Blogs & Stories

Through the Creating Spaces project, these women champion female leadership to advance gender justice.

by Asma Siyala and Farwah Qasim | March 8, 2022

Peggy Killeen realized that leaving a gift in her own will would be a powerful way to make a difference through Oxfam Canada's work to fight inequality and beat poverty.

by Oxfam Canada | April 1, 2020

Climate change has affected the normally predictable seasons in this impoverished region of India. The monsoons last longer, are larger and, in 2017, were accompanied by Cyclone Mora.

by Paula Baker | June 29, 2018

It can be particularly challenging as a young woman leading men in many African societies. As a native Tanzanian and Swahili speaker, Gloria is up to the task. “It’s important…

by Oxfam | June 3, 2018

Oxfam has come to know Rajiah as a leader when she was unanimously selected to represent her community during an Oxfam assessment of what their most pressing needs were. This…

by Oxfam | March 28, 2018

** Trigger warning: violence against women, sexual misconduct and prostitution ** The full Haiti 2011 Investigation Report can be found here. 1. Were any Oxfam Canada staff or donor funds…

by Oxfam Canada | February 16, 2018

What is Oxfam, what do we do, and how do we do it? Here’s the information you need to answer those questions! 1: Oxfam is a global movement of people…

by Oxfam | January 18, 2018

Right now, millions of families around the world are facing severe food shortages, fleeing their homes in search of safety, and navigating life without access to safe, clean water. These…

by Sara Thaw | November 27, 2017

 Emily Kirby recounts her experience as an Oxfam Ambassador for the Stand As One campaign – a global movement of Coldplay fans standing in solidarity with refugees and displaced people.…

by Luna Allison | September 28, 2017

Partners and community define our humanitarian work.  Her excitement was contagious. Renata Dia stood at the base of the brand new water tap. The solar-powered water system was only a…

by Sara Thaw | August 19, 2017

Written by Julie Delahanty, Executive Director, Oxfam Canada Driving through Larache in Northern Morocco I was struck by the large-scale modern agricultural feel of the countryside. Travelling frequently throughout Asia…

by Oxfam Canada | March 8, 2017

Each year the rich and powerful descend upon Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum – and Oxfam makes headlines reminding them and the world of rising global inequality. This…

by oxfamcanada | January 24, 2017

Do you remember the last time you felt confidence in yourself and your voice? This feeling swept over me when Oxfam Canada invited me in November 2016 to represent them…

by oxfamcanada | January 4, 2017

What is Equal Pay Day all about anyway? On April 19, 2016, The Ontario Equal Pay Coalition marks Equal Pay Day – the day when a typical woman’s earnings have…

by oxfamcanada | April 19, 2016

by Julie Delahanty,Executive Director of Oxfam Canada  We'll leave it to the courts to decide the fate of former CBC broadcaster Jian Ghomeshi, whose trial on five counts of sexual…

by oxfamcanada | February 1, 2016

Written by Winnie ByanyimaExecutive Director, Oxfam International Yet again I am attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, warning about the global inequality crisis – and proposing steps to tackle…

by oxfamcanada | January 17, 2016

On October 19th, 2015, Canadians told the world they were ready for something different. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was elected on the promise of action on climate change, a valued…

by oxfamcanada | December 9, 2015

By Bailey Reid, Women’s Rights Campaigner, Oxfam Canada Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) programs are popular among development interventions. They enhance the economic security of women and households by developing skills…

by oxfamcanada | December 3, 2015

Written by Kelly Bowden National Campaigns Manager, Oxfam Canada That’s why Oxfam teamed up with the Up For Debate campaign. Up For Debate has a very clear goal: to put…

by Oxfam | September 23, 2015

Written by Julie Lafrenière Women’s Rights Knowledge Specialist On September 15th, 2015 in Ottawa there was an important event featuring three female Nobel Peace Laureates: Shirin Ebadi (Iran), Mairead Maguire…

by Oxfam Canada | September 15, 2015

Written by Kelly Bowden, National Campaign Manager If you ask political parties or the media, this election is about the middle class. If you ask me, it’s about people living…

by oxfamcanada | August 6, 2015

The world’s most powerful political leaders will be quietly absent from the UN Financing for Development Conference when it kicks off in Addis next week.  They would rather not put…

by oxfamcanada | July 7, 2015

Amidst bombings and shortages in fuel, food and vital supplies, a group of Yemeni women came together for an unconventional demonstration against the war… and the lack of women’s rights.…

by oxfamcanada | July 6, 2015

Written by Sarah Rooney, Oxfam Canada’s intern and 3rd year law student at University of Ottawa. As we see the poignant images coming out of Nepal’s catastrophic earthquake, it’s important…

by oxfamcanada | May 1, 2015

“We feel like leaders”, “I am no longer the same”, “We are together now”, “we know we can do it” – these are the voices of women leading the urban…

by oxfamcanada | April 23, 2015

I was born and raised in Congo (D. R) until my family immigrated to Winnipeg. Three years ago, I was introduced to Oxfam, when invited to participate in Oxfam Canada's…

by oxfamcanada | April 14, 2015

Women are often disproportionately affected by disasters, due to gender inequality and discrimination, and women’s leadership is critical in efforts to address the mounting challenge of rising disasters around the…

by Shafqat Munir | March 16, 2015

Noor, 30, fled the war in Syria with her handicapped husband and two children, a girl, 4, and a boy, 3. She is a teacher by training and has set…

by oxfamcanada | March 11, 2015

Make It Happen: Stories From south sudan Mary's story “The first thing I share on the radio is the message of peace”Mary Nyidur – Journalist, Radio presenter, Minkaman   “Life…

by oxfamcanada | March 5, 2015

Women and Climate Change: Stories of EMPOWERMENT Rosario’s story The Santa Rosa Community is made up of around 30 families, including Rosario’s. They live about 50 km from Guayaramerín in…

by oxfamcanada | March 1, 2015

Women and Climate Change: Stories of EMPOWERMENT Langgin's story Langgin is 20 years old and has lived in the farming community of Bagumbayan in the south island of Mindanao in…

by oxfamcanada | February 28, 2015

From Nigeria to Canada to the UK gender-based violenceknows no borders Blog by:  Chioma Akuabia Ukwuagu Programme Officer, Female Leadership/Gender Justice and Good Governance, Genevieve Gauthier Gender Justice Programme Officer,…

by oxfamcanada | December 9, 2014

First she kept her own family together. Then she became a spokesperson for family farmers around the world. Many of us are fortunate enough to be able to choose our…

by oxfamcanada | October 20, 2014

Children who, in their native Syria, used to play water games and swim, are now sitting listlessly under the shade to protect themselves from the blistering sun. In Jordan, a…

by Oxfam Canada | August 19, 2014

On World Humanitarian Day Pieter Struijf, Oxfam’s Program Manager for Jonglei, writes about the challenges of delivering aid in rural South Sudan and the crucial role played by the local…

by oxfamcanada | August 19, 2014

An inside look at the food giant’s bold new commitments on land rights. Monique van Zijl is the campaign manager for Oxfam’s Behind the Brands campaign. When one of the…

by oxfamcanada | August 7, 2014

by Winnie Byanyima It could be the opportunity of a generation. The world can be proud of the progress made towards ending poverty – as I see for myself when…

by oxfamcanada | July 18, 2014

What does it feel like to be a refugee, forced to flee to an unfamiliar country and dependent on humanitarian assistance to survive? How do you know where to turn,…

by oxfamcanada | June 20, 2014

by Emily Brown, Oxfam Great Britain Yesterday I shared with you a new animation on women’s political voice – and today, to inspire you, I would like to share with…

by oxfamcanada | June 12, 2014

A group of Oxfam executive directors and board chairs recently took to the fields of Cuba, traveling with the Oxfam in Cuba team to Holguin, east of Havana. The bus…

by oxfamcanada | June 3, 2014

by Winnie Byanyima I have joined global decision makers in Maputo this week for the IMF and Mozambiquan government’s joint “Africa Rising” conference, to take stock of Africa’s economic performance,…

by oxfamcanada | May 30, 2014

photo: Oxfam America by Coco McCabe, Oxfam America Yadira Leticia Tziná Mendoza explains why she’s taking on a taboo and helping other women realize their rights. If Yadira Leticia Tziná…

by oxfamcanada | April 16, 2014

by Winnie Byanyima People want dignity, people want rights In the global survey World We Want 2015, health was the first priority of people living in poor countries. This was…

by oxfamcanada | April 11, 2014

When enough of us speak out, companies listen. Today PepsiCo proved this. After nearly 6 months of campaigning, the world’s second largest food and drink company agreed to a zero…

by oxfamcanada | March 18, 2014

by Anna Kramer, Oxfam America Oxfam invited typhoon survivors to share their self-portraits. The results aren’t what you’d expect. Be honest: raise your hand if you haven’t taken a selfie…

by Oxfam | February 10, 2014

by Lina Holguin Today, mining companies and civil society organizations came together to ask the Government of Canada to establish strong rules on mandatory reporting of payments made by Canadian…

by oxfamcanada | January 16, 2014

Typhoon Haiyan caused widespread damage to livelihoods. Among the worst affected, was coconut farming with millions of trees being uprooted, damaged or destroyed. One coconut farmers association estimated the damage…

by oxfamcanada | January 9, 2014

Statement by Robert Fox, Oxfam Canada Executive Director In South Africa, every six hours a woman is killed by her partner. In Guatemala, two women are murdered on average daily.…

by oxfamcanada | December 10, 2013

As part of the international campaign “16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence,” Oxfam in Mali, Wildaf – a local partner – and International Medical Corps launched an exhibition in Bamako, Gao…

by oxfamcanada | December 4, 2013

By Abbi Luz Note: This is a shorter version of the original blog, which can be found at theabsterabbi.com When Oxfam’s rapid assessment teams came back from Leyte and Eastern…

by oxfamcanada | November 20, 2013

By Julie Thekkudan, Gender Justice – Lead Specialist, Oxfam India India is a land of many contrasts where goddesses are revered for their strength and invincibility yet violence against women…

by oxfamcanada | November 5, 2013

Village chief Ezequiel Joâo Kaiowá leads me to a forest clearing located on his tribe’s ancestral land known as Panambi-Lagoa Rica, in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, south-western…

by Oxfam | October 17, 2013

Edilza Duarte, 24, is a Guaraní-Kaiowá mother of two, living in Ponta Porã, Mato Grosso do Sul. Her community’s land, Jatayvary, was taken from them 40 years ago. Now it’s…

by Oxfam | October 2, 2013

When Funeka Soldaat went to the police after being raped, they beat her and put her in the back of the police car. “They threw me so hard into the…

by oxfamcanada | August 12, 2013

by Carsten Völz, Oxfam International Humanitarian Director The Global Humanitarian Assistance report is eagerly anticipated by some of us in the humanitarian field, as it provides us with hard data…

by oxfamcanada | August 7, 2013

by Winnie Byanyima I feel very privileged to have joined Oxfam International just as we adopt our new strategic plan, called “The Power of People against Poverty”. To me, that…

by oxfamcanada | June 28, 2013

  Last week the UN revealed for the first time that more than a quarter of a million people died in Somalia over 18 months from October 2010-April 2012. These…

by oxfamcanada | May 8, 2013

  With your help, Oxfam has been campaigning since September on land grabs, as part of our GROW campaign for food justice. We wanted the World Bank to take some…

by oxfamcanada | April 23, 2013

  by Jo Whitaker Meet Patricia. She’s a mother of six from a small town called Casiguran in the Philippines. Until recently, she and her husband lived next to the…

by oxfamcanada | April 18, 2013

  In the once tranquil Casiguran municipality of the Philippines, a powerful local political dynasty has started building. There are plans for a deep water shipping port, and plans to…

by oxfamcanada | April 10, 2013

  by Caroline Gluck Amid a sea of male construction and site workers in Jordan’s sprawling Zaatari desert camp, Oxfam’s female engineer, Farah Al-Basha stands out from the crowd. The…

by oxfamcanada | March 8, 2013

  A new UN report released today on Women’s Rights and the Right to Food puts the spotlight on the hugely disproportionate amount of time that women spend caring for…

by oxfamcanada | March 4, 2013

  First question: How does Oxfam take the potential for gender-based violence into account when planning cash distributions to women in emergencies? Second question: What is the global South? Over…

by oxfamcanada | February 4, 2013