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National Union releases a Voter’s Guide factsheet on Women’s Rights.
Ottawa (7 Oct. 2019) — Although the current federal government claims to be Canada’s first feminist government, Canadians know much more work needs to be done to achieve gender equality.
Gender inequality persists
For example, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), in 2016 Canada ranked eighth highest for gender pay gap out of 43 countries. The gap widens for women of colour, Indigenous women, women with disabilities, and women in the LGBTQI2S community. Regardless of the calculation methods used or specific figures cited, the fact that a gender pay gap exists in Canada is unacceptable.
In addition to pay equity, key gendered issues like care, gender-based violence, and reproductive rights are at stake in the 2019 federal election.
Government has a role to play
Today, we are releasing a Voter’s Guide factsheet on Women’s Rights. The guide digs beyond the political parties' rhetoric, providing an overview of their track records and campaign commitments on some of the aforementioned issues.
We also know that many other key election issues — housing, poverty, job security, public services, the environment — have pronounced and specific effects on women and gender-diverse people.
We encourage our members to engage with the Voter’s Guide and the accompanying factsheets to help inform their voting decisions. Lastly, we encourage members to exercise their right to vote!