Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos announced funding of more than $ 3.5 million on Wednesday for projects aimed at improving access to abortion by removing certain barriers and providing the population with accurate reproductive health information.
By 2022, in our country, reproductive and sexual rights are human rights, first declared by Jean-Yves Duclos at a press briefing. After all, access to abortion remains a challenge for so many Canadian womenhe admitted.
Even today, there are too many barriers for women who want to get abortion services: lack of money for transportation, lack of services, lack of information, etc.
Situations of discrimination already experienced within the health system also create barriers to access for members of minority and marginalized groups, such as Indigenous peoples, racialized people, members of the LGBTQI2S+ community and young people.will we read in the press release from Health Canada.
” It is important to have freedom of choice, but it is just as important to have the ability to make that choice. “
To address this issue, Ottawa is providing $ 2,119,073 in funding to Action Canada for its Access Line and Sexual Health Information Hub programs. They provide information on sexual and reproductive health and refer women to competent professionals. This project will improve access to financial assistance to cover travel and accommodation costs and provide logistical support for people who want to have an abortion.is it written.
It also provides funding of $ 1,469,150 and to the National Abortion Federation of Canada (NAF). The goal: provide financial and logistical support to women who want to have an abortion, to train health professionals […] and to ensure that facilities providing such care maintain capacity [de les] ialokaccording to the press release.
This funding does not constitute a new investment. Instead, Ottawa announced how it will spend part of the $ 45 million over three years for sexual and reproductive health in its 2021-2022 budget.
The right to abortion, adequately protected in Canada?
It was recently announced that the U.S. Supreme Court may, by the end of June, overturn its own Roe v. Wade, who has been protecting abortion rights at the federal level since 1973.
Since then, many have seemed concerned that a similar scenario is possible in Canada, but Minister Jean-Yves Duclos has no doubt.
” The legal framework in Canada is very clear, the Supreme Court is very clear: the right to choose is protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. “
The Supreme Court has clearly ruled that the provisions of the Criminal Code that previously prohibited abortion are unconstitutional and it is up to women, and women only, to decide what they want to do with their bodies.He added.
When asked about the possibility of enacting the right to abortion in a law, he acknowledged that nothing is excluded in the meantime.
Source: Radio-Canada
