What is in Budget 2021 for Local Infrastructure?
Supporting Greater Equality for LGBTQ2 Communities
Although we have made much progress as a society, LGBTQ2 people in Canada continue to face discrimination, harassment, and prejudice. Canada is committed to protecting LGBTQ2 rights and promoting social, economic, and political equality with respect to sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression. To ensure that Canada’s recovery fosters a fairer and more equal society for LGBTQ2 people, where they can participate as full members of Canadian society:
- Budget 2021 proposes to provide $15 million over three years, starting in 2021-22, to Women and Gender Equality Canada for a new LGBTQ2 Projects Fund dedicated to supporting community-informed initiatives to overcome key issues facing LGBTQ2 communities, such as accessing mental health services and employment support.
- Budget 2021 also proposes to provide $7.1 million over three years, starting in 2021-22, to Canadian Heritage to continue to support the work of the LGBTQ2 Secretariat—which coordinates work across government—and enable the continued development of an LGBTQ2 Action Plan.
Supporting Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Care Information and Services
All Canadians should have access to a full suite of sexual and reproductive health resources and services, no matter where they live. Women, youth, LGBTQ2 people, racialized Canadians, and Indigenous populations face the highest sexual and reproductive health risks and the most significant barriers to accessing support, information, and services. They often do not receive the same quality of care, mainly if they are from marginalized communities. Furthermore, examples like Clinic 554—New Brunswick’s only private abortion clinic—show us that lack of funding puts access to sexual and reproductive health care at risk. Everyone deserves equal treatment in our health care system.
To improve access to sexual and reproductive health care support, information, and services—including protecting access to abortion care:
- Budget 2021 proposes to provide $45 million over three years, starting in 2021-22, to Health Canada to fund community-based organizations that help make sexual and reproductive health care information and services more accessible for vulnerable populations. These organizations support activities such as producing inclusive training materials for sexual and reproductive health care providers, carrying out public awareness activities, and providing travel and logistical support to individuals who have to go long distances
Gender-Based Violence Organizations
To enhance the capacity and responsiveness of organizations such as sexual
assault centres, women’s shelters, and other organizations that provide critical and often life-saving services and supports for women, girls, LGBTQ2, and gender non-binary people experiencing violence:
ü Budget 2021 proposes to invest $200 million over two years, starting in 2021-22, for the Department for Women and Gender Equality to support gender-based violence organizations.
To read the Budget 2021 speech or to review the budget documents, please visit https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/services/publications/federal-budget.html