Canadian Funding will Support Better Economic Opportunities for Over 2,200 Women in Ukraine

OTTAWA, ON, December 22, 2020 – Over 2,200 women and internally displaced persons in Ukraine will benefit from the project “Supporting Economic Prosperity for Women and Internally Displaced Persons in Ukraine” (SEW Ukraine). The $5 million initiative funded by Global Affairs Canada, is being implemented over five years (2020-2025) by the Co-operative Development Foundation of Canada (CDF Canada) in collaboration with the All-Ukrainian Charity Foundation “Gorenie” based in Dnipro Ukraine. SEW Ukraine will adopt a two-pronged approach to addressing the needs of vulnerable women and internally displaced persons in the country by: i) enhancing employment opportunities for women in the garment sector; and ii) strengthening micro, small and medium-sized (MSM) garment enterprises.

“Investing in opportunities for women and the most vulnerable and marginalized is an investment in the future of the country. Through these initiatives, they have the potential to become powerful agents of change, uniting their voices with those of all the other Ukrainian people working to restore political and economic stability. Canada continues to be a close friend of Ukraine, supporting it to deliver security, prosperity and freedom for all of its citizens”, said Karina Gould, Minister of International Development (original GAC news release)

SEW Project will target 2,200 vulnerable women in the Kyiv, Kharkiv and Dnipro regions of Ukraine. It will support their economic empowerment through strengthening the local business environment and governance structures to provide access to employment and enable the development of MSMs in the garment sector. With funding from Global Affairs Canada, co-implementors CDF Canada and Gorenie will assist beneficiaries to find employment within existing garment production enterprises through access to vocational and workplace integration training. Higher-skilled women will be supported to create sustainable livelihoods for themselves and their families through entrepreneurship in the garment sector. In addition, CDF Canada will administer a loan fund for vulnerable women entrepreneurs and will provide technical expertise in the deployment of the cooperative model to support project objectives.

SEW Ukraine project and the partnership between CDF Canada, Global Affairs Canada and Gorenie reflect the organizations’ commitment to respond in an effective and economically sustainable manner the triggers of vulnerability facing women and internally displaced persons in Ukraine, including discrimination in employment, gender-based violence and social exclusion.

“Thanks to the support of the Government of Canada, this project will improve the situation of vulnerable women by helping create jobs and boosting economic activity in a critical sector for Ukraine’s economic development and export potential”,” said Benoit Andre, CDF Canada Executive Director. “Fully empowering women to be agents of change, at home, in the workplace, and in society, is smart economics and are values that reverberate profoundly with the Canadian cooperative community, which we have proudly represented for over seven decades.”

About CDF Canada:

The Co-operative Development Foundation of Canada has strong links to Canada’s co-operative business and international development sectors. CDF Canada’s mission is to act on co-operative principles and partner with communities around the world to achieve sustainable economic and social development. Canadian co-operators have engaged internationally for more than 70 years through CDF Canada. For more visit: www.cdfcanada.coop

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