Women's Equality

You’re more likely to be poor if you’re a woman. That’s a fact. And if you’re a woman, you’re also likely to be doing most of the work.

Seventy per cent of the 1.3 billion people living in extreme poverty are women and girls. Systematic gender discrimination is a major cause of poverty. Oxfam Canada believes that ending global poverty begins with women’s rights.

Women today:

  • Make up two-thirds of the world's illiterate population
  • Comprise two-thirds of the exploited informal workforce
  • Own one per cent of the world's resources and earn one-tenth of the world's income
  • Occupy only 18% of seats in the world's parliaments
  • 70% of the worlds poor are women
  • 80% of the worlds refugees are women and girls (UNHCR 2002)
  • For women aged 15-44 gender violence accounts for more deaths and disability than cancer, malaria, traffic accidents and war (WHO 2005)

Yet women are the powerhouses of developing countries: they produce most of the food, make up a third of the official labour force and care for families and homes. Through decades of development work, we recognize that investing in women means investing in men and children as well.

What is Oxfam doing?

Oxfam Canada works with a range of organizations in the South, in Canada and at the global level that have strong credentials in promoting women's rights. 

We focus on:

  • Women's rights and livelihoods
  • Women's rights and HIV/AIDS
  • Women's rights and humanitarian crises
  • Women's rights and participation
  • Women's rights and gender-based violence.

Ensuring women benefit from our work is such a vital part of what we do. All our projects - from food security projects in Cuba to rebuilding after an earthquake in Pakistan – are designed to ensure both women and men enjoy equal rights, opportunities and outcomes.

  • Share/Save