PRESS RELEASE: TORONTO, ON – On Sunday, March 23rd, 2025, a federal snap election was officially called, with Canadians set to go to the polls on April 28, 2025. Since the announcement, all official political parties have begun outlining their policy priorities. This follows the dissolution of the dedicated Ministry for Women and Gender Equality (WAGE), with its portfolio shifted under the Ministry of Canadian Culture and Identity, Parks Canada, and the Quebec Lieutenant.
The policies implemented by the next federal government will have far-reaching impacts on economic and social justice. These most often impact those who are already vulnerable, including those in poverty, women and gender-diverse people, Indigenous, and racialized people. Canada needs strong federal leadership and coordination across all levels of government to ensure sustained investments in gender-based violence (GBV) prevention, affordable housing, and comprehensive data collection. Evidence-based, survivor-centered policies and programs are essential to providing safety options for survivors and fostering economic empowerment.
WomanACT remains steadfast in our vision: a world where all women and gender-diverse people live free from violence and have economic security. We firmly believe that women’s full participation in policymaking, national action plans, and the workforce is essential to strengthening Canada’s economic and social outcomes. Gender equality is the foundation of a strong economy and a more resilient Canadian society.
According to Statistics Canada, between 2018 and 2023, police-reported rates of Family Violence (FV) and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) rose alarmingly—17% and 13%, respectively. In 2023 alone, nearly 4 in 5 IPV victims (78%) and over 6 in 10 FV victims (68%) were women and girls. Family violence against seniors (65+) also reached an all-time high, with nearly 6 in 10 victims (57%) being women. With one woman or girl killed every 48 hours in Canada, it is critical that the next federal government upholds its commitment to ending gender-based violence.
As part of our election advocacy, WomanACT will engage in non-partisan education on evidence-based policy recommendations and share our priorities with all political parties and candidates. These priorities include:
We will continue to push for feminist policies and sustained investments in women’s safety, security, and economic empowerment because Canada’s future depends on it. We encourage you all to join us in making gender equity a priority this election. Stay informed, ask questions, engage in discussions, and participate in the democratic process.
WomanACT works collaboratively to eradicate gender-based violence through research, education and advocacy. We work to create a world where individuals and systems are primed to address gender-based violence, and survivors get the support they need from anyone, anywhere, at any time. Our partners include academics, survivors, government, gender-based violence organizations, and many more.
Media Contact:
Aakanksha Mathur (she/her)
Manager of Public Policy, Advocacy and Communications
WomanACT
416-944-9242 Ext. 231
amathur@womanact.ca
womanact.ca
TORONTO, ON – At WomanACT, we train community, corporate, and government partners on the challenges women and gender-diverse people face in the workplace. A key part of this involves helping participants move beyond the idea that gender-based violence and discrimination are caused by a few “bad actors.” Instead, we show how workplace culture, policies, and structures don’t just allow inequality to persist, they actively shape and reinforce it.
What gets called diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training is only superficially about changing the behaviours of individuals. At heart, it’s about challenging systems to move beyond performative gestures and commit to meaningful shifts in power, decision-making, and accountability. This is because bias, contrary to what has been thought, isn’t just a personal trait; it is shaped by the systems and structures in which people live and work.
This systemic nature of bias is evident in the motherhood penalty, where workplace and governmental policies and cultural expectations disproportionately disadvantage mothers.
The motherhood penalty means that taken as a group, mothers earn less over their lifetimes than fathers and women without children. A recent study found that Canadian mothers experience a substantial decline in earnings after the birth of their first child, decreasing by 49% in the first year with a persistent 34.3% reduction even a decade later. Most mothers never recover from the lost income, making it nearly impossible to catch up to men financially.
“Canadian mothers experience a substantial decline in earnings after the birth of their child, decreasing by 49% in the first year with a persistent 34.4% reduction even a decade later.”
The impacts of the motherhood penalty aren’t distributed equally. Immigrant mothers are significantly less likely to be employed compared to their Canadian-born counterparts, with a gap as large as 30 percentage points. Several factors contribute to this gap, including difficulties in getting credentials recognized, limited access to affordable childcare, lack of social and professional networks, discrimination in hiring, and language barriers. But the motherhood penalty isn’t just about money. Not only do they earn less, but mothers also get fewer chances for promotion and are seen as less capable at work.
In contrast, fathers’ earnings remain largely unaffected; dads even see a boost not only in income but in the way they are perceived by their employers. Judged as less committed and less competent, mothers are sidelined in the hiring process and for promotion. The motherhood penalty also isn’t just about what happens in the office; it’s about what happens at home. Hochschild and Machung first introduced the concept of “The Second Shift” over thirty years ago. In essence, a woman works her first shift in the office and then starts her second shift—housework and childcare—when she gets home.
Decades later, women are still showing up for that second shift.
“A recent study from researchers at the University of Alberta found there were no household tasks where men did more than women or even split the work equally . Women do over 6 hours more housework per week compared to men in Canada.”
Even as women in Canada increase their workforce participation, they still do more housework and childcare. A recent study from researchers at the University of Alberta found there were no household tasks where men did more than women or even split the work equally. Women do over 6 hours more housework per week compared to men in Canada, or what amounts to almost an additional workday. This imbalance creates an ongoing cycle where the extra responsibilities at home make it harder to advance in their careers, while workplace challenges leave them with fewer resources to manage their home lives, reinforcing gender inequality both at work and at home.
It’s tempting to frame the unequal division of labour in the home as a personal relationship problem—one that couples need to sort out for themselves. In reality, it is a social and systemic issue deeply rooted in ideas and values about gender roles and what a “good mother” should do.
For generations, the ideal mother has been portrayed as selfless, ever-present, and emotionally available at all times. For mothers who don’t fit the narrow mould of the “ideal mother,” like single, racialized, and working-class mothers, the pressure is even greater, as stereotypes and social biases create additional barriers to being seen as a “good” parent.
“The struggle for mothers is about a society that demands self-sacrifice while offering little structural support in return. It’s not a personal problem; it’s a systemic one that requires meaningful, systemic solutions.
At its core, the struggle for mothers is about a society that demands self-sacrifice while offering little structural support in return. It’s not a personal problem; it’s a systemic one that requires meaningful, systemic solutions. This means that changing how household duties are shared isn’t the only thing needed to close the gender pay gap; workplace culture, policies, and employment structures also play a critical role.
Amidst international uncertainty and the looming threat of DEI being victim to the chopping block, one thing is certain: International trade policies, including tariffs, are never neutral. They reshape economies and exacerbate inequalities, widening socio-economic disparities that disproportionately impact women, racialized communities, and low-income households. As economic policies deepen existing inequalities, the fight for social progress becomes even more urgent.
“International trade policies, including tariffs, are never neutral. They reshape economies and exacerbate inequalities, widening socio-economic disparities that disproportionately impact omen, racialized communities, and low-income households.”
Throughout Canadian history, every push for equality has been met with resistance. From desegregation to securing reproductive and voting rights, the belief that equality for all means taking from some to give to others is used to justify exclusion. But this is a false assumption.
Now more than ever, Canadians recognize the need for unity. We are coming together to protect what matters most.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are not about creating division; they are about strengthening our country and our communities by ensuring that all voices are heard, all talents are valued, and all people have the chance to succeed. This is not just a policy goal; it is a reflection of the Canadian way. Undermining this by positioning DEI as a divisive force misunderstands its true purpose—securing our collective future and reinforcing the values that define us as a nation.
“Promote flexible work arrangements that accommodate caregiving responsibilities without penalizing career advancement.”
At WomanACT, we know that conversations about topics like gender, race, and violence often make people uncomfortable. We also know that this is exactly why it is important to keep having these conversations, and we believe that now, more than ever, Canadians are ready to do so.
Now is the time for action. The future of DEI in Canada depends on our collective willingness to challenge systemic barriers and create workplaces—and societies—where everyone can thrive.
TORONTO, ON – WomanACT stands with community advocates to call for the Ontario government to take decisive action by passing Bill 173, formally declaring Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) an epidemic. As the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign begins today, highlighting the urgent need to address IPV as a preventable public health and safety crisis.
“Intimate Partner Violence is an epidemic, but it is preventable,” says Harmy Mendoza, Executive Director of WomanACT.
The first step in solving a problem is recognizing that there is one. Bill 173 is a unified call “from frontline services providers…community organizations, and most notably survivors of IPV themselves,” she says.
The 2022 Coroner’s Inquest into the triple femicide of Carol Culleton, Anastasia Kuzyk, and Nathalie Warmerdam called for Ontario to “Formally declare intimate partner violence an epidemic”. Building on the advocacy efforts of the anti-violence sector, 95 municipalities across Ontario have formally declared IPV an epidemic. Ontario needs to do the same.
Recent data highlights the magnitude of the crisis: as of this year, the Toronto Police Service has reported 15,210 IPV-related incidents, marking a 1.39% increase from the previous year. The Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses (OAITH) reported 59 femicides in the month of October for 2024 alone.
WomanACT’s “Bill 173 – The Current State of Intimate Partner Violence in Ontario” resource package directed to Premier Doug Ford and other Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) includes evidence-based recommendations and a joint letter endorsed by eighty-three organizations and individuals from sectors including anti-violence, health, homelessness, legal services, and Indigenous communities.
How can you engage as a community member?
Over the next 16 Days of Activism, individuals and organizations across Canada will unite in action to end Gender-Based Violence. Contact your MPPs using Bill-173 Community Mobilization Letter Writing Campaign to share how IPV has affected you, families, or the community. Together, we can amplify survivors’ voices, push for systemic change, and demand meaningful action to end IPV —today and every day.
For more information, please contact:
Aakanksha Mathur
Manager of Public Policy, Advocacy and Communications, WomanACT
amathur@womanact.ca