My understanding is that there has been an improvement but that the original objective hasn't yet been achieved.
Thank you very much.
As regards funding, Canada has nevertheless adopted a so‑called feminist international aid policy. We've discussed the difference between the treatment reserved for boys and girls with disabilities. I completely support the vision of a Liberal government international feminist policy. However, funding is the issue. Today, international aid represents 0.29% of Canada's gross domestic product, or GDP. That's less than the 0.32% level reached by the Harper government. Perhaps inflation is a contributing factor to that decline.
These days, when people talk to us about inflation, how hard is it for you to get federal government funding? How do you have to advance your international aid program? Are you considering taking action in the public space by appealing to the media, for example?
That's an open question, and I invite all the witnesses to answer it. Everyone has talked to us about funding. I can see the weak areas in the international aid the government provides. Canada is well below the 0.7% threshold requested by the UN. It's also well below the average for members of the Organisation for Economic Co‑operation and Development, the OECD, which is 0.42%.
How can we force the government to provide more funding for initiatives such as yours?
How can we prevent certain political parties from including budget cuts in their political agendas? I'm thinking of the party that proposed to cut international aid spending by 25% in order to capture votes.
Do you have any suggestions to make on that subject?