Call on Canada to invest in women peacebuilders and environmental stewards in Budget 2024
In a time of war and climate crisis, women peacebuilders and environmental stewards are needed more than ever.
We know that they are effective in building sustainable peace and climate resiliency. The KAIROS Women of Courage: Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Program is teaching us that.
The Canadian government recognizes the vital contributions that women play in equity, collective safety and wellbeing through its Feminist International Assistance Policy, which has helped fund KAIROS’ WPS Program.
The federal government will announce Budget 2024 on April 16.
The time is now! Our opportunity to influence the government to increase its international assistance is now!
Globally, almost one in three women have experienced physical and sexual violence. Authoritarianism and conflict are also on the rise.
Canada’s sustained support for grassroots women peacebuilders is urgently needed.
We recognize that numerous Canadians are facing financial challenges and that there are many existing and new social programs and commitments in Canada that are critical. But support for these programs is not mutually exclusive to maintaining and increasing our support for international development assistance.
Furthermore eight in 10 Canadians support our country’s vital role in providing financial assistance to countries and communities trying to free themselves from conflict, gender-based violence and poverty, and to adapt to the rapidly changing climate.
Please join KAIROS in calling for increases in ODA and climate finance. You can either call or send a letter. These actions will take only minutes to do.
Call the Minister of Finance
We hear that phone calls are a bit more effective than emails in getting the attention of Parliamentarians.
You will either leave a message or speak with a receptionist. A sample message is pasted below.
Call 1-833-712-2292
Sample Phone Message:
Good morning/afternoon. My name is ___. I live ____. I volunteer with KAIROS Canada.
My message is for the Minister of Finance regarding Budget 2024. I am calling to encourage the government to increase its official development assistance or ODA and to continue its investment in women peacebuilders and environmental stewards.
Canada’s investment in KAIROS’ Women of Courage: Women, Peace and Security Program has been highly effective. Women who have been impacted by war and gender-based violence have regained their dignity and now serve as powerful peacebuilders and land stewards. Canada’s investment is still urgently needed.
I support the call for Canada to increase its current ODA to $600 million annually over the next five years. I believe that Canada has a responsibility to increase its ODA to reach the international standard of 0.7 percent of gross national income.
Thank you for considering my request.
Write to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance
Send a letter to the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance directly using our letter tool. This can take as little as one minute to do. This letter focuses on increasing Canada’s international assistance and climate finance, with priority to grassroots women-led organizations.
If you have some time, use the letter as a sample to handwrite your own. Handwritten letters have greater weight than ones that are emailed because of the special effort to write them. Invite others to join you! Host a letter writing party!
Remember – mailed letters to Members of Parliament are postage-free!
Send your letter to:
The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau
Prime Minister
Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A2
The Honourable Chrystia Freeland
Minister of Finance
Department of Finance Canada
90 Elgin Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0G5
Consider copying the following:
Your Member of Parliament
[Name of Member of Parliament]
Member of Parliament
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6
The Honourable Ahmed Hussen
Minister of International Development
Global Affairs Canada
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6
The Honourable Marci Ien
Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth
Women and Gender Equality Canada
P.O. Box 8097, Station T CSC
Ottawa, Ontario
K1G 3H6
The Honourable Steven Guilbeault
Minister of Environment and Climate Change
Place Vincent Massey Building
351 Saint-Joseph Boulevard
Gatineau, Quebec
K1A 0H3
Thank you for helping to build political will in support of women peacebuilders, environmental stewards and KAIROS’ other priority areas.