Overview of the Promise

During the 2025 federal election campaign, Liberal leader Mark Carney promised to invest in increased collection of data to help address women’s health gaps in Canada. This commitment specifically targeted understudied areas such as menopause, endometriosis, maternal mortality and morbidity, stillbirth, and perinatal health. The promise was part of the Liberal Party's broader platform on protecting women's rights and modernizing public health care, as outlined in their election materials.

Actions Taken by the Carney Government

Since taking office in May 2025 following the April election, Prime Minister Mark Carney's government has not announced any specific investments or initiatives directly related to this promise. There have been no public statements, budget allocations, or programs launched to enhance data collection on women's health gaps. The government's early actions have focused on other priorities, such as economic transformation and health care modernization in general, but without targeted measures for the specified areas.

Critics have noted that the elimination of the Minister of Women and Gender Equality position in Carney's streamlined cabinet could impact progress on women's health issues, including data collection efforts. Advocacy groups have called for funding in upcoming federal budgets, such as for a women's health data dashboard, but no concrete steps have been taken by the government to date.

Legislation Proposed or Passed

No legislation has been proposed or passed related to this promise. There are no bills introduced in Parliament that address investments in data collection for women's health gaps, nor any amendments to existing health acts like the Canada Health Act that incorporate these elements. The absence of legislative action aligns with the short time the government has been in power, but it leaves the promise unaddressed at the policy level.

Progress on Specific Outcomes

The promise emphasizes investments in data collection particularly for menopause, endometriosis, maternal mortality and morbidity, stillbirth, and perinatal health. To date, there is no evidence of funding or programs initiated for data collection in any of these areas. For instance, no partnerships with organizations like the Canadian Partnership for Women and Children’s Health (CanWaCH) have been announced to advance research or data initiatives in these understudied fields. Without initial steps like budget commitments or pilot projects, these specific outcomes remain untouched.

Potential Path Forward

Given the lack of any reported actions, this promise appears to be at a standstill. For it to move forward, the government would need to allocate funding in the next federal budget, potentially through Health Canada or collaborative efforts with provinces. However, ongoing criticisms about cuts to gender equality roles and fiscal constraints could pose a risk of being broken if no progress is made by the end of 2025.

Overall Status