Even in 2023, gender and age are still major determinants in accessing mental health support. There are 5,213,000 young women and girls in Canada. Each has hopes and dreams, ideas and feelings of their own.

Amira dreams of designing video games. Laura loves baking and is in school to be a pastry chef. Inori hates injustice, and Sam lives for days on the slopes. If all four of these young women have a mental health issues, only one will be able to get the care she needs. 

On top of facing age and gender-based challenges, young women also cite the inability to pay out of pocket and/or not having insurance to cover mental health care costs, as barriers to accessing care. It shouldn’t be this way. If we had access to free community-based supports, these barriers wouldn’t exist. Young women would receive the care they need and deserve – when and where they need it.

Gender and age should not determine care. Coverage should not determine care. Young women like Amira, Laura, Inori and Sam deserve better.

Today, on International Women’s Day, show young women that you value their future and their well-being with a gift to support their mental health. A donation to CMHA Kelowna will help advocate for mental health care that is free, accessible, and available to all young women.

This article was originally written by CMHA National.