Women’s grassroots organizations are the lifeblood of the women’s movement around the worldJakarta (ANTARA) - Canada will back two Women’s Voice and Leadership (WVL) projects in Indonesia supporting women’s grassroots organizations with funds totaling US$6.23 million, Ambassador of Canada to Indonesia, Peter MacArthur, has announced. "Women’s grassroots organizations are the lifeblood of the women’s movement around the world," said Ambassador MacArthur, in a written statement issued by the Canadian Embassy in Jakarta Wednesday.
Achieving gender equality is the most effective way to foster prosperity, create lasting peace, achieve sustainable development and promote human rights, MacArthur stated.
Of the $6.23 million funding, nearly $1.8 million was given to Yayasan Pemberdayaan PEKKA, while $4.43 million went to Hivos.
"By supporting PEKKA and HIVOS through its Women’s Voice and Leadership Program, Canada is continuing to take substantive action to strengthen grassroots women’s groups which understand the challenges that women and girls face so as to help Indonesia advance its Sustainable Development Goals agenda," Ambassador MacArthur said.
The Women’s Voice and Leadership initiative, to which Canada has committed $150 million globally, responds to the needs of local women’s organizations and movements, which are working to advance the rights of women and girls to promote gender equality and empowerment.
There is strong evidence to suggest that when women and girls have resources and opportunities to make decisions about their lives, everybody benefits; women and girls themselves, as well as their families, their communities, their countries and our global economy, MacArthur remarked.
Canada has partnered with Indonesia in advancing gender equality and women empowerment to meet broader socio-economic goals.
Currently, Canada’s bilateral development program in Indonesia focuses on three areas.
The first is gender equality and empowerment of women and girls, which supports an initiative in reproductive health and rights of women, girls and adolescents, and an initiative to strengthen women’s rights organizations.
The second focuses on growth that works for everyone through initiatives that support infrastructure and market-based skills development, sustainable natural resource management, women-led enterprises and smallholder agribusinesses, trade and investment.
The third is a bilateral development program that also focuses on inclusive governance through initiatives that promote rights holders’ and women’s agencies in democratic and electoral processes, and accountable public financial management.
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Reporter: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
Editor: Suharto
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