Karina Gould

The youngest woman cabinet minister in Canadian history and the first to become a mother while in office, the Honourable Karina Gould is an advocate for women and greater equality, both in Canada and around the world. Passionate about eliminating barriers and creating opportunities for women and underrepresented groups, Karina was appointed to Cabinet as the Minister of Democratic Institutions in 2017. In this role, she was responsible for strengthening Canada’s democratic processes, addressing foreign threats to Canadian elections, and preventing the spread of misinformation and disinformation. In her role as Minister, she went on to pass Bill C-76, the Elections Modernization Act, which made voting more accessible, placed restrictions on third-party interference on election campaigns, and prohibited spending by foreign entities during elections.

In October 2019, Karina was appointed as the Minister of International Development, where she promoted Canada’s reputation on the world stage, making Canada a leader in the global efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and lead Canada’s international response to Climate Change and humanitarian disasters. As a champion for gender equality, Karina has also worked to advance the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women, fight hunger, eradicate extreme poverty, and build a more peaceful, more inclusive and prosperous world. After the 2021 election, Karina was appointed as the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development. In 2022, Karina and her team negotiated with the governments of all 13 provinces and territories to cut childcare costs by 50%, making reduced fees available to all parents in Ontario whose childcare providers elect to opt into the system.