Gender Justice

Oxfam's gender justice policy sets out an exciting agenda for change. It builds on our longstanding commitment to put women's rights and gender equality at the centre of all the work we do with our partners and allies, in our programs, and in our own organization.

Why it Matters

Discrimination against women from heinous forms of violence to unequal access to land or public services constitute the most widespread and systemic forms of human rights violations around the world. All of us, women and girls, men and boys, have a stake in gender justice. Changing women's position in the world means changing the world for the better, a goal we all share.

Learn More:

		Gender Justice Why Gender Equality Matters
		Gender Justice Transformative Leadership
		Gender Justice Ending Violence Against Women
		Gender Justice Economic Empowerment
		Oxfam Groups Public Outreach Materials

Related oxfam.ca links:

Women's Equality

GROW

The Association of Men against Violence is an Oxfam partner organization which addresses and challenges commonly held norms regarding violence and gender roles in Nicaragua. Wilber Antonio Gonzales Gutierrez describes their goals, their challenges and their successes in their campaign for gender justice.

This is what Oxfam Canada is doing

Our goal is to ensure more women have the capacity, tools, legislation and enabling environment to promote and defend their rights. Oxfam Canada is working to become a recognized leader in building capacity to promote gender justice in Canada and around the world.

Our gender justice policy is built upon three key pillars:

1. All Oxfam Canada programs will help build gender equality.

• We will apply a gender analysis to all of our programs and activities so that our work on HIV and AIDS, education, sustainable livelihoods and humanitarian response, among others, contributes to building gender equality.
• We will increase our support to women's organizations and movements.
• We will support men to become change agents for equality, including transforming community and organizational attitudes and practices.
• This work will compliment all of our work to transform power relations that reinforce inequalities based on class, race, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation and expression, ability, citizen status, education and other identities. 

2. We will create a climate for action on gender justice.

• Gender justice will be front and centre in our advocacy, education, fundraising, outreach, campaigns and communications.
• We will keep learning, and use what we learn to develop and share good practice for promoting gender justice from the local to the global level.
• We will monitor and evaluate the impact of our programs on progress towards gender justice. 

3. Our own organization will practice the principles of gender justice.

• We will continue to build an organization that is inclusive and walks the talk of gender justice and women's empowerment—from our hiring and staff development, to our decision-making, internal policies, systems, and budgets.
• We will build in structures, plans and incentives to ensure that this policy is implemented.

This is how we work

Through a range of strategies we are renewing and boosting our commitment to gender justice by:

• Supporting our partners to develop stronger programs and practices, and build capacity for gender equality
• Promoting women's leadership and involvement in humanitarian action
• Learning and sharing lessons with our counterparts and allies
• Participating in policy dialogue in Canada and globally
• Advocating for gender justice with allies and as part of Oxfam International

In this video, Aymara Pineda describes the work of Puntos de Encuentro, an Oxfam partner organization which uses media to support the Nicaraguan women's movement. The Puntos agency is provides information and organization support to approximately a thousand feminist organizations in the country. With their help, the women’s movement is able to more effectively campaign for women’s rights in Nicaragua.

This is what equality looks like

• Women and men sharing power and wealth equally.
• Education, health care and decent livelihoods for all.
• Women making decisions jointly with men.
• Women controlling their own bodies.
• Women as active citizens and leaders.
• Men and boys saying 'No to restrictive gender roles and gender-based violence.
• Relationships based on respect and inclusion.
• Women and girls living free from violence.
• A green world for the well-being of women and men, girls and boys.

Oxfam Canada Women's Rights page