Representation & Leadership

The provinces with chief medical officers who are female were found to be most successful in flattening the curve. Canada’s COVID-19 response could nonetheless have been stronger with a more robust GBA+ analysis and greater inclusion of women and gender-diverse people in decision-making.

The Canadian women’s sector faced significant challenges this past year, including financial insecurity and lack of access to decision-making spaces, yet provided valuable services and analysis to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on women and gender-diverse people. In a national survey of the women’s sector, 51 percent of organizations reported having to cut back on vital services and 48 per cent had to cancel some of their programming completely due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The government’s commitment to a feminist, intersectional response to pandemic recovery was widely praised. The launch of a $100-million Feminist Response and Recovery Fund by the department of Women and Gender Equality was a substantial investment in ensuring a gender-responsive recovery.