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Welcome to Pathways to Gender Equality—this year's Spur Change annual conference! On behalf of the ICN, we are looking forward to hosting you in Ottawa. On this page, you'll find conference information and details. We will keep this page updated as new information becomes available. For confirmed participants, expect to receive updates via email as well.
The conference will take place from 12:00 pm on Wednesday, November 6 to 1:00 pm on Friday, November 8, 2024. View the conference program further down on this page.
The conference will take place at the Aga Khan Foundation (The Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat, 199 Sussex Dr, Ottawa, ON K1N 1K6). For more information on the venue, including the design of the building, click here.
As participants from coast to coast to coast make their way to Ottawa, we would like to pay respect to the Algonquin people, who are the traditional guardians of this unceded land on which we gather. We acknowledge the diverse Indigenous Peoples whose ancestors’ footsteps have marked this land we live on for centuries and continue to do so through their histories, languages, ceremonies, and cultures. We remind ourselves that we all have roles to play in righting the historical wrongs that have taken place and are ongoing. Indigenous people’s connection to the land teaches us about our inherent responsibility to protect and respect the Earth and to recognize that we are all connected to each other.
For travel-subsidized participants from out of town, we will be staying at Best Western Plus Gatineau-Ottawa Downtown (131 Rue Laurier, Gatineau, Quebec J8X 3W3). It is a 20 minute walk from the venue across the Ottawa river. We are currently looking into options to facilitate transportation between both sites (details coming soon).
This year's conference aims to advance gender equality and empowerment worldwide in alignment with the the core Action area of Global Affairs Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP), Gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a cross-cutting theme. We will explore these themes through the following objectives.
Below you'll find an outline of the conference program. For all the details, including speaker bios, please refer to the conference package.
Before the conference gets underway, meet us at the Best Western hotel lobby for a bus tour of Ottawa! Departing at 10 am (arrive in the lobby around 9:45/9:50), see Parliament Hill, major landmarks, and more from a double decker bus with a panoramic viewing window. The bus will return to the hotel before heading to the conference venue. View the bus tour itinerary here. Please note that this will be a condensed tour so not every sight will be visited.
Welcome! Join us as James Parsons (Global Affairs Canada), Khalil Shariff (Aga Khan Foundation Canada), and Sandra Muchekeza (Alberta Council for Global Cooperation) share opening remarks to launch the Pathways to Gender Equality conference.
To set the stage for our exploration of the global progress on gender equality, we are pleased to welcome the Honourable Senator Paulette Senior, who has devoted her life to breaking down systemic barriers and building up women and girls of diverse backgrounds.
In this engaging session, Karen Craggs-Milne will share her insights on how we can accelerate progress in gender equality and inclusion, building on the significant investments made over the years. She will introduce her signature Conscious Equality Framework, a holistic approach that draws from her extensive global experience across regions and sectors. This framework highlights key insights and best practices, offering a powerful tool to enhance our ongoing efforts toward achieving gender equality, women's empowerment, and inclusion for all.
This workshop will explore the challenges women encounter in international cooperation and underscore the critical need for inclusive environments. Through engaging, interactive activities, participants will have the opportunity to actively discuss and identify solutions to these barriers, fostering meaningful dialogue and collaboration in plenary sessions. Speaker: Lois Arokoyo (United Nations Association of Canada, Regina Branch)
Global Affairs Canada (GAC)’s Grants and Contributions Transformation Initiative (GCTI) is helping Canadian international assistance to reach more people faster – enhancing the impact of Canada’s global policy objectives. Come hear about how the Initiative is overhauling outdated and inefficient systems that are currently used to deliver grants and contributions (G&Cs). It is bringing all teams and processes together under a single system so that staff and partners can seamlessly collaborate. From assessments to financial management, all data and communication will be connected – unlocking massive potential to automate work and respond in real-time to global development needs. Current partners, as well as a wider range of organizations will be able to access funding easily. Both staff and funding recipients will be able to work more efficiently and effectively on the life cycle of each project with increased transparency and trust. Speakers: Brandon Lee (Global Affairs Canada) and Monique Bergeron (Global Affairs Canada).
After a day of engaging discussions, come mingle with your peers at this special networking event. This is your opportunity to follow up with SMOs you connected with earlier in the day who are championing gender equality, all while enjoying the music of Darcy Ataman from Make Music Matter. Let’s keep the conversation going in a lively, social setting!
9:00 - 10:30 | Global Approaches to Gender Equality
Join Iris Canham (Roll a Hippo Foundation) from South Africa, Roheena Ali Shah (My Oral Village) from Pakistan, and Sada Segeja and Zulpher Bashir Mbwana (Community Forests International) from Tanzania as they share insights from their work in gender equality across sectors and regions. This discussion will delve into the strategies they use to address barriers in fields like child development and protection, economic empowerment, climate adaptation, and policy advocacy, highlighting approaches that empower communities and promote lasting change.
10:30 - 11:00 | Snack Break
11:00 - 12:30 | Beyond the Conventional: Building Inclusive Pathways to Gender Equality in Global Health & Well-being
This interactive and practical workshop will explore the intersection of gender, race, sexuality, age, and ability in global health and well-being, pushing beyond traditional frameworks to support the creation of truly inclusive spaces. Participants will engage in facilitated discussions on structural inequities in Global health systems, integrating intersectional approaches, and amplifying voices often unheard. Through collaborative exercises, we will explore how to move from informational awareness to transformational action, especially in contexts where safe spaces for dialogue are limited or absent. Participants can expect to leave with new perspectives, actionable strategies, and a shared vision for how to embed greater equitable health outcomes in our collective programming. Speakers: Anne Pringle (Lucky Iron Life) and Keely Rogers (Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief).
12:30 - 13:30 | Lunch
13:30 - 15:00 pm | Bridging the Gap: Advancing Gender Equity through Online Education in Afghanistan
Right to Learn Afghanistan, in partnership with Global Affairs Canada, launched the Support for Afghan Girls’ Secondary Education (SAGE) project in the spring of 2024. The SAGE project focuses on strengthening and advancing the Darakht-e Danesh Classroom (DDC) online program and is designed to empower Afghan women and girls to pursue post-secondary education, enter the workforce and become leaders in their communities. This interactive workshop will help to contextualize the situation in Afghanistan related to gender equity in education, share a background on SAGE project goals, partners and progress, and then transition to a world café to engage participants in the scaling plan. The facilitated world café will offer an opportunity to reflect on systemic inequalities, support knowledge exchange, and harvest collective wisdom related to online educational pathways for women and girls in Afghanistan and the region. Speaker: Stephanie Calver (Right to Learn Afghanistan)
15:00 - 15:30 | Snack Break
15:30 - 17:30 | How to Use Advocacy as a Tool to Unlock Gender Equality
Advocacy is an essential tool in advancing gender equality and amplifying the voices of those advocating for fairer, more inclusive policies. In this interactive workshop, facilitated by Results Canada participants will learn how to develop an effective advocacy strategy, how to engage parliamentarians, and how to communicate compellingly to drive impact, through a gendered lens. By understanding the tools and tactics that work, participants will be equipped to champion gender equality in their organization, with their supporters, and through communities to ensure a better, more equal, future for all. Speakers: Dominique Denoncourt (Results Canada) and Lindsay Sheridan (Results Canada).
17:30 - 18:00 | Wellness Break
18:00 -20:00 | Small Steps, Big Results: SMOs Advancing Gender Equality
At this event, hosted with Aga Khan Canada, we are opening the invitation to the public and those interested in learning more about the role of SMOs and their partners in advancing gender equality worldwide. Starting off with a few presentations followed by a mixer with refreshments, the event aims to connect you with professionals across sectors, deepen discussions on gender equality, and explore opportunities for collaboration. Have colleagues or know someone based in Ottawa interested in attending? Invite them to register by November 1 to join us in-person or by November 7 to join us online at the following link: https://bit.ly/4e7qsRz. Speakers: Anita Vandenbeld (Member of Parliament), Jennifer Elms (Chair, Aga Khan Foundation Canada), Hyang Cho (Good Neighbours Canada), Dianne Losing (Medical Mercy Canada), Karine Casault (Mer et Monde), Roheena Ali Shah (Aga Khan Canada), Geetanjali Gill (University of the Fraser Valley), and Dennis Stuebing (Wisdom2Action).
9:00 - 11:00 | SMO Impact Horizon: Learning for Change Inquiry
Canadian SMOs have meaningfully contributed to Canada’s international development efforts towards gender equality, the empowerment of women and girls, poverty reduction and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. The SMO Impact Horizon: Learning for Change Inquiry invites us to build on both rich insights shared and upon our own unique SMO experience, to influence the vision, and nudge the future, of the Canadian SMO impact horizon. This participatory two-hour session will invite the magic of appreciative storytelling to share and celebrate our stories of beneficial impact; discern powerful enablers and troublesome potholes; and, recommend guiding principles or promising practices to influence Canadian SMO and Inter-Council Network (ICN) initiatives emerging on our shared horizon. Facilitator: Darren C. Brown (People Development).
11:00 - 11:30 | Snack Break
11:30 - 12:30 | Future Directions of Gender Equality: Navigating Government Transition
With a potential federal election on the horizon, the future of Global Affairs Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP) may be uncertain. This workshop will equip organizations with strategies to advocate for gender equality through political transitions. Participants will learn how to prepare for various scenarios, build relationships across the political spectrum, and navigate the opportunities and risks of an election period. Led by Jesse Clarke (JN Clarke Consulting), a gender equality expert with over 20 years of experience in Canada’s international development sector, this interactive session provides practical tools to help organizations stay resilient and adaptable in times of change.
12:30 - 13:30 | Lunch & Farewells