Demand action for women’s economic equality!
Today, April 12th, marks Equal Pay Day. Equal Pay Day is dedicated to raising awareness of the gender pay gap. It highlights how many extra months into 2022 the average woman must work to earn what the average man earned in 2021.
Women in Ontario face a 32% pay gap on average, but if you’re a woman with a disability, an immigrant, Indigenous, racialized, elderly, or a member of the 2SLGTBQI+ community, the pay gap is much wider and follows women into retirement.
Women represent nearly half of Ontario’s paid labour force, and they make nearly half of what men make. It’s time for change. We need to demand better. We need to ensure employers correct their compensation systems which pay less for women’s work in comparison to men’s work. We need a government who recognizes the importance of women’s contributions to the work force and economy.
We don’t need a government that limits compensation increases to a rate far below inflation for public sector workers like Ford did when he passed Bill 124. This move affected nursing professionals, personal support workers, child care workers, paramedics, transit workers and so many more. Most of these workers are women, particularly racialized women.
We don’t need a government that rushes bills through the legislature that override public sector workers’ pay equity and collective bargaining rights like Ford is doing with Bill 106.
We don’t need a government that is going to make things worse for women. We need a government who understands that women’s rights are human rights and women deserve economic equality.
Frontline workers still don’t have permanent paid sick days and women’s employment rates are the lowest since 1984.
We need a government that is going to put an end to what is driving the gender pay gap such as sexism, racism, ableism, colonialism, undervaluing care work, and income inequality.
We need a government with a plan for women’s economic recovery. We need a government that is going to:
- Raise the minimum wage to a living wage.
- Mandate permanent paid sick days for workers.
- Implement the Pay Transparency Act.
- Establish affordable, accessible public childcare with decent wages and work conditions for childcare workers.
- Rebuild the economy by funding public services and equipping health, community and social services, and education workers with decent wages and working conditions.
That’s why we are calling on Ontario’s political leaders to #ShowUpForWomen. Join us tonight for the first ever Ontario leaders’ debate on women’s issues to hear their plans to close the gender pay gap. This is herstory in the making. RSVP here to get the link to watch this live election debate online, April 12th, 7:00 p.m. – 9 :00 p.m. EST.
To learn more about pay equity and pay transparency, connect with the Ontario Equal Pay Coalition at equalpaycoalition.org.
Women deserve better this #EqualPayDay and beyond!
In solidarity,
PATTY COATES
President
