Canadian Federation of University Women

Election 2025

advocacy — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 19:54:39 +0000

Election 2025

CFUW Releases Federal Election Toolkit & Webpage

A federal election has been called for April 28, 2025.

To help CFUW Clubs and members engage in non-partisan advocacy and promote voter engagement during the election period, CFUW has released an Election Toolkit.

DOWNLOAD CFUW’s 2025 ELECTION TOOLKIT HERE (ENG)

DOWNLOAD CFUW’s 2025 ELECTION TOOLKIT HERE (FR)

The CFUW website now has a page dedicated to useful, non-partisan election resources. Check it out here!

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Elimination of the Minister for Women and Gender Equality Position

advocacy — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 14:54:54 +0000

Elimination of the Minister for Women and Gender Equality Position

Joint Statement from Canadian NGOs

Joint Statement from Canadian NGOs (FR)

CFUW Letter to Prime Minister Carney

CFUW Letter to Prime Minister Carney (FR)

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s newly-appointed “lean” Cabinet does not include a dedicated Minister for Women and Gender Equality. At a time when women’s rights are being rolled back around the world, and feminist policies are needed more than ever to strengthen the economy, this move has far-reaching implications.

CFUW joined hundreds of Canadian organizations in signing on to a statement condemning this decision. We also wrote a letter congratulating Mr. Carney on becoming Prime Minister, and used the occasion to request he reconsider the decision to eliminate this Cabinet role.

As an individual, you can let your Member of Parliament know how you feel about this move and request that they publicly condemn it (sample letter here). In the upcoming federal election, let candidates know that you expect their party to reinstate the Minister for Women and Gender Equality role if they win. Resources will be provided in CFUW's upcoming 2025 Federal Election toolkit.

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Statement on Recent Actions of the US Government

advocacy — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 15:03:08 +0000

Statement on Recent Actions of the US Government

Statement from CFUW National on Recent Actions of the Trump Administration in the United States of America

Available in French here.

March 14, 2025

As the National President of CFUW, I feel compelled to express our deep and unequivocal condemnation of the recent actions taken by the Government of the United States, which pose direct threats to global peace, justice, and human rights. Like many Canadians, I have watched events unfolding south of the border with growing alarm, and fear not only for the wellbeing of Americans, but also for the stability of the entire global community.

The Trump administration’s decisions to withdraw from the World Health Organization, the Human Rights Council, and the Paris Climate Agreement are an affront to global cooperation at a time when such cooperation is needed more than ever. The immense challenges that we face, including climate change, poverty, inequality, and conflict, will not be solved through isolationism and hostility. By abandoning critical international institutions and cutting foreign aid, the United States is actively undermining efforts to protect vulnerable populations and promote peace.

Likewise, halting aid to Ukraine and legitimizing Vladimir Putin’s authoritarian regime seriously jeopardize the realization of peace and democracy not only in Ukraine, but around the world. Rewarding Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine will only embolden those who seek to erode international law. We stand with the people of Ukraine and all people enduring senseless wars, and urge the international community to take decisive, united action to end the horrifying violence and displacement we are witnessing.

The dehumanizing rhetoric about immigrants and asylum-seekers, and their deportation, have been equally shocking and reprehensible. These actions target vulnerable individuals and families who seek refuge and opportunity, and who contribute immeasurably to the prosperity and cultural fabric of the United States. We refuse to accept xenophobia, both in the US and in Canada, where similar rhetoric and actions are present. We also refuse to accept the transphobia that has become a defining feature of politics that aim to polarize and divide, and stand in solidarity with all transgender and gender-diverse people whose human rights are being eroded.

Moreover, the rollback of women’s rights is alarming. Reproductive rights are being further restricted across the United States and internationally, with the reinstatement of the “Global Gag Rule” blocking funds to organizations that provide abortions. Gender-based violence non-profits, including women’s shelters, are facing significant uncertainty and funding cuts. As the United States attacks UN Women for focusing on “radical causes such as DEI and gender ideology,” we stand firm in our support for UN Women and all feminist organizations that enable women’s access to healthcare, equality, and freedom from violence.

As an organization rooted in the belief that education is key to advancing equality and social justice, we are also dismayed by the Trump administration’s cuts to funding for education and research. In so many ways, this represents a betrayal of future generations. We call on the international community, including Canada, to step in and increase investment in education and research—especially in the areas of climate change and global health.

Finally, we wholeheartedly reject the Trump administration’s disregard for Canadian sovereignty and the reckless trade war it has initiated. These tariffs harm families, workers, and entire communities across both Canada and the United States, particularly the most marginalized and those who are already struggling with inflation. They also erode the trust and friendship that have defined our countries’ relations for generations.

Canada must stand firm against these dangerous policies. At CFUW, we are steadfast in our commitment to advocating for a future grounded in universal human rights, social justice, sustainable development, and peace. We implore the international community to unite in condemning these harmful actions and to work together in a spirit of mutual understanding, cooperation, and shared prosperity.

Linda Sestock

National President, CFUW

Présidente nationale, FCFDU

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Afghan Women Unjustly Denied Study Permits

advocacy — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 16:52:36 +0000

Afghan Women Unjustly Denied Study Permits

On January 29, 2025, CFUW National sent the following letter to Immigration Minister Marc Miller about the issue of Afghan women being denied permits to study in Canada:

Dear Minister,

I am writing on behalf of CFUW (Canadian Federation of University Women), a national, self-funded organization founded in 1919. With 90 Clubs across Canada and more than 6,700 members, we work nationally and within our communities to achieve equality and social justice through continuous learning and empowerment, granting over $1 million a year in scholarships and awards. On the international stage, one of our efforts is spearheaded by University Women Helping Afghan Women, a group within our Ottawa Club, which is dedicated to supporting education and human rights for women and girls in Afghanistan. From 2010 to 2021, they provided scholarships for more than 100 young women at Gawharshad University in Kabul. They are now funding remote learning in English as a Second Language for 31 students who had been associated with Gawharshad.

As President of the Federation, I am writing to ask that you use your Ministerial authority to facilitate the entry into Canada of Afghan women who have been accepted to study by Canadian post-secondary institutions.

We have become aware that a number of Afghan women, many of whom have won scholarships, have been denied Study Permits due to the Visa Officer’s concern that they may not return to Afghanistan after completing their studies. We believe that this requirement should be waived in the case of Afghan women on humanitarian grounds. As you are no doubt aware, Afghan girls are prohibited from any schooling past grade 6, and must go abroad if they are to obtain an education. This denial of education based on gender by the de facto authority is unique in the world.

The most recent data publicly available regarding Study Permits for Afghans were for 2022. At the time, a mere 170 Afghans were studying in Canada. The approval rate for Study Permits from Afghan applicants from July 2021 to December 2022 was 23%. “The inability to satisfy that the applicants will leave Canada is a reason for refusal present in approximately 93% of refusal letters sent to applicants” (CIMM - Key Numbers: Afghanistan - February 8, 2023).

The Visa Officers are following departmental policy and cannot be criticized despite the horrific situation faced by the women and girls in Afghanistan. A minor change in departmental policy, not legislation, could quickly result in more women earning an education if the duty to return to their home country were waived. We urge you to instruct your department to take action.

Yours sincerely,

Linda Sestock

National President, CFUW

Présidente nationale, FCFDU

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Brief on Gender-Based Violence and Femicides

advocacy — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 20:22:49 +0000

Brief on Gender-Based Violence and Femicides

On November 8, 2024, CFUW submitted the following brief to the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women for its study on gender-based violence and femicides in Canada (download the PDF here):

About CFUW

Founded in 1919, CFUW is a self-funded, non-partisan organization of over 6,600 women and 94 Clubs across Canada. We work to improve the status of women by promoting public education, human rights, social justice, and peace in Canada and abroad. CFUW Clubs grant over $1 million a year in scholarships, and work actively in their communities to advance our mission of achieving equality and social justice through continuous learning. Since the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre, CFUW has joined women’s organizations across the country in advocating for stronger gun control.

Gun Control Measures as a Critical Way to Prevent Femicide

CFUW was pleased to have the opportunity to submit a brief to the House Standing Committee on the Status of Women (FEWO) for its study on intimate partner and domestic violence in 2022. In that brief, we outlined how gun violence is a major threat to the safety of women, girls, and gender-diverse people, and a common tool used to both intimidate and kill intimate partners. This reality was regrettably excluded from FEWO’s subsequent report, Towards a Violence-Free Canada: Addressing and Eliminating Intimate Partner and Family Violence, in which guns and gun control were not mentioned.

Gender-based violence (GBV) is an epidemic with complex causes and intersectional impacts. As FEWO’s 2022 report recognized, “power, control, gender inequality and patriarchal values, as well as racism, ableism and colonialism, intersect to create the root of GBV and IPV.”^[1] There is so much cultural and systemic change needed to bring this epidemic to an end, and legal actions are only one part of the solution. Still, we believe that strict gun control is a necessary measure to prevent fatal incidents of GBV—in other words, femicides.

As the Canadian Women’s Foundation states: “A lot of factors can turn a violent situation into a lethal one, but the single greatest risk factor for domestic violence becoming fatal isn’t a history of violence, or even prior death threats. It’s gun ownership.”^[2] The link between femicide and access to guns has been documented in several Canadian studies and reports, including the Renfrew County Coroner’s Inquest and the Final Report of the Mass Casualty Commission. In the latter, the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic shared how the presence of a gun is among their highest risk indicators for intimate partner-related deaths, due to its permanent presence in the home and immediate, lethal effect.^[3] Indeed, firearms-related IPV is five times more likely to be lethal than types of IPV not involving a firearm.^[4]

The incidence of femicide by firearm is particularly high in rural areas, where both the risk of gender-based violence and access to guns are higher. 42% of women and girls killed by violence involving a “male accused” were killed in non-urban areas in 2022, while only about 18% of Canadians live in non-urban areas.^[5] Guns are often the weapon of choice in these murders: firearms are the most common method used to kill an intimate partner or child in rural areas.^[6]

Furthermore, there is an established connection between gender-based violence, femicides, and mass shootings, a finding also addressed by the Mass Casualty Commission (see: Mass Casualty Incidents as an Escalation of Gender-Based Violence, Vol. 3, pages 246-254). A United States study found that more than two-thirds of mass shootings are domestic violence incidents or are perpetrated by individuals with a history of domestic violence.^[7] This has been the case in many mass shootings in Canada, often with red flags not being taken seriously enough in the lead-up to the killings, such as in the Portapique massacre, the Desmond family shooting, and the Sault Ste. Marie mass shooting.

Critically, guns are also used as tools to intimidate, control, and coerce. In addition to inflicting severe psychological harm, the threatened use of guns can make it too dangerous for women to leave abusive situations, with the danger extending to their children and pets as well. Again, this is particularly true for women in rural areas, where the presence of a gun combined with the greater isolation and distance from support services can make leaving the situation especially difficult. The barriers to accessing services are even higher for rural women with other intersecting identities, namely Indigenous, disabled, racialized, and migrant women.

The lethality of guns and their use in gender-based violence justifies swift government action to reduce the presence of firearms in Canada. CFUW applauds the gun control measures the federal government has introduced in recent years, including the prohibition of 1,500 models of assault-style firearms and the national handgun freeze. We were also pleased to see Bill C-21, An Act to amend certain Acts and to make certain consequential amendments (firearms), become law, particularly given its provisions related to intimate partner violence.

But more needs to be done to prevent further femicides committed by men with access to a gun.

CFUW recommends the following actions:

Operationalize the assault-style firearm buyback program without further delay.
Prohibit all models of assault-style firearms, including any future models that may be developed.
Introduce the regulations needed to implement the intimate partner violence-related provisions in Bill C-21, and provide training on the new provisions to Chief Firearms Officers. Please see the brief published by the National Association of Women and the Law and PolySeSouvient for detailed recommendations on the regulatory steps needed.
Develop education campaigns for the police, judges, and the public on the importance of removing firearms from individuals who engage in IPV, and legal options available to do so.
Fund accessible safety planning resources and crisis services for those most at risk of gun violence, particularly in rural and remote communities.

[1] Standing Committee on the Status of Women, Towards a Violence-Free Canada: Addressing and Eliminating Intimate Partner and Family Violence (2022): 16, https://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/44-1/FEWO/report-4/.

[2] Canadian Women’s Foundation, Gun Violence Against Women and Girls is Preventable, September 19, 2019, https://canadianwomen.org/blog/gun-violence-against-women-and-girls-is-preventable/.

[3] Mass Casualty Commission, Turning the Tide Together: Final Report of the Mass Casualty Commission (vol. 3, 2023): 324, https://masscasualtycommission.ca/files/documents/Turning-the-Tide-Together-Volume-3-Violence.pdf.

[4] Public Safety Canada, Parliamentary Committee Notes: Gender-based Violence and Intimate Partner Violence, March 11, 2023, https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/trnsprnc/brfng-mtrls/prlmntry-bndrs/20220914/55-en.aspx#wb-cont.

[5] Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability, #CallItFemicide: Understanding Sex/Gender-Related Killings of Women and Girls in Canada, 2018-2022 (2023): 26, https://femicideincanada.ca/callitfemicide2018-2022.pdf.

[6] Statistics Canada, Gender-Related Homicide of Women and Girls in Canada, April 5, 2023, https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2023001/article/00003-eng.htm#n24-refa.

[7] Lisa Geller, Marisa Booty, and Cassandra Crifasi, The Role of Domestic Violence in Fatal Mass Shootings in the United States, 2014-2019, Inj. Epidemiol 8, 38 (2021), https://injepijournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40621-021-00330-0.

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16 Days of Activism 2024

advocacy — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 06:50:00 +0000

16 Days of Activism 2024

Read CFUW's 16 Days of Activism Information Package Here

Available in French here.

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is an annual international campaign, and one of the largest organizing strategies in the prevention and elimination of gender-based violence around the world. It begins on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and ends on December 10, Human Rights Day.

Each year, CFUW publishes a 16 Days of Activism Information Package with details about the campaign and topics related to gender-based violence. Our 2024 edition provides up-to-date information about three focus areas: Violence Against Indigenous Women and Girls, Violence Against Women in Politics, and Gun Violence. It also shares 16 ways that CFUW Clubs, members, and individuals can take action to support survivors and end gender-based violence.

Participate in CFUW's Campaign Against Violence and Harassment in Politics!

16 Ways to Take Action:

From CFUW's 16 Days of Activism Information Package.

1. Write to your city’s Mayor urging them to light City Hall/public buildings in purple or orange throughout the 16 Days to raise awareness about gender-based violence. Download a template letter for CFUW Clubs here.

2. Donate to or volunteer at a women’s shelter, sexual assault or crisis centre, or an Indigenous women’s support centre in your community.

3. Read the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls’ Calls for Justice here and consider how you can act on them.

4. Wear purple on November 25, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, to raise awareness.

5. Call out gendered violence when you see it: counter victim-blaming and the idea that it is women and girls’ responsibility to avoid “dangerous” situations. Read this resource on “How to be an Active Bystander in 6 Steps.”

6. Wear a white ribbon and plan or attend a vigil on December 6, National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.

7. Write a letter to your representatives urging them to stand against violence against women, harassment, and toxicity in politics. Download a template letter here.

8. Write an op-ed or letter to the editor in your local media outlet to raise awareness about gender-based violence and ways to combat it.

9. Support survivors of gender-based violence. Tell them “I believe you” and “this is not your fault.” Learn more about identifying the signs of relationship abuse and how you can help here. Learn about the hand “Signal for Help" that survivors can use to subtly indicate they are in need of help.

10. Reach out to Indigenous community partners about hanging red dresses in your area to raise awareness about missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, as a part of the REDress Project.

11. Hang posters raising awareness about gender-based violence and support services in your community. You can download posters here.

12. Meet with your MP to express your concerns about gun violence in Canada and affirm your support for strict gun control measures.

13. Encourage women to get involved with politics and support them as candidates. Call out and report misogynistic, racist, and homophobic comments made towards women in politics, and commit to civility in your interactions with politicians and candidates.

14. Host kitchen table talks with your friends or CFUW Club members to discuss gender-based violence issues, how they affect your local community, and what you can do to support survivors and end the violence.

15. Organize webinars, panel discussions, public forums, speakers, or film screenings on topics related to gender-based violence.

16. Share the 16 Days of Activism package and CFUW’s and other organizations’ social media posts, or create and post your own.

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Standing Against Violence and Harassment in Politics

advocacy — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 01:00:00 +0000

Standing Against Violence and Harassment in Politics

Like many Canadians, CFUW Clubs and members are very disappointed in the increasingly toxic and unprofessional tone and conduct of politics in Canada, both within and outside of the federal and provincial legislatures.

While politicians of all backgrounds and identities are facing growing aggression, women—particularly Indigenous, 2SLGBTQ+, and racialized women—are more frequently subjected to identity-focused attacks. These attacks are often graphic in sexuality, gender, and race-based insults and target physical appearances. In addition to negatively impacting individuals’ wellbeing, this violence also sends a message that women are not welcome in political spaces. We know that when women are deterred from engaging in politics, we all lose.

Social media, with its anonymity and tendency to polarize and misinform, has no doubt contributed greatly to this problem, and improved regulation is thus needed. However, we believe the responsibility to act also lies with politicians themselves, especially leaders of political parties.

Ahead of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, CFUW National sent a letter to the leaders of all federal political parties and the Speaker of the House of Commons encouraging them to take a public stand against violence and harassment in politics. In the letter, CFUW urges the leaders to do their part to ensure political debate is conducted civilly and respectfully, without personal attacks.

Read the full letters sent to federal party leaders and the Speaker of the House here:

Template Letters

Would you like to share your concerns about the increasing toxicity in federal and provincial politics in Canada?

Download the appropriate template letter below and send it to your local representative! Be sure to personalize and adapt the letter to your local context by editing the text written in red.

CFUW Clubs

Send to local MP and MLA/MPP/MHA/MNA

Download template letter for Clubs (English)

Download template letter for Clubs (French)

CFUW Provincial Councils

Send to provincial Speakers and political party leaders

Download template letter for Provincial Councils (English)

Download template letter for Provincial Councils (French)

Individual Members of the Public

Send to local MP and MLA/MPP/MHA/MNA, as an individual

Download template letter for individuals (English)

Download template letter for individuals (French)

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CSW69 Written Statement

advocacy — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 18:34:43 +0000

CSW69 Written Statement

Ahead of the 69^th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in March 2025, CFUW has submitted the following written statement to UN Women:

The focus of this statement is “Education as the pivotal implementation tool of the Beijing Platform for Action.” It is submitted by the Canadian Federation of University Women, a self-funded, national organization of over 6,600 women and 94 Clubs located in every province of Canada. Since our foundation in 1919, our members have worked to achieve educational and economic equality and social justice through continuous learning and empowerment.

The preamble to the 2024 Pact for the Future reaffirms that the three pillars of the United Nations—sustainable development, peace and security, and human rights—are equally important, interlinked, and mutually reinforcing. We commend the recognition embedded in the Pact that none of our goals can be achieved without the full, safe, equal, and meaningful participation and representation of all women and girls.

We believe education lies at the nexus of human rights, sustainable development, and all domains within the Beijing Platform for Action. The World Bank Group describes education as a fundamental human right, a powerful driver of development, and one of the strongest instruments for reducing poverty and improving health, gender equality, and peace. They also highlight that education delivers significant economic returns and is critical for fostering equity and inclusion. In this statement, we demonstrate how education, in its broadest sense, can serve as a pivotal tool in addressing all areas of concern outlined in the Beijing Platform for Action.

Women and education

Education has a transformative impact on the lives of individual people, communities, and whole populations, and is a cross-cutting strategy connecting with and accelerating change in each of the other areas of concern. At the same time, a major setback in the delivery of education can engender regression in other areas, as evidenced during the Covid-19 pandemic, when school and office closures negatively impacted both mental and physical health, individual safety, and economic stability.

Today, 119.3 million girls are out of school (UN Women, 2024). The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO, n.d.) reports that only 49% of countries have achieved gender parity in primary education and only 24% in upper secondary education. Those statistics are alarming and demand immediate action from the international community.

Women and health

Experts have long recognized that education is a primary social determinant of health. In 2010, UNESCO reported compelling data showing the direct positive impact of education on wellbeing, health, and economic prosperity. Research by Dai Binh Tran (2021) likewise found higher education levels lead to higher levels of wellbeing.

Education of women has been linked to reduced child and maternal mortality and improved child health, basic to uplifting the lives of women and girls and communities. Sexual and reproductive health curriculum at school is also a powerful tool to improve girls’ health by empowering them and giving them agency over their bodies and health choices.

Violence against women

Urgent action is needed to address the global epidemic of violence against women. Education can create economic opportunities that foster independence for women who may be financially reliant on a partner or family members. Research by Abigail Weitzman (2018) found that increasing women’s schooling reduced both recent and longer-term probabilities of psychological, physical, and sexual intimate partner violence.

Furthermore, educating boys and men on topics like consent, healthy relationships, and respect for human rights is also key to ending gender-based violence.

Women and armed conflict

The disproportionate effects of armed conflict on the lives of women and children are well documented and profound, with both immediate and long-term consequences for individuals, families, and communities. Women need to be at the peacebuilding table to prevent and resolve conflict, and education is critical to ensuring women’s access to those power structures and giving them the tools to advocate for peace and security.

Education for all genders is further essential to foster a culture of peace, justice, and tolerance and to prevent radicalization and fundamentalism. We support explicit global citizen education promoted and designed by UNESCO to teach young people about mutual respect, peace, collaboration, and cultural competence.

Women, poverty, and the economy

Educating women and girls expands their choices and fosters workforce participation and entrepreneurship, contributing to their economic development and that of their countries. Utilizing only about half of a country’s human resources makes no financial sense. The UN Women Gender Snapshot (2024) reveals that the annual global cost of the education skills deficit exceeds $10 trillion, with sub-Saharan Africa alone facing a cost of $210 billion, exceeding 10% of its gross domestic product. A study by Plan International and Citi Global Insights (2020) found that for every dollar invested into girls' rights and education, developing nations could yield a return of $2.80.

In addition to boosting the country’s economic development, education is one of the most powerful tools to reduce poverty: UNESCO (2017) estimates 171 million people could escape poverty if all students in low-income countries had basic reading skills, and this could rise to 420 million if all adults completed secondary school.

Women in power and decision-making

Education, particularly in political and civic matters, empowers women with knowledge and skills to engage in political life and move into decision-making roles. This is supported by the research of Burns, Schlozman, and Verba (2001), who assert that education is an “especially powerful predictor of political participation.” This is as a result of both direct effects, including acquisition of knowledge and skills useful in public debate, and indirect effects, such as benefits of voluntary engagement in extracurricular activities, access to higher-income jobs, and access to networking opportunities.

Women and the media

The gender gap in media, communications, and information technology positions can be addressed by encouraging and funding education for girls and women in these fields. Greater female participation in media decision-making roles can help combat negative portrayals of women and challenge abuses of power within this increasingly influential sector.

The underrepresentation of women and girls in the development of Artificial Intelligence applications is especially alarming. Women not only need access to the latest information and communication technologies but must also have key roles in the development of emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence algorithms, to avoid technology being dominated by structural gender inequality.

Women and the environment

Educating women and girls is crucial for empowering them to create, lead, and implement climate action initiatives. Climate change impacts women and girls disproportionally, exasperating existing vulnerabilities. According to Kwauk and Braga (2017), girls’ education can strengthen climate strategies by advancing girls’ reproductive rights, fostering their climate leadership and pro-environmental decision-making, and developing their skills for green jobs. Formal education plays a pivotal role in paving the way for girls’ leadership, and women’s political empowerment is in turn strongly linked to better environmental outcomes (Kwuak, 2021).

The girl child

Education is a vital tool the girl child can use to become independent, escape poverty, prevent child marriage, and ensure her human rights are respected. It equips a girl with confidence to make informed decisions about her own life and advocate for her rights. According to the World Bank’s 2018 report “Missed Opportunities: The High Cost of Not Educating Girls,” for every additional year a girl stays in secondary school, her likelihood of marrying as a child decreases by six percentage points.

We must eliminate discrimination against girls in education, skills development, and training, as was acknowledged in the Beijing Platform for Action in 1995.

Conclusion

The Canadian Federation of University Women, along with the organizations endorsing this statement, will continue to monitor progress in the areas highlighted in this statement and will continue our collective advocacy as civil society champions for the education of women and girls.

Recommendations

Convene a high-level meeting of key stakeholders, mid-way between 2025 and 2030, to identify progress, challenges, and new opportunities presented after the 2022 United Nations Transforming Education Summit.
Integrate United Nations agencies and bodies’ educational efforts to accelerate the achievement of quality education and facilitate access to United Nations resources, frameworks, and expertise.
Fund young feminist-led education organizations and initiatives.
Increase investments in education in crisis zones and fragile states, with a focus on innovative and technology-enabled approaches to education.
Encourage and fund the engagement and participation of women and girls in the development and governance of new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence.
Promote the inclusion of global citizenship education from primary to secondary levels of education programming.

Endorsed by:

International Alliance of Women

Graduate Women International

Women Graduates-USA

Download our full statement here

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Period Poverty Infographic

advocacy — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 17:32:49 +0000

Period Poverty Infographic

Download the infographic here (in French here).

The post Period Poverty Infographic appeared first on Canadian Federation of University Women.

Fall Advocacy Package 2024

advocacy — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 14:05:54 +0000

Fall Advocacy Package 2024

At this year's Policy Session, CFUW's membership adopted resolutions on preserving peatlands (CFUW North Delta/Surrey), protecting deep sea ecosystems from mining (CFUW Nanaimo), funding ageing in place (CFUW Advocacy Committee), and incentivizing the adoption of national long-term care standards (CFUW Advocacy Committee).

In addition to providing relevant research and information about these topics, the Fall Advocacy Package also includes ideas on how CFUW Clubs and members can take action to advocate on each of these important issues, including template letters and social media graphics.