Here's How Canada Plans To Support Women In The Workplace In 2021

On Monday, March 8, Canada's Minister of Labour, Filomena Tassi, released a statement for International Women's Day.

Tassi noted that women have been impacted greatly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic in the form of job loss, reduced hours, and "increased difficulty balancing the demands of work and family."

Editor's Choice: 7 Huge Moments From Harry & Meghan's Oprah Interview In Case You Missed It

According to the news release, Canada's federal government has taken "a number of important steps towards achieving greater equality." 

Those steps include addressing the gender wage gap by moving forward with a "Pay Equity Act." The kick-off date for the new act and its regulations will be announced later in 2021.

There are also new "pay transparency measures" that came into force in January of this year. 

"These measures will help address wage gaps experienced by women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and members of visible minorities," says the release.

Beyond the pay gap, the government is working to prevent harassment and violence towards women in the workplace with the new "Work Place Harassment and Violence Prevention Regulations" that kicked off in January, as well. 

Finally, the Government of Canada is acknowledging the new nature of work as it moves towards more working from home and "gig work." Women are more likely to work in the gig economy, so the feds are taking a deep dive into better understanding these trends and how they impact women overall. 

"Today, I have taken a pledge to support an inclusive recovery from COVID-19 in my community and in communities across Canada," said Tassi.