Prime Minister Mark Carney’s new plan to “end” gender-based violence (GBV) in Canada isn’t specific enough to put faith in.
On Nov. 4, the federal government tabled Budget 2025, which
includes a section titled “protecting Canadian Cultures, Values, and Identity,” and funding for the Department of Women and Gender Equality (WAGE) is the first sub-topic. The Budget includes $223.4 million, then $44.7 million every year after that. The federal government intends for this funding to be used to “support
women’s organizations” as they address the issues associated with GBV.
But this lack of detail is worrisome. Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne may not have found it necessary to include more information. However, GBV can’t be classified as an epidemic, then simultaneously given lacklustre attention in a federal budget.
This isn’t the first time the government has shown interest in bringing an end to GBV. They implemented The National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence in July 2024, and The federal Gender-based Violence Strategy in September 2025.
However, violent attacks against women are still being perpetrated
every day. Savannah Rose Kulla-Davies was shot by her ex-partner in
broad daylight. The Toronto Police estimate that over the last ten years, the number of cases involving intimate partner violence remained between 17,200 to 19,300 a year—and it isn’t getting better.
Budget 2025 needs to prove that it won’t be like their previous plans.
The budget doesn’t specify exactly which organizations will receive funding and which ones won’t. It does, however, give the impression that it’ll emphasize the support given to “underserved” groups like the many Indigenous women who are disproportionately more likely to experience gender-based violence. But this one detail isn’t sufficient to make up for the overall lack.
To show Canadians that their most recent plan is more than just an empty promise, the federal government needs to prove that
they’ve properly engaged with the community. Carney should’ve worked more closely with WAGE to discuss precisely how the funding in Budget 2025 will be allocated. The budget should’ve included the names of the organizations they plan to support, how much money they will get, and for how long. This would ensure that they intend to follow-through and hold themselves accountable.
Money is going towards WAGE, but what they plan to do with these millions of dollars remains unclear.
All Canadians, especially women who have been affected by GBV, deserve to know that their country’s leaders are working tirelessly to ensure their safety. The government needs to provide a tangible, thought-out plan to go along with their funding. Otherwise, Canadians may start to believe they don’t actually care.
Mayah is a 3rd-year History and Classical Studies student and one of ‘The Journal’s’ QTBIPOC Advisory Board members
Tags
Budget 2025, Canada, gender-based violence
All final editorial decisions are made by the Editor(s) in Chief and/or the Managing Editor. Authors should not be contacted, targeted, or harassed under any circumstances. If you have any grievances with this article, please direct your comments to journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca.