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.
“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,” the written submission read. “Mental health disabilities are often associated with key systemic barriers that block people from achieving their employment goals.”
CMHA Ontario was one of several stakeholders tasked with developing a strategy to address the wage-gap issue.
The Gender Wage Gap Steering Committee’s summary report was developed after 18 weeks of engagement with the public in-person, online and in writing. A full report will follow later in the year.