Toronto – April 10, 2024 – April 16, 2024 is Equal Pay Day. It symbolizes how far into the next year the average woman must work in order to have earned what the average man had earned in the previous year.

Canada is ranked as having the 8th highest gender pay gap out of a list of 43 countries examined by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

According to data from the 2016 Census, women in Canada earn nearly 30% less than men—a gap that’s even wider for racialized, Indigenous, LGBTQ2S, and disabled women. As inflation and the costs of living soar, women are struggling to afford the basic essentials to support themselves and their families.

Women have historically faced significant barriers to achieving economic equality, including gender-based discrimination in hiring, promotion, and pay. While progress has been made in recent years, the gender pay gap remains persistently high. Women have higher levels of education and still make less than men on average. There’s a significant gap between what men and women earn in every industry and occupation.

Pay equity is not a privilege or a frill. It is the law. Discriminatory pay gaps are a violation of human rights, and human rights enforcement is not a partisan issue.

Take action today and send a message to your provincial government, urging them to eliminate the gender wage gap.