Women’s Empowerment and Security among Top Priorities alongside Quality Programs for Early Years and Child Care
In January 2017 the Premier of Ontario, Kathleen Wynne, took an important step for women and girls in Ontario by announcing a new stand-alone Ministry for women headed by Halton MPP Indira Naidoo-Harris.
Minister Naidoo-Harris will oversee an ambitious and activist agenda, enacting a growing number of important policies related to the economic empowerment of women and the prevention of violence against women and girls. She will help implement the province’s Gender Wage Gap Strategy and coordinate ongoing efforts to build gender equality across Ontario. She will continue to raise awareness and build on the progress of #Its Never Okay: An Action Plan to Stop Sexual Violence and Harassment, Walking Together: Ontario’s Long-Term Strategy to End Violence Against Indigenous Women and Ontario’s Strategy to End Human Trafficking.
Minister Naidoo- Harris: “I am committed to advancing gender equality across the province. As Minister I will work tirelessly to make Ontario a place of fairness and opportunity, so women and girls can all reach their full potential free from the fear of sexual violence and harassment.”
In addition to her new role, Naidoo-Harris has been appointed as Minister Responsible for Early Years and Child Care, overseeing the creation of 100,000 new licensed child care spaces within the next five years for children 4 years and under.
This appointment strengthens and builds on her previous role as Associate Minister of Education focusing on the Early Years and Child Care portfolio.
Minister Naidoo-Harris: “ Ontario is a great place to live, work and raise a family. We must continue to create more accessible, affordable, high quality early years and child care programs for our children so that families can get the support they need. My priority is to ensure that our kids get the best start in life.”
Indira Naidoo-Harris was born in Durban, South Africa, and her family immigrated to Canada to pursue dreams they could not achieve under apartheid. She grew up in a small town, and built a successful career in journalism, covering issues at the regional, national and international levels. Naidoo-Harris was first elected to the Ontario legislature in 2014 as MPP for Halton, where she has lived with her family for close to 25 years.
