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We’re a few days away from Partnering for Impact: Lessons from the CanWaCH Canadian Collaboratives for Global Health! Hosted from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, May 20, the virtual session will highlight findings, lessons and practical tools emerging from three collaborative projects focused on key challenges in global health and gender equality.
Participants will hear directly from project leads and partners and consider how their work can inform future research, programming, partnerships and policy dialogue.

The end of April saw us head to Naarm (Melbourne), Australia, for Women Deliver 2026 (WD2026).
Ahead of the start of the conference, several CanWaCH members and partners joined Julie Sunday, High Commissioner for Canada in Australia, and members of the official Canadian delegation for a roundtable discussion. Together, we reflected on Canada’s longstanding and visible role in the Women Deliver movement — and charted out a coordinated, thoughtful and impactful approach to the 2026 conference.

On day two, we were pleased to host a fireside chat with the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, former Prime Minister of Canada. Moderated by CanWaCH CEO Caitlin Goggin, the conversation placed a focus on advancing and protecting sexual and reproductive health and rights. Delivered in partnership with Oxfam Canada, a wider discussion on coalition leadership and multi-stakeholder collaboration followed. The session brought together perspectives from government, civil society and local actors, unpacking the powerful role of partnerships across sectors in sustaining political commitment, strengthening accountability and ensuring progress reaches communities.

Across the sector, many organizations are operating in a more unsettled landscape than even a few years ago. In April and May, we brought together leaders across the coalition for candid conversations about the environment our organizations are currently navigating.
From Calgary and Vancouver to Toronto, Montréal and Ottawa, leaders came together to compare perspectives, share what they’re seeing and reflect on where CanWaCH can be most useful in the months and years ahead.
Thank you to all who joined us and participated in our CanWaCH Member Roundtables so fully across the five cities. We’re looking forward to building on the contributions and insights over the months ahead.
CanWaCH is proud to partner with HerSports Fest through our FuelHER initiative! Taking place May 22 to 24 at The Hangar Sports & Events Centre in Toronto, HerSports Fest is a celebration of girls and women in sport, bringing together athletes, leaders, and communities to inspire participation, connection and empowerment. We’re looking forward to being part of an exciting weekend dedicated to advancing gender equity in sport!
The Pan-Canadian Women’s Health Coalition (PCWHC) is launching KEystone Conversations, a new series of informal knowledge exchange sessions designed to connect researchers across shared areas of work in women’s health.
Bringing together members of the PCWHC, National Women’s Health Research Initiative (NWHRI) innovation grantees and other partners, these conversations will create space to exchange insights, explore common challenges and spark collaboration. Guided by participant facilitators, each session will foster open dialogue, peer learning and new opportunities for partnership in a relaxed, interactive format.
May 28 marks menstrual health day. It’s a moment to tackle the stigma around menstruation and the barriers millions face in accessing adequate water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, along with affordable and appropriate menstrual health products.
In this blog, learn how promoting and safeguarding menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) is essential for the well-being and empowerment of women, girls and all people who menstruate.
CanWaCH member, Femme International, uses education, advocacy, distribution and research to address the unique needs of people who menstruate in low-income communities. Learn about their work here!
From April 21–23, 2026, the inaugural Ottawa Civic Space Summit, Igniting Hope, brought together a global community committed to protecting and expanding civic space at a time of growing democratic strain.
Organized by Cooperation Canada and Resilient Societies, the Summit created a dynamic platform for dialogue, strategy and collective action around three powerful themes — Defend, Reclaim, Reimagine.
Breaking barriers: Women leading change in Pakistan’s large-scale food fortification sector, Nutrition International
Bringing healthcare home: How women entrepreneurs are saving lives in the DRC, CARE Canada
Data is not the new oil. Digital literacy is., Divya Sharma via Write to Thrive
Dr. Casséus: “When the Supply Chain Is the System”, Partners in Health Canada
Ethiopia pioneers double-fortified salt to prevent neural tube defects, Nutrition International
Ending violence against women: Reflections from Tanzania, Nutrition International
Inside Nigeria’s effort to connect community support and clinic care in pregnancy (Video), Nutrition International
How Nurse Training Saved a Newborn’s Life in Lesotho, Partners in Health Canada
Menstrual health is essential for displaced women and girls, CARE Canada
Nurses of the World: Meet PIH Liberia’s New Director of Nursing, Partners in Health Canada
Stories of resilience, strength, and hope from around the world, CARE Canada
We Cannot Ignore Women in Peacebuilding, Sophia Papastavrou, Gender Technical Expert, World Vision Canada
What Kind of Social Justice Warrior Are You? (Quiz), Partners in Health Canada
Youth-friendly services give adolescents a voice in Tabora, Nutrition International
May 14, Embedding Intersectionality in Programs and Policy Design
May 16, May 21 and June 4, Charity Compliance Webinar Series (Spring 2026)
May 19, Equity and AI Learning Series: How to Design an Ethical AI Chatbot
May 20, Lessons from the CanWaCH Canadian Collaboratives for Global Health
May 23, Doing Hard Things With Friends – Who Gets Care: On Structural Violence and Maternal Health
May 25-29, Introduction to Gender Equality and Global Health
June 3, Operationalizing Intersectionality in Organizational Culture and Systems
TOR: She Belongs in School Project, Save the Children. Application deadline: May 18
Global Leadership Program, Aga Khan Foundation Canada. Application deadline: May 19
2026-2027 SPIHC Mentorship Circles: Mentor Application, Partners in Health Canada. Application deadline: May 20
Request for Consultant Proposal: Save the Children Canada’s National Reconciliation Program Review, Save the Children. Application deadline: May 22
Fellowship program, Results Canada. Application deadline: May 24
Call for Nominations: 2026 Paul Farmer Lectureship and Award for Global Health Equity, McGill University, School of Population and Global Health. Application deadline: June 12
Strategic Partnership Advisor – Volunteer in Colombia, Cuso International. Application deadline: June 30
Senior Award Manager, Save the Children. Application deadline: Ongoing
U-Report Canada – Share Your Voice! Youth Opportunity with UNICEF Canada, UNICEF Canada. Application deadline: Ongoing
Have an opportunity that you would like to share with us? Please contact us at [email protected].
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