The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development, announced $272.1 million in new funding for 14 projects in Bangladesh and the Indo-Pacific region.
Integrated Climate Adaptation Solutions for the Hindu Kush Himalaya Region
Funding: $15 million over 5 years
Partner: International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)
The project aims to strengthen the resilience to climate change of vulnerable communities in Bangladesh (Chittagong Hill Tracts), Bhutan and Nepal. Working primarily with women, the project will advance innovations in sustainable land and water management to revive and protect local water resources including springs. It will promote renewable energy technology for irrigation systems and increase the capacity of communities to obtain support for future climate adaptation projects. Approximately 10,000 people are expected to directly benefit from the project, including through increased access to water for irrigation and household needs, increased food security and more sustainable livelihoods.
Community Resilience through Locally-led Inclusive Adaptation
Funding: $10 million over 3 years
Partner: United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
This project aims to increase the climate change resilience of 30,000 households from the most climate-vulnerable and marginalized communities in the three districts of the Chittagong Hill Tracts: Rangamati, Khagrachari and Bandarban. It will promote local leadership and community inclusion in resilience planning processes with local governments, ensure the active participation of women and marginalized communities, and protect ecosystems through nature-based solutions, while advocating for the recognition of the unique challenges women and girls face because of climate change.
Empowering Women in the Nursing Sector
Funding: $6.3 million increase over 3 years
Partner: Cowater International Inc.
This project aims to improve nursing standards and education, reduce gender-related barriers and social stigmas towards women in nursing. This funding will further equip nurses with the skills they need to provide quality care to their patients.
Civic Engagement Fund in Bangladesh
Funding: $5 million over 4 years
Partner: Government of Switzerland-Swiss Development Cooperation
This multi-donor project aims to strengthen the effectiveness of development policies and programs in Bangladesh by fostering civic engagement through staff training, mentorship, leadership programs and financial support for up to 60 organizations, including grassroots non-governmental organizations, human rights defenders, think tanks, and media, that works to amplify the voices of underrepresented groups including women, youth, and marginalized communities. The project will contribute to improving governance by fostering a constructive dialogue with the Government of Bangladesh, aiming to create more transparent, accountable institutions and promote access to justice and the rule of law.
Advancing Decent Work in Bangladesh
Funding: $8 million over 4 years
Partner: International Labour Organization (ILO)
This multi-donor project is a coordinated joint response by the International Labour Organization, the Government of Bangladesh and workers’ and employers’ organizations to advance labour laws and rights to meet international standards. It aims to strengthen labour law enforcement and administration, reduce child labour, and improve business practices. The project also supports the piloting and scaling up of an employment injury system.
Canada's pledge for the replenishment of the Asian Development Bank’s Asian Development Fund (ADF 14)
Funding: $127 million over 4 years
Partner: Asian Development Bank
The ADF provides grants to the poorest and most vulnerable member countries in the Asian Development Bank. ADF’s goal is to support poverty reduction and improve the quality of life of people living in lower income developing countries in the Indo-Pacific Region. ADF 14 focuses on climate action, disaster preparedness, supporting small island developing states, gender equality and countries in fragile and conflict affected situations.
Gender-Responsive and Inclusive Vocational Education and Training
Funding: $12 million over 4 years
Partner: Underprivileged Children's Education Programs
This project aims to provide 27,000 underprivileged children and youth, especially girls and women, including those with disabilities, with gender-responsive and inclusive vocational education and training to gain employable skills leading to decent work.
Women and Girls Education Through Inclusive Education
Funding: $8 million over 5 years
Partner: United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
The project aims to improve the quality of education, reduce barriers to education for girls, and empower girls to pursue their education in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region of Bangladesh. The project will increase access to safe and inclusive education for 16,800 girls and 14,744 boys, particularly those from ethnic minorities and including those with disabilities. The project will also strengthen 71 informal secondary schools so they can become accredited schools funded by the Government of Bangladesh.
Institutional Support to icddr,b in Bangladesh
Funding: $15 million over 3 years
Partner: International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research
This project will provide icddr,b with institutional support to implement its 2023-2027 Strategic Plan to find low-cost, innovative solutions to public health problems of vulnerable populations in Bangladesh and the Global South. The initiative aims to strengthen scientific research and innovation, deliver free healthcare, especially for women and children and to strengthen the organization’s management and long-term sustainability.
Health Systems Strengthening for Primary Health Care
Funding: $27 million over 5 years
Partner: UNICEF (with UNFPA)
The project aims to strengthen health systems in Bangladesh to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights services, reduce maternal and child mortality rates, and improve access to quality healthcare for women, adolescents, and children with a special focus on marginalized populations and hard-to-reach rural areas in 5 underperforming districts.
SAY SRHR: Support Adolescent and Youth SRHR
Funding: $7.8 million over 5 years
Partner: World Renew
This project aims to take a comprehensive approach to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) by addressing the gendered inequalities, discriminatory social norms and institutional structures that limit the access to sexual and reproductive health services and promotion of SRHR in select communities in Bangladesh.
WE CARE South Asia
Funding: $8.4 million over 5 years
Partner: Opportunity International Canada
This project aims to improve the health and resilience of vulnerable households, particularly women and girls, in India, Bangladesh, and Nepal.
Health System Resiliency for SRHR
Funding: $18 million over 7 years
Partner: HealthBridge Foundation of Canada
This project aims to improve the comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights of women, adolescents, and other marginalized groups in Bangladesh, Nepal and Vietnam.
Samaan Aawaaj: Intersectional Democratic Spaces in Nepal and Bangladesh
Funding: $4.6 million over 3 years
Partner: Governors of St. Francis Xavier University – Coady Institute
This project aims to improve equality and realization of human rights among grassroots, Dalit, Indigenous, and religious minority women and girl’s rights holders living in poorest, most marginalized conditions in Nepal, Bangladesh, and the Indo-Pacific. Through training, workshops, dialogues and campaigns, the project will expand capacities and connections amongst these women, responsibility holders, elected officials and community-based organizations and women’s rights organizations.