Hi, it’s Kathleen.
Happy International Women’s Day!
I am incredibly proud of what we accomplished in government. As Minister of Justice, two-thirds of the judges I appointed were women. I also appointed the first Indigenous woman to serve on the Alberta Court of Justice.
This didn’t get us to parity, but it did take us a long way.
Women belong around every table — in board rooms, government agencies, and politics. Rachel and our team were focused on making that happen and we moved the needle a lot. We pushed affordable child care, we appointed women to boards, we implemented a gender-based analysis for our policies. We made big moves to ensure the women of tomorrow could see themselves reflected in every sort of leadership.
I also had the amazing experience of becoming a mother myself while serving as a Minister — and my team supported me to do it.
Now, I am running to be Leader of the Alberta NDP and Premier of this incredible place we call home. We accomplished a lot, but there is much more to do to ensure that all women have every opportunity — for one, we still need to close the wage gap and lift women up to ensure they have equal economic power in society.
I am focused on building an economy that works for all people. Today, I want to talk about some of what that looks like for Alberta women, if I am elected Premier:
I will hike the minimum wage. Inflation has increased 18 per cent over the last five years and minimum wage hasn’t gone up a single dime. This disproportionately affects women and raising the minimum wage helps bridge the gender-pay gap and makes progress towards ensuring women receive fair compensation in line with their skills and education.
I will provide universal access to prescription contraception, free of charge. Contraception can cost women $10,000 over their lifetime. This is a healthcare and economic issue and that’s why NDP governments in British Columbia and Manitoba have begun implementing programs to provide universal access to contraception. I would do the same here.
I will improve access to unions. Unions narrow the gender-pay gap. Currently, Alberta ranks low in Canada for the percentage of women in unions, with only one in four women being part of a union. Some of the measures I would introduce, include bringing back card-based certification and ending the union-busting practice of double-breasting.
I will support parents expecting a child. We would provide new investment to support obstetrics care across the province. I don’t think a woman should have to drive on the highway while in labour — they should be able to deliver a child in the community where they work and live. This commitment will be part of a broader strategy to end the crisis in Alberta healthcare.
These are just some of my commitments and I welcome your feedback and ideas. We need to work together as a team to create an Alberta where every woman is recognized and valued in the workforce, ensuring that our economy works for all people.
Happy International Women’s Day!
Kathleen
