Donewaiting
Sparking a movement
On International Women’s Day 2018, the Canadian Labour Congress started the DONEWAITING campaign to address the economic challenges women deal with daily. DONEWAITING focused on tackling the core issues behind inequality, aiming to create real economic justice for women in Canada.
Pillars of action
Confronting Sexual Harassment and Violence
We tackled one of the biggest issues first: sexual harassment and violence at work. Our relentless efforts led to new legislation in the Canada Labour Code, offering stronger protections for federally regulated workers. Globally, our campaign helped secure the adoption of ILO Convention 190, the first international treaty focused on ending violence and harassment in the workplace.
Solving the Child Care Crisis
Recognizing that affordable child care is crucial for women’s economic participation, we pushed hard for substantial government investment. Our efforts paid off with the 2021 Federal Budget committing $30 billion over five years to build a comprehensive child care system across Canada. This funding, backed by new legislation, aims to make quality child care accessible for all families.
Fighting Wage Discrimination
We also tackled wage discrimination, a major barrier to gender equality. Our lobbying led to the passage of proactive Pay Equity legislation, based on the 2004 Pay Equity Task Force recommendations. This legislation is a big step toward closing the gender wage gap and ensuring women receive fair pay for their work.
Advocacy in art
Each poster highlighted women and vibrant floral patterns symbolizing strength, the posters addressed key issues like accountability, safe workplaces, government childcare investment, closing the gender wage gap, and fair work conditions. Placed in high-visibility community centers and shared on social media, these posters sparked conversations and mobilized support, driving collective action and urgency around these critical issues.
Achievements and gratitude
The DONEWAITING campaign's success is due to the resilience and effort of countless supporters. It shows the power of collective action, proving that united efforts can create real change.
Thank you to the Canadian Labour Congress' Women and Human Rights, the Political Action, and the communication departments for their support, feedback and strategy to roll out the two runs of these DONEWAITING Posters. And while we celebrate, we know the fight for gender equality and economic justice continues.