Petition for free contraception generates nearly 100,000 signatures in Quebec
Posted November 27, 2024 3:33 pm.
Last Updated November 27, 2024 5:10 pm.
Québec solidaire (QS) spokesperson Ruba Ghazal submitted a petition to the National Assembly on Tuesday to implement free access to contraception.
The petition has close to 100,000 signatures – making it the highest number of signatures in the current mandate for a petition.
Ghazal said that the election of Donald Trump and the impacts on women’s rights in the U.S. pushed many to mobilize.
“With the election of Donald Trump and the setbacks for women’s rights in the United States, many Quebec women, but also Quebec men, wanted to mobilize, so it doesn’t surprise me that my petition went viral,” she said. “This is a way to protect the equality between women and men.”
She added that the best way to reinforce a woman’s right to choose is to offer contraception free of charge.
Ghazal explained how it it’s unfair that the cost of contraception falls on the women’s shoulders, especially during a cost-of-living crisis.
“The studies prove that the most important barrier for women to use contraception is the cost and we know that the cost of living is very high today, so it’s a barrier for them. Twenty-five per cent of young women don’t use contraception even if they need because of the cost, so making it free will protect them against being pregnant if it wasn’t their choice.”
The Legault government will be required to respond to the petition in writing.
According to the National Assembly’s rules, their deadline is the end January.
Ghazal also denounced the fact that this measure was not included in the abortion access plan tabled by Minister Martine Biron.
“With the money we save by preventing unwanted pregnancies, free contraception is a zero-cost prevention measure. I am asking the CAQ to respond positively to this unprecedented mobilization, so that Quebec can continue to be a model and a forerunner for equality between women and men,” said Ghazal.
The petition highlighted that 40 per cent of pregnancies in Canada are unplanned, which leads to overcrowded services.
