Cooperation Canada is proud to celebrate the recipients of the 2025 Cooperation Canada Awards, recognizing excellence and merit in the field of international cooperation. 

Each year, the awards honour individuals and organizations that have distinguished themselves through outstanding leadership, innovation and commitment to international cooperation. This celebration takes place during International Development Week (IDW), a moment to highlight the vital contributions of Canadians and global partners working toward a more just, inclusive and sustainable world. 

The 2025 Awards reflect a renewed urgency and focus: 

“Protecting Civic Space to Enable International Cooperation.” 

As civic space continues to shrink in many regions worldwide, defending the freedom to organize, advocate and participate in public life is essential to advancing human rights, democratic values and inclusive development. This year’s awardees exemplify the courage, creativity and collaboration needed to strengthen civic space and enable international cooperation. 

Cooperation Canada was honoured to recognize these outstanding leaders during IDW at the virtual Cooperation Canada Awards ceremony on Thursday, February 5, 2026. The event was further distinguished by the presence of the Minister of International Development, The Honourable Randeep Sarai, who delivered a keynote address. 

Celebrating the 2025 Award Recipients 

The 2025 awards honour individuals and organizations who: 

  • Advance civic action and inclusive leadership, especially in contexts where civic space is constrained 
  • Innovate to support public participation, accountability and democratic values 
  • Inspire others to engage in international cooperation from local to global levels 

Cooperation Canada is thrilled to recognize the following awardees: 

The 2025 Karen Takacs Award 

The Karen Takacs Award honours the legacy of Karen Takacs, a respected leader in Canada’s international cooperation community known for her feminist advocacy, collaborative leadership and bridge-building across sectors and borders. This award recognizes an individual who has made a sustained and collaborative contribution to advancing gender equality and the rights of women, girls and gender-diverse people.   

This year’s award is presented to Frédérique—Fred—Chabot, Executive Director of Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights, for more than two decades of unwavering commitment to sexual and reproductive health and rights. 

Fred began their career in frontline HIV outreach supporting women affected by HIV/AIDS, before moving into health promotion and national advocacy. They later served as National Advocacy Coordinator for the sex worker rights movement, helping lead organizing during the landmark Canada v. Bedford Supreme Court case. 

At Action Canada, Fred has expanded frontline access to care by growing the Emergency Aid program for those facing barriers to abortion and leading the Access Line for many years. They have also strengthened partnerships across sectors, sustained capacity-building initiatives and advanced national advocacy. 

Fred’s leadership is grounded in deep listening and collaborative action, bringing forward the voices of women and gender-diverse people too often excluded from decision-making. The committee was inspired by Fred’s ability to build coalitions across movements—linking sexual and reproductive rights with migrant justice, climate action and trans and queer rights. In times of pressure on civic space, Fred has mobilized strong sector-wide responses, embodying the courageous, generous and collective feminist leadership that Karen Takacs championed. 

It is our tremendous pleasure to present the 2025 Karen Takacs Award to Frédérique Chabot. 

Innovation and Impact Awards in Honour of Lewis Perinbam
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Presented in honour of Lewis Perinbam, these awards celebrate bold innovation and civic action that strengthen international cooperation and protect civic space. Empty heading

Individual Award 

The Innovation and Impact Awards in Honour of Lewis Perinbam (Individual) recognizes a Canadian leader whose volunteerism and innovation inspire transformative civic engagement. 

This year’s recipient, Dr. Lauryn Oates, has achieved something truly extraordinary. In Afghanistan—where civic space for women and girls has been nearly erased—she has created a virtual sanctuary for learning through the Darakht-e Danesh Academi. 

Lauryn understood early that technology is not simply a delivery mechanism for education—it is a lifeline. By providing thousands of Afghan learners with rights-based education in local languages, she ensures that knowledge, opportunity and hope remain within reach under one of the world’s most repressive regimes. 

Her impact extends far beyond a single platform. For more than two decades, Lauryn has defended the right to education for Afghan girls and women, bridging community-level action with international law, global advocacy and policy influence. 

In a time when civic space is closing, Lauryn—along with Right to Learn Afghanistan—has pushed it open with unwavering commitment. 

It is our great honour during International Development Week to present the Lewis Perinbam Award for Innovation and Impact to Dr. Lauryn Oates. 

Organizational Award 

The Innovation and Impact Awards in Honour of Lewis Perinbam (Organizational) honours a Canadian civil society organization pioneering transformative approaches to strengthen civic space, defend rights and reimagine how international cooperation is done. 

The 2025 committee was unanimous in selecting The SecDev Foundation for its measurable, community-driven innovation in protecting civic space—especially in fragile and high-risk contexts. 

The SecDev Foundation strengthens civic space by enabling safer participation in public life through community-driven digital resilience, locally co-designed solutions and lasting capacity-building, including the training of local digital safety champions. 

Partners, including Syrian organizations, have highlighted the life-saving impact of SecDev’s SalamaTech project in high-risk contexts where digital breaches can endanger lives. 

SecDev also connects evidence to action at scale—supporting critical research in Myanmar, building regional knowledge communities across the Middle East and North Africa, and driving inclusive innovation such as the first-ever Arabic sign-language digital safety dictionary. 

Combining bold innovation with durable and locally led impact, SecDev exemplifies what it takes to protect civic space and enable international cooperation. 

It is our pleasure to present the 2025 Lewis Perinbam Organizational Award to The SecDev Foundation, accepted by Executive Director Deirdre Collings. 

Congratulations to the 2025 Award Winners 

Cooperation Canada extends its warmest congratulations to all of the 2025 award recipients. Your leadership reminds us that protecting civic space is foundational to building a more inclusive, democratic and sustainable world. 

Happy International Development Week — and congratulations again to this year’s remarkable honourees. 

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