By Roy Mabasa The Canadian government is launching nine projects across the Philippines with focus on increasing the participation of women and girls in governance and promoting gender equality. CFLI logo (image courtesy of CFLI Facebook page / MANILA BULLETIN) “When women and girls are empowered to reach their full potential, this directly benefits their families, their communities and their country. That is why our choices this year emphasize gender equality and the empowerment women and girls, which are strategic priorities for Canada in the Philippines.” Canadian Ambassador to Manila John Holmes said in a statement this week. The Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) is a competitive grants program run by the Embassy of Canada in the Philippines, which provides direct financial support to local organizations for projects that promote inclusive governance, such as by empowering women and girls, strengthening democracy, advancing human rights and promoting the rule of law. The Coalition against Trafficking in Women – Asia-Pacific will conduct trainings to strengthen the implementation of existing anti-trafficking laws by training local government officials in tourist areas prone to incidents of trafficking, such as Siargao in Surigao del Norte. The Foundation for the Advancement of Clinical Epidemiology will develop an application on Facebook Messenger that provides practical information about sexual and reproductive health services and practices to Filipino youth, aiming to reduce incidents of early and unintended pregnancies and sexually-transmitted infections. Bahay Tuluyan Foundation, on the other hand, will train law enforcement officers, social workers, civil society representatives, and barangay officials in the City of Manila on children’s rights and rights-based approaches to protecting marginalized children in the city. The project will also train marginalized youth on their rights so that they can avoid abuse and exploitation. The University of the Philippines Center for Women’s Studies Foundation, Inc. will advance feminist leadership in local government by establishing a network of aspiring women political leaders and empowering them through a mentoring program and by training rights-based and gender-responsive approaches to democratic governance. In disaster-prone and conflict areas across the country, the Pambansang Kongreso ng Kababaihan sa Kanayunan Inc will improve security and resilience by giving voice to women in the community and advocating gender-sensitive preparedness and response mechanisms. Simbahan Lingkod ng Bayan will promote inclusive and participatory governance in the 2019 elections through a nationwide campaign to increase active political engagement. The project will organize candidates’ forums leading up to the elections and develop community leaders to conduct political and civic education at the grassroots. The Institute of Politics and Governance will promote safe public spaces in Antipolo City by advocating for a culture that rejects sexual harassment in public areas through awareness campaign and training and prevent harassment and improve safety, particularly for women and girls. The National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) will enhance the capabilities of lawyers, law students and human rights defenders to respond to human rights violations by highlighting existing legal mechanisms and providing a forum for practitioners to share best practices. G-Watch, an independent action research organization, will work to enhance the Sangguniang Kabataan (local youth councils) as an accountability mechanism by monitoring local anti-poverty programs in selected barangays in three cities across the Philippines to ensure that programs are responsive to the needs of the community and free from corruption.