As Canada marks International Equal Pay Day, federal ministers are urging governments, unions, employers, and community advocates to work together to address persistent pay inequalities in the workforce, particularly those affecting women and marginalized groups.
“Far too many workers, especially women, are still paid less than the value of their work,” said Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon in a joint statement with Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, and Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages. “This inequality calls us to collective action.”
The statement emphasized the importance of pay equity, which ensures that workers performing jobs of equal value receive equal compensation. MacKinnon noted that factors such as skills, qualifications, working conditions, and responsibility should influence pay—while gender should never play a role.
In recent years, Canada has taken steps to address wage disparities. The Pay Equity Act, passed to safeguard pay equity in federally regulated industries, has been a key part of this effort. The government also appointed Canada’s first Pay Equity Commissioner to oversee the implementation of the Act, with a focus on education and dispute resolution.
The ministers highlighted the role of Equi’Vision, a pay transparency website launched by the federal government. The platform aims to expose the barriers faced by women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, and visible minorities in the workplace. By making pay gap data public, the government hopes to push businesses to address inequities.
“Canadian workplaces have evolved since the introduction of the Employment Equity Act in 1986, but we know there’s more to do to make true pay equity a reality,” the ministers stated, adding that ongoing efforts to modernize the Act aim to better reflect the realities of today’s workforce.
Addressing pay gaps, they said, is not just about fairness but also about economic growth. “Reducing pay gaps and improving workplace representation isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s the smart thing to do,” they said. “When everyone can count on equal pay for work of equal value, we help build prosperity for all of us.”
The ministers reiterated that Canada is committed to promoting equality in the workplace and fostering an inclusive environment where all workers can thrive.
