Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health gives $2.8M to further women's health equity

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Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health

Oct 21, 2024, 09:00 ET

Grants up to $100K gifted to 41 organizations, supporting community-led initiatives that advance healthcare for women

BRAMPTON, ON, Oct. 21, 2024 /CNW/ - There's a crisis in women's health. Shockingly, only 7 per cent of national funding1 is allocated to women's health research yet 70 per cent of patients with "medically unexplained symptoms2" are women. This inequity, coupled with a lack of awareness of the issue, is putting women's lives at risk.

With a mandate to make healthcare more equitable and accessible for women, Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health™ is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2024 Community Grants program. Forty-one organizations from across Canada will receive grants of up to $100,000 to continue their important work, improving the state of women's healthcare in their communities. Over the next 12 months, the $2.8 million program will fund critical work in areas such as women's mental health, sexual health, gender-based violence, and menstrual equity.

"The health of a community is only as good as the health of the women who live there. By investing in women's health, we're also investing in a healthier Canada," said Paulette Minard, Director, Community Investment at Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health. "Through the Community Grants program, we're proud to support the important work of these 41 organizations. From local programming, awareness building initiatives and increasing access to care, together we're working towards a Canada where all women can lead healthier lives."

Since 2022, the Foundation has supported more than 50 community-led initiatives including The Period Purse through its Community Grants Program. Headquartered in Toronto, The Period Purse is a registered charity dedicated to menstrual equity and distributes both period products and menstrual education programs across the country. With a donation of $100,000 from Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health, The Period Purse will be able to further expand its education programs, reaching new audiences from coast-to-coast.

"Thanks to the generous support of Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health, The Period Purse is able to offer free period education sessions to a greater range of people – including school age kids and newcomers to Canada – across the country who may not otherwise be able to access information about periods, the menstrual cycle, and how to use the full range of period products," said Vikki VanSickle, Education Coordinator at The Period Purse. "This funding also enables us to develop training specifically for adults working with kids to ensure they have the language, knowledge and confidence to have period-positive conversations and create period-friendly spaces for youth in an open, informed environment that will help combat period stigma."

Recipients of this year's Community Grants program include:

Alberta:

British Columbia:

Manitoba:

Ontario:

Quebec:

National:

Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health is a registered charity. For more information on the Foundation, please visit: https://shoppersfoundation.ca/en/our-impact/.

Media Inquiries: please contact [email protected]

About Shoppers Drug Mart Inc. 

Shoppers Drug Mart Inc. is one of the most recognized and trusted names in Canadian retailing. The company is the licensor of full-service retail drug stores operating under the name Shoppers Drug Mart® (Pharmaprix® in Québec). With more than 1,300 Shoppers Drug Mart® and Pharmaprix® stores operating in prime locations in each province and two territories, the company is one of the most convenient retailers in Canada. The company also licenses or owns 70 medical clinic pharmacies operating under the name Shoppers Simply Pharmacy® (Pharmaprix Simplement Santé® in Québec). As well, the company owns and operates 43 corporate Wellwise by Shoppers Drug Mart™ stores and an ecommerce site Wellwise.ca, making it the largest Canadian retailer of home health care products and services. In addition to its retail store network, the company owns Shoppers Drug Mart Specialty Health Network Inc., a provider of specialty drug distribution, pharmacy and comprehensive patient support services, MediSystem Inc., a provider of pharmaceutical products and services to long-term care facilities and Lifemark Health Group, Canada's leading provider of outpatient physiotherapy, massage therapy, occupational therapy, chiropractic, mental health, and other ancillary rehabilitation services. Shoppers Drug Mart is an independent operating division of Loblaw Companies Limited.

About Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health 

Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health – the charitable arm of Shoppers Drug Mart® – is committed to helping Canadian women lead healthier lives, by making care more equitable and accessible. The Foundation will invest $50M by 2026 to address some of the most pressing health inequities facing women, including lack of representation in health research, barriers to accessing mental healthcare, and the urgent consequences women disproportionately face due to poverty and domestic violence. Learn more at shoppersfoundation.ca.

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1 Partnership for Women's Health Research. (2022). What is women's health research and why is it important? https://pwhr.org/what-is/ Accessed March 2023.

2 Dusenbury, M. (2017) Doing Harm: The Truth About How Bad Medicine and Lazy Science Leave Women Dismissed, Misdiagnosed, and Sick. Harper One And references therein – excerpt available at: http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20180523-how-gender-biasaffects-your-healthcare?ocid=global_future_rss Accessed September 2020.

SOURCE Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health

Organization Profile

Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health