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April 10th, 2018

NDP Statement on Equal Pay Day in Ontario

NDP critic for Women's Equality, Sheila Malcolmson, made the following the statement:

“As Ontario marks Equal Pay Day, Canadian women are still not getting paid their fair share. The average woman must work more than three months longer to earn the same amount as her male counterpart. It is unacceptable that in 2018, women across Canada are still earning less for doing work of equal value. The wage gap is even greater for racialized and Indigenous women. All women deserve better and they are #donewaiting.

March’s federal budget failed to fund pay equity legislation, once again making women wait for the Liberals to act. Despite having promised legislation to ensure equal pay for work of equal value more than 40 years ago, and again in 2016, that legislation has yet to be tabled in Parliament.

The lack of quality, affordable childcare also endangers the economic security of women and increases the gender pay gap. Canada's childcare costs are ranked among the highest in the world, yet this government has failed to fund what's needed. Without a universal, affordable childcare system, women will continue to face challenges in returning to the workforce, if they are able to at all.

The NDP will continue, today and every day, to push for the full implementation and funding of pay equity legislation for all Canadian women - which is why I will be releasing the NDP 2018 Gender Budget Report Card later this week. Women have waited too long for this government to ensure women receive equal pay for work of equal value. It's past time for the Liberals to turn their words into action."