The question asked of this case study of the partnership between the YWCA of/du Canada, YWCA of Calgary and YWCA of Zambia, is whether it is a real or a rhetorical partnership. Evidence was gathered from the key stakeholders through open-ended interviews, as well as through partnership documents and the researchers observations. A theoretical model for analyzing NGO partnership was developed, synthesizing the key ideas of collaboration and partnership theories. The conclusion is that this relationship falls somewhere between real and rhetorical, in that the partnership has definitely moved beyond rhetoric, but has not yet achieved the benchmarks required for real partnership as identified in the theoretical literature.The researcher provides a series of recommendations for the consideration of the YWCA of/du Canada in undertaking future partnership work, as well as calling for further study of the potential barriers to real partnership presented by the macro environment.