Canada joins hands with Brac to support vulnerable people

Canadian Minister of International Development Karina Gould on Thursday announced 45 million Canadian dollars, over the next five years, to support increasing services to Bangladesh’s most vulnerable populations, including the hard-to-reach ones.

Canada is committed to investing in partnerships to support the most marginalised, including women and girls in Bangladesh.

“Our local, experienced partners know all too well the disproportionate impact the Covid-19 crisis has had on the world’s most vulnerable. Together, we must continue to push forward and seek out those hardest to reach, including marginalised women and children,” said the Canadian minister.

Canada remains committed to supporting Bangladesh in addressing the impacts of the pandemic and helping vulnerable populations respond and recover as fast as possible, she said.

Canada’s support will fund Brac-led multi-sector initiatives, including programming in skills and vocational training and public health outreach tailored to reach children and families that are unable to access the services they need.

It will also strengthen Brac’s interventions related to human rights, sexual and reproductive health and rights, nutrition and ending gender-based violence against women and children, said a joint media release.

Programming will also focus on, and support, Bangladesh’s Covid-19 response and inclusive economic recovery.

With this contribution, Canada joins the Strategic Partnership Agreement, a long-term tripartite partnership with Brac and the government of Australia.

Canada’s contributions to the partnership will expand Brac’s integrated healthcare, education, legal services, skills development and livelihood service delivery to hard-to-reach areas and the most marginalised populations.

This partnership is closely aligned with Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy and is built on Brac’s longstanding women-centred development approach which prioritises the empowerment of women and girls.

The announcement was made during minister Gould’s virtual visit to Bangladesh.

Gould visited Bhashantek slum in Dhaka to see firsthand the impacts of Brac’s urban development programming, which will receive continued support through the partnership.

She also met young women engaged in skills training, health care workers supporting soon-to-be-mothers, and witnessed the Brac-led Covid-19 prevention and response activities in action.

Brac Executive Director Asif Saleh accompanied the minister during the visit.