Hon. Marilou McPhedran: My question is to Senator Gold. One day after International Women’s Day, I want to acknowledge the courage and perseverance of thousands of women and girls who played soccer and other sports in Afghanistan until the Taliban returned to power in August 2021 and are now at extreme risk just because they are female and athletes.

In Canada, girls’ soccer has been growing in popularity for years, with a high of 85,000 girls playing in organized leagues, soccer federations and school clubs. But now a decline in enrollment is anticipated, directly linked to ongoing equity disputes and the disgraceful second-class treatment given the Olympic gold-medal-winning Canadian women’s national team.

Yesterday, the Toronto Star reported that promising young female athletes are becoming disillusioned by what they see. Despite reaching an interim funding agreement last week — only secured after the team was prepared to strike and threatened with lawsuits — players still state that the fight for permanent funding and equity is far from resolved.

Senator Gold, Sport Canada funds more than 58 national sports federations, ranging from alpine skiing to curling, hockey, soccer and wrestling. Additionally, it funds another 31 national multisport service organizations and related sports support bodies.

Can you inform this chamber if attention is being given to whether the inequities and injustices suffered by these world‑class women’s soccer players are not also systemic in all the sports relying on federal public dollars?

Senator McPhedran: Senator Gold, is Canada doing what most other donors around the world are doing? Other donors are creating exemptions and other workarounds to allow the delivery of their humanitarian aid directly into organizations in Afghanistan without going through the Taliban. Are we doing the same thing?