Women, Gender, and Politics

N02(a) - Abortion and Reproduction in Canada

Date: Jun 3 | Time: 10:15am to 11:45am | Location:

Chair/Président/Présidente : Shreya Ghimire (York University)

Discussant/Commentateur/Commentatrice : Sarah Marie Wiebe (University of Victoria)

The exclusionary politics of abortion access in Canada: Laurie-Ève Beauchamp (McGill University), Tania Islas Weinstein (McGill University)
Abstract: Since 1988, Canada has led the way in reproductive healthcare by decriminalizing abortion, with protections under health law ensuring both quality care and accessibility. Yet, while access remains uneven, it is exacerbated by exclusionary policies that particularly impact vulnerable groups. This paper reveals how federal and provincial regulations limit abortion access, effectively defining who "belongs" in the nation. Using process tracing, this paper has examined Canada’s abortion landscape over the years and evaluated different metrics that prevent populations from obtaining care. At the federal level, citizenship dictates access and affordability, excluding non-citizens such as migrants, international students and asylum seekers from health insurance, making abortion costly and difficult to navigate. At the provincial level, geography and cost are core determinants of access. The lack of provincial funding, nearby facilities and providers restrict access for women in remote areas, particularly near Indigenous nations, who must travel long distances to access care. Conservative provinces such as New Brunswick and Ontario further disrupt access by openly defying Health Act standards. Rather than examining belonging through race, language, or immigration, this study suggests abortion access as a new lens to illuminate exclusion patterns, highlighting how the intersection of gender, class, and citizenship makes women more vulnerable to state discrimination. Thus, as a core component of healthcare, abortion access should reflect Canada’s inclusive identity.

The Canadian Feminist Movement’s Response to Cross-Border Challenges Post-Dobbs: Victoria Mahon (McGill), Dietlind Stolle (McGill)
Abstract: Following the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, which ended US federal protection for abortion rights, Canadian feminist activists have intensified efforts to frame reproductive rights as essential to gender justice. This study examines how the Canadian feminist movement has shifted its messaging on abortion policy to respond to supportive and oppositional public reactions shaped by this major U.S. decision. Using a framing and political opportunity structures perspective, I explore how Canadian activists adapt their discourse within a polarized, transnational context influenced by the U.S. and how these shifts align with broader social and political dynamics in Canada. This research contributes to the literature on social movement framing and transnational influence on feminist mobilization, emphasizing how frames are adapted to both mobilize supporters and shape political discourse. Using qualitative content analysis, I compare framing strategies from Canadian and American feminist sources, including social media posts, organizational statements, and advocacy campaigns. By examining the timeframes and strategies of this cross-border influence, this research specifically investigates how U.S. feminist rhetoric permeates Canadian discussions. This research aims to understand how transnational debates on reproductive rights influence Canadian feminist mobilization and the mechanisms through which Canadian feminism both incorporates and challenges external pressures.

Reproductive politics beyond autonomy and justice: a borderlands approach: Candace Johnson (University of Guelph)
Abstract: Resistance to unnecessary medical intervention in childbirth often comes in the form of appeals to “nature” and autonomy. Similarly, the right to avert birth or terminate pregnancy is considered a matter of autonomy and self-determination. Both birth and averted birth (the right to have children/ the right to not have children) are essential components of the reproductive justice framework. However, despite decades of forging constitutional, legal, and activist networks, and commitments to both autonomy and justice, rates of medical intervention in birth are rising (in North America and elsewhere), the scientific-social impasse (between medical and natural approaches) is more entrenched than ever (globally), and constitutional protections for abortion have been lost or curtailed in some important contexts (such as the US). In this chapter, I will examine the idea of a borderlands for understanding the complexity of contemporary reproductive politics and as a conceptual companion to autonomy and reproductive justice.

From Longing to Belonging: Rethinking Surrogacy and Legal Altruism in Canada: Alexandria Hammond (McGill University), Kelly Gordon (McGill University)
Abstract: Canada’s 2004 Assisted Human Reproduction Act defines surrogacy as exclusively “altruistic,” criminalizing payments to surrogates and permitting only unpaid arrangements. This legal framework of altruism, reinforced by dominant discourses of reproduction and motherhood, frames the unpaid labor of surrogates as an act of selfless care. However, this paper argues that a critical examination of these dominant discourses opens up a broader range of meanings and experiences for those directly involved in surrogacy. Using an interpretive approach, the paper explores how surrogacy is represented in Canada. It draws on a diverse set of data sources, including policy documents, content from three for-profit surrogacy agencies, and media coverage from 2011-2019. The analysis identifies three discursive trends: (1) shared experiences with fertility treatments between surrogates and intended parents; (2) the role of the Canadian public healthcare system; and (3) the involvement of partners and the extended families of surrogates and intended parents. Ultimately, these trends illustrate how diverse individuals come together to form meaningful connections through the practice of surrogacy. This paper traces how they reinterpret the concept of legal altruism, constructing alternative meanings of surrogacy as a relational practice that emphasizes collective belonging over individual selflessness. The theoretical significance of this paper lies in challenging essentialist legal and social constructs of altruism, reproduction and the family. The findings invite a rethinking of surrogacy in Canada beyond current legal altruism and contribute to broader feminist debates on labor, care, and reproductive justice, suggesting new directions for future research.