Development Perspectives

Émilie MacIsaac, Volunteer with the Women’s Economic Linkages in Employment and Development (WE LEAD) program Jordanian women hold one of the highest literacy rates in the Middle East at 85.9%. Yet women face many barriers to accessing quality training and jobs in Jordan. As a result, the country has the lowest female economic participation rate…

By Doug Graham, PROPEL Project Director “Disruptive Innovation. Trigger innovation and market stimulus from the sidelines. Avoid being in the middle of a transaction.” Key words of wisdom for the implementation of a market systems approach (MSA). Over the last few years, I have heard increasing buzz about the application of MSA in development. As…

Evidence and Lessons Learned from our Programming in Kenya A recent study by UNHCR on education for refugees reports that fewer than one in four refugee adolescents are currently enrolled in secondary school. Though hard to imagine, the situation is even worse in low-income countries, where the majority of refugees live and where fewer than…

Refugee girls face overwhelming barriers to accessing quality education. Beyond realities that affect many young women, such as early and forced marriage, early pregnancy, an unfair burden of domestic chores, and family financial constraints, refugee girls face further, unique challenges. With limited mobility and very few options for employment, refugee girls have limited incentives to…

A feminist approach to Canada’s global efforts Earlier this June, Canada’s new international assistance policy was unveiled. A feminist approach to development, this announcement enshrines Canada’s commitment to the empowerment of women and girls and the advancement of gender equality for all. This policy is deeply rooted in the belief that the empowerment of women…

Reflections from the First Annual WEE Global Learning Forum By: Ariane Ryan, Technical Advisor for Inclusive Economies, WUSC I recently had the privilege of attending the first annual Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) Global Learning Forum on behalf of WUSC. Hosted in Bangkok, Thailand, the event brought together leading stakeholders in the field of women’s economic empowerment to…

By: Fatuma Omar Ismail, SRP alumnus Canadians understand the transformative role of education in a young person’s life. That’s why Canada has been a donor to the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) – the only global fund solely dedicated to education in developing countries – since 2007. Canada recently hosted the Board of Directors of…

By: Tom Tunney, Senior Advisor, University, College and Cégep Programming There is no one-size-fits-all approach to providing quality education – particularly in fragile contexts. This is the message we heard at the Comparative International Education Society (CIES) Annual Conference last March. I was there with my colleagues to reflect, share, and learn about education in…

April 23-29 is National Volunteer Week, a time to celebrate the generosity of volunteers and the many contributions they are making to improve the quality of life in communities across Canada. Canada is a country of volunteers. 60% of Canadians have volunteered at some point in their lives – no small feat in our fast-paced…

The proud son of farmers in rural Tanzania, Stivin grew up gaining an in-depth understanding of the obstacles and opportunities rural farmers and producers often face in his country. Inspired by his childhood experiences, as a young adult he moved to Dar es Salaam where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Rural Development from the…