There is an urgent need for concrete action and investments to end violence against women and girls and gender-based violence, both domestically and globally. The government has committed to develop a National Action Plan (NAP) to End Gender-Based Violence but, to date, there is no indication of a budget for its actual roll-out and implementation. Domestic women’s rights organizations have recommended $500 million annually for the NAP and are calling for formalized and meaningful participation in its design and implementation. Federal Budget 2019 announced $20 million over two years to help address the unique needs and persisting discrimination against LGBTIQ2 people in Canada. The promised LGBTIQ2 Action Plan to guide the federal government must coordinate Canada’s national and global efforts to promote and protect LGBTIQ2 rights.
Significant barriers to accessing abortion services and contraceptives continue to persist in Canada. The Minister of Health’s mandate letter calls on the minister to ensure that Canadians have access to the full suite of reproductive services and medications across the country, but unfortunately fails to include contraceptives in the context of developing a national pharmacare program. Sex education across Canada is uneven and is completely absent in some locations. While education falls under provincial jurisdiction, the federal government has a role to play in eliminating discrepancies across jurisdictions and increasing access.
