Here are Joyce Murray’s (Member of Parliament) recent words in our Federal legislature:
Mr. Speaker, 48 years ago today, Liberal Prime Minister Lester Pearson officially established the Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada, based on the concept of equal opportunity for women and men. The royal commission played a major role in defining the status of women as a legitimate and important social and economic issue, and gave a platform for women’s voices.
The commission’s groundbreaking recommendations on child care, pay equity, prohibiting gender as grounds for discrimination and other matters sadly remain relevant today. Women’s equality has taken a step back under the Conservative government’s regressive policies, which have put the brakes on the important momentum to close the gap in Canada.
As we mark this historic anniversary and the progress made by women over the decades, we must remember that there still remains much work to do in order to achieve true equality.
Let us all celebrate how far we have come, but also commit to equality of opportunity for all Canadians.