British Columbia will become the first province in Canada to systematically amend provincial laws to remove outdated gendered and binary language, better reflecting the diversity of the province and ensuring everyone can access provincial programs and services.

Premier David Eby and Kelli Paddon, Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equity, have issued the following statement for International Women’s Day:

New pay transparency legislation was introduced March 7, 2023, to help close the gender pay gap in B.C. – the next step on the path to pay equity.

To better protect people from the harmful effects of having their intimate images shared without their consent and improve access to justice for survivors of sexualized violence, the Province is introducing the intimate images protection act. 

People struggling with mental health and addiction will have access to more treatment and recovery beds, along with community-based aftercare services through new historic investments through Budget 2023.   

Proposed amendments to the Election Act will make it easier for voters in B.C. to cast their ballots, while continuing to combat disinformation, increase transparency and strengthen third-party advertising rules in the provincial electoral process.

The Province is working with local governments to build stronger communities through upgrades to critical emergency communications services that will help keep people safe and improve emergency responses.