Subjects: WOM, POL, AVO, CFG
Statement by the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, on Equal Pay Day
GATINEAU, QC, April 10, 2018 /CNW/ - The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, issued the following statement regarding Equal Pay Day, an occasion to raise awareness about the gender wage gap:
"When Canadian women can count on equal pay for work of equal value, our economy grows stronger, families prosper and communities thrive.
As a government, we are committed to helping the next generation of Canadians break free from the barriers that have held us back for so long?because we know that we can't continue to grow the middle class when half of our citizens are being held back. To face the challenges of today and tomorrow, we will need the hard work and creativity of all Canadians. Gender equality is not only the right thing to do for Canadians; it is also the smart thing to do for the economy.
Canadian women are among the world's most educated. Over the last 40 years, greater participation of women in the workforce has accounted for about one third of Canada's economic growth. Yet women and girls still face barriers in achieving their potential. That's why, under the leadership of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, we're putting words into action through concrete investments and policies that will support women and girls, reduce the gender wage gap and increase the participation of women in the labour force, which helps boost economic growth for all Canadians.
We know that, in addition to the systemic undervaluation of work performed by women that has pervaded our society for so long, the gender wage gap in Canada has also persisted due to the fact that caregiving duties have historically fallen primarily to women. Through commitments to introduce proactive pay equity, robust pay transparency, investments in child care, better training and learning financing, enhanced parental leave flexibility and the continued appointment of skilled, talented women into leadership positions, we're going to put a real dent in the gender wage gap. I'm proud to be part of a government that is taking a leadership role in ending the wage gap through game-changing policies. But it's not enough. It will take all of us?governments, employers, unions and individuals?to make gender equality a reality in Canada and around the world. So today, on Equal Pay Day, let us all re-commit ourselves to doing the hard work it will take to get us there."
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SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada
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