A WAKEUP CALL FOR CANADA

Canada’s global ranking on women’s and children’s rights has just fallen to 20^th in the world. According to the ChildFund Alliance World Index, an annual report which ranks 157 countries according to 30 different criteria, Canada’s rights ranking has actually fallen steadily from 11^th back in 2015. Notable factors such as our environmental track record, uneven use of human capital and not doing enough to prevent violence against children have all taken our country down a number of notches.  

This new report, released ahead of the 35^th anniversary of the Convention of the Rights of the Child on November 20^th, should be a wake-up call for Canada as it assumes the G7 presidency in 2025. With our country set to guide a global course for this exclusive club of the most powerful nations, it’s very concerning that our proud legacy as a defender of human rights has been slipping. That’s why Children Believe, as the ChildFund Alliance’s Canadian member, is strongly urging Canada to demonstrate greater rights leadership both at home and abroad as it takes the helm of the G7 in the coming weeks. This is not the time to lead from behind.

For Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy to continue to uphold its name, Canada must put more money where its mouth is and make fresh commitments to support the rights of women and children everywhere. First and foremost, Canada must prioritize investments in universal access to education as a human right to drive global development and improve the lives of everyone. And Canada must leverage the influence of its G7 presidency to put it firmly back on the leader’s agenda. Now is the time to not only solidify Charlevoix’s legacy – but expand it.

Because despite Canada’s disappointing ranking on rights at home, Canadians still enjoy much greater rights access than other places in the world that urgently need our support. This is why our rights leadership needs to reach beyond our borders.

Starting in Budget 2025, Children Believe, as part of the Canadian International Education Policy Working Group (CIEPWG) is calling on the Government of Canada to commit $650 million in new and additional resources towards its Official Development Assistance envelope every year for the next four years (2025-2029). A core part of the coalition’s ask is for Canada to help ensure that all girls and boys complete at least 12 years of education. Because education is the most fundamental long-term contributor to global economic growth, safety and security.

This is more important than ever. According to the World Index report, in 2023, one in three children and more than one in four women currently live in countries with minimal implementation of human rights protections. At the current pace of progress, it may take 113 years to fully realize the rights assessed in this Index, especially for women and girls. Unfortunately, many societies today are becoming less democratic and secure for women and children. While child health outcomes have improved, educational rights have not progressed since 2020, a stagnation partly due to pandemic impacts. Though women’s education levels and participation in decision-making are increasing, they remain among the most vulnerable and marginalized groups, facing the highest likelihood of human rights abuses worldwide. 

That’s why it is so crucial that we all need to ensure the most vulnerable children, especially girls, have access to their right to an education and we all need to do more to include them in decisions that affect their lives. Education is the most powerful tool for all children, everywhere, to be able to change their lives for the better. It dramatically improves future income potential, their health and their choices, especially the choice of when, and if, to get married. It’s how children entering adulthood can be more active and productive in their communities to the benefit of all.

At Children Believe, we’re dedicated to removing the barriers to education, including rights violations. Last year, over 417,000 children, youth, women, parents, and duty-bearers, from 762 community groups across our six countries of operation, benefited from our organization’s work to prevent various forms of violence, neglect, and abuse. We look forward to growing our ongoing partnership with the Government of Canada to improve lives in these places to build a more just and prosperous world for everyone. Most critically in some of the forgotten crises where Children Believe works including Ethiopia, Burkina Faso and Mali which all rank in the bottom 10 of the World Index. It’s in these most dangerous places to be a woman or a child, where their rights are the most tenuous that we need to redouble our efforts.

Canada, it’s time to take a big step up and do everything we can to earn our reputation as a global leader in championing the rights of women and children. If we don’t, who will?

About Children Believe

Children Believe works globally to empower children to dream fearlessly, stand up for what they believe in — and be heard. For 60+ years, we’ve brought together brave young dreamers, caring supporters and partners, and unabashed idealists. Together, we’re driven by a common belief: creating access to education — inside and outside of classrooms — is the most powerful tool children can use to change their world.

About Childfund Alliance

A member of ChildFund Alliance, Children Believe is part of a global network of child-focused development organizations working to create opportunities for children and youth, their families and communities. ChildFund helps nearly 23-million children and their families in 70 countries overcome poverty and underlying conditions that prevent children from achieving their full potential. We work to end violence against children; provide expertise in emergencies and disasters to ease the harmful impact on children and their communities; and engage children and youth to create lasting change and elevate their voices in decisions that affect their lives.