Tell your MP: No more cuts to aid

Join our call to protect international assistance for people with disabilities.

Canada’s international assistance is important because it:

responds to humanitarian crises

reduces poverty and hunger

supports people with disabilities

supports women’s rights and gender equality

These investments save lives and help build a more inclusive and just world.

Canada’s 2025 Budget introduced $2.7 billion in cuts to international assistance over four years.

As crises and conflicts intensify, further cuts would put more lives at risk and undermine the systems and services communities depend on. Many people with disabilities rely on services supported through foreign aid and have no alternatives.

WHAT CAN I DO?

One in five women worldwide lives with a disability, representing 20% of the global population, and in low- and middle-income countries, women and girls with disabilities account for up to three-quarters of people with disabilities. Yet they remain excluded from humanitarian initiatives and efforts to promote gender equality.

This exclusion is reflected in frameworks dedicated to women’s rights. For example, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women does not explicitly mention women with disabilities.

At the same time, although the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities recognizes the challenges they face, women and girls with disabilities are still too often left behind.

A doctor helping a little disabled girl inside

As a result, they face disproportionate risks and barriers around the world and in all areas of life. The data highlights the extent of these inequalities:

Women with disabilities are two to three times more likely to be victims of sexual violence than women without disabilities.
22% of women and girls with disabilities have unmet family planning needs.
Only 42% of girls with disabilities complete primary school.
In crisis situations, they are more likely to face intersectional discrimination based on gender and disability.

Make a Phone Call

You could use the script below to contact your MP.

Hello, my name is [NAME], and I live in [COMMUNITY/NEIGHBOURHOOD] in [MP NAME]’s riding.

I’m calling because I care about Canada’s role in the world, and I’m concerned about how recent cuts to international development assistance will affect people facing poverty, conflict and crisis. I am particularly worried about the impact of cuts on people with disabilities.

[OPTIONAL: Add one sentence about why this issue matters to you personally]

Canadian international assistance helps tackle global challenges by responding to humanitarian crises, strengthening global health, reducing poverty and hunger, and contributing to a safer, more prosperous and more inclusive world. Cutting aid to disability inclusion projects in particular have devastating consequences on the daily lives of persons with disabilities.

With Budget 2026 coming up later this fall, I’m asking [MP NAME] to speak up with their colleagues and with the [Prime Minister/party leader] in support of no further cuts to Canada’s international assistance and to increase the proportion of aid supporting people with disabilities.

I hope you’ll pass along my message to [MP NAME]. Thank you very much for your time.

Again, my name is [NAME], and I can be reached at [PHONE NUMBER].

Send an Email

Copy and paste the email below, personalising your message as you wish.

Subject: No further cuts to international assistance in Budget 2026

Dear [MP Name],

I am a constituent living in [community/neighbourhood], and I am writing to express my concern about the recent cuts to Canada's international assistance.

Canada's international assistance plays a vital role in reducing poverty and hunger, responding to humanitarian crises, and strengthening health systems around the world. These investments save lives and help build a more stable, equitable, and prosperous world.

I am particularly concerned about the impact of aid cuts on people with disabilities. International funding supports organizations of persons with disabilities and helps ensure that development and humanitarian programs are inclusive and accessible. Further cuts risk increasing marginalization and undermining hard-won progress toward inclusion.

As Budget 2026 approaches, I urge you to speak with your colleagues and the Prime Minister/party leader in support of no further cuts to Canada's international assistance. I also ask that Canada protect and increase the proportion of aid that supports people with disabilities.

Thank you for your time and for your service to our community. I would appreciate knowing how you plan to support this issue.

Sincerely,

[Name]
[Postal Code]
[Email Address]
[Phone Number]

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