Then Now Next: Ontario’s Strategy for Women’s Economic Empowerment
A summary of our three-year strategy to challenge gender bias and remove barriers faced by women at work, at home, and in their communities.
Introduction
It’s time for all women’s economic empowerment. Because it’s fair, and because it means a stronger, more inclusive economy.
It’s time to close the gender wage gap, particularly where it is greatest—for Indigenous, newcomer and racialized women, and women with disabilities.
It’s time for a comprehensive plan that recognizes economic empowerment isn’t a quick fix and it isn’t one-size-fits-all. It means equitable wages, a wider range of career options, and learning new skills. It means support in starting or growing a new business, or taking on a leadership position. It means diverse roles at home and in the workplace are truly valued.
Summary of the strategy
Then Now Next: Ontario’s Strategy for Women’s Economic Empowerment lays out a three-year plan to increase gender equity, challenge bias and eliminate barriers women face at work, at home and in their communities.
Uncovering and Closing Pay Gaps
- Introducing historic and wide-reaching legislation that would set the stage to require employers to disclose employee pay based on gender and other characteristics
- Increasing pay transparency at hiring, providing line of sight and empowering women to bargain for a fair wage
- Strengthening Ontario’s pay equity office to improve compliance
Empowering Women Workers and Leaders
- Expanding and strengthening Women’s Centres, which provide low-barrier, wrap-around supports to women rebuilding their lives, including those experiencing violence as well as immigrant and racialized women
- Implementing Get on Board: Ontario’s Implementation Plan to Promote Women in Corporate Leadership to increase the number of women on public and private-sector boards
- Reinforcing this work, by leveraging government buying power to encourage large firms that sign new government contracts to reach the target of 30 per cent women on private-sector boards
- Removing barriers to Indigenous women’s leadership through targeted programming, developed with Indigenous partners
- Investing in opportunities for mentorship and networking for women who face higher barriers, including newcomer and racialized women
- Establishing an Ontario Women’s Entrepreneurship Association to increase women’s access and opportunity to scale-up and expand ventures
- Building supports and training for women founders and entrepreneurs
- Expanding mentorship programs for female sport coaches
- Expanding and developing youth leadership and young entrepreneur programs, to unlock opportunities for girls in the economy
Sharing Care
- Researching and developing ways to support women returning to the workforce after absences, including time taken for eldercare and family responsibilities
- Working with the federal government to deliver enhanced parental leave and advocating for strengthened benefits
Changing Perspectives
- Increasing social awareness and education to break down stereotypes, and recognize the value of labour frequently performed by women
- Delivering financial literacy training for senior women, who may experience new realities like budgeting on a single or pension income
- Introducing gender-based analysis in the Ontario government to ensure policy and action remove barriers, instead of reinforcing them
Ontario is building on a strong foundation of action, including:
- Increasing choice for parents by transforming our early years and child care system—helping the families of 100,000 more children aged 0-4 access licensed child care over the next five years, implementing full day kindergarten and expanding before- and after-school care
- Getting more women out of poverty by introducing a fair minimum wage as part of historic action to help workers
- Removing barriers to postsecondary education with the new OSAP