WATCH ABOVE: International Women’s Day was observed Sunday and while participants were out celebrating the accomplishments of women, they were also looking to raise awareness of the inequalities that still exist. Jessica Kent reports.
EDMONTON — Hundreds of men and women took to the streets in Old Strathcona Sunday afternoon to both celebrate and fight for women’s rights.
The march was held to mark International Women’s Day, an event held around the world to recognize and celebrate women’s advancement and equality. While strides for women’s rights and equality have been made over the years, those at Sunday’s march believe efforts should never let up; there’s always more that can and should be done.
“If we were equal to men we wouldn’t have to have these things, we wouldn’t have to have an International Women’s Day,” said Susan Slade, chair of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employee’s women’s committee.
Alberta’s gender wage gap and education were top of mind during the march. Last week, a new report from the Parkland Institute showed full-time working women in Alberta earn about 37 per cent less per year than men. And when comparing the average total income in Alberta, women earn about 42 per cent less per year than men, according to the report.
“It’s not that long ago that if you were a woman and got married in the public sector you had to quit your job,” said Siobhan Vipond, the secretary/treasurer with the Alberta Federation of Labour.
“So yes, we have had victories, but when we say women make 63 cents on the (man’s) dollar, we haven’t won.”
Greg Budd, who works for Dow Chemical in Fort Saskatchewan, took part in the rally to show support for the women in his life.
“I have a wife in the workforce. I have a daughter in the workforce. I have a daughter entering the workforce. I have sisters within the union who face these same issues every day and as a culture we haven’t always supported them in the manner that we should.”
READ MORE: International Women’s Day aims to change the status quo
The gender wage gap in Alberta is the largest in Canada, according to the Parkland Institute’s report titled The Alberta Disadvantage: Gender, Taxation, and Income Inequality. (Read the entire report below).
In comparison, the gender wage gap for full-time earners sits at about 20 per cent in Saskatchewan, 25 per cent in Quebec and 26 per cent in Ontario.
“That’s unnecessary. Men and women are equal. They should be paid equally. We do the same jobs, we’re in the same occupations and we should be paid the same,” said Slade.
READ MORE: Women earn about 40% less than men in Alberta: report
A local teacher at Sunday’s march says education is fundamental in women’s rights around the world, and there is still much work to be done in that area, as well.
“Offering more opportunities for girls to enter fields that they otherwise wouldn’t, such as math and sciences, is really important for me as a teacher,” said Katia Reid who has been reaching for eight years. “So being here as part of the march today gives me a chance to speak up for that equality.”
READ MORE: Canadian women studying more, still earning less
International Women’s Day has been observed since the early 1900s.
With files from Jessica Kent, Global News.
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