Gender equality work is the infrastructure that holds us together

We, the undersigned, celebrate this week’s announcement by The Honourable Rechie Valdez, The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, and The Honourable Mandy Gull-Masty on the Federal Government’s $660 million investment in the Department of Women and Gender Equality. We extend our heartfelt thanks to them and to their colleagues in the Liberal Women’s Caucus for their leadership and steadfast championing of this vital investment in gender equality work.

When governments invest in women’s rights and gender equality, they’re investing in what holds us together. Across this country, people are holding a lot together. A mother working night shifts while caring for her kids and her aging parents. A young person looking for safe birth control options they can actually afford. A family looking for gender-affirming care for their trans child. A mom with a disability and her kids in an unsafe home trying to find a place to stay where she’ll be believed and protected.

These are the stories that make up the real infrastructure of our lives, the networks of care, trust, and safety that allow everyone to live a good life, to show up for a good job, to raise their kids in safe and healthy communities, to dream big.

While building thriving communities is a cross-government, cross-sector, and multi-generational effort, it is important to see this recognition that gender equality work is foundational to keeping our communities strong and safe. The work this enables is part of a wider ecosystem that includes counsellors, shelter workers, educators, nurses, and advocates on the frontlines alongside the economists, lawyers, researchers, policy experts, and organizers working to reform the systems that shape people’s daily lives.

Together, they are making classrooms safer for every child, closing banking gaps that trap women in economic violence, strengthening laws and policies that uphold equality, and ensuring women’s health and autonomy are prioritized in research and care. This investment strengthens crucial capacity to sustain that collective work so that everyone, no matter their income, gender, Indigeneity, or ethno-racial background, can make choices about their bodies and their futures.

This announcement invests in the organizations who make sure no one is left to face harm alone, who help parents find care for their kids, who ensure that women, girls, and gender-diverse people have real access to health care, safety, and opportunity. It also invests in organizations committed to systemic change, so we can work toward a world where everyone is equal and no longer facing barriers in their lives.

This moment is proof of what’s possible when people come together and make their voices heard. Communities across Canada have shown that when we speak up for fairness and care, our leaders respond. This investment is a testament to generations of people who have fought to build a country where care and equality are cornerstones of public life.

As we celebrate, we also look ahead. In the coming days, we’ll see the full picture of this year’s budget, and with it, whether the same commitment extends to the broader social infrastructure that makes gender equality possible. Because lasting progress depends on more than moments, it depends on continued thoughtful investment in decent employment, the care and health systems, and the community supports that hold us all up, especially those who are most marginalized.

This week, we celebrate a step forward! One built by people, power, collective vision, and care. And tomorrow, we’ll keep building on it, ensuring that every policy, every investment, and every budget strengthens the foundation of a Canada that truly works for all of us.

Signatories: