Sweden
Sweden is the paradise of parental leave. Parents are entitled to up to 480 days of leave, at 80 percent pay (up to a certain limit), and moms and dads are encouraged to split the time evenly. Låter utmärkt!
Sweden is the paradise of parental leave. Parents are entitled to up to 480 days of leave, at 80 percent pay (up to a certain limit), and moms and dads are encouraged to split the time evenly. Låter utmärkt!
Women in this east African nation are entitled to up to 84 days of paid leave every three years (100 day for multiples), and they can take up to four maternity leaves while working for the same employer. Fathers get a stingy three days.
The federation of seven emirates has one of the worst parental leave policies in the world, offering women just 45 days off at full pay. Over the past 30 years, the UAE’s birth rate has been cut in half. It’s now the lowest in the Gulf region.
If you’ve been employed for 12 months or more, you’re entitled to 12 weeks off, unpaid. Here’s the catch: Only companies with more than 50 employees are covered by the law, which means that more than half of American businesses are exempt. And fewer than one-fifth of U.S. companies voluntarily offer paid maternity leave.
Only Swaziland and Papua New Guinea — where the GDP per capita is $5,400 and $2,600 respectively — have such abysmal policies for new parents. Thanks, Uncle Sam.
February 14th Women's Memorial Marches are held annually to honour women and girls who have been murdered or have gone missing in Canada. The first community march was held in 1991 in Vancouver, following the murder of a local indigenous woman in Vancouver's downtown Eastside. Since then, marches have been held annually across the country to call attention to the more than 1,100 murdered and missing indigenous women and girls reported in Canada since 1980.
International Women's Day (IWD) is a time to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women and girls everywhere. A time to recognize the women who inspire, and a time to renew discussions about the importance of gender equality in Canada and around the world.
This year, UFCW Canada supports the IWD theme #EmbraceEquity
Equity isn't just a nice-to-have, it's a must-have.
A focus on gender equity needs to be part of every society's DNA.
And it's critical to understand the difference between equity and equality.
The aim of the IWD 2023 #EmbraceEquity campaign theme is to get the world talking about Why equal opportunities aren't enough. People start from different places, so true inclusion and belonging require equitable action.
Show solidarity by taking these actions:
Strike the IWD 2023 pose #EmbraceEquity #IWD2023 @UFCWCanada.
This day marks the additional months women have to work in order to earn the salary men make in one calendar year. In other words, the average Canadian woman will have to work three and a half months into the new year to earn what men do by December 31 of the previous year.
International Equal Pay Day, annually commemorated on September 18, was established in 2019 by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in response to painfully slow progress on women’s economic empowerment, the undervaluing of work traditionally held by women, and the difficulties in tackling pay inequality around the world.
In establishing International Equal Pay Day as a globally recognized event, the UN General Assembly urged collective action on supporting equal pay for work of equal value as an achievable and worthwhile goal.
Equal pay means that women and men have the right to receive equal remuneration for work of equal value, and that women and men working in identical or similar jobs receive the same pay. Equal pay also means that women and men should receive equal pay when they perform work that is completely different but can be shown to be of equal value, when evaluated based on objective criteria. These criteria consider factors such as skills, working conditions, levels of responsibility, and effort required by the job.
Over the last year-and-a-half, the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed women’s participation in the labour force down to its lowest level in three decades. Most job losses have taken place in female-dominated industries, including the accommodation, food services, retail trade, educational services, health care, and social assistance sectors. These realities carry significant economic consequences, and further impact the growing gender wage gap.
So, how can we eliminate the gender wage gap? The following measures would go a long way towards making equal pay for equal work a reality for all:
As we work to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, we must ensure that women’s rights and gender justice are at the heart of our global response. To learn how you can help advance equal pay for equal work, visit UFCW Canada’s Close the Gender Wage Gap campaign. You can also show your support for equal pay by posting about the issue on social media using the hashtags #EveryoneBenefits and #EqualPayDay.
This week is an opportunity for people from coast to coast to coast to celebrate the progress we’ve made in advancing gender equality in Canada, while reflecting on the work that remains to make sure that everyone – regardless of their gender – can reach their full potential.
Gender Equality Week is the result of Bill C-309, the Gender Equality Week Act, which received Royal Assent on June 21, 2018. This legislation designates the fourth week in September as Gender Equality Week.
Throughout the week, show your support with the hashtag #EveryoneBenefits and share why gender equality is important to you. Visit for more information: https://cfc-swc.gc.ca/commemoration/gew-ses/index-en.html.
In 1992, October was proclaimed Women's History Month to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of women throughout Canadian history. October was chosen to coincide with anniversary of the Persons Case, which on October 18, 1929 – through the courage and determination of the Famous Five, the five Canadian women who launched the case – established once and for all that women were "persons" when the Privy Council overturned a Supreme Court of Canada decision and ruled that women were indeed persons, and could become Senators. The ruling not only opened the political doors for Canadian women. It also clearly asserted that women's equality rights in Canada were fundamental. This year the theme is She Did, So Now I Can, which celebrates the actions of inspiring Canadian women that positively impact our lives today, right now, at this very minute.
The Sisters in Spirit vigils honour the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. It is also a day of support for families who have been tragically touched by the loss of a loved one to violence. Vigils take many forms; rallies, candle-light vigils, workshops, a moment of silence, a walk, or a gathering of people in solidarity to share memories.
For more information visit: https://www.nwac.ca/browse/
Violence against women is the world's largest and most persistent human rights violation. Over 50% of Canadian women will experience an incident of violence at some point in their lives, the majority before they turn 25.
We all have a role to play in preventing and addressing gender-based violence. Between November 25 and December 10, we encourage you to join the conversation and reflect on the concrete steps you can take to question, call out, and speak up against acts of gender-based violence.
During this year's campaign:
• On November 25 - the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, join UFCW Wear purple on November 25 to raise awareness about gender-based violence.
• Add your voice to the growing chorus of survivors, advocates and partners and share what actions you are taking to end gender-based violence using the hashtag #16days and #UFCW.
• Follow us @UFCWCanada, retweet @UFCWCanada.
For more information on gender-based violence, click here.
For more information on sexual harassment, click here.
The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, also known informally as White Ribbon Day, is a day commemorated in Canada each December 6, the anniversary of the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre, in which an armed student, Marc Lépine, murdered fourteen women and injured ten others in the name of "fighting feminism". Canadian flags on all federal buildings – including the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario – are flown at half-mast on December 6. Canadians are encouraged to observe a minute of silence on December 6 and to wear a white ribbon (or a purple ribbon) as a commitment to end violence against women.
For more information on violence against women and UFCW Canada materials click here.
Across the country, more than 145,000 women are members of UFCW Canada, comprising over 52 percent of our union’s membership. Women are the foundation of our union, and have helped transform UFCW into a leading voice for women workers throughout Canada.
Accordingly, UFCW is fully committed to achieving gender equity and ensuring that our union remains inclusive and welcoming to working women.
To advance these principles, the UFCW Canada National Council Women and Gender Equity Committee provides women members with tools that can help them become engaged in their workplace, their union, and their communities. The Committee also advises the National Council on issues of primary concern to women members.
As a strong advocate for women workers, UFCW Canada engages in a number of campaigns aimed at advancing women's rights and ensuring that women of all backgrounds are able to thrive in the workplace. These initiatives include our union's efforts to end Sexual Harrassment and Violence Against Women, close the Gender Wage Gap, and provide Paid Leave for Survivors of Domestic Violence.
To support these campaigns, UFCW Canada publishes a wide array of posters, publications, and resources that seek to raise awareness of issues affecting working women, like cyberbullying, work-life balance, and maternity leave, among others. As well, our Women In Canada Timeline serves as an essential resource for students researching the significant contributions of women to the history, culture, and fabric of Canada.
In addition to this important work, our union regularly participates in events focused on the empowerment of women, such as International Women's Day and the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.
UFCW Canada also provides comprehensive news coverage of women members' involvement in their union, exploring everything from the work of UFCW sisters helping to bring the union advantage to women workers, to our union's advocacy for universal child care, to the efforts of UFCW activists working to make equal pay a legislative priority for governments.
Engaged and empowered, UFCW Canada women play a vital role in shaping their union and strenghtening their workplace and communities.
Gender equity means allocating jobs, resources, wages, programs, and decision-making fairly to both males and females. It requires organizations to ensure that everyone has equal access to a complete range of opportunities so that they can achieve their full potential. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms affirms the principles of equity and makes provisions for affirmative action programs in order to eliminate disadvantages for women.
Gender equity necessitates an examination of organizational practices and policies that might discourage women from participating. Examples include:
Looking at hiring and recruitment practices to ensure that women have leadership roles, are involved in decision-making, and are able to serve as role models for other women;
Analyzing resource allocation to determine whether budgets are adequately funding programs, services, and training initiatives that meet women’s needs;
Examining participation rates to identify potential barriers for women and determine whether corrective action needs to be taken;
Evaluating programs to ascertain the types of opportunities that are being offered to males and females and see whether inequities exist;
Assessing promotional materials to ensure that women are not being excluded from awareness-raising initiatives or stereotyped in pictures or language.
Equity-focused initiatives that target specific groups are important because they consider the years of socialization and historical traditions that have created social inequities and marginalized women, minorities, members of the LGBTQ2ISA community, and other equity-seeking groups.
Gender equality tends to focus on ensuring that men and women have the “same” opportunity to access jobs, programs, and decision-making, but often ignores the fact that people differ in their capacities, interests, and experiences in obtaining those resources.
Whereas gender equality is concerned with equality of opportunity (i.e. a man and a woman being interviewed for the same job), gender equity seeks equal outcomes (i.e. a corporate board with as many female executives as male).
Workplaces that strive towards achieving gender equity actively encourage and properly train women to fully participate in the organization’s activities, leadership roles, and decision-making processes. By attracting more women, these workplaces are able to expand and diversify their talent pool. Empowering women also brings a wider range of viewpoints and experiences to the table, enabling organizations to better reflect and engage the populations that they serve.
Through the work of our Women and Gender Equity Committee, UFCW Canada develops tools and training to encourage the involvement of women in organizing, supports efforts for promoting women into leadership positions, and creates awareness of the social and economic inequality of women, among many other initiatives.
At the leadership level, the UFCW Canada National Executive Board recently achieved gender equity – with equal representation of male and female activists - after a resolution was passed at the 12th National Convention requiring our union to expand the representation of women members on the National Council. This achievement marks a significant breakthrough for our union and will help UFCW Canada better represent and reflect the tens of thousands of women workers who call UFCW their union.
Across the country, UFCW Canada Local Unions negotiate collective agreements that close the gender wage gap between male and female employees and contain provisions aimed at preventing sexual harassment and violence in the workplace. As well, more and more UFCW contracts are providing paid leave for survivors of domestic violence. And our union constantly campaigns for meaningful action on these issues at the government level.
There are several ways that Canadians can help advance gender equity in the workplace and in our communities.
Organize!
Membership in a union is particularly helpful for closing the gender wage gap between men and women. On average, women union members earn $6.65 per hour more than women without union representation. Apart from increasing wages for women, union protection also leads to better access to full-time hours and more stable scheduling, providing greater work-life balance for women workers and their families. Gain the union advantage today by joining the union.
Get political!
Tell your local member of parliament (MP) or member of provincial parliament (MPP or MLA) that ending Sexual Harassment and Violence Against Women, closing the Gender Wage Gap, and providing Paid Leave for Survivors of Domestic Violence are important to you. At the national level, be sure to tell your MP that Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women deserve justice. Visit UFCW Canada’s Action Centre to make your voice heard on these issues.
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Canada's private sector union