The Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, issued the following statement today regarding Gender Equality Week:
"Today marks the start of Gender Equality Week, a time to recognize the progress we've made towards gender equality in Canada, while also recognizing the important work that lies ahead of us.
This year, the Government of Canada's theme is "United for Gender Equality: Stronger Together". This theme is so important in a world that is thinking about all the ways that harmful stereotypes, assumptions, and structures hold people back from achieving their full potential - not just women.
Equality is the foundation from which everyone can lead healthy, happy, and fulfilling lives. From eliminating discrimination, to preventing gender-based violence, advancing gender equality contributes to a higher quality of life, which benefits everyone.
As we celebrate Women and Gender Equality Canada's 5th anniversary this fall - I am incredibly proud of our recent accomplishments:
- Supporting organizations to address systemic barriers to women's equality through the Women's Program;
- Implementing the Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan, which takes a holistic approach to addressing the substantial inequalities faced by 2SLGBTQI+ Canadians;
- Preventing and addressing gender-based violence (GBV) through the Federal Strategy on GBV
