YPH

16 Days Of Activism on Violence Against Women Ayesha Siddiqa | February 13, 2025 I often ask myself why do we only have 16 days of activism for Gender-Based Violence (GBV) when the problem persists every single day? When will we move beyond symbolic campaigns and commit to 365 days of activism, ensuring that our […]

My Advocacy Journey: Carrying the Dreams of Afghan Girls Muzhda Akbari | January 21, 2025 It has been over three years since girls above grade six were banned from attending school in Afghanistan. As of today, nearly three million school-aged girls are out of school in Afghanistan, making it the only country in the world

My Time at Association for Women’s Rights In Development (AWID) – The Forum: A Journey of Learning, Healing, and Reimagining Advocacy Aija-Simone White | January 20, 2025 Expectations vs. Reality Heading into the 15th Association for Womens Rights In Development (AWID) Forum in Thailand, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Having attended professional conferences in

Why Youth Voices Belong at COP: Observers to Changemakers By Rajaa Berry | December 19, 2024 Attending COP29 as a youth delegate gave me a front-row seat to the complex and often frustrating world of climate negotiations. While there were moments of progress, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing; youth voices weren’t

Women’s Financial Independence: A Global and Canadian Perspective By K. Kamal | November 15, 2024 Achieving financial independence is a key pillar of gender equality, enabling women to make autonomous life choices, secure their financial futures, and actively contribute to the economy. While significant progress has been made in countries like Canada, challenges remain both

Reflections and Recommendations from the Dialogue on Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy By Yagiz Boran | November 8, 2024 | Photos by Sid Naidu Summary of the Indo-Pacific Strategy Dialogue The Indo-Pacific Dialogue, hosted on October 30th at Centennial College by the Ontario Council for International Cooperation (OCIC), brought together a vibrant assembly of policymakers, experts, and

It is the same thing every morning: As soon as I am awake and ready to start my day, and before reaching up to rub my eyes, I grab my phone…

The OCIC Youth Policymaker’s Hub (YPH) convened in January for our 2023 Retreat. Following a dinner get-together, the next day we were joined by…

In March 2023, several delegates from OCIC’s networks travelled to New York to participate in the United Nations 67th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67)…