The Honourable Mona Fortier's message for Women's History Month

This video was produced by TBS Communications.

Transcript

October is Women's History Month in Canada and, this year, we are celebrating its 30th anniversary.

Let’s take a moment to look back to where we were 30 years ago. In 1992, women like Dr. Roberta Bondar were inspiring a new generation of women to go into Science, Technology, Engineering and Math—quite literally encouraging us to reach for the stars.

30 years ago, our federal institutions were also becoming more inclusive, thanks to the work of people like Michelle Douglas, who challenged the ban on 2SLGBTQI+ people in the Canadian Armed Forces, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the federal public service.

Today, we are advancing equitable pay through the Pay Equity Act. People in Canada, regardless of their gender, have the right to equal pay for doing work of equal value. And the Act ensures that federally regulated workplaces and industries correct gender wage gaps within their organizations.

But we won’t stop there. There is still so much work to do. We need to address gender discrimination that persists in Canada and around the world. We need to correct the under-representation of Black, Indigenous, racialized, transgender, and other marginalized women, including in senior executive roles. And we must keep working to support a gender diverse public service.

This month, as we acknowledge the contributions that women and gender diverse people have brought, and continue to bring, to our country, let’s keep up the good work to build a more inclusive Canada, where everyone has the opportunity to participate and succeed.

Thank you