The Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, issued the following statement today on the fifth anniversary of the Department for Women and Gender Equality:
"On this day in December 2018, new legislation created the Department for Women and Gender Equality (WAGE), Canada's first stand-alone federal department dedicated to advancing equality. Five years later, we reflect on where we started, the progress we've achieved together, and the work that remains.
As the women's movement gained momentum in the 1970s, activists were at the heart of calling for the government to address the gender pay gap, dismantle barriers to women's employment and education, improve access to birth control, and address disproportionate rates of gender-based violence (GBV).
I'm thankful for the advocacy that has paved the way for important milestones such as the tabling of the Report of the Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada in 1970, and the establishment of Status of Women Canada in 1976. These achievements have led to important gains for women and 2SLGBTQI+ people, including legislation to protect workers' rights, decriminalize abortion, and make same-sex marriage legal across Canada.
In the years since becoming a department, WAGE has picked up the torch alongside advocates and, under an expanded mandate, continues to build on past progress for women, girls, gender diverse people, and members of 2SLGBTQI+ communities. Highlights include:
- Investing more than $400 million since 2018 to support women's and equality-seeking organizations who are working on the frontlines to improve women's economic security and leadership, support 2SLGBTQI+ communities, tackle GBV, and support at-risk populations.
- Prioritizing programs to prevent and address GBV, investing $290 million since 2018 as part of different funding initiatives to address gaps in supports for survivors and their families, bolster the capacity of Indigenous women's and 2SLGBTQI+ organizations, prevent and address human trafficking, support crisis hotlines, engage men and boys, and commemorate Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
- Investing $60 million since 2019 to support 116 projects under the Community Capacity Fund to protect 2SLGBTQI+ rights and amplify the 2SLGBTQI+ movement in Canada.
