Up until the news dropped in February that the Trump administration plans to boost military spending by $54 billion and make cuts of up to 40 percent to foreign aid, the international development community was in overdrive to put its work in the best light. Development experts had been making the case for foreign assistance in terms that they hoped would resonate with the Trump administration—which on the diplomatic and development side consists of only one appointee, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

On International Women’s Day, the feminist icon Gloria Steinem used social media to encourage participants in the A Day Without a Woman strike, even as her mind was focused on another problem. Steinem has been increasingly turning her attention to the challenges facing women and girls around the world, specifically through her work with Camfed, an organization that helps girls and young women in rural Ghana, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe receive an education.

Johnson & Johnson’s office in Kenya will help coordinate the company’s global public health capabilities and resources to deliver sustainable, measurable impact against significant public health needs in the region. The team in Kenya will translate the company’s strategy into locally-executable programs that drive health impact in collaboration with local health delivery partners. 

The richness, welfare and prosperity of countries depend on the full integration of women in the development process, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said today, commemorating International Women’s Day at a ceremony in Nairobi as part of his visit to Kenya. Speaking at an event alongside the First Lady of Kenya. [...] “The truth is that north and south, east and west […] everywhere, we still have a male-dominated culture,”

Ahead of the International Women's Day on March 8th, ONE Campaign said it had launched its #GirlsCount campaign, an initiative that has rallied citizens and leaders from around the world and in Nigeria to bring a spotlight on this crisis and demand action from global leaders to end this crisis.

Thursday, March 3, Montreal, Quebec—As the sixth anniversary of the Syrian conflict approaches, Development and Peace—Caritas Canada is pleased to announce the continued support of Global Affairs Canada for the organization’s humanitarian aid and sustainability efforts in the Middle East.

A threatened gap in global health funding because of a new ban on some U.S. aid prompted a hastily called international meeting of about 50 governments in Brussels Thursday. The major concern is continuing to support family planning services for poor countries. At an estimated $10 billion a year, the U.S. provides the lion’s share of funding for global health services.

Refugees are pouring in. Bran keeps a list of why. Besides “killing and torturing” are “abduction of men, trading has stopped, no schools, looting of properties”. “It was preventive fleeing,” says Charlie Yaxley of the UN high commissioner for refugees. [...] Yet inside Uganda something extraordinary is happening. Refugees can move freely, work and own a business. “Uganda is incredibly switched on,” says Musarait Kashmiri from African Initiatives for Relief and Development, which has opened 343km of roads in Bidi Bidi. “Uganda is a showcase,” says Yaxley.