In Canada and around the world, advancements to achieve gender equality have been made but we remain far away from it being a reality. Our global work sheds a light on the inequalities prevalent in communities where we work but research on this page highlights facts about what young people and adults living in Canada are facing and their perspectives on equality, menstruation, youth engagement and more.

On this page you will find critical research Plan International Canada has done in the area of climate change as it relates to our work.

State of the world’s girls report

Plan International spoke to 14,000 girls in 22 countries around the world, ages 15 to 24, and more than half have been harassed and abused on social media.

The most common negative effects of online harassment are lower self-esteem, loss of confidence, mental or emotional stress and problems at school.

 Download the report

The power of youth: a youth-led guide to engaging with voices of change

Youth in Canada and around the world are deeply impacted by the decisions and actions of leaders, yet their perspectives and solutions are too often disregarded or devalued.

A group of Plan International Canada Youth Champions have created a resource to inspire the inclusion of the youth voice in policy, daily life, and all levels of society.

This youth-generated resource was created to support decision makers in creating safe, equitable, and meaningful experiences for youth and in turn, recognize the benefits of including youth in those spaces.  

 Download the report

Youth-Led Roadmap for Gender Equality: A Plan to Achieve Sustainable Development Goal 5 in Canada

It’s time to change the lens on gender equality in Canada with a youth-led approach. It’s time to look at gender inequality through the eyes of the young people in all their diversity who are most affected and ensuring their voices are heard, we can bring a more equal future into focus.

In the Youth-Led Roadmap for Gender Equality, youth from around Canada identified 20 immediate, actionable commitments that we can each make to advance gender equality in this country.

 Download the report

Girls in Canada: gender equality today

Plan International Canada conducted a survey of 1,000 Canadian girls in 2018, which examined the attitudes, behaviours and experiences of girls within a range of settings.

The data reveals just how ‘normal’ sexual harassment, gender discrimination and insecurity continue to be for girls across Canada such as the workplace, public places, and in the home.

 Download the report

A Canadian gender study - period stigma report, 2018

Plan International Canada, in partnership with Hill+Knowlton Strategies, conducted a scientific survey of 2,000 Canadian women in early 2018, which examined the attitudes and behaviours of women towards a variety of issues, including menstruation, and within a range of settings, including the workplace, public places, and in the home. This research highlights the social, emotional and financial costs of menstruation, especially for women under 25. The survey found that period poverty is a serious issue affecting Canadian girls and women.

 Download the report

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