THE MUSKOKA INITIATIVE: ’S COMMITMENTS ON MATERNAL, NEWBORN, AND CHILD HEALTH AND SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH

By Alessandra Bergeron #6029601 Submitted to Professor Rebecca Tiessen Major Research Project (MRP) University of Ottawa

December 13, 2016

TABLE OF CONTENTS LISTS OF ABBREVIATIONS, ACRONYMS, TABLES AND FIGURES ...... IV INTRODUCTION ...... 5 CHAPTER 1: BACKGROUND/HISTORY: COMMITMENTS OF THE HARPER GOVERNMENT ...... 8 CHAPTER 2: CONCEPTUAL AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ...... 12 2.1 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK ...... 12 2.2 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ...... 15 CHAPTER 3: REVIEW OF LITERATURE ...... 21 CHAPTER 4: RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY ...... 24 4.1 RESEARCH DESIGN ...... 24 4.2 METHODOLOGY FOR THE ANALYSIS OF THE PROJECT PROFILES ...... 26 4.2.1 Preliminary Analysis ...... 27 4.2.2 First Analysis...... 27 4.2.3 Second Analysis ...... 28 4.2.4 In-depth Analysis ...... 29 4.3 SOME LIMITATIONS OF THE RESEARCH ...... 30 CHAPTER 5: ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS ...... 32 5.1 PRESENTATION OF THE FINDINGS ...... 32 Finding #1: The language used in the Muskoka Initiative project profiles emphasizes pregnancy and motherhood rather than women as persons...... 32 Finding #2: Only 36% (22 out of 61) of the project profiles related to SRH include explicit references about gender equality...... 33 Finding #3: Women’s empowerment efforts in developing countries targeted by the Muskoka Initiative are insufficient to encourage women to seek SRH care services...... 36 Finding #4: The projects profiles relating to SRH in the Muskoka Initiative only superficially show signs of contributing to women’s rights and increasing opportunities...... 41 Finding #5: There is virtually no consideration for gender violence in the projects relating to SRH for women and girls in the global South...... 42 Finding #6: Additional research on certain Executing Agencies (EA) reveals that there are conflicts of interest between their organizational mandate and the nature of some projects they are executing...... 43 Finding #7: The project profiles of the Muskoka Initiative do not stress the need for men and women to coexist on the same level to be able to change gender dynamics and empower both genders. This is only subtlety mentioned...... 45 Finding #8: The majority of projects related to SRH identify a factor or social determinant of health that could act as a barrier against women and girls in the Global South to improve their SRH...... 49 Finding #9: Newborns are considered an afterthought compared to women when it comes to improving newborn health...... 56 Finding #10: The analysis of the project profiles shows the insufficiency of systematic activities and strategies aiming at raising awareness of women, men, and the community regarding SRH...... 58 5.2 CONNECTION BETWEEN FINDINGS AND THE SCHOLARLY DEBATES ...... 62 5.3 IDENTIFICATION OF THEMES STEMMING FROM THE FINDINGS ...... 67 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EACH THEME ...... 72

ii APPENDICES ...... 78 APPENDIX A: SAMPLE OF PROJECT PROFILE FORMAT ...... 78 APPENDIX B: FIRST ANALYSIS SPREADSHEET ...... 80 APPENDIX C: IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS SPREADSHEET ...... 108 APPENDIX D: NUMBER OF TIMES EACH EXECUTING AGENCY/PARTNER IS CONTRIBUTING TO A PROJECT ...... 148 BIBLIOGRAPHY ...... 151

iii LISTS OF ABBREVIATIONS, ACRONYMS, TABLES AND FIGURES

ADRA Adventist Development and Relief Agency Canada AMREF Canada African Medical and Research Foundation Canada BWSS Battered Women Support Services CCFC Christian Children's Fund of Canada CCISD Center for International Cooperation in Health and Development CFPs Call for Proposals CHF Children’s Health Fund CIDP Canadian International Development Platform EA Executing Agency FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations GAC Global Affairs Canada GAD Gender and Development GII Gender Inequality Index GNI Gross National Income HDI Human Development Index MNCH Maternal, Newborn and Child Health NPSIA Norman Patterson School of International Affai