seeks to enhance collaborative action by state and non-state actors in preventing violence, particularly against women and girls, at all levels of government in South Africa through improved implementation of national plans and strategies. It is anticipated that sustained impacts will continue to be felt on an ongoing basis as a result of the strengthened institutions and networks, as well as the reduced level of violence.

Access to Health Rights North-Burkina

Partner: Doctors of the World Canada

Funding announced: $15 million (2020 to 2027)

This project will support improved and equitable access to health care services for conflict-affected populations in Burkina Faso, particularly women and girls and populations that are the farthest from health facilities. It will also use a community-based approach to advance rights, reduce gender inequalities and address issues related to reproductive rights and gender-based violence in insecure areas.

GAIA: Gendered Actions for Inclusive Agriculture and Sustainable Development

Partner: Mercy Corps

Funding announced: $19.87 million (2022 to 2026)

This project seeks to enhance the socio-economic resilience of women and adolescent girls and their families in fragile, conflicted-affected communities in northern and central Mali (Gao, Mopti and Tombouctou). The project includes: providing training for women and adolescent girls on life skills; establishing safe spaces for women and girls within communities that support their protection and empowerment; informing adolescent girls and women on key rights, such those related to land, property and freedom from abuse; strengthening the organizational capacity of agro-producer groups and other women-led groups; and implementing a holistic agro-pastoral support package for women producers tailored to their needs.

Strengthening Gender-Based Violence Response Services and Systems in Cabo Delgado

Partner: United Nations Population Fund

Funding announced: $1 million (2021 to 2023)

This project increases support for women and girls’ rights and for protection from gender-based violence (GBV) in selected districts of Cabo Delgado province in Mozambique. It does this by strengthening multiple sectors’ response to GBV and by enhancing community systems that support women and girls’ rights, including through preventing GBV and other harmful practices. The project focuses on reaching vulnerable groups with GBV-related services and referrals. These vulnerable groups include women and girls and people living with disabilities and albinism.

COVID-19 Vaccine Delivery

Partner: World Health Organization

Funding announced: $30 million (2022 to 2024)

The project aims to reduce the incidence of COVID-19-related death and serious illness, particularly among priority groups and vulnerable populations, by increasing equitable access to and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines in 5 countries in Africa. The project will support the strengthening of health systems to enable the delivery of gender-equitable COVID-19 vaccination and routine health services.