One year later, advocates say $45M sexual, reproductive health fund not yet released

The federal government announced the fund, to be spread out over three years starting in 2021-22, in last year's budget.

A year after the federal government announced a $45-million fund for organizations making sexual and reproductive information and services more available, advocates say none of the money has been released.

Frederique Chabot, director of health promotion at Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights, said her organization applied to the fund. Her group promotes reproductive and sexual rights and provides Canadians with direct support and referrals.

“In terms of the actual announcements, (they have) not been made yet in terms of who will get the funding,” said Chabot.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government sought to assure Canadians last week that it would protect access to a safe and legal abortion, following the unprecedented leak of a U.S. Supreme Court draft decision that would overturn that right south of the border.

But the turmoil in the United States has heaped new scrutiny on the Trudeau government’s promises on abortion and the speed at which it is implementing them.

The government announced the fund, to be spread out over three years starting in 2021-22, in last year’s budget. Health Canada was tasked with administering the fund to community-based organizations focused on reproductive and sexual health.

Those organizations spread public awareness, create inclusive training for sexual and reproductive health-care providers and help people who have travel long distances to access abortion care.

By the start of 2022, $16 million from the fund was projected to be spent, according to last year’s budget.