Canada to announce $400M for girls’ education at G7 summit

QUEBEC – The Trudeau government is planning to announce a $400-million investment on Saturday at the G7 summit to help send the world's poorest girls to school, The Canadian Press has learned.

The funds are part of the government's signature response to a campaign by a coalition of 30 non-governmental organizations that pressed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to persuade his fellow G7 leaders to commit US$1.3 billion over three years to help send millions of girls to school.

The announcement will likely help Trudeau counter the disruptive influence of U.S. President Donald Trump at the summit, who faces a showdown with fellow leaders on a range of issues, from trade, to tariffs to climate change to America's withdrawal from the Paris climate change treaty and the Iran nuclear deal.

Trump shocked the summit Friday by calling for Russia to be allowed to return to the G7 after it was kicked out in 2014 for invading Ukraine and annexing Crimea.

The G7 countries are more harmonious on the need to boost education for girls in impoverished countries.

Multiple sources familiar with the government's plans confirmed the amount of the Canadian contribution, and some of them said they were expecting contributions from other countries, including from outside the G7.

The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not supposed to discuss the government's plans in advance.

The Canadian contribution falls short of the C$500 million that the coalition was seeking from the government.