Statement on Inequity in Sport Relief Funding

On March 17th, the Ontario Government announced targeted financial support for men’s major-junior hockey as part of the province’s COVID-19 relief package for sport. This makes Ontario the latest province to provide dedicated funding to men’s hockey in the pandemic, with others including Saskatchewan and Quebec.

Financial support for sport is needed and welcomed; however, the allocation of funds to men’s sport without offering the same to women’s sport is unfair. It reinforces the historical advantages that men in sport have enjoyed relative to women. We expect equitable treatment for women, particularly given the federal, provincial and territorial governments’ formal commitments to gender equity in sport, and the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on girls and women across Canada. As such, we call on all governments across Canada to use a gender lens in their COVID-19-relief efforts to ensure that women and girls benefit equitably from support given to sport.

We look forward to hearing plans from government for targeted financial support for women’s sport to match any investments made in men’s sport in response to the pandemic.

Learn more about how you can bring a gender equity lens to your COVID-19 response here.