Women in the workplace

"The past few months have been tough for Alberta businesses, families and communities in every part of the province. The triple threat of COVID-19, oil price collapse and global economic recession have many Albertans worried about their future, and the future of the province.

"In the wake of these unprecedented threats, the government moved quickly and decisively to protect the lives and livelihoods of Albertans. In June, the government introduced Alberta's Recovery Plan, an ambitious long-term strategy to build and diversify the economy, and create tens of thousands of jobs right now. It's a plan that reflects the current realities that Albertans are going through, and provides hope for the future.

"This plan builds on Alberta's traditional strengths, like energy, agriculture, a thriving innovation sector, world-class tourism experiences, and dynamic creative industries, as well as a number of emerging sectors in the tech and innovation sphere.

"It's important that we stress that the recovery plan was created to help all Albertans recover from our current situation and return to prosperity. However, we are aware that women have faced many challenges from the pandemic, and we have provided additional support to help them get back to work and to realize their dreams.

Many families have struggled to find child care and return to work full time. Alberta government's top priority is getting Albertans back to work and knows that access to child care will be an important part of our economic relaunch. On top of already providing all child care workers in licensed centres with the second-highest wage top-ups in the country, we invest more than $400 million annually into child care to ensure that parents- especially single moms- get the help they need to access child care and employment.

We provided nearly $18M in sector-specific to the sector and secured $80M from the federal government to ensure child care centres can continue to operate safely. From increasing subsidies to 28,000 families to investing in Women Building Futures, we're taking the steps necessary to get Albertans back to work."

"To help ensure that all Albertans can participate in our province's economic recovery and diversification, the government has introduced programs designed to help women in non-traditional occupations including in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields.

"Women are breaking barriers in STEM and encouraging women in these fields is an important first step to address gender disparity in the workplace and reduce the wage gap. However, we know there's more that can be done - in fact, women make up about half the population in Alberta, but only represent a quarter of employees in STEM field.

"Alberta's new Women in STEM Award Program is one way the government can help more women pursue their dreams and succeed in STEM careers. With financial support of up to $2,500, 50 women across Alberta will be empowered to reach their full potential, support their families, and contribute to Alberta's economic recovery.

"In addition to STEM-specific initiatives, the government is also committed $10 million over four years to Women Building Futures, a program offers industry recognized training for women looking to enter the trades. Alberta's government is committed to understanding and addressing the glass ceilings that prevent women from fully participating in the workforce, and we are committed to advancing gender equality and fair access to exciting new opportunities.

"Alberta's Recovery Plan also includes a number of initiatives designed to help Albertans get the training they need to succeed in the tech-based economy of the future, and to help women find the support they deserve into turning their ideas into reality."