News

October 11th is marked each year by the United Nations to highlight and address the needs and challenges girls face, while promoting girls' empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights.

Recently Canada showed leadership in the area of girls’ education by co-hosting a high-level UN event entitled, “12 Years to Break Barriers and Leave No Girl Behind”. 

In his opening remarks, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau highlighted the necessity of accelerated action on girls’ education. “For each Malala that we know, there are thousands of others that we don’t know….We must work with them…. We must give them the ability to be successful,” he urged. The event culminated in the commitment of over 500 stakeholders -- including governments, leading multi-lateral agencies, and civil society organizations -- to take concrete action to dismantle barriers and increase access to education for girls, with a special focus on those who are marginalized. Click here to read the specifics in the joint commitment and call to action. 

Monday, October 1, is the International Day of Older Persons. The day is an opportunity to reflect on the rich contributions seniors have made and continue to make to society.

As we celebrate older persons around the world, we cannot forget that too many are forgotten and left behind. Inequalities remain a major obstacle to improving the lives of older persons, particularly older women.

But there is cause for celebration and hope. This past July, the United Nations member states began discussing the rights of older persons, renewing calls for a convention on older people’s rights.

For more on this remarkable development and Canada’s position: Click here

Child marriage persists across Africa.  In fact, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) estimates that, based on current trends, by 2050 almost half the world's child brides will be African. 

Ending the practice of child marriage and enabling girls to fulfill their potential is one of the goals of the United Nations UNiTE to End Violence Against Women campaign.  

To read more about child marriage in Africa click here.

To learn more about this year's UNiTE Campaign: Orange the World: #HearMeToo  click here.

The Paris-based Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is urging the Canadian government to increase spending on international assistance.  In a recent report which was the subject of an article in the Globe and Mail, the OECD says Canada should, "...increase foreign aid flows in line with its renewed engagement."  The chair of the committee that prepared the report adds, "It is important now to set out a path to increase weight to Canada's global advocacy role".  In other words, like many civil society organizations in Canada, they are saying that it is time we "walk the talk" when it comes to investing in international assistance.  Click here to read the full Globe and Mail article. 

The Bigger than our Borders campaign , https://www.biggerthanourborders.ca/ which GRAN has recently joined, is building a movement of Canadian supporters to encourage our government to increase its spending on Canadian aid. 

“I’m living testimony that you can be clear.” One Woman’s TB Survival Story

Tuberculosis: The Curable Disease on the Rise and How to Tackle It

Money Doesn’t Matter?  It Does When It Comes to Ending Tuberculosis

These are the titles in a recent series of articles published in the Guardian newspaper by the STOP TB Partnership.  The articles clearly lay out the scope of the emergency, put a human face on the crisis, and outline the steps and commitments necessary to end TB.  Click here to read each instalment of this informative and compelling series.  And please share the link with family and friends to help raise awareness of this worldwide health emergency that so many Canadians mistakenly think of as a thing of the past. 

Many Canadians believe tuberculosis (TB) to be a disease of the past, when in fact it has now surpassed HIV/AIDS and malaria as the world's deadliest infectious disease, killing over 1.7 million people each year.

And Canada is not immune.  Rates of TB infection among the Inuit people of Canada are among the highest anywhere in the world.  

What can Canada do at home and abroad to address this urgent global health crisis?  Read more here in an article by Dr. Madhukar Pai, Director of the McGill International TB Centre.

UNAIDS warns that progress is slowing and time is running out to reach the 2020 HIV targets.  Its just-released report, Miles to Go: Closing Gaps, Breaking Barriers, Righting Injustices, is a stark wake-up call.  “We are sounding the alarm,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “Entire regions are falling behind, the huge gains we made for children are not being sustained, women are still most affected, resources are still not matching political commitments and key populations continue to be ignored. All these elements are halting progress and urgently need to be addressed head-on.”

To read more, including a link to the full report, click here.

Absent in statistics, unnoticed by researchers, neglected by national and local authorities and mostly overlooked by civil society organizations – the situation of many widows around the world is both desperate and invisible.  Millions of the world’s widows endure extreme poverty, ostracism, violence, homelessness, ill health and discrimination in law and custom. The United Nations has stated that the abuse of widows and their children constitutes one of the most serious violations of human rights and obstacles to development today. To raise awareness and provide opportunities for action towards achieving full rights and recognition for widows, the UN has established June 23rd as International Widows’ Day.  Read more by clicking here.

Dr. Ghazy Mujahid of the Ontario Society of Senior Citizens Organizations (OSSCO) has initiated an E-Petition to urge our government to recognize and safeguard the interests of Canadian seniors by appointing a Minister or Special Advisor to the Prime Minister for Senior Affairs.  This petition is sponsored by MP for Mississauga-Erin Mills, Iqra Khalid, and is open for signatures until July 4.

Read more here in a National Post "Grey Matters" article by Wanda Morris, CARP VP of Advocacy, making the case for having a voice for seniors in government.

To read the full text of  E-petition 1566 on the House of Commons website click here.

Prime Minister Trudeau has announced that Canada will champion girls' education in crisis situations at the G7 Summit in June – backed by a significant financial investment.  This is great news!

Read more about the critical importance of education for girls in crises at http://educateallgirls.ca/