The final report from Ontario’s Gender Wage Gap Steering Committee urges swift government action to level the playing field on the job. The report, released Aug. 25, contains 20 recommendations to close the wage gap, create equal opportunities for prosperity and strengthen the economy by eliminating barriers that prevent women’s full participation in the workforce.
CMHA Ontario was one of many stakeholders engaged in the development of a provincial strategy to address the wage-gap issue.
Women living in poverty or with a disability often cannot pursue a [gender-based] workplace complaint against their employer for fear of losing their source of income.
CMHA Ontario believes women not receiving equal payment for the same work done by their male counterparts are being stymied from reaching their full potential. That was the crux of CMHA Ontario’s submission as part of Ontario’s Gender Wage Gap Steering Committee presented April 19 to the provincial government. As noted in CMHA Ontario’s written submission, “Women living in poverty or with a disability often cannot pursue a [gender-based] workplace complaint against their employer for fear of losing their source of income.”
“Mental health disabilities are often associated with key systemic barriers that block people from achieving their employment goals,” the written submission read further.
The government announcement in August noted a few actions to eliminate wage gap and barriers are already under way, including:
- Increasing income transparency in the Ontario Public Service by making salary data publicly available by gender.
- Requiring gender-based analysis in the government policy process.
- Appointing an Associate Minister of Education, Responsible for Early Years and Child Care to build a system of affordable, accessible and high-quality early years and child care programs.
- Providing employers with resources including training materials on anti-discrimination and developing other education products for employees.