She Leads in Crisis: Supporting Women’s Leadership and Resilience
Vimlendra Sharan, Director of FAO North America, provided a thorough overview of FAO’s work around the world to achieve Zero Hunger, as well as the Sustainable Development Goals.
FAO North America and CARE Canada cohosted a breakfast briefing for policymakers on Parliament Hill in Ottawa entitled She Leads in Crisis: Supporting Women’s Leadership and Resilience on the Front Lines of Climate Change and Humanitarian Crises. This event represented FAO North America’s first-ever formal activity in the Canadian Parliament. Despite the event’s early morning start and poor weather, well over 100 persons attended including 10 Senators, many staff working for various Members of Parliament, as well as senior officials from Global Affairs Canada and key Canadian civil society organizations.
The event was sponsored by three Senators, each of whom made opening remarks and attended the entire session, including: Ratna Omidvar, Independent Senator from Ontario; Mike Lake, Shadow Minister for International Development, Conservative Party of Canada; and Heather McPherson, Deputy House Leader, Critic for International Development, Deputy Critic for Foreign Affairs. Together, the three Senators represented all of the major Canadian political parties. Attendees and the Senators themselves repeatedly noted how rare it is for Senators from all three of Canada’s major political parties to participate together in an event, underscoring the strong bipartisan engagement and interest in the work of FAO and CARE Canada. MP Kamal Khera, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development, also delivered opening remarks at the event and attended for its duration.