Moncton — The New Brunswick Coalition for Pay Equity is pleased that several commitments to gender equality were outlined in the federal Throne Speech, A Stronger and More Resilient Canada.
The speech calls for the creation of an Action Plan for Women in the Economy, the development of an intersectional feminist response to the pandemic, the creation of a Canada-wide child care system, the acceleration of investments in transition houses for women in abusive relationships, and the study of targeted measures for caregivers.
"The federal government recognizes that economic recovery must be a feminist recovery, centered on the voices of women, especially marginalized women. We are encouraged by the attention paid to investments in social infrastructures. These are very positive steps and we are counting on the budget to reflect these commitments," said Frances LeBlanc, Chair of the Coalition.
The Coalition stresses the need for stable core funding for women's rights groups to ensure their full participation in the Action Plan for Women in the Economy. In addition, it notes that the government has yet to confirm a timeline for the implementation of the Pay Equity Act for federally regulated sectors, adopted in 2018.
"The Coalition calls on all levels of government to take into account the needs and realities of women in the recovery in order to achieve gender equality. The recovery can be a catalyst for change," says Frances LeBlanc.
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Excerpts from A Stronger and More Resilient Canada:
- The Government will create an Action Plan for Women in the Economy to help more women get back into the workforce and to ensure a feminist, intersectional response to this pandemic and recovery. This Plan will be guided by a task force of experts whose diverse voices will power a whole of government approach.
- Recognizing the urgency of this challenge, the Government will make a significant, long-term, sustained investment to create a Canada-wide early learning and childcare system.
- The Government will look at further targeted measures for personal support workers, who do an essential service helping the most vulnerable in our communities. Canada must better value their work and their contributions to our society.
- The Government will accelerate investments in shelters and transition housing, and continue to advance with a National Action Plan on Gender-Based Violence.