Ontario's Pay Equity Commissioner Kadie Ward commemorates International Women's Day

TORONTO, March 7, 2022 /CNW/ - Kadie Ward, Commissioner and CAO of Ontario's Pay Equity Commission issues a statement to commemorate International Women's Day:

Ontario’s Pay Equity Commissioner Kadie Ward commemorates International Women’s Day (CNW Group/Pay Equity Office)

"This year, on International Women's Day (March 8), I join people all over the world in celebrating the achievements of women everywhere while acknowledging the barriers that still need to be dismantled. As we enter the third year of the pandemic, we are reminded of the devastating regression in women's labour market participation and exacerbation of the gender wage gap. In April 2020, the pandemic knocked Canadian women's participation in the labour force down to 55%, the lowest it had been in over 30 years. While there have been recent indicators of recovery, growth in employment was slower for women than it was for men and women are experiencing greater unemployment than men. But this is "moment in time" data with the story unfolding in real time.

The pandemic revealed the realities of working women and how they disproportionately bore the brunt of unpaid, domestic work as many women chose or were forced to leave the labour market with rolling lockdowns and closures of childcare centres and schools. It also revealed how women were over-represented in sectors that were both low-paid and at an increased risk of infection. But we at Ontario's Pay Equity Office remain optimistic. Since the pandemic has forced us to look at the harsh realities of working women, it has also presented us with an opportunity to correct course. We have the necessary tools and resources to re-build an economy and a labour market that are more inclusive and diverse than the ones that came before.

Re-building an economy that includes women turns out to be immensely beneficial. McKinsey's Global Institute report found that narrowing the gender wage gap could add between $12 and $28 trillion to the annual global GDP. In another report, McKinsey estimated that, by 2026, Canada could add $150 billion to its annual GDP by supporting women's participation in the workforce. In Ontario, closing the gender wage gap could bring $18 billion of extra income per year for all working women, $2.6 billion in increased personal and sales tax revenue to support social and economic programs, and a $103 million decrease in government spending on social assistance, tax credits, and child benefits.

International Women's Day not only presents an opportunity for us to celebrate women, it also reminds of the need to address systemic inequalities that persist in the world and explore potential solutions. It is a call to action – a moment to celebrate what has been achieved and to acknowledge what remains to be done. It is a call to all actors in the labour and economic policy spheres to address wage inequities seriously and design an equitable and inclusive global economic recovery."

Visit https://www.payequity.gov.on.ca and https://www.levelthepayingfield.ca for more information.

To schedule an interview with Commissioner Ward: 

Please contact:
Alison Chan, Program Specialist
437-245-8370 | [email protected]

Commissioner Ward is available for interviews on the following dates:

• Monday, March 7; 2:00-4:30pm
• Tuesday, March 8; 8:30-10:00am

Quick Facts:

• The gender wage gap (GWG) is the difference between wages earned by men and wages earned by women.
• According to Statistics Canada, the average hourly GWG in 2021 was 11%. This means that for every $1.00 earned by a male worker, a female worker earns 89 cents. Calculated on the basis of average annual earnings, the gap is 29%, or 71 cents. The gap is even wider for Indigenous women in Canada who earn 65 cents on the dollar, racialized women who earn 67 cents, and newcomer women who earn 71 cents.
• Globally, the GWG remains at 18.8% throughout the world, ranging from 12.6% in low-income countries to 29% in upper middle-income countries.
• Ontario was the first jurisdiction globally to pass a Pay Equity Act in 1988. The Pay Equity Office promotes gender economic equality by administering the Act. Its purpose is to eliminate pay inequity between women and men who perform work that is of comparable value to their organization. The Act applies to all public sector organizations in Ontario, and to private sector organizations with 10 or more employees.

SOURCE Pay Equity Office

To schedule an interview with Commissioner Ward: Please contact: Alison Chan, Program Specialist, 437-245-8370 | [email protected]