Ottawa’s support networks for survivors of gender-based violence are sounding the alarm as proposed federal funding cuts threaten to undermine crucial services across the city and the nation. In July 2025, reports emerged that Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) could face an 80 percent reduction in funding—a move that advocates warn would have devastating consequences for survivors and the organizations that support them, according to Capital Current.
WAGE, the federal agency at the heart of the controversy, clarified that the 80 percent figure reflects the planned expiry of certain time-limited program funding, not a total withdrawal. Still, the agency acknowledged that full-time staff numbers are expected to decrease by nearly 200 employees, raising concerns about the government’s ongoing commitment to gender equality initiatives. "While we are taking immediate action to protect the Canadian economy from tariffs, our funding for gender equality Canadians continues," WAGE told Capital Current. "For example, our half a billion dollars in funding for ending gender-based violence is ongoing to 2027."
Grassroots organizations on the frontlines of the gender-based violence crisis say the potential cuts could not come at a worse time. Astara van der Jagt, director of programs for the Ottawa Coalition to End Violence Against Women, emphasized just how vital WAGE’s support has been. "There’s a very real fear that there is going to be a huge impact on the communities that we work with and more specifically […] also have a direct impact on our programming," van der Jagt said. Programs like the Our Voices Symposium and a mentorship initiative focused on BIPOC leadership and advocacy—both funded by WAGE—would face significant challenges if the cuts proceed.
The Ottawa Coalition’s own 2023 study painted a stark picture: around 62 percent of organizations reported having to turn away between one and 30 people per week due to lack of resources, and over 70 percent said they simply did not have enough financial support. "When WAGE cuts funding to organizations that have direct services delivered to gender-based violence survivors, it’s survivors, actually, that aren’t able to get beds [or] services that they need," van der Jagt explained.
Planned Parenthood Ottawa is also grappling with mounting pressures. The organization reported a 39 percent increase in counseling requests in 2024 for services ranging from abortion and adoption to parenting help and support after pregnancy loss. The Ottawa branch receives a $125,000 WAGE grant specifically to reduce barriers to sexual health for marginalized identities. To help offset the looming shortfall, they’re calling on the public to become monthly donors—hoping for 400 supporters at $10 each. Executive director Lyra Evans described her reaction to the proposed cuts as a "combination of disappointment and resignation." She added, "The federal government has made it quite clear that it intends to fund different priorities than previous governments have. There are many people who are not well served by institutions […] so having organizations that can make sure that we take a special approach and catch people who wouldn’t be supported is really important."
But the debate over funding for reproductive and sexual health services isn’t confined to Canada. South of the border, the fight has taken on new urgency as Denver’s mayor Mike Johnston and other officials from Democrat-led cities have joined forces to challenge federal funding cuts to Planned Parenthood enacted by President Donald Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill (BBB) Act. As reported by WorldNetDaily, the BBB Act blocks federal funding for one year to any healthcare provider that received over $800,000 in Medicaid payments in 2023 and is primarily involved in family planning or abortion services.
"In Denver, we will always fight for the rights of women to access contraception and reproductive care," Johnston declared on October 20, 2025. The city joined an amicus brief opposing the federal cuts, arguing that Planned Parenthood is "a vital part of the healthcare ecosystem." The brief insists that funding should come from all Americans, not just Colorado residents, even though the state has already stepped in to support Planned Parenthood with local resources. Denver officials warn that relying solely on state funds would force them to make tough choices about other priorities, and they contend that the congressional action was "based on an unlawful ideological basis." The brief also argues that continued funding would help increase the number of women in the paid labor force.
Legal battles over the BBB Act have yielded a patchwork of outcomes. A lower court issued injunctions temporarily blocking the funding cuts, but an appeals court later put those injunctions on hold. The Supreme Court has previously ruled that states have the right to exclude abortion providers like Planned Parenthood from state Medicaid programs, adding a further layer of complexity to an already contentious debate.
Back in Ottawa, the funding crisis is compounded by local budget priorities. The city’s 2025 budget allocated $442 million to police services—more than 14 times the $30 million earmarked for over 100 community-based organizations. The Ottawa Coalition has criticized this imbalance, urging city council to invest in prevention and community-based solutions, listen to frontline workers and advocates, and commit to meaningful support in combating the epidemic of intimate partner violence. City council declared intimate partner violence an epidemic in 2023, following an inquest into the murders of three women in Ottawa Valley. Since then, the city has seen four femicides in 2025, up from three the previous year, and the Ottawa Police Service received more than 6,600 reports of intimate partner violence in 2024.
Van der Jagt believes governments at all levels are not doing enough to address the root causes of gender-based violence. She points to a lack of affordable housing, food insecurity, and the need for wraparound support for survivors as persistent challenges. "A lot of survivors are being put in motels where there are no kitchens, […] and as a result they have to resort to takeout if they don’t have a car or there isn’t access to public transportation," she noted. Van der Jagt also called for the creation of an independent watchdog to hold governments accountable for progress, warning that gains can be lost with each election cycle.
Meanwhile, Ottawa’s feminist community is mobilizing. Julie Lalonde, a prominent public speaker and women’s rights advocate, helped organize a "Take Back the Night" march this fall. Hundreds of supporters from Ottawa, Gatineau, and Lanark County marched to Parliament Hill in a show of solidarity with survivors of sexual assault and gender-based violence. The march was timed to coincide with the return of the House of Commons, aiming to "galvanize as many people as possible," Lalonde said. She criticized the lack of attention to women’s issues during the federal election, calling it "a huge red flag." Lalonde also highlighted how economic uncertainty can be dangerous—or even fatal—for marginalized communities, noting the increase in femicide and hate crimes.
Lalonde urged concerned citizens to write to their elected officials, describing it as an affordable and effective way to advocate for change. Van der Jagt echoed the sentiment, arguing, "It is possible to prevent the intimate partner violence and gender-based violence epidemic in Canada, but we need everyone to commit to co-designing and implementing those solutions."
As the debate rages on both sides of the border, one thing is clear: the stakes for survivors and advocates could not be higher, and the fight for sustainable funding and comprehensive support is far from over.
