TORONTO — An Ontario Liberal government will ensure women are given the equal pay and equal opportunity they deserve in Ontario’s workplaces, as well as expand access to women’s health. This is in direct contrast to Doug Ford’s Conservatives, who refused to enact Ontario’s historic equal pay legislation and cut programs setting women back further.
“The best way to build lasting prosperity is to ensure that all Ontarians have the same opportunity, and are treated equally in the workforce,” said Ontario Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca. “I refuse to accept that my daughters will grow up in a province that doesn’t protect their future or ensure equal pay. If Ontario Liberals are elected, they won’t have to.”
Our plan for working women:
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Implement the Pay Transparency Act that the Ford Conservatives scrapped – requiring job postings to include salary ranges, banning employers from asking about compensation history and ensuring large companies publish pay gaps by gender
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Lower the cost of child care, provide $10 before and after school care and top-up the 18-month parental leave program to ensure EI benefits aren’t reduced
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Require publicly listed companies to disclose how many women and people from equity-deserving groups they have on boards and in senior management, and
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Set requirements for companies bidding on government contracts to achieve equitable representation
Our plan for improving women’s health and safety:
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Expand the Ontario Fertility Program to cover one cycle of egg freezing
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Provide free menstrual products in schools, libraries, transit stations and other public spaces
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Create an Ontario Women’s Health Strategy
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Increase support for gender-based violence prevention on postsecondary campuses
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Create clear rules around disclosure and the ‘right to know’ of an intimate partners’ history of abusive behaviour or domestic violence and create 3,800 more supportive homes for women fleeing domestic abuse
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Increase funding for equity-deserving organizations by $20 million
“These commitments build on the Ontario Liberal Plan for Economic Dignity which provides immediate support for workers today, like a regional living wage and new long-term portable benefits that let all workers save for a good retirement. There is no dignity in being paid less than someone else because of your gender,” concluded Del Duca.
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