At a time when backsliding on women’s rights is multiplying worldwide, a Canadian province heralds a future without prescription contraception. This is a first in the country. British Columbia Treasury Secretary Katrine Conroy said everyone with health insurance will be able to get a variety of contraceptives free of charge with a prescription starting April 1, emphasizing the importance of “reproductive rights.”

“Too often these fundamental rights are attacked,” she said during her speech. “Not here in British Columbia […] Gone are the days when women and trans and non-binary people had to bear these costs,” the minister added before the state parliament. Methods covered include most hormone pills, implants, intrauterine injections, and devices such as the IUD and morning-after pill. “It is a victory for health and a victory for gender equality in our province,” said the minister.

Savings of $10,000

At CA$25 (or CHF17) a month for birth control pills, the provincial government estimates people could save up to $10,000 over their lifetime. With this announcement, the Canadian province follows in the footsteps of several European countries, notably France, the United Kingdom and Germany, which already partially or generally subsidize contraceptives.

After making male condoms free for young people aged 18 to 25 in January, the French government plans in its next budget to offer all women free emergency contraception and screening for certain sexually transmitted infections without a doctor’s prescription.

Also read: Jacqueline Fellay Jordan: ‘Contraception is a public health issue’

The Canadian decision comes weeks after several organizations denounced the growing backlash in women’s rights around the world. In particular, they cite abortion rights revoked by the United States Supreme Court or restrictions on access to contraceptives in Poland.