Women

A New Face in International Development
- March 29, 2019
Maryam Monsef is the new face mandated to set the tone of international co-operation as Minister of International Development. Her arrival on March 1^st is the result of the crisis of integrity in the government triggered by the flow …
By John Sinclair
Canadian Foreign Policy, International Development, Refugees, United Nations, Women
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New Partnerships for Minister Monsef?
- March 29, 2019
Since March 1, 2019, Maryam Monsef has been the new Minister of International Development, adding to her responsibilities as Minister for Women and Gender Equality. A companion blog outlines the demanding new landscape in which she must operate. The aim …
By John Sinclair
Canadian Foreign Policy, International Development, Refugees, United Nations, Women
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Punishment or Banishment?
- February 22, 2019
So-called jihadi brides are in the news, accused of supporting terrorism by having travelled to ISIS territory to marry ISIS fighters in support of the caliphate. Three Western states are implicated: the UK, the US, and Canada.

UK citizen Shemima …
By Patti Tamara Lenard
Human Rights, International Security, Women
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A Nation in Transition: Afghan Perspectives on Society, Politics, and Economics, 2004 and 2018, Part 1
- January 23, 2019
The survey of the Afghan people, undertaken by the Asia Foundation every year since 2004, is an important barometer, tracking opinions on social, political, economic, and security conditions in their country. The survey findings provide a longitudinal picture of how …
By Nipa Banerjee
Democracy, Fragile States, International Development, Middle East, Women
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A Nation in Transition: Afghan Perspectives on Society, Politics, and Economics, 2004 and 2018, Part 2
- January 23, 2019
In Part 1 of this blog, we looked at some results from the Asia Foundation’s annual survey of the Afghan people, comparing the results from 2004 and 2018 on such issues as national mood, fear for personal safety, and satisfaction …
By Nipa Banerjee
Democracy, Fragile States, International Development, Middle East, Women
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Canada Can’t Put Human Rights on the Back Burner in 2019
- December 19, 2018
By Stéphanie Bacher

Over the past year, Canada has taken some important steps to promote and protect human rights abroad. However, the picture is not as rosy as often presented by the government, and Canada still has a long way …
By CIPS
Canadian Foreign Policy, Gender, Human Rights, International Trade, Middle East, Women
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Democracy’s Promise Unfulfilled while Violence against Women in Politics Persists
- December 10, 2018
In October 2018, the Office for the High Commissioner on Human Rights’ Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women and Girls presented a report to the UN General Assembly recognizing violence against women in politics (VAWP) as a human rights violation …
By Gabrielle Bardall
Democracy, Gender, Human Rights, Women
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Canada’s Feminist International Assistance: Can Bad Policy be Well Implemented? (Part 1)
- September 13, 2018
Last summer, the government of Canada launched its “feminist international assistance policy,” a radical rebranding to a “truly feminist approach that supports the economic, political and social empowerment of women and girls, and makes gender equality a priority, …
By Christoph Zuercher
Canadian Foreign Policy, International Development, Women
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Canada’s Feminist International Assistance: Can Bad Policy be Well Implemented? (Part 2)
- September 13, 2018
In Part 1 of this blog post, I ranted about discussed why Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy is likely to fail. However, even a bad policy can be implemented in ways that make failure less likely and create opportunities …
By Christoph Zuercher
Canadian Foreign Policy, International Development, Women
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The ODA Accountability Act at Ten: Time for an Update
- September 5, 2018
by Stephen Brown and Hunter McGill

Ten years ago, the Canadian parliament unanimously passed the Official Development Assistance Accountability Act, following years of intensive lobbying by Canadian civil society organizations. Prior to 2008, Canada had not had any legislation …
By Stephen Brown
Canadian Foreign Policy, International Development, Women
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Tangible Evidence or Wishful Thinking?
- August 20, 2018
“Women’s participation in the peacebuilding process increases by 35% the probability that a peace agreement will last for at least 15 years.” Or does it?

“If you want to make peace sustainable, include women in the peacebuilding process.” Over the …
By Christoph Zuercher
Canadian Foreign Policy, Peacekeeping, Women
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Women Leaders Needed in the WTO
- June 14, 2018
The Declaration on Trade and Women’s Economic Empowerment is a stepping stone on the road to advancing gender equality and the economic empowerment of women in the World Trade Organization (WTO). The best way to achieve gender equality in an …
By Debra Steger
Gender, International Trade, United Nations, Women
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