International Women's Day Statement 2021

GATINEAU, QC, March 8, 2021 /CNW/ - The Minister of Labour, Filomena Tassi, issued the following statement for International Women's Day:

"On March 8, International Women's Day, we celebrate the achievements of women and girls everywhere and we reaffirm the Government of Canada's commitment to advancing gender equality in the workplace. As we continue to respond to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, our government recognizes that equality is fundamental to Canada's future economic success, and that we all benefit when everyone is able to reach their full potential.

To mark International Women's Day, the Government of Canada is hosting a two-day summit, "Canada's Feminist Response and Recovery", on March 8 and 9, 2021. The summit will bring together politicians, experts, feminist leaders and those with lived experience to examine how COVID-19 is having an impact on the lives of women in Canada.

Over the past year, we have all faced challenges as a result of the pandemic, however, women in particular have experienced significant impacts. Their participation in the workforce has fallen sharply as they have faced job losses, reduced hours of work, and increased difficulty balancing the demands of work and family. We need to make sure that women are supported so we don't lose the gains we have made in recent years to achieve greater gender equality here in Canada and around the world. 

An inclusive response and recovery advances gender equality. It also provides economic and social stability for all Canadians. This is why the Government of Canada has taken a number of important steps towards achieving greater equality. 

Addressing the gender wage gap and enhancing equality in the workplace

In November 2020, the Government pre-published the proposed Pay Equity Regulations in Part I of the Canada Gazette to give interested parties the opportunity to provide comments. The government will move forward with a potential coming-into-force date for the Pay Equity Act and the Regulations later in 2021. The government is also an active member of the Equal Pay International Coalition, a multi-stakeholder partnership working to reduce the gender wage gap and achieve equal pay for work of equal value. 

On January 1st, 2021, new pay transparency measures came into force. These measures will help address wage gaps experienced by women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and members of visible minorities. With the leadership of employers, we expect these measures to help create greater equality and better outcomes for workers and their families. The government will also launch a task force to review the Employment Equity Act and make recommendations on how to improve the Act. A renewed Act will play a key role in ensuring that Canada's economic recovery is equitable and inclusive.

Working to prevent harassment and violence in the workplace

On January 1^st, 2021, new Work Place Harassment and Violence Prevention Regulations came into force to better protect workers in federally regulated workplaces from these harmful behaviours, which disproportionately impact women. Globally, our government played a strong leadership role in the negotiation and adoption of International Labour Organization Convention 190, the first-ever global treaty on ending violence and harassment in the world of work. We will continue to work with our provincial and territorial partners to move forward with ratification of this important Convention.

Adapting to the changing nature of work

Our government recognizes the accelerated trends toward working from home, digital platforms and gig work. Women, who are more likely to have gig work, have also been disproportionately impacted by the massive and sudden shift to working from home. We are launching consultations to gain a better understanding of these trends. As Minister of Labour, I have also convened several meetings of workers, unions and employers, as well as meetings with my counterparts in the provinces and territories, to discuss the changing nature of work. Those meetings have been collaborative and productive, leading to dialogue that is crucial to a strong, equitable and fair recovery.

The pandemic has brought many challenges for workers, unions, employers and the economy. We will continue to build on the work our government has done pre-pandemic and during the pandemic to create workplaces that are healthy, safe and inclusive. We prosper most when all Canadians have a fair chance to succeed.

Today, I have taken a pledge to support an inclusive recovery from COVID-19 in my community and in communities across Canada. I encourage you to celebrate International Women's Day by doing the same and using the hashtag #FeministRecovery to show your support."

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SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada