Participants carry a rainbow flag along a street during the Pride parade in Montreal, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

By The Canadian Press

Budget to include funding for women, LGBTQ initiatives: Champagne

Oct 29, 2025 | 10:34 AM

OTTAWA — The federal government says the upcoming budget will include new money to support women’s participation in leadership roles and to provide security for LGBTQ communities during Pride events.

Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne and Minister of Women and Gender Equality Rechie Valdez announced the funding at a press conference Wednesday.

They were flanked by several members of Parliament, including Mona Fortier, Bruce Fanjoy and Karina Gould.

The ministers said the budget, which will be tabled on Nov. 4, will include $382.5 million over five years starting next year, with $76.5 million annually after that, to advance women’s equality in Canada by improving their economic security and participation in leadership roles.

A news release says funding will go toward the government’s Women’s Program, which supports time-limited projects that address systemic barriers to women’s equality. The program provides funding to eligible organizations in support of projects at the local, regional and national levels.

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Valdez told the press conference the funding will help more women succeed “in all sectors of our economy.”

It will also include $54.6 million over five years starting in 2026-27, with $10.9 million annually after that, to support LGBTQ communities.

The news release says that funding will support the 2SLGBTQI+ Community Capacity Fund. The program works to help organizations get established, and improve technical skills.

The funding will also include $7.5 million over five years, with $1.5 million ongoing, for security at Pride events. The government says the money will help cover the costs of security and insurance for Pride festivals — costs that are rising because of threats against these events.

The budget will also include $223.4 million over five years, with $44.7 million ongoing, to respond to gender-based violence. The government says that will enable ongoing funding for crisis hotlines and gender-based violence research.

That funding will be provided through the Gender-Based Violence Program.

“Every person in our nation, regardless of their gender, regardless of their background, regardless of their identity, must be able to live free from violence and to participate fully in our country’s success and in our country’s future,” Champagne said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 29, 2025.

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press