When the Women and Gender Equality Canada plan for 2025-26 was released in June, it was a bombshell. The budget would be gutted by 80% over the next two years, despite deepening crises and rising violence.

A coalition of 13 gender justice and anti-violence leaders from across British Columbia sprang into action. Battered Women Support Services (BWSS) hosted a roundtable with WAGE Minister Rechie Valdez where we could all present evidence, experiences, and solutions rooted in the realities of survivors across our province.

Surrey Women’s Centre joined representatives from the north-west and north coast, rural and remote communities, Indigenous and Black women’s organizations, law reform advocates, anti-violence programs, child care advocates, and GBV/sexual assault support centres to ensure that frontline perspectives were heard.

Our priorities were clear: stable, multi-year sector funding, shifting federal investment toward prevention (care economy, child care, housing), and Indigenous- and survivor-led accountability for the National Action Plan to End GBV and MMIWG2S Calls for Justice.

And on October 29th, the government announced increased, ongoing WAGE funding of $660.5 million over five years to ensure sustained progress toward equality and safety for women, girls, and 2SLGBTQIA+ people. We are grateful that a truth has been recognized: gender justice is the infrastructure of safe, thriving communities.