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According to the group, women in Ontario earn 28 per cent less on average than men, a gap that is widening for marginalized communities. Statistics Canada says last year women aged 25-54 earned 89 cents for every dollar earned by men, a slight increase from 81 cents in 1997.

The group says care work is one of of the biggest drivers of the gender pay gap. They say child-care workers are among those being underpaid for doing essential work the economy depends on.

“We’re still not giving child-care people what they need,” said Kathleen Gallagher-Ross, a retired educator who came to the rally to support teachers and early childhood educators. “The educators can’t come today so that’s why I came.”

In addition to calls for higher wages, the group also wants the Ontario government to deliver on its promise of $10-a-day childcare. The federal government had set an April 2026 deadline of hitting that target but so far only five provinces and the three territories have reached the threshold; Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia have not. The groups says unaffordable childcare disproportionately impacts women.

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