Canada has taken an important step toward advancing women’s health. In December 2025, Senator Danièle Henkel — informed by the expertise of women, advocates, and a group of leading women’s health organizations — introduced Bill S-243: An Act to establish a national framework for women’s health in Canada.
Women’s Health Collective Canada is part of this national leadership effort, contributing alongside other organizations to help shape the vision, priorities, and policy foundations behind the bill.
For decades, women’s health in Canada has lacked coordinated national direction. Bill S-243 aims to address this gap by requiring the federal government to develop a comprehensive national framework to improve health outcomes and access for women across the country.
What the Bill Would Do
If passed, the Act would require the Minister of Health — in consultation with provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous peoples, and a range of civil-society partners — to develop a national framework that includes measures to:
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strengthen investment and pathways in women’s health research and innovation;
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foster collaboration between public systems and the private sector to advance women’s health and women-led innovation;
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enhance training and education for health-care professionals on women’s health;
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strengthen primary care and preventive health services for women across all ages and life stages;
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deploy targeted solutions to improve access to care for women in rural and remote communities, equity-deserving groups, 2SLGBTQI+ people, Indigenous women, visible minority women, and women without consistent primary care.
The bill also requires the federal government to convene at least one national conference during the development of the framework — with recurring conferences every three years thereafter — and to table regular reports in Parliament on progress and implementation.
Why This Matters
Women’s Health Collective Canada was proud to contribute its expertise as part of the group working with Senator Henkel as this bill was developed. This work reflects years of advocacy by researchers, clinicians, and organizations calling for coordinated federal leadership on women’s health.
Bill S-243 represents a meaningful opportunity: a path toward sustained national attention, clearer accountability, and long-term action in areas of women’s health that have too often been fragmented or overlooked.
This is an important milestone — and a necessary step toward making women’s health a true national priority.
