Syrian brides and the Global Compact on Refugees: How Canada’s FIAP can reimagine refugee women’s empowerment

In support of Canada’s leading role in the advancement of refugee issues and the implementation of the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR), and informed by its feminist approach to foreign policy and FIAP which “comes with “aggressive” funding targets for gender equality and women’s empowerment” (CCIC, 2017), it is important to scrutinize the notion of gender empowerment and related notions, such as. [...] It, hence, encourages states and relevant stakeholders to “adopt and implement policies and programmes to empower women and girls in refugee and host communities, and to promote full enjoyment of their human rights, as well as equality of access to services and opportunities–while also taking into account the particular needs and situation of men and boys” (GCR–Final Draft, 2018, 14). [...] In support of Canada’s leading role in the advancement of refugee issues and the implementation of the GCR (CCIC, 2017), it is important to scrutinize the notion of gender empowerment and related notions, such as agency, forced marriage and SGBV. [...] Why would I work and degrade myself, meet this and meet that, the good and the bad? No, I apply Sotra to myself and my daughter and find a human being who is honest and straightforward and offers me a decent life. [...] They highlight the importance of recognizing the specific needs and diversity of women and girls through adopting an Age, Gender and Diversity Mainstreaming (AGDM) approachv as well as utilizing the women’s contribution to realize gender equality, women empowerment and the elimination of SGBV.