Event details
Catalyzing investment, innovation and commercialization in women’s health to support economic growth, increase productivity and improve health outcomes for Canadians.
Thursday, October 8, 2026
5–7 p.m. ET
Parliamentary Precinct, Ottawa
Specific room details will follow.
Please RSVP to Elaine Larsen at elarsen@globalpublic.com.
About the event
Join Women’s Health Collective Canada (WHCC), the Partnership for Women’s Health Research Canada (PWHR), and internationally recognized Canadian leaders in health, research, academia, policy and industry for a national showcase on the urgent opportunity to close the women’s health gap and position Canada as a global leader in women’s health innovation.
This event will bring together researchers, policymakers, health leaders and industry partners to explore how strategic public and private investment can accelerate research, strengthen health data, improve care and support the development and commercialization of Canadian innovation.
What to expect
The state of women’s health
Women in Canada spend 24 percent more time than men in poor health and with varying degrees of disability. We will examine the persistent gaps in research, health data, diagnosis, treatment and care, and what these gaps mean for women, families, communities and Canada’s economy.
Breakthroughs from Canada’s leading researchers
Hear about research and evidence-based innovation underway across areas including cancer, cardiovascular disease, brain and mental health, hormonal health and menopause, and chronic pelvic pain.
What increased public and private investment could unlock
Greater investment can accelerate research and discovery, strengthen women’s health data and research infrastructure, improve care pathways, support ethical and effective applications of artificial intelligence, and help Canadian innovations reach implementation and scale.
The economic opportunity
Closing the women’s health gap could contribute up to $37 billion annually to Canada’s economy by 2040, with approximately three-quarters of that impact linked to increased workforce productivity and participation.
Investing in women’s health can also help Canada attract researchers, innovators, talent and private-sector investment while strengthening the country’s global competitiveness in health and life sciences.
Why this matters
This is a pivotal moment for Canada. Women’s health remains under-researched and under-funded, contributing to delayed diagnoses, limited treatment options, poorer quality of life and reduced workforce participation.
Canada has an opportunity to build on its world-class research institutions and growing life sciences sector. Supporting our researchers and entrepreneurs can help scale research, development and innovation, generate the high-quality evidence needed to improve care, and build a strong foundation for Canadian leadership in the digital era.
Closing the women’s health gap is both a health imperative and a significant economic opportunity. It will require coordinated action across government, research, healthcare, philanthropy and industry.
Presented by
Women’s Health Collective Canada is a strategic alliance of Canada’s leading women’s health and hospital foundations, working together to advance equity in women’s health through unified action.
The Partnership for Women’s Health Research Canada brings together leading women’s health research institutes from across Canada to improve health outcomes, advance innovation and strengthen the application of research in healthcare.
Together, WHCC and PWHR connect a national network of women’s health researchers, clinicians, foundations and institutions with the expertise and infrastructure to support collaboration, implementation and scale.
RSVP
Please confirm your attendance with Elaine Larsen at elarsen@globalpublic.com.