The 34th annual meeting of Canada’s ministers responsible for the Status of Womenaddressed priority issues including ending violence against women and girls, reducing the gender wage gap, and enhancing the use of Gender-Based Analysis (GBA).
"It was an honour to meet with my counterparts from across Canada in Edmonton to discuss a number of key issues of importance to women in our country,” said Prince Edward Island’s minister responsible for the Status of Women, Paula Biggar. “The conversations were informative and productive, and I look forward to working together with this group as a forum to advance gender equality.”
Ministers shared updates based on actions in their own jurisdictions to reduce and prevent gender-based violence, including violence against Indigenous women and girls, as well as human trafficking. The ministers agreed to identify further opportunities for complementary actions among provincial/territorial strategies addressing violence against women and girls, and the federal strategy against gender-based violence that is now being developed.
Experts shared their insights on improving data collection, reducing and eliminating the gender wage gap, and supporting Indigenous women in leadership roles. These presentations helped inform ministers on the best practices to achieve these goals and built upon recent actions by the FPT forum, including the promotion of women in leadership positions on private and public boards and increasing women’s representation in science, technology, engineering, and math fields along with the skilled trades.
“The Government of Canada is firmly committed to gender equality and is working with provinces and territories to address the important issues facing women and girls in Canada today,” said Patty Hajdu, Minister of Status of Women for Canada. “This collaboration makes it possible to create more opportunities for women and girls in all aspects of Canadian life, and build the healthy, inclusive society we want as a lasting legacy for our children and grandchildren.”.
The next annual meeting of the ministers responsible for the Status of Women will be in Ontario in 2017.