Open letter from 50 organizations kicks off campaign urging Toronto Mayoral and Council candidates to tackle rising poverty and inequality

TORONTO, Oct. 3, 2022 /CNW/ - YWCA Toronto and WomanACT have joined forces with 50 community organizations to issue an open letter and launch a municipal election campaign – #VoteEquityTO – to demand action on rising poverty and inequality in the upcoming municipal election.

Women are more likely to face poverty than men given wage disparities at work, a higher percentage of unpaid care labour at home, and the chronic undervaluation of feminized industries. This inequity is particularly pronounced for Black, Indigenous and racialized women, newcomer women and those with precarious immigration status, and women living with disabilities, as well as trans and Two-Spirit communities.

Despite the pandemic revealing the extent to which the economy depends on the paid and unpaid labour of women and gender-diverse people, very little has been done to protect their security and safety. Instead, more households are struggling to make ends meet faced with rising costs of living, food insecurity and a housing crisis.

Calling for increased investment into gender equity, the #VoteEquityTO campaign lays out key actions for leadership that would:

• Increase the amount of affordable and safe housing options in Toronto;
• Ensure riders, especially women and gender diverse people, are free from violence and harassment on TTC;
• Expand and resource harm reduction programming and services;
• Implement decent work conditions for frontline workers;
• Invest in the expansion of non-profit and public child care centres and actively work towards a publicly funded universal child care system.

To learn more about the campaign and sign the petition, visit VoteEquityTo.ca

SOURCE WomanACT

Media: Sami Pritchard, YWCA, M: 6472377283, [email protected]; Lieran Docherty, WomanACT, M: 6476395801, [email protected]