For 26 years, Canada has gone without a national women’s health strategy. That means an entire generation of women has grown up, gone to school, built careers, raised families, and navigated a healthcare system that still wasn’t designed with them in mind.
In the fall, more than 27,000 women across Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island told us exactly what that feels like. Their message was unmistakable: they want a system that keeps pace with them, and they’re ready for change.
Their voices – honest, unfiltered, and at times difficult to read – point to a truth that should matter to every Canadian: women’s health is not a niche issue. It is one of the most significant equity and economic opportunities of our time.
And while Canada has remarkable strengths across health, research, and innovation, we are at risk of falling behind global peers who have already moved forward with modernized strategies:
- Australia refreshed its national women’s health strategy in 2020.
- The U.K. launched its first Women’s Health Strategy in 2022.
- New Zealand introduced a 10-year plan in 2023.
- The European Union is advancing its first continent-wide women’s health strategy.
According to a new report published by Deloitte Canada and the IWK Foundation, The Case for Advancing Women’s Health in Canada, we currently rank 64th globally in women’s health, well behind nations with similar systems and values. Only seven per cent of national health research funding focuses specifically on women, despite women making up half the Canadian labour force that helps fund it.
This story belongs to every province
The Voice of Maritime Women – The Unspoken Burden of Women’s Health is now the largest women’s health survey ever conducted in Canada. The findings are clear and profoundly familiar.
The survey reveals a portrait of women carrying significant responsibilities, managing chronic health concerns, and doing their best within systems that don’t always reflect their needs. One in three women say they’re doing okay, while one in five say they’re in crisis. Yet even in that reality, women continue to show strength, resourcefulness, and determination.
The most staggering finding? More than 75 per cent of women admitted they have delayed or avoided seeking care – not because they didn’t want help, but because past experiences made them doubt they would be heard or supported.
Most importantly, they are asking for solutions, not sympathy. And the tone of their responses was not defeat. It was hope for something better.
From Vancouver to Toronto, Iqaluit to St. John’s, women are describing similar experiences: waiting long periods for answers, struggling to access specialists, feeling unprepared for menopause, and carrying mental health concerns that are difficult to address. Across the country, women want a system that meets them where they are today, not where the system was a generation ago.
The economic case is undeniable
Let’s be clear: when women’s health is neglected, the consequences ripple far beyond individual families, they affect productivity, workforce participation, and Canada’s capacity for innovation.
Investing in women’s health isn’t just socially responsible, it’s economically smart. Strengthening women’s health strengthens Canada.
Unmanaged menopause symptoms alone cost our economy $3.5 billion a year in lost productivity. The World Economic Forum estimates a $3 return for every $1 invested in women’s health. McKinsey projects the women’s health sector could contribute $37 billion to Canada’s GDP by 2040.
Women are already leading. Canada’s systems must follow
Every province has its own strengths, but women’s health challenges don’t stop at provincial borders. Our country needs shared ambition and collective leadership.
The path forward is clear. Canada needs a modern, evidence-driven National Women’s Health Strategy. One that:
- sets a clear national vision for women’s health
- aligns provincial and territorial efforts
- establishes measurable benchmarks
- advances research and innovation
- ensures transparency and accountability
This is the foundation required to close the gender health gap and unlock the full potential of half our population.
Women across the country have long been leading – researching, advocating, caregiving, and strengthening their communities. Now it’s time for our systems to match that leadership.
Their resilience is already evident. What will move us forward are systems that value their expertise about their own bodies, reflect their realities, and respond to their needs.
This is not a story of what women lack. It is a story of a country ready to rise to the moment. If we choose to.
Jennifer Gillivan
