Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development

Comité permanent des affaires étrangères et du développement international

For immediate release

Ottawa, June 16, 2023 -

Today, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development presented a report to the House of Commons entitled, Canada’s Approach to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights.

The 14 recommendations in this report respond to the concerning trends and statistics that were brought to the committee’s attention through expert testimony and briefs. Every day, there are almost 800 maternal deaths around the world. Millions of women continue to have an unmet need for modern forms of contraception. At least 40,000 women are dying, annually, from unsafe abortions. Certain population groups are facing heightened vulnerabilities, including adolescents and women and girls in humanitarian settings and situations of armed conflict.

The committee heard that addressing these stark realities requires the attainment of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). As its overarching recommendation, the committee believes that the Government of Canada must continue to invest in a comprehensive approach to SRHR globally.

Reiterating the core principle of leaving no one behind, the committee is recommending – among other steps – that Canada provide funding for the realization of minimum standards of sexual and reproductive health as part of its humanitarian assistance, and that it use its role within the humanitarian system to advocate for SRHR to be prioritized in every humanitarian response. The committee also wants to see increased funding for programming that targets disability-inclusive SRHR.

Several witnesses recognized the Government of Canada’s commitment to allocate $1.4 billion annually toward the health and rights of women and girls globally, with $700 million being devoted to SRHR. However, testimony indicated that additional investment will be needed if these commitments are to be met by the end of the 2023–2024 fiscal year and if progress is to be made in the four “neglected” areas: family planning and contraception; safe and legal abortion services and post-abortion care; comprehensive sexuality education; and global advocacy. The committee is calling on the government to ensure it realizes these commitments.

The full report – and all its recommendations – may be read on the Committee’s website.

A dissenting report was submitted by the Conservative Party and a supplementary report by the Bloc Quebecois.