About
Oxfam Canada is an affiliate of the International Oxfam Confederation networked in more than 90 countries as part of a global movement for change.
Our mission is to build lasting solutions to poverty and injustice with a focus on improving the lives and promoting the rights of women and girls. We work directly with communities, partners and women’s rights organizations to challenge the systems that perpetuate inequality and keep people poor.
We seek to influence those in power to ensure that women trapped in poverty have a say in the critical decisions that affect them, their families and entire communities.
That’s why we believe that ending global poverty begins with women’s rights.
Oxfam Canada’s work involves:
Advocacy
We work to change the laws and practices that keep people trapped in poverty and perpetuate inequality. By building people power, we create movements that help change systems for the better.
Long-term Development
We support projects that help people assert their rights and build better lives for themselves and for others.
Humanitarian Response
When disaster strikes or conflict breaks out, we provide emergency aid. Together with communities, we save and rebuild lives together after disaster and support the needs of refugees around the world.
The guiding principles that drive our actions and programs:
- We are feminists
- We work with partners
- We influence policy
- We listen to others
- We share knowledge
- We know charity is not enough
Our Impact
Advocacy
- 12,429 signatures were delivered to Minister Freeland calling for an end to the Saudi Arms Deal.
- What She Makes campaign exposes the truth behind the clothes sold in Canada and the exploitation of women workers, by launching a Canada-wide call-to-action.
Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights
- Our Sexual Health and Empowerment program reached nearly 13,000 people in the Philippines with sexual and reproductive health and rights awareness and mobilization activities.
Ending Violence Against Women and Girls
- Over 250,000 people in Indonesia, Nepal, the Philippines, Pakistan, Bangladesh and India benefitted from Oxfam’s Creating Spaces.
- Thanks to this project, the law was changed in Indonesia to end child marriage, a precursor to domestic violence.
Women’s Economic Justice
- Our Securing Rights program provided 479 women domestic workers with the tools to obtain decent work while advocating for their rights–resulting in campaigns taking to the streets of Dhaka to denounce the discrimination and violence faced by domestic workers.
Women’s Transformative Leadership
- Capacity strengthening and direct financial support was started with 20 Indigenous women’s organizations in Guatemala to combat systemic racism, violence, and inequality.
Humanitarian
- Emergency response efforts delivered by Oxfam reached 13.5 million people across the globe.
