Ottawa Group Urges $20 Million for Women’s Health in Budget 2025

An Ottawa-based organization is calling on the federal government to allocate $20 million in the upcoming Budget 2025 to address significant gaps in women’s health data and combat misinformation. The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) is advocating for this funding to enhance women’s health care throughout the country.

In its pre-budget submission, the SOGC outlined five key recommendations for government officials. A central proposal involves creating a National Women’s Health Data Dashboard, which would require a $20 million investment to improve data collection strategies and close existing gaps. The organization asserts that a standardized and disaggregated database would provide vital insights into critical health indicators, such as maternal mortality, morbidity, stillbirth and perinatal loss, menopause, and endometriosis.

The SOGC emphasized that having accurate data will empower patients to make informed health decisions and enable healthcare providers to deliver more responsive, equitable, and cost-effective care. Incomplete data not only compromises patient care but also leads to lost productivity and increased costs for the healthcare system. Patients often incur unnecessary expenses due to a lack of comprehensive health data.

Currently, the responsibility for collecting health data lies with provinces and territories, resulting in varied practices across the country. The SOGC’s submission stresses the need for the federal government to take a leadership role in standardizing this data collection. “Only national leadership can ensure consistency, comparability and the quality needed to build a reliable, actionable and nationally-focused database and dashboard,” the submission stated.

The call for improved data comes in the wake of commitments made by Prime Minister Mark Carney during his recent federal election campaign, where he promised to protect women’s rights in Canada. This includes investments aimed at addressing gaps in women’s health data, particularly in under-researched areas like postpartum maternal health. Nevertheless, specific financial allocations for these initiatives have yet to be detailed.

The Liberal Party of Canada has pledged to invest in women’s sexual and reproductive health care, as well as health research for diverse populations, including those who identify as 2SLGBTQI+. Advocates have long highlighted the historical gender inequalities that have contributed to the under-research and underfunding of women’s health issues.

Recent studies have shown a troubling trend in research funding. According to a report published in April 2023, while mentions of sex, gender, and LGBTQ2S+ populations in research abstracts have increased, they still account for less than 10 percent of overall funded research. Female-specific research remains stagnant, comprising only about 7 percent of all research between 2020 and 2023, with much of it focused on cancers and pregnancy.

The Health Portfolio Sex- and Gender-Based Analysis Plus Policy, enacted in 2009, was intended to promote diversity and inclusion in health research. Yet, despite this mandate, funding for women’s health grants has not significantly improved. Researchers stress that more extensive efforts are needed to diversify female-specific research beyond pregnancy and cancer to ensure better health outcomes for everyone.

The lack of robust research and funding has resulted in widespread misinformation about women’s health. A 2024 Abacus report commissioned by the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) revealed that many Canadians rely on online sources for health information, with women more likely than men to use social media to seek details about health conditions and treatments. The CMA reported, “Given the complexity of women’s health issues… the quest for information is real. Women are more likely to experience dismissal or minimization of their symptoms, perpetuating stigma and shame.”

A 2021 survey from various women’s health foundations in Canada indicated that a significant number of Canadians lacked knowledge about critical women’s health issues. For instance, 83 percent of respondents were unaware that 30 percent of women experience severe menstrual symptoms that disrupt daily activities. Additionally, only 20 percent recognized that heart disease is a leading cause of death for women.

Advocates stress that women’s specific health needs have historically been neglected, resulting in a healthcare system that is ill-equipped to address their requirements. “For so long, women’s specific health needs have been largely ignored, under-researched, and underfunded,” stated Jennifer Bernard, a prominent health advocate. Bernard, who has held leadership positions in various health organizations, highlighted the long timeline it typically takes for clinical research to translate into medical practice, particularly for women.

The SOGC’s pre-budget submission is a timely reminder of the urgent need for coordinated efforts to enhance women’s health data and research funding in Canada. With Budget 2025 on the horizon, the organization is hopeful that the federal government will heed their recommendations and make meaningful investments in this critical area.