Submission for Pre-Budget Consultations in Advance of the Upcoming Federal Budget 

In the global context of economic uncertainty and rising anti-feminism, renewed investments in women’s rights and gender equality are even more important.  

CRIAW-ICREF participated in the consultation process for the upcoming 2026 federal budget. We highlight the importance of GBA Plus, universal public services, and social infrastructure like the National Action Plan to End GBV (NAP) to make sure that no one is left behind in the federal budget. For the continued application of GBA Plus throughout government, it is crucial to have a well-financed Department for Women and Gender Equality (WAGE) and continued investment in women’s rights organizations in Canada. 

Here are CRIAW-ICREF’s recommendations: 

1: The government commit to providing operational funding to support national women’s rights organizations, whose primary mandates are to advance systemic change for women in all their diversity in Canada. 

2: The government provide base funding for WAGE’s Women’s Program to fund multi-year projects led by women’s rights and gender equality organizations. 

3: The government invest in key social infrastructure to address GBV in Canada by fully funding the continuation of the National Action Plan to End GBV (NAP). 

4: GBA Plus be applied to analyze and address differential impacts of all policy, legislation and budgets. To ensure more equitable outcomes for Canadians in their diversity, including in any decisions made in restructuring the public services as well as Major Projects Office work.

About CRIAW-ICREF: Since 1976, CRIAW-ICREF has been researching and documenting the economic and social situation of women in Canada. It undertakes research, policy analysis and education on feminist intersectionality and GBA Plus to understand systems of power that create barriers to women’s equality in order to remove these barriers and redistribute power equitably. Using intersectional frameworks, CRIAW-ICREF has developed and undertaken a variety of important, ground-breaking research that is women centered. CRIAW-ICREF is a not for profit member-based organization. www.criaw-icref.ca