Ontario's Women's Economic Empowerment
Ontario's #EqualPayDay 2018: April 10
#EqualPayON
Equal Pay Coalition Ontario What is Equal Pay Day? Equal Pay Day ON 2018 Canadian Coalition (CCEW) Wage Gap News and Reports Canada's Equal Pay Day Equal Pay Day ON 2017
Then Now Next "builds on progress already made in Ontario to support women’s economic well-being and equity, including historic investments in child care, elder care, poverty reduction, skills training and education, and ending violence against women." The strategy outlined is the first of its kind in Canada. A fair, equal, inclusive economy should recognize women's innovations, work and leadership.
Ontario's Women's Economic Empowerment (WEE) strategy includes four action areas to empower women:
- Fairer Workplaces
- Leadership
- Sharing Care
- Changing Perspectives
Click here to download and review the details of Ontario's strategy.
Ontario Equal Pay Coalition
BPW Ontario is a founding member of the Equal Pay Coalition.
The Equal Pay Coalition was formed in 1976 as a coalition of organizations to seek the implementation of equal pay for work of equal value both through legislation and collective bargaining. The Coalition has over 39 constituent and partner groups which represent Ontario women and men who support equal pay for work of equal value."
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"Equal Pay Day illustrates how far into the next year a woman, on average, must work to earn the same amount a man made in the previous year.
They are marked around the world."
Ontario's gap is close to 30%. This gender wage gap in Ontario is one of the largest in the world! Pay discrimination is not limited to one career or demographic, it affects women of all ages, races, and education levels – regardless of their family decisions.
The Equal Pay Coalition's goal is a 0% gender wage by 2025. The coaliton has outlined the 12 steps to achieve this goal.
#EqualPayDay Ontario 2018: April 10
BPW Ontario Equal Pay Day Events 2018:
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| BPW Barrie: Sharon Doran, Joanne Bullock, Katie Wilton | BPW London: Doris Hall, Brenda Carpenter and friends |
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Ontario's Child Care Initiative Announcement - Equal Pay: April 10, 2018 BPW Ontario Past-President and BPW London member LInda Davis at podium. Also in photo MPP Harinder Malhi, Minister of the Status of Women, Premier Kathleen Wynne, MPP Cristina Martins (Davenport) and Jo-Ann Davis, TCDSB Trustee for Spadina-Fort York, St Paul's, Toronto Centre, and University-Rosedale. |
Equal Pay Day Ontario 2017: April 11
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| North Toronto BPW President Linda Rice and North Toronto BPW member Hatice Yazar at the Queen's Park Equal Pay Day Rally. | BPW London member and 1st VP of BPW Canada, Linda Davis, & friends at Pay Equity Awareness table on Equal Pay Day at Fanshawe College. | |
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Gender Wage Gap News/Reports
BPWO President, Maide Yazar at Pay Equity Summit, Feb 28, 2018
MacLean's February 2018 Issue: Men Pay 26% More!
February 28, 2018: BPW Ontario President, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., attended a Pay Equity Workshop in Ottawa. Maide's Report: Participated at the Pay Equity Summit, a Federal Pay Equity Networking Meeting, held with 30 other organizations who are prominent advocates of eliminating the gender wage gap. Very excited as the federal work is launched on making sure the Government of Canada gets the proposed Pay Equity legislation right. Many learned lessons were shared. The sisterhood rocks. "We are here because most women cannot be here today". Many thanks to the Atkinson Foundation for funding the workshop and to Canadian Women's Foundation for organizing the event.
BPWO President, Maide Yazar attending
Pay Equity Summit, February 2018
November 2017: Pay Equity Commission 2016-2017 Annual Report, marking the 30th anniversary of the Pay Equity Act and the establishment of the Commission. Research tells us that cultural and social biases continue to negatively influence how women are perceived at work. This includes how their work may be undervalued and thus underpaid as compared to their male co-workers, contributing to an unacceptably wide gender wage gap. Closing this gap is both a human right and an economic necessity for inclusive economic growth, especially given Ontario women’s educational attainments and labour force participation rates.
August 25, 2016: News Release: Ontario Moving Forward to Close the Gender Wage Gap. "The Ontario government has released the final report from the Gender Wage Gap Steering Committee and will immediately start work on a plan to close the gap, create equal opportunities for prosperity and strengthen the economy by eliminating barriers that prevent women's full participation in the workforce." Thank you to BPW Ontario Past President/First VP BPW Canada, Linda Davis, for all her efforts on the Gender Wage Gap Steering Committee.
April 2016: Report: Every Step You Take: Ontario's Gender Pay Gap Ladder. Published by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives’ Ontario Office (CCPA - Ontario Office), author Mary Cornish, Research Associate for CCPA - Ontario Office and Chair of the Equal Pay Coaltion.
April 20, 2015: Linda Davis, BPW Ontario's Past Presdient, was apppointed to Ontario's government new Gender Wage Gap Steering Committee. Click here to read the annoucement.
April 2014: BPW spreads the news about the wage gap - click here to read the article about a Equal Pay 2014 gathering in London, Ontario.
