Tuesday marks Equal Pay Day — which signifies how much longer a woman must work, on average, to earn the same as a man. According to the 2016 Ontario census, women earn nearly 30 per cent less than men, while Indigenous, immigrant, racialized, LGBTQ and senior women, as well as women with disabilities, experience pay disparity at substantially higher rates.
As we navigate the social and economic fallout of the pandemic, women, gender diverse people and their families are more reliant on social services than ever before. Poverty, gender-based violence and mental health crises continue to deepen, yet public services intended to respond to these needs are continually defunded. Privatization threatens critical services, such as child care, health care and education, hurting those who need them the most.