For immediate release
March 7, 2023
VICTORIA, B.C. – Sonia Furstenau, Leader of the B.C. Greens and MLA for Cowichan Valley has issued the following statement in response to the introduction of pay transparency legislation.
“We applaud this government’s efforts to promote equity by introducing pay transparency legislation. Disclosing information about pay gaps is an essential step in moving towards equity in the workplace for women.
“The BC NDP missed an opportunity to truly address the inequity and discrimination women face at work. While it is essential to collect the data, pay transparency legislation on its own won’t make a systemic difference. What is needed is for this government to enact pay equity legislation.
“We know women are underpaid for their work; we have known this for decades. Women earn 83.3% of what men do in BC, with more significant pay discrepancies for Black, Indigenous, and racialized women, and those with disabilities.
“While pay transparency expands data collection and the disclosure of information about pay gaps, it does little to change the discrimination women face at work. To ensure women are paid fairly across the economy, this government must introduce pay equity legislation, which would require employers to take action to close the pay gap. This is what experts have been calling for. BC is one of a few provinces in Canada without pay equity legislation.”
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Media contact
JoJo Beattie, Press Secretary
B.C. Green Caucus
+1 250-882-6187 | jojo.beattie@leg.bc.ca