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Women and Gender Equality Agency Plans 80% Budget Decline as Funding Expires

Advocacy groups warn the cuts will cripple the department’s capacity to fulfill its mandate after temporary funding ends.

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Overview

  • The departmental plan projects spending to drop from $407.1 million in 2025–26 to $76.3 million by 2027–28 due to the end of time-limited program funding.
  • Full-time staff are set to decrease from 444 to 254 positions over the same period as those funds expire.
  • A coalition including the Canadian Centre for Policy Initiatives and the Canadian Women’s Foundation sent an open letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney calling for the reductions to be reversed.
  • A WAGE spokesperson said no funding cuts have yet occurred and described the figures as routine expirations with final decisions to be announced later.
  • The forecast reductions respond to a federal directive for departments to identify up to 15% in savings, raising concerns about disproportionate impacts on gender equality initiatives and services.