Source: Janice Dickson | iPolitics
Humanitarian groups are lauding the federal government’s commitment to initiatives abroad that focus on sexual reproductive health services — noting it as a marked change from the previous government that excluded those services.
“I just want to commend the government of Canada for their incredible leadership in keeping gender equity and sexual reproductive rights at the forefront of [its] feminist foreign policy and core part of all the humanitarian aid and support,” said Christina Wegs of CARE International and the lead on sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Wegs was joined by Sandeep Prasad, the executive director of Action Canada for sexual health and rights, Muzna Dureid, a Syrian activist and women’s rights defender and Onyema Afulukwe, a senior counsel for Africa, global legal program and centre for reproductive rights, at a press conference on Parliament Hill Thursday morning.
The humanitarian experts said they met with International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau Thursday morning and held a panel discussion on marginalized women and girls reproductive health and rights.
While the groups are calling on the government to commit to a sexual and reproductive health and rights policy that includes new funding for women and girls in crisis — they largely celebrated the commitments that have been made so far and acknowledged that it’s quite a contrast from the previous Conservative government.