Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canada will increase its investment in global sexual and reproductive health and rights to $700 million a year by 2023, as part of a new commitment that will see global health spending increase to $1.4 billion and maintained through 2030.
This historic commitment comes in response to calls from Action Canada and allies across sectors under the Thrive Agenda and Future Planning Initiative, a diverse group of Canadian and international organizations who came together with a joint ask to advance the health and rights of women, girls, and marginalized people around the world.
The commitment is unique in that it prioritizes investment in the most neglected and stigmatized areas of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), which include safe and legal abortion and comprehensive sexuality education.
This commitment seeks to fill gaps by investing in areas that have traditionally been underfunded and deprioritized. It will help 18 million women around the world realize their rights, the same number of women living in Canada today.
With its ten-year commitment, Canada is aligning its support with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, which also include a heavy focus on gender equality. The full $1.4 billion investment will use a holistic approach to health, integrating sexual and reproductive health and rights with broader sector work on maternal, newborn and child health, nutrition, education, water, sanitation and hygiene, and research and innovation.
By placing human rights at the centre of its development commitment, Canada has positioned itself as a global leader in upholding and defending the rights of women and girls.
Action Canada has been at the forefront of calling on the Government of Canada to make this investment possible and will continue to work with the government and our allies to support the sexual and reproductive health and rights of all people, in Canada and around the world.