Canada will increase its global spending on women's and girls' health as other countries "are stepping back," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday, citing threats to abortion access and violence against women.
Trudeau said the politicization of women's rights was having "devastating consequences" around the world as he made the commitment, which comes as the United States scales back its support for female sexual and reproductive health worldwide.
Canada will increase its spending to 1.4 billion Canadian dollars ($1 billion) by 2023 from C$1.1 billion currently, he announced at the world's largest conference on gender equality, We Deliver, positioning his country as a leading donor internationally.