As Israel’s ongoing attacks on Gaza continue unabated and civilian casualties mount, Canada’s silence calls into question the sincerity of its feminist commitments under the Feminist International Assistance Policy. Why hasn’t Canada extended its Feminist International Assistance Policy to include Palestinian women?
“Peace and prosperity are every person’s birthright.” So opened then Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland’s introduction to Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP).
Launched in 2017, the policy stated that Canada would take an explicitly feminist approach to international assistance, including a commitment to protecting women’s sexual and reproductive rights. Many considered it to be a forward-thinking policy that builds on the past work of NGOs and other international partners.
However, the policy also revealed shortcomings. It was criticized for its fuzzy definition of feminism, its surface-level engagement with the overlapping forms of inequality women actually face and for its neoliberal approach to feminism that seeks to fix problems within the Global South, with little engagement with how these problems arose in the first place.
And now, as Israel’s offensive on Gaza marches on unabated and the civilian death toll mounts, Canada’s tepid response calls the strength and sincerity of its feminist commitments into doubt. Furthermore, the country’s continued sale of military equipment to Israel suggests where Canada’s stated feminist values conflict with other political interests leaving Palestinians by the wayside.
On a recent visit to Israel, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly expressed solidarity with Israeli victims of sexual violence committed by Hamas and announced $1 million dollars in support. In addition to funding, Joly also offered RCMP support to help investigate the crimes of sexual violence against Israeli women.
In December, Joly issued strong condemnations in response to allegations of rape committed by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.
In February 2023, Joly also pledged millions for Ukrainian victims of sexual assault along with Canada’s support for the investigation and prosecution of sexual and gender-based violence committed during Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Will Canada do the same for Palestinian women affected by military and sexual violence?
Palestinian women’s rights long ignored
Joly condemned the sexual and gender-based violence being committed against Palestinian women in Gaza in February 2024, but without explicitly naming who the perpetrators of violence are.
Her statement came after United Nations experts expressed alarm over “credible allegations of egregious human rights violations to which Palestinian women and girls continue to be subjected in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.” They cited reports of arbitrary executions, killings, detentions and sexual abuse of Palestinian women and girls by Israeli forces.
Even before the current escalation of violence, Canada’s support of Israel’s actions have long been identified as a significant limitation of FIAP.
In the policy’s peace and security section, Canada commits to advocate for the “respect and protection of the human rights of women and girls in its international and multilateral engagements.” It also says that ensuring the safety and security of women and girls is one of the key steps to ensuring peace.
In Gaza, this security is not being assured. Israel’s bombardment and tightened blockade has killed more than 31,000 people, most of whom are women and children. Those who survive live under constant threat and without access to basic medical aid, food and water. Over 85 per cent of the total population of Gaza — about 1.9 million civilians — have been displaced from their homes.
Palestinian women also face increased risk of sexual violence. There are credible reports of sexual violence being used as a tool of war against both Israeli and Palestinian women.
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