Oxfam polls Canadians and will send feminist shoes to Finance Minister ahead of Budget 2017

Ottawa, March 14 – Almost every year, sometime before delivering his budget speech to the House of Commons, Canada’s Minister of Finance buys new shoes. This year, Oxfam asked Canadians: “What shoes should Finance Minister Bill Morneau wear on budget day to show he is serious about women’s rights?”

Votes have already been cast from across the country and Oxfam is in the process of compiling results to select and send shoes to the Minister shortly before March 22, the announced budget date.

“We know that women’s rights supporters in Canada would love to see the Minister of Finance wear feminist shoes on budget day,” said Kelly Bowden, Manager of Campaigns at Oxfam Canada. “It’s a fun way to bring attention to a very important topic, and we hope he will consider wearing the shoes we deliver.”

“By polling Canadians through social media, we also want to raise awareness on the importance of the Federal Budget and its impact on issues like child care and good jobs for women. We know that this Government wants to hear from – and engage with – all Canadians, and we are hopeful that these perspectives have been taken into account as the budget was written.”

Oxfam Canada just published its first annual “Feminist Scorecard” tracking government action to deliver on a feminist agenda. Ithas been calling on the government of Canada to stop inequality from spiraling out of control and make sure the next federal budget is a feminist budget that works for women.

Bowden added: “We applaud the government for its support of women’s leadership and its bold action in support of sexual and reproductive health and rights.  But we remain concerned that too few steps have been taken to ensure women’s work is fairly paid and equally valued.”

Women’s rights advocates across Canada are looking for key investments in gender equality in the upcoming federal budget. Oxfam has been calling on the Government to:

• Encourage living wages in Canada and regulate Canadian companies working abroad to ensure decent work standards for women
• Close the gender pay gap and ensure women are treated fairly at work no matter what their job
• Invest in public services, like child care and elder care, that reduce and redistribute women’s unpaid care work
• Increase the aid budget to tackle global poverty and advance women’s rights around the world.

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