Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights

05/10/2022

The Spring CAPPD newsletter is here! The CAPPD 2022 Executive Committee, Roe v Wade, the 2022 federal budget, and more. https://buff.ly/3FvkREV

05/10/2022

Canada and Mexico prepare to accept Americans seeking abortions

“Over 5,000 women a year travelled to the UK, so we know that abortion restrictions don’t stop women from accessing abortion – it just places more burden on them,” says Meghan Doherty, our Director of Global Policy & Advocacy, noting that it'll only be a privileged few who will be able to afford travelling for abortion care.

If the US supreme court does vote to overthrow Roe v Wade, many Americans in need of surgical abortions could be forced to travel to Canada or Mexico

05/09/2022

Abortion is legal in Canada. But is it accessible?

“As a country, we say we are pro-choice and that we care. But to be pro-choice, we need to be able to offer the choice in the first place." - Frédérique Chabot, our Director of Health Promotion

There is a renewed conversation about abortion accessibility and rights for women in Canada after a leaked draft showed that Supreme Court justices are preparing to overturn Roe v. Wade abortion rights in the United States. However, decriminalization of abortion has not ensured abortion equity or ne...

05/09/2022

Come work at Action Canada! We’re looking for an Assistant Site Builder (Canada Summer Jobs Program) to join our team: https://buff.ly/3wfHd91

05/06/2022

Droit à l'avortement : le Canada est-il à risque? • Pivot

Pour Frédérique Chabot, le phénomène états-unien aurait une influence sur les groupes anti-choix au Canada. « Les mouvements pro-vie sont transnationaux. Ce qui se passe présentement les légitimise et leur donne de l’énergie »

Un pré-jugement de la Cour suprême des États-Unis menace de faire reculer d’un demi-siècle les avancées du droit à l’avortement au pays.

05/05/2022

Ottawa folks! Looking for a way to show your solidarity and support following the news around Roe V. Wade? Join Planned Parenthood Ottawa on Thursday May 12, 2022 in front of the Terry Fox Monument for an action from 11:30 am - 3:30 pm!

Looking for a way to show your solidarity and support following the news around Roe V. Wade? Join us on Thursday May 12, 2022 in front of the Terry Fox Monument from 11:30am-3:30pm. Our team will be distributing pro-choice informational brochures, safer sex supplies and spreading awareness of our services.

We are showing up in response to the March for Life - an annual anti-abortion protest seeking to criminalize abortion in Canada - which is also taking place on May 12th on Parliament Hill and marching through the downtown core. Our community members deserve to be supported and to know that they are not alone. Abortion is a safe, legal, and normal healthcare service. This show of support and solidarity matters more than ever in light of attack against reproductive rights and abortion access in the U.S- actions that continue to have devastating consequences beyond borders.

The theme of our solidarity is “We Are” - We are building a community of care. We are capable of making our own reproductive choices. We are pro-choice and proud. We are here to support you. All of these messages represent our values and our services.

We are looking for folks to help us set up, visit us, stand with us, and help us distribute resources to passers by. Please also bring your own posters and signs (and your friends!). If you're interested in joining the setup crew, please contact our staff Bridget at [email protected] We will have safety protocols and protective equipment, and be joined by other counter-demonstrators in our community. There is strength in numbers! See you there!

In solidarity, PPO Team

Accessibility text: A blue, green, and pink poster reads "Join Us: Planned Parenthood Ottawa Pro-Choice Outreach During March for Life. At the Terry Fox Monument, Thursday May 12th 11:30-3:30. People are holding pro-choice signs at the bottom of the poster.

05/05/2022

Today, and everyday, NWAC commemorates and remembers . On , join us honouring and their families.

Métis artist Jaime Black inspired the red dress movement with her REDress art installation - made up of 600 community-donated red dresses placed in public spaces across Canada to shed light on the crisis of MMIWG2S. Twelve years later, the red dress has become a visual reminder of the pain and loss felt by MMIWG2S, survivors and their families.

Learn more about the REDress Project: https://www.jaimeblackartist.com/exhibitions/

05/05/2022

As Roe v. Wade draft ruling draws Canadian fire, has Trudeau lived up to his promises? - National | Globalnews.ca

“We are expecting that it is a possibility that people will travel to Canada to access care," says Frédérique Chabot, our Director of Health Promotion. The government has made promises to expand abortion access in Canada—it's time to act on them now!

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau frequently speaks out to support abortion rights under threat, but few promises to improve access in Canada appear to have been met.

05/04/2022

U.S. court’s plan to overturn abortion rights could exacerbate inequities in Canada

The idea that abortion is readily accessible in Canada is something of a myth. “There’s a lot of public support for abortion and there’s health-care providers who are dedicated to increasing access,” says our Director of Health Promotion, Frédérique Chabot. “We have some things to celebrate in Canada, but for many people that doesn’t necessarily translate to real access.”

A drafted U.S. Supreme Court decision that would overturn Americans’ right to abortion could drive some people to seek the service in Canada, activist...

05/03/2022

As we grieve the news of the leaked Roe v. Wade decision and its devastating implications, we must also remember to mobilize to protect and advance our rights here in Canada. Here is a list of things you can do to take action for abortion rights.

05/03/2022

Action Canada is devastated to read the leaked draft U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. This will have wide-reaching and devastating impacts for millions of people, particularly for Black, working class, disabled, and 2SLGBTQIA+ people seeking abortion care.

Read our full statement to learn more about the potential impacts of this decision on abortion access and anti-abortion organizing in Canada, and attacks on SRHR globally. ➡ https://bit.ly/3FjKMzi

To support our work, consider donating to our Norma Scarborough Emergency Fund to help people experiencing financial barriers to abortion access. ➡ https://bit.ly/383feBh

05/03/2022

Conservative MPs, senators ordered not to comment on leaked draft U.S. Supreme Court decision to strike down abortion rights

Politicians in Canada should have our back on abortion rights...right? This is chilling but not surprising. 25% of MPs voted in favour of a bill that would restrict abortion rights in 2021, and a candidate in the CPC leadership race has publicly said she will add restrictions if elected. That's why we must stay vigilant and keep our movement strong.

Join us by signing up for our newsletter (https://actioncanadashr.org/sign-our-newsletter) or making a donation to support our work: https://actioncanadashr.org/donate

An e-mail was sent by the Office of the Leader of the Opposition to the Conservative caucus just before 9 a.m. on Tuesday and obtained by The Globe and Mail

05/03/2022

Last night, a draft that suggests the Supreme Court will overturn Roe v. Wade leaked. We cannot emphasize enough that this decision is wrong and will harm millions, particularly those who are racialized, poor, and/or face other marginalizations.

Although laws and the status of abortion are different in Canada, we continue to face issues related to abortion access and have seen multiple private member bills that aim to reduce abortion services (one was recently defeated last summer, though 25% of MPs voted in favour).

The anti-abortion movement is transnational and has the resources to challenge our rights. We know the anti-abortion movement here is watching closely and taking notes. It would be a mistake to not pay attention to the impact of this decision on abortion access in Canada.

05/02/2022

Taking care of your mental health is key to taking care of your sexual health, which is why it’s so important for health care workers to understand the many ways in which they intersect. This Mental Health Week, check out this handbook to discover scenarios, discussion prompts, and tips for health care professionals on providing comprehensive and affirming care related to mental and sexual health and all the ways they overlap!

04/28/2022

Health Canada lifts ban on blood donations from men who have sex with men

About time! “Today's authorization is a significant milestone toward a more inclusive blood donation system nationwide, and builds on progress in scientific evidence made in recent years,” Health Canada said in a statement.

The new policy will screen all donors, regardless of gender or sexuality, for “high-risk sexual behaviours.”

04/27/2022

Saanich endorses call for free contraception in B.C.

Excellent news! Saanich council voted unanimously Monday to send a letter to the province endorsing no-cost coverage for prescription contraceptives—a promise the B.C. government made in 2020 but has not yet fulfilled.

The District of Saanich has joined municipalities across B.C. in calling on the provincial government to provide free prescription contraception to all British Columbians.

04/27/2022

Sex Work Laws in Canada: Toward a Rights-Based Law Reform

How can a reform of Canada's sex work laws centre human rights and evidence? How can civil society show solidarity to sex worker movements? Sign up for this panel with folks from LEAF (Women's Legal Education and Action Fund), Butterfly: Asian and migrant sex workers support network, Canadian Alliance for Sex Work Law Reform, and Maggie's Toronto Sex Workers Action Project to find out!

How can a reform of Canada's sex work laws centre human rights and evidence? How can civil society show solidarity to sex worker movements?

04/26/2022

Comprehensive sex-ed that is inclusive of 2SLGBTQIA+ identities and experiences is critical to ensuring classrooms and communities where lesbians can feel safe being visible. This Lesbian Visibility Day, we celebrate the diversity of lesbians, those who are visible and those who can’t be, and affirm our commitment to fighting for inclusive sex-ed in classrooms across Canada!

04/22/2022

Ontario NDP promises to cover prescription birth control under OHIP if elected | CBC News

Free contraception empowers people, improves health outcomes, and leads to significant cost savings. It's time for Ontario, and the rest of Canada, to adopt universal coverage for contraception!

The Ontario NDP is promising that the province would fully cover prescription contraception if the party wins the June 2 election.

04/22/2022

Students across Canada are demanding consent education, resources to combat sexual violence in schools

Solidarity with students who are organizing to end sexual violence in high schools across Canada! We stand behind them in their demands for better policies, education, and protocols on consent and sexual violence. Learn how you can get involved here: https://www.highschooltoo.ca/

The student-led network High School Too has launched a nationwide campaign to end sexual violence in secondary schools

04/21/2022

Ontario healthcare doesn’t cover medically necessary services for trans and gender diverse Ontarians. Help us put Gender Affirming Care on the agenda in the Ontario election: https://queervote.ca/

04/20/2022

Nova Scotia can demonstrate public sector leadership in sexual health by committing to free contraception for all

Access to free contraception results in significant cost savings for governments and improvements in population health, and Nova Scotia has the experience and nimbleness to lead nationally and internationally by committing to free contraception for all.

Contraception empowers people to live full, empowered, healthy lives.

04/19/2022

What we’re reading: Our Director of Health Promotion Frédérique Chabot recently got a copy of You Know, Sex and is super stoked! Accessible, youth-friendly sexual health resources like this are critical to filling the gaps left by the lack of comprehensive sex-ed in classrooms. Not just for youth, this book can be useful for parents and educators as a resource for guiding important conversations!

04/14/2022

STIs spreading aggressively in Canada as testing, prevention abandoned during pandemic

With testing, treatment, and prevention campaigns falling by the wayside during the pandemic, STI rates are rising across much of Canada.

Want to learn when and where to get tested? 👉 https://bit.ly/3xJj0KT

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, STI treatment and prevention campaigns fell by the wayside

04/13/2022

Advocates urge N.S. government to make contraceptives widely available, free | CBC News

We're glad to see the movement for free contraception pick up speed across Canada! "It's a gender equity issue and not funding is very simply gender discrimination, very pure and simple," says Martha Paynter, board chair of Wellness Within: An Organization for Health and Justice

Sexual health advocates are calling on the Nova Scotia government to make contraceptives universally available and free. The deputy minister of health says there's a review of drugs covered by the province underway, but makes no commitment.

04/12/2022

Ce gouvernement a appuyé une approche féministe à son travail et a montré une action résolue pour soutenir un monde plus égal et plus juste, mais le Budget 2022 donne peu de signes d’un engagement continu à l’égard de l’égalité des genres et des droits des femmes, ou pour la SDSG ➡ https://bit.ly/3KxaGkK

04/11/2022

Welcome Video

Founded and led by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Black Maternal Health Week is a week of awareness, activism, and community building aimed at centering the voices of Black Mamas and advancing Black maternal health. Learn more and get involved by visiting blackmamasmatter.org/bmhw!

04/11/2022

Opinion | To Be Pro-Choice, You Must Have the Privilege of Having Choices

Reproductive justice isn’t just about choice. As Monica Simpson of SisterSong writes, “We must consider the ways in which all social justice issues intersect and affect the way we are able to make decisions about our bodies and the creation of our futures.”

We must acknowledge the role that race plays in sexual and reproductive health outcomes in this country.

04/11/2022

Come work at Action Canada! We’re looking for a Junior Project Accountant (one-year parental leave contract) to join our team: https://bit.ly/37ap0kO

04/08/2022

This government has supported a feminist approach to its work and has shown strong action in supporting a more equal and just world, but Budget 2022 does little to demonstrate an ongoing commitment to gender equality and women’s rights nor to SRHR ➡ https://bit.ly/3umkyYQ

*La version française sera prête en début de semaine prochaine.*

04/07/2022

Canada’s 2022 federal budget is coming out this afternoon! Here are the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) commitments we want to see included:

🔸 Funding to improve access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services
🔸 A permanent investment in the National Sexual Health Survey
🔸 Policies that affirm the government’s commitment to being a feminist government
🔸 Investments in youth and youth SRHR champions
🔸 Funding for feminist and women’s rights organizations
🔸 Investments ensuring the delivery of comprehensive sexuality education (sex-ed)
🔸 A national pharmacare strategy that includes universal cost coverage of contraception
🔸 An increase to the international assistance envelope that clearly reflects the ramp up to 700$ million/year on SRHR commitment