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Bill S-243

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First Session, Forty-fifth Parliament,

3-4 Charles III, 2025

SENATE OF CANADA

BILL S-243
An Act to establish a national framework for women’s health in Canada
FIRST READING, December 9, 2025

THE HONOURABLE SENATOR HENKEL
4512521


SUMMARY

This enactment provides for the development of a national framework to promote, enhance and protect women’s health as a matter of national concern.

Available on the Senate of Canada website at the following address:
www.sencanada.ca/en


1st Session, 45th Parliament,

3-4 Charles III, 2025

SENATE OF CANADA

BILL S-243

An Act to establish a national framework for women’s health in Canada

Preamble

Whereas women represent more than half of Canada’s population;

Whereas Canada recognizes that women’s health must be promoted, enhanced and protected as a matter of national concern;

Whereas women’s health has a direct impact on Canada’s prosperity and productivity, growth strategy, innovation and many other matters of great significance to all Canadians;

Whereas Canada aspires to achieve success in remediating historical inequities in health research and health care for the benefit of women;

Whereas achieving this requires increasing Canadians’ awareness of health issues unique to women and a commitment to substantive equality in the health care context;

Whereas Canada has a strong foundation that enables Canadian women, and indeed all Canadians, to benefit from the prevention of health inequities while still reaping the rewards that improved women’s health delivers for the country’s economy and society;

Whereas federal and provincial coordination and information sharing is required to position women’s health at the centre of public policy and decision-making;

And whereas Parliament recognizes the need to be proactive in positioning women’s health at the centre of public policy and decision-making, and the Government of Canada should develop and implement a national framework for women’s health;

Now, therefore, His Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:

Short Title

Short title

1 This Act may be cited as the National Framework for Women’s Health in Canada Act.

National Framework for Women’s Health

Development

2 (1) The Minister of Health must, in consultation with the Minister of Women and Gender Equality, with other ministers, with representatives of provincial and territorial governments responsible for health, with Indigenous peoples, and with other relevant stakeholders, including members of civil society, develop a national framework designed to support improved health outcomes and health access for women, equitable investment in women’s health research and innovation and health-focused entrepreneurship driven by women.

Content

(2) The national framework must include measures to

  • (a) strengthen investment in health research and innovation, identify best-practice structures through all stages of health research and innovation and promote pathways for commercialization of health research and innovation;

  • (b) foster collaboration between public systems and the private sector to advance women’s health, women-led innovation and Canadian economic development as it relates to improvements in women’s health;

  • (c) enhance training and education for Canadian health care professionals across all disciplines to improve knowledge and skills in women’s health;

  • (d) strengthen primary health care services for women and prioritize preventative health measures for women through all ages and life stages; and

  • (e) deploy targeted solutions to improve access to health care for women, including those women in rural and remote communities, women within equity-deserving populations, 2SLGBTQI+ and Indigenous women and women from visible minorities, and women who are unattached from consistent care.

Conference

(3) The Minister must hold at least one conference with the persons referred to in subsection (1) for the purpose of developing the national framework.

Conference

(4) At a minimum of every three years from the date of the coming into force of this Act, the Minister must hold an additional conference with the persons referred to in subsection (1) for the purpose of obtaining their input and recommendations on the ongoing development and implementation of the national framework and its effectiveness.

Ministerial meetings

(5) The Minister of Health must make all reasonable efforts to ensure that the discussion of women’s health is a standing item on the agenda at all meetings of the federal, provincial and territorial health ministers.

Reports to Parliament

Tabling of national framework

3 (1) Within one year after the day on which this Act comes into force, the Minister of Health must prepare a report setting out the priorities and implementation strategy for the national framework and cause the report to be tabled before each House of Parliament on any of the first 15 days on which that House is sitting after the report is completed.

Publication

(2) The Minister must publish the report on the Department of Health website within 10 days after the day on which the report is tabled in Parliament.

Report

4 (1) Within five years after the day on which the report referred to in section 3 is tabled in Parliament, the Minister of Health must prepare a report on the effectiveness of the national framework and on the current state of investments in research and innovation and of collaboration with provinces and territories for improved health outcomes and healthcare professional funding models. The report must also set out the Minister’s conclusions and recommendations regarding the national framework.

Tabling of report

(2) The Minister must cause the report to be tabled before each House of Parliament on any of the first 15 days on which that House is sitting after the report is completed.

Published under authority of the Senate of Canada

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