Launched in 2017, Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP) marks an important turning point in the conduct of foreign policy. “Empowerment of women and girls” is at the heart of this policy aimed in particular at reducing sexual and gender-based violence and increasing the “capacity of governments to provide services to women and girls”. Although this policy is an important step in the recognition of gender in international relations, it is clear that it is easily set aside by the government of Justin Trudeau in favor of economic gains.
Signed in 2014, the arms sales contract between Canada and Saudi Arabia is worth more than 14 billion Canadian dollars. This contract includes the export of weapons and light armored vehicles to Saudi Arabia, a country notorious for its systematic oppression of women. Moreover, despite Saudi Arabia being accused of violating international human rights law and international humanitarian law in the context of the war in Yemen, Canada chooses to turn a blind eye.
The arms deal to Saudi Arabia therefore violates the Arms Trade Treaty, which prohibits the sale of arms to regimes that can use them to commit violations of international human rights law. .
In a statement made jointly by former Minister of Foreign Affairs François-Philippe Champagne and former Minister of Finance Bill Morneau, the Liberal government justifies itself by asserting that there is no credible evidence to link Canadian exports to violations of international human rights law or international humanitarian law in Yemen and highlights the importance of this contract to the Canadian economy. Once again, Canada is playing its cards in favor of the Canadian economy and relegating its feminist values to oblivion.
Fueled by foreign powers, the civil war in Yemen does not appear to be over. The unprecedented humanitarian crisis resulting from this war is severely affecting Yemeni women and girls. As research conducted by UN Women in 2021 shows, “there is a strong correlation between militarization and gender inequality”. Although it denies its involvement in the armed conflict in Yemen, the liberal government is helping to reinforce an oppressive system against women by selling arms to Saudi Arabia.
While Yemen ranks at the bottom of the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index for a 13e year in a row, the war that has been raging for almost nine years has accentuated the insecurity experienced by Yemeni women and girls. Sexual and physical violence against women is exacerbated in times of conflict, ranging from occasional violence at the various crossing points to murder, torture and rape. These women and girls are also the first to be affected by famine used as a weapon of war, as well as by the economic and health crisis. Although the UN has identified Canada as a state favoring the prolongation of the armed conflict in Yemen, nothing suggests that the Liberal government will drop the contract with the Saudis.
Canada therefore has some soul-searching to do. How can we adopt a feminist international aid policy aimed at gender equality outside our borders while contributing to the prolongation of a conflict in which women are the first victims? For Canadian feminist foreign policy to be coherent, it must not operate in parallel, but must be integrated into all spheres, be it diplomacy, development, trade or defence.