Premier’s, parliamentary secretary’s statement on International Women’s Day

  • Page Views 99
  •  

    Premier David Eby and Kelli Paddon, Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equity, have issued the following statement for International Women’s Day:

    “On International Women’s Day, we celebrate all the women, girls, Two-Spirit and non-binary individuals in British Columbia. We recognize women are so often the cornerstone of our communities – and our economy.

    “We have a long history of incredible women who have worked hard to make our society better and more welcoming for everyone. We also know that more work is needed to ensure everyone is treated equally in our province, regardless of gender.

    “For this reason, we are very proud that yesterday our government introduced new pay transparency legislation for first reading in the legislature. This bill recognizes that many women are still paid less than men to do the same job. Pay transparency will help shine a light on B.C.’s gender pay gap and help move us closer to equal pay for equal work.

    “We are grateful to the many people from the private and public sector, labour unions, non-profits, advocacy groups and Indigenous communities who shared their views on how we can best tackle the gender pay gap in British Columbia.

    “The last few years have been challenging for everyone, but they have been especially hard for women. Women were disproportionately affected by the economic challenges of the pandemic and many also faced increases in gender-based violence during the crisis — a serious issue that persists.

    “Our government has stepped up to help, and we’re going to continue to do so.

    “We’ve introduced the BC Affordability Credit, which has helped 85% of British Columbians. Many families will also benefit from three enhanced BC Family Benefit payments this year, and in July 2023, the BC Family Benefit will be permanently increasing by 10%. On top of that, single parents will get as much as an extra $500 a year.

    “We continue to expand access to affordable child care, which has allowed more women to join the workforce. Three-quarters of last year’s job growth in B.C. was driven by women’s employment. This reflects our government’s work to expand access to affordable and accessible child care. However, women are still all too often left out of high-paying, in-demand jobs. That’s why we’re improving training initiatives to close the skills gap.

    “We are also delivering on our commitment to make prescription contraception free for all B.C. residents beginning April 1 – a first in Canada – because no one should face barriers to their own sexual and reproductive health.

    “We can’t have true gender equity until everyone is free from violence. Work is underway to develop an action plan to address gender-based violence in British Columbia. At the same time, this is an urgent issue that demands action now.

    “That’s why we’ve taken steps such as providing funding for community-based sexual assault response services, investing in safe housing and committing stable funding for more than 400 victim services and gender-based violence programs throughout the province. Our government is also moving forward with legislation to address the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, which is a form of malicious and exploitative sexualized violence.

    “These past few years have reinforced that we are all in this together. It’s our shared responsibility to end all forms of discrimination and violence and build a better future for women, girls and Two-Spirit and non-binary people in British Columbia.”(news.gov.bc.Ca)

    (photo: flick.com)

    Share

    New Posts Recently publish post More

    • 27 March 2023
      7 hours ago No comment

      ‘Walang KaPARIS’ brings back Empoy and Alessandra;BAFTA nominee Dolly de Leon in the movie

        Comedian Empoy Marquez flexes his dramatic muscle for his reunion with much awarded actress Alessandra de Rossi, “Walang KaParis.” The movie also serves as their reunion with their “Kita Kita” director and writer Sigrid Andrea Bernardo. At a recent roundtable with the “Walang KaParis,” Direk Sigrid said she ...

    • 27 March 2023
      8 hours ago No comment

      DISGC double Celebration: International Women’s Month and Anti-Racism Awareness Month

        Congratulations on the first community event commemorating International Women’s Month and,Anti- Racism Awareness Month, hosted by the Diversity and Inclusion Support Group of BC. Headed by Lina Vargas – President of DISGC community group. It was wonderful to see DISGBC Family Community CHANGE Makers come together with the ...

    • 27 March 2023
      8 hours ago No comment

      Vice Ganda grateful for being named most trusted entertainment presenter

        MANILA — Vice Ganda was overflowing with gratitude after being awarded this year’s Most Trusted Entertainment & Variety Presenter by Reader’s Digest for the fifth time. Speaking on “It’s Showtime” on Tuesday, he said: “Maraming maraming salamat po. Hanggang ngayon pinagkakatiwalaan niyo pa rin ako na magpatawa sa ...

    • 27 March 2023
      8 hours ago No comment

      Edgy “Teen Clash” premieres on iWantTFC

        New original series pushes the envelope with out-of-the-box storytelling and life lessons from Black Sheep SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.– “Teen Clash,” a part-rom-com, part-coming-of-age series, produced by iWantTFC and Black Sheep, recently premiered on iWantTFC. Inspired by the hit Wattpad story of the same title, the series navigates a ...

    • 27 March 2023
      8 hours ago No comment

      Anne Curtis raises more than P2 million after Tokyo Marathon

        MANILA – Anne Curtis was able to raise more than P2 million after finishing the Tokyo Marathon early this month. The funds will go for the Filipino children who are victims of abuse and violence in our country. “We can ALL be heroes, even if it’s just for ...

    %d bloggers like this: