TORONTO, Jan. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — 2025 was one of the most turbulent years in recent history. Conflicts reached their highest levels in decades, crises stretched for years instead of months, and hard‑won gains in girls’ rights were actively dismantled. Today, more than half of the world’s extreme poor live in conflict‑affected countries, and girls in crisis settings are 2.5 times more likely to be out of school than boys.
Against this backdrop, Plan International Canada – part of the global organization dedicated to advancing children’s rights and equality for girls – has released its 2025 Annual Report: Future‑Ready, showcasing how Canadian support delivered record impact even as global instability reshaped the world.
“The world feels more unpredictable than ever,” said Lindsay Glassco, president and CEO of Plan International Canada. “Girls are growing up in a world where crisis and conflict are reshaping their lives faster than the systems meant to support them can respond. We can’t promise them a better world, but we can help them be ready for whatever comes next. Hope isn’t a plan. Readiness is.”
Global context: A world in crisis
- Conflicts have doubled compared to a decade ago.
- 91% of crises are now protracted, leaving children facing years of instability.
- Global aid budgets have been decimated, making it harder for communities to access the support they need.
- Girls face increased risks of early marriage, school dropout, and gender‑based violence.
Why it matters for Canadians: Instability anywhere has ripple effects here at home – influencing the global economy, public health, community safety, and migration pressures. When girls learn, lead, and thrive, Canada becomes safer, healthier, and more prosperous too.
Canadian impact: Record reach in 2025
Last year, Canadians helped Plan International Canada reach 7.9 million children worldwide, including 4.1 million girls, through education, health, humanitarian response, and protection programs designed to withstand crisis and create lasting change.
Education: Children returned to school
- Helped 110,000 out-of-school children in Uganda return to class – nearly half of them girls.
- Improved access to education by investing in classrooms, clean water, school meals, and menstrual‑health supports.
Health: Reduced malaria risks for children and families
- Distributed 6 million insecticide-treated mosquito nets across Guinea, Liberia, and Senegal, saving an estimated 6,000 children’s lives.
Emergency response: Delivered food and life‑saving supplies in crisis areas
- Delivered 61 trucks of emergency supplies to Gaza.
- Distributed 8,573 metric tons of food across four countries – reaching 675,000 people.
- Provided emergency food and essentials that protected children from malnutrition and illness and helped stabilize families during crisis.
Economic empowerment: Women increased their income through savings groups and skills training
- Supported 21,000 women to join savings groups across eight countries, strengthening financial security and community resilience.
- Enabled 300 women artisans in Egypt to showcase and sell their work at national exhibitions.
Protection: Secured birth certificates so children could learn and stay safe
- Helped secure 12,050 birth certificates for children in Cameroon at risk of exclusion.
- Ensured children could continue beyond elementary school and access essential services – because without a birth certificate, they are unable to enroll in higher grades or receive basic protections.
- Once children are in school, teachers serve as critical safety nets – spotting abuse, connecting girls to help, and helping prevent early marriage.
Why global progress matters for Canada
Greater opportunities for girls strengthen communities worldwide – creating healthier families, more resilient local economies, and a more stable global environment that benefits countries like Canada.
- Economies grow stronger – including Canada’s.
- Communities become safer.
- Health risks decline.
- Global stability increases.
Read the full report: plancanada.ca/annualreport2025
Support girls’ education, health, and safety: plancanada.ca
CEO reflections on the past year and the year ahead
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Media Contact:
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About Plan International Canada
Plan International Canada is a member of a global organization dedicated to advancing children’s rights and equality for girls. We stand with children, especially girls, wherever they are oppressed, exploited, left behind, or not equally valued. We’re determined optimists and will continue to persevere until we are all equal.
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
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