Grants and Contributions

The project works with stakeholders including civil society organizations and women’s groups, political parties, media, academia and parliaments to support governance that is more inclusive for all, especially marginalized groups and women.

The project aims to directly reach 394,542 girls and boys through school- and health facility-based interventions, 153,891 community level interventions, and 727,400 boys and girls through media interventions.

CIRDI’s main activities include:
(1) conducting country-level needs assessments (e.g., in the areas of taxation, legislation, revenue collection, and distribution); (2) delivering technical assistance to respond to these needs (for example by improving national legislation and regulatory policies); (3) supporting the training of government officials and practitioners (for example: scholarships, accreditation and certification programs); and (4) sharing Canadian knowledge and expertise broadly through publicly accessible media and relationships with other world-renowned centres.

With the projected growth of global virtual and augmented reality markets (VR and AR), technology, services, and solutions companies throughout multiple sectors are grappling with how to expand their businesses through creation of an innovative market niche within VR and AR. This includes media and entertainment, IT, health services, retailers, live event, and education and training companies to name just a few.

These will include developing capacity for fundraising; board governance; responsive human resources planning; and the strategic use of social media.

The first supplemental funding will be used to mitigate the impact that COVID-19 limitations have had on the project by allowing the organization to implement a fundraising plan and monitor achievement of goals set in the plan.

This will be achieved by developing and delivering a survivor-led, “train-the trainer” training program for front-line workers, hotel staff, healthcare workers, law enforcement and members of the media, as well as the community at large; by shifting the public discourse around survivors to focus on their strengths, resilience, and resistance within the context of human trafficking; and by partnering with agencies and organizations that are well-known for cultivating research, advancing knowledge and advocating in the field of human trafficking to conduct participatory ground-breaking research within the Canadian context.

Women’s Health in Women’s Hands will achieve this by 1) developing education and awareness-raising resources to add to a Toolkit for survivors of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM-C) and healthcare & community service providers, including an online website with resources, 2) recruiting 15 participants with lived experience of FGM-C in order to create short videos/documentaries on the subject and raise awareness on the issue, 3) distributing updated Toolkit through different media platforms, and 4) delivering webinars and workshops to healthcare & community service providers on culturally-appropriate and trauma informed service methods.

The gathering will allow for the creation of an informal network of matriarchs and address the low number of Indigenous women in leadership positions, centering matriarch teachings, resistance, healing and sacred knowledge for future generations. Multi-media products on the role of Indigenous women as matriarchs will be developed and shared.

Achēv and its partners will develop key resources and launch a series of interventions, including information sessions, social media campaigns, town hall meetings, and tools and training workshops on implementation of inclusive practices for employers.