Québec Solidaire (QS) is insisting that contraception should be free for all women in Quebec. Party female spokesperson Ruba Ghazal tabled a bill to this effect on Wednesday, a day before International Women’s Rights Day (March 8). “Last week, during the supply debate, Premier François Legault said he was open to considering free contraception,” said Ghazal in a news release. “I took him at his word and today I am tabling a bill so that Quebec can move forward and catch up with British Columbia and Manitoba. The status quo is not an option when it comes to women’s rights.” She pointed out that 25 per cent of young women who do not wish to become pregnant do not systematically use contraceptives, and that the cost of contraceptive products is one of the main obstacles to access. Bill 994 — An Act to promote sexual and reproductive health through improved access to contraception — provides for “regional public health authorities to be responsible for implementing preventive measures in the area of sexual and reproductive health and for distributing condoms free of charge.” To eliminate difficulties in accessing contraception, the bill proposes extending the Free Access to Contraception Program and making it possible for midwives and other professionals to prescribe contraceptives. Québec Solidaire believes that this would help to reduce unwanted pregnancies and reduce social and gender inequalities. Ghazal pointed out that last November she submitted a petition on free contraception, which attracted almost 100,000 signatures: “There is a consensus and a real mobilization on this issue,” she said. “It’s time for the CAQ government to listen and take action on free contraception.” Ghazal will hold a news briefing on her bill in the foyer of the National Assembly on Wednesday morning. She will be accompanied by family doctors Dr. Joanie Chahine and Dr. Élise Girouard-Chantal, as well as Amaili Jetté, President of the Regroupement Les sages-femmes du Québec. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 7, 2025. The Canadian Press health content receives funding through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. The Canadian Press is solely responsible for editorial choices.
