Book Launch – The Twelfth of February: Canadian Aid for Gender Equality during the Rise of Violent Extremism in Pakistan

Event Date: October 2, 2024 - 4:00pm to 6:00pm
Location: FSS 4007, 120 University Private, University of Ottawa

Registration: Google Forms

Presented by the School of International Development and Global Studies (SIDGS), CIPS, and the Fragile States Research Network (FSRN)

The Twelfth of February assesses how women’s organizations work to resist violent extremism and makes the connection between gender inequality and security threats in a volatile region. It puts a gender lens on regional geopolitics and its impact on foreign aid and policy decisions. The Book shows how security policies in the past missed the gender element as early warning signs of violent extremism. Despite this, the gender equality movement in Pakistan supported by Canada, did make tangible headway in contrast to neighbouring Iran and Afghanistan. At a critical moment for Pakistan, Canada stopped funding of women’s organizations, ending a legacy of leadership on women’s rights. Was it a lost legacy? The Twelfth of February addresses a problem that is all too timely: given violent extremism’s devastating impact on development gains including women’s rights, security, and the elimination of gender-based violence, what is the future role for international development?

The panel discussion and Q&A will be followed by refreshments.

Panelists:

Ian Smillie worked extensively in Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka and lived in Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Bangladesh. He was a founder of the Canadian NGO, Inter Pares, Executive Director of CUSO and a leader in the campaign against “blood diamonds.” He has worked widely as a development consultant and he is the author of several books, including The Alms Bazaar, The Charity of Nations, Freedom from Want and Blood on the Stone: Greed, Corruption and War in the Global Diamond Trade. His most recent book, Under Development: A Journey Without Maps, was published earlier this year. Smillie is a member of the Order of Canada.

Lilly Nicholls served as ambassador of Canada to Panama from 2018 to 2021 and as Canadian High Commissioner to Bangladesh since 2022. She has a PhD in International Development from the London School of Economics and 30 years of experience in international affairs. Her career has spanned 6 continents and includes leadership roles in government, international organizations and civil society in various positions. From 2015 to 2018, she contributed to the consultations on, and the formulation of, Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy.

Fayyaz Baqir is a development practitioner and author. He served as Senior Advisor on Civil Society for the United Nations, and CEO of Trust for Voluntary Organizations. He has taught and researched at the universities of Ottawa, Tilburg, McGill, and Gothenburg. His professional and academic interests include participatory development, human rights, aid effectiveness, poverty alleviation, and social accountability. He taught cross-border video conference-based courses on the themes relating to Justice and Peace, Social Change, and Politics of Human Development in Pakistan for Georgetown University, Harvard University, Wellesley College, and Fatima Jinnah University. He received the Top Contributors Award from the UNDP’s Global Poverty Reduction Network in 2007 and 2008 and the Best Book Award from the Council of Social Sciences Pakistan in 2022. He has authored numerous journal articles, conference papers, book chapters, training manuals, and books on participatory development, inclusive governance, and poverty alleviation.

Rhonda Gossen is a former Canadian diplomat and Canadian International Development Agency manager, a consultant to the United Nations and the author of this Book. Rhonda worked in Pakistan 3 times over 3 decades and was Head of development cooperation from 2010-2013. Other postings include the Philippines, Afghanistan, Lebanon and Ghana. She has worked on development and crisis response in more than 12 countries in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. She writes on international development, humanitarian response and other global issues.

Moderator:

Rebecca Tiessen is Full Professor in the School of International Development and Global Studies and Director of the Gender, Peace and Security Collaboratory at the University of Ottawa. Her current research examines feminist foreign aid priorities and the role of civil society actors in promoting gender, peace and security. Some of her recent publications include: “Towards a Transformative Vision for Gender and Canadian International Policy: the Role and Impact of ‘Feminist Inside Activists’” (2023), International Journal (co-authored with Nnenna Okoli); and “Whose Feminism (s)? Overseas Partner Organization’s Perceptions of Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP)” (2020), International Journal (co-authored with Sheila Rao).