In 2016, Anita chaired the Special Committee on Pay Equity, which issued a final report whose key recommendations included the federal government enacting Pay Equity legislation for federally regulated workplaces and establishing a Commissioner for Pay Equity that would report annually to parliament.

The committee report led to the government passing legislation on pay equity, which received royal assent in December 2018, and will be coming into force on August 31, 2021.

As recommended by the special committee that Anita chaired, there is now the first-ever Pay Equity Commissioner in Canada, Karen Jensen, whose responsibilities include monitoring the Act's implementation, informing employees and employers of their rights and responsibilities under this Act, and developing tools to promote compliance with this Act.

Currently, women in Canada make only 89% of what men make over the course of their lifetime, which can be further reduced due to intersectional factors such as race and disability.

This historic legislation will make a significant impact on reducing the gender wage gap, and will create long-term sustainable change for generations to come. Greater inclusion and equality in Canadian workplaces will make our economy stronger and more resilient, and will help ensure that as we recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, we will build back better.

Anita would like to thank the members of the Special Committee for working across party lines to achieve a consensus report, which paved the way for this important legislation.

For more information and to read the regulations, click here:

https://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/42-1/ESPE/report-1/page-ToC