Take a stand and Rise Up! for Gender Justice with Canada’s Unions

Statement from Siobhán Vipond, Executive Vice President, to mark Gender Equality Week 2026:

Across Canada, workers are taking decisive action to fight for gender justice in every sphere of our lives. At a time of worsening economic uncertainty, never ending trade wars and an alarming trend of anti-worker and anti-human rights legislative actions, women and gender diverse workers are too often left feeling the brunt of these harsh realities.

“Through our unions, at the bargaining table and in government, unions are pushing for stronger protections and better policies that truly advance gender equality and economic justice, and leave no worker behind,” said Siobhán Vipond, Executive Vice President, CLC.

Unions are proud to be a movement that’s fighting to make life more affordable for everyone in Canada and recognize that those at the socio-economic margins of society – like women and gender diverse workers – face the greatest barriers to economic justice. That’s why we fight for pharmacare, affordable childcare, public services, pay equity, gun control, expanded parental leave, and paid domestic violence leave. 

“Unions know that the most significant economic gains on gender equality for women and gender diverse workers are won in the workplace and that’s why we will never stop championing the role of unions in advancing a gender justice agenda in the world of work,” said Vipond.

These are challenging times – between trade, tariffs, and rising costs, it’s more important than ever to make sure that we stand together to defend the progress we’ve made. That’s why unions are leading the way to defend workers’ rights, including the right to strike.

When women workers have fair wages, safe workplaces and a meaningful voice on the job, we can strengthen our economy and make progress toward gender justice.

When we protect as many jobs as we can and help workers and communities through economic disruption, we strengthen our economy and make progress toward gender justice.

When we protect the public services people depend on, including the care services that are essential to women’s access to employment, and we make sure those care jobs are good jobs, we strengthen our economy and make progress toward gender justice.

When we challenge hate and misogyny and work to prevent and address violence and harassment at work, we strengthen our economy and make progress toward gender justice.

And when we make progress toward gender justice, we win for the economy, for workers and for our communities.

From maternity leave to pay equity to child care and paid domestic violence leave, unions have delivered for women and gender-diverse workers. This Gender Equality Week, it’s time to double down on our efforts to defend these gains and keep striving for better.

This year we are asking workers of all genders to help us keep building the momentum to address the impacts of domestic violence at work by filling out our second National Survey on Domestic Violence at Work. This survey builds on the groundbreaking evidence from our 2014 report to understand what has changed – and what still needs to change – to make work safer for everyone.

“Gender justice is a foundational part of Canada’s labour movement, and workers will continue to Rise Up! together to make real change,” said Vipond. “This gender equality week and beyond, we’re going to keep fighting for a more feminist and equitable economy for every worker, every workplace, and every community from coast, to coast, to coast.”

Sign up to join us at Workerstogether.ca