Blueprint for Action Calls for Pan-Canadian Leadership to Close the Women’s Health Gap
New national plan outlines how Canada can improve women’s health, strengthen participation, and unlock economic gains
TORONTO, Feb. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Women’s Health Collective Canada (WHCC) today released Leading Beyond the Gap: Closing the Women’s Health Gap in Canada, a landmark national plan developed by WHCC with knowledge partner, McKinsey & Company Canada, through a pro bono partnership and informed by expert input from across the country. WHCC’s public awareness initiative and national outreach for the Blueprint for Action are supported by Desjardins Insurance.
The Blueprint responds to a persistent reality: women in Canada live longer than men, yet spend 24% more of their lives in poor health. Too often, women experience delayed diagnoses and care that does not meet their needs. These outcomes are not inevitable, and are the result of systems that were not designed with women in mind, but they can be changed.
“Women are not a niche population, and women’s health is not a niche concern,” says Amy Flood, Executive Director, Women’s Health Collective Canada. “This Blueprint is clear about what needs to change and what it will take to make progress — through coordinated action. Governments, businesses, researchers, educators, and all Canadians have a role to play. This is a collective effort, and everyone’s contribution matters.”
A coordinated plan for national leadership
The Blueprint for Action outlines how Canada can move toward a coordinated, pan-Canadian approach that aligns governments, health systems, researchers, employers, investors, and communities around shared priorities and measurable outcomes. It emphasizes system-wide change that cuts across jurisdictions and sectors, while addressing the specific conditions that drive most of the women’s health gap.
"The Blueprint is our roadmap to a $37 billion opportunity — and to unlocking the health potential of 20 million Canadian women. As an ER physician, I see the cost of inaction every day: delayed diagnoses, preventable complications, lives limited not by medical science, but by systems that weren't built with women in mind. Canada has everything we need to lead: world-class infrastructure, research excellence, and the resources to act. This is our moment. The evidence is clear, the path is defined — now we choose how quickly we move forward,” said Dr. Marie-Renée B-Lajoie, Partner, McKinsey & Company and ER physician.
Four pillars within a broader plan for change
As part of its coordinated approach, the Blueprint identifies four core pillars that must advance together to close the women’s health gap:
- We know: Strengthening sex- and gender-disaggregated data and equitable representation in research and clinical trials.
- We care: Embedding sex-specific clinical care pathways and expanding equitable access to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
- We invest: Scaling research funding and accelerating women’s health innovation by aligning public, private, and philanthropic investment.
- We empower: Supporting women with the knowledge, tools, and workplace conditions needed to manage their health across life stages.
Together, these pillars support a broader national effort grounded in coordination, accountability, and measurable progress.
Powering public awareness and momentum
Public awareness and outreach for the Blueprint for Action are supported by Desjardins Insurance, whose support enables Women’s Health Collective Canada to bring evidence-based solutions into the public conversation and help mobilize action across sectors.
“At Desjardins Insurance, we believe women deserve to be supported in their health and well‑being at every stage of life,” said Chantal Gagné, President and Chief Operating Officer, Desjardins Financial Security. “The Blueprint for Action shines a light on gaps that too many women experience and offers a clear path forward. We’re proud to support Women’s Health Collective Canada in raising awareness and helping move evidence‑based solutions into action, for the benefit of women, their families, and communities across the country.”
Read the Blueprint
The Blueprint for Action: Closing the Women’s Health Gap in Canada is available for download at: whcc.ca/blueprintforaction
Media Contact
Daniel St. Germaine
Women’s Health Collective Canada
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