Standing Committee on the Status of Women

Comité permanent de la condition féminine

For immediate release

Ottawa, March 31, 2023 -

The House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women (the committee) tabled its report entitled "A Step-by-Step Approach to Supporting the Mental Health of Young Women and Girls in Canada" today.

Young women and girls’ mental health is affected by multiple and intersecting aspects, including various identity factors, social media, and the COVID-19 pandemic. In Canada, improving and protecting the mental health of diverse young women and girls is a priority. To ensure that the mental health needs of young women and girls are recognized and addressed, the committee undertook a study to explore the mental health experiences of young women and girls, and the supports and solutions that they need.

The committee’s report focusses on:

• understanding the mental health experiences and struggles facing young women and girls in Canada;
• the factors that may contribute to the mental health struggles facing young women and girls; and
• supports and services, as well as gaps within these, that aim to meet the mental health needs of young women and girls.

In its report, the committee put forward 18 recommendations to improve the mental health outcomes for young women and girls in Canada. The committee calls on the Government of Canada to implement them rapidly.

The report can be consulted on the committee’s web page on the Parliament of Canada website.