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International Women’s Rights Day March
DESTINATION: PAY EQUITY
We have marched but we have not reached our destination.
Moncton, March 8, 2020 – More than 200 people gathered in Downtown Moncton this afternoon, calling on the provincial government and all MLAs to quickly adopt legislation on pay equity for the New Brunswick private sector.
The march for International Women’s Rights Day was organized by the Alliance des femmes de la francophonie canadienne (AFFC), the New Brunswick Coalition for pay equity and the Regroupement féministe du Nouveau-Brunswick (RFNB).
“All these people were there to say loud and clear to our current elected officials and to those who are thinking of running for office that it is high time this province showed its support for feminism and recognized that pay equity is the key to women’s equality. The days when women had to depend on men for their financial security are long gone,” stated RFNB’s president, Lyne Chantal Boudreau.
“Thousands of women in the province are kept in poverty because the government is more concerned about businesses. Human rights are relegated to second place when decision-makers take such a stance. Our movement is growing stronger and we will not give up,” warned New Brunswick Coalition for Pay Equity’s Chair, Frances LeBlanc.
The fight for the equal treatment of women is being waged in other jurisdictions as well; in fact, the Alliance des femmes de la francophonie canadienne is working on this very issue. “It’s rather incredible that in 2020, governments are still refusing to pass laws forcing reluctant employers to treat female employees fairly. Women in New Brunswick and across the country are not fooled. They know very well the games political parties play when they reject feminism and fail to act on this issue. We will be there, alongside these activists, to bring our elected officials and candidates to heel,” said AFFC’s president, Lily Crist.
The three groups reiterated that jobs and financial security are among the top five issues women raised in the course of Resonate, a New Brunswick Women’s Council initiative. “It’s a key issue for women and we will see to it that it be resolved,” said Lyne Chantal Boudreau.
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For more information and interviews:
Alliance des femmes de la francophonie canadienne
Soukaina Boutiyeb, Executive Director
Tel.: (613) 241-3500 ext. 228
direction@affc.ca
New Brunswick Coalition for pay equity
Rachel Richard, Public Affairs and Communications
Tel.: (506) 855-0002
rachel.richard@equite-equity.com
Regroupement féministe du Nouveau-Brunswick
Nadia Angélique, Project Coordinator
Tel.: (506) 381-2255
nadia.angelique@rfnb.ca