BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (December 22, 2022) – The High Commission of Canada is pleased to announce a contribution of CAD45,000, through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI), to the Grenada Planned Parenthood Association (GPPA) to support sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) clinics in Grenada. The GPPA is one of eight organizations in the Eastern Caribbean selected for CFLI funding for 2022-2023.

Canada’s support will enable GPPA to raise awareness about and increase access to integrated SRHR, Human Immunodeficiency Viruses (HIV) and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) services in the parishes of St. Mark, St. Patrick and St. John as well as Carriacou. The project provides a boost to the availability of SRHR clinical services and support services in rural Grenada. It will also raise awareness about these services in collaboration with 2021-2022 CFLI recipient — GrenCHAP Inc. 

The Canada Fund for Local Initiatives is a program designed to support small-scale, high-impact projects in developing countries that align with the Government of Canada’s thematic priority areas for engagement. The High Commission of Canada received proposals from civil society organizations across four eligible countries in the Eastern Caribbean, administering CAD300,000 in available funding. Other successful 2022-2023 CFLI project proposals include Circle of Friends (Dominica), the East Dominica Children’s Federation, Ecobalance Inc. (Dominica), the Eastern Caribbean Alliance for Diversity and Equality (Saint Lucia), Sacred Sports Foundation (Saint Lucia), Equal Rights Access and Opportunities SVG (St. Vincent and the Grenadines) and Orange Hill Development Organisation Agro-Processors Inc. (St. Vincent and the Grenadines).  

The project in Grenada advances critical foreign policy priorities for Canada in the Caribbean, including gender equality and human dignity—including health and education.  High Commissioner of Canada, H.E. Lilian Chatterjee shared, “Canada is proud to partner with the Grenada Planned Parenthood Association to support a human rights-based approach to accessing critical health services. Canada is working actively with local organizations throughout the Caribbean to break down stereotypes, biases and barriers that prevent the most vulnerable from accessing health and services. This CFLI project is an example of Canada’s efforts to support more inclusive health systems.”