Pan-Canadian Women’s Health Coalition Newsletter: Celebrating milestones, sharing momentum

Explore our library of quick guides  

The CanWaCH At a Glance series shares tips, resources and tools you can easily digest and put into practice. The latest edition breaks down the key differences between public and private groups and explores how Groups can support real-time collaboration without the need for another meeting. Read it here.

One year of impact: Advancing sex, gender and health research

Watch highlights from CIHR Institute of Gender and Health’s first year of action under the 2024–2029 Research Priority Plan. Informed by the 2023 National Listening Tour, and grounded in the evolving science of sex, gender and health, this milestone reflects the collective efforts of our research community to drive health and gender equity forward.

Honouring leadership in women’s heart health

Congratulations to Glen Pyle for receiving the King Charles III Coronation Medal for advancing women’s heart health research and advocacy. Supported by IMPART and Women’s Health Research Institute (WHRI), the Laboratory for Women’s Heart Health is addressing critical gaps in cardiology, including the impacts of menopause and intimate partner violence on cardiovascular disease.

New data release: Maternal and infant health insights from Statistics Canada

Statistics Canada’s Health Statistics and Demography Branch has released updated findings from its mother-centric data linkages, featuring a demographic profile of Canadian mothers with and without preterm births. The dataset supports maternal and perinatal health research, surveillance, and policy. 

Explore related resources:

• Live births by characteristics and gestation 
• Canadian Vital Statistics – Birth Database

By the numbers  

Call to action

• Tickets are now available for the Black Women’s Healthcare Summit. Hosted on October 29 in Toronto, this powerful evening brings together health experts and community voices. The Summit seeks to highlight the gaps in Black women’s health, creating a space for learning, connection, and change in health care through community, advocacy, and action.

• Our new virtual webinar series launches soon, spotlighting YOUR groundbreaking women’s health research and its power to drive change. Each month, a Hub will showcase their work and impact to inspire advocates, policymakers and change-makers nationwide. Want to present? Share your Hub’s availability here.

Apply now: Open calls for funding

• CIHR has launched Phase 4 of the Indigenous Gender and Wellness initiative. This Knowledge Sharing Grant supports Indigenous-led efforts to share knowledge that promotes wellness through gender, culture, and community. 
  • Deadline: October 1, 2025.
• The 2025–26 IGH-BCCWH Seed Grant Competition is offering up to $40,000 over two years to support transformative global health projects in research, education, or capacity-building to improve child and maternal health. 
  • Deadline: October 7, 2025.
• UBC researchers are invited to apply for the second round of KU Leuven’s Global Seed Fund to foster or deepen collaborations with KU Leuven, Belgium’s top Horizon Europe-funded university. Successful teams will receive up to €30,000, with UBC’s VPRI offering $15,000 CAD in match funding. 
  • Deadline: October 9, 2025.
• CIHR has extended the application deadline for the Team Grant supporting a pan-Canadian learning health system network in perinatal mental health. 
  • Deadline: February 5, 2026.

Hub highlights

• Watch: As part of the Justice and Equity in Perinatal Services (JEPS) Cluster Seminar Series, watch a presentation by Dr. Cristina Alonso on maternal health law in Massachusetts, which aims to improve access, reduce disparities, and strengthen perinatal care. The session explored key provisions, implementation progress, and strategies for advancing equitable maternal health.
• Learn: You, Me, Baby is a trusted partner of the Healthy Pregnancy Hub, offering a free, evidence-based 9-module online program developed by experts to support mental well-being during pregnancy and early parenthood. Backed by research and engaged with by over 500 participants, it provides practical tools and insightful content to help manage stress and emotions.
• Read: Check out another important article from the Sex, Gender and Women’s Health Research Hub (SGWH):
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a big threat to women’s health, but it’s still under-recognized, under-diagnosed and under-treated. 
• Share: Brave Beginnings, a partner of the Alliance against Violence and Adversity (AVA), is inviting women-identifying survivors of abuse to join a focus group on August 24, 2025, from 11 to 12 p.m. EST to help shape a supportive peer mentorship program. Participants will receive a $50 honorarium. To learn more or register, contact: [email protected]
• Apply: Applications are now open for the Knowledge Translation Professional Certificate™ (KTPC), a five-day, in-person program hosted by the SickKids Learning Institute from October 27–31, 2025. Accredited and recognized nationally, this 39-hour course offers hands-on learning and expert guidance for knowledge translation practitioners – apply by August 15!

Have news, events or stories to share? 

Submit your content anytime using our intake form. If you send us Hub updates or activities by the 15th of the month, we can include them in our monthly newsletter. We’re also happy to amplify your content on CanWaCH’s social media or add your events to our calendar at any time! Prefer email or have attachments? Send your content directly to Sundus Khan, Manager of Evidence in Action, at [email protected].

Let us know what your Hub is up to — we’d love to highlight your work!

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