April 16 marks Equal Pay Day in Canada—the symbolic date that shows how far into 2025 women must work to earn what men made by the end of 2024. For women, girls, and gender-diverse people across British Columbia, this day is more than symbolic. It’s a reminder that economic injustice is not a theory—it’s a daily reality. And for survivors of gender-based violence, unequal pay is not just unfair. It’s dangerous.
The Pay Gap Is Not a Myth
Critics often claim there’s no such thing as a pay gap or that it’s simply “woke ideology.” But the numbers don’t lie:
- Women in BC earn 87 cents for every dollar earned by men.
- Indigenous women earn about 67 cents, and racialized and immigrant women earn between 67–75 cents.
- Women with disabilities experience the largest gap, earning just 54 cents on the dollar.
These statistics come from Statistics Canada, not political commentary. And they don’t even account for unpaid labour or the growing number of women working in precarious and informal jobs with no benefits or protections.
Survivors Are Economically Punished
Survivors of GBV face unique economic barriers:
- Many are forced to leave jobs due to stalking, violence, or harassment.
- Others are navigating the courts, childcare, and trauma.
- Survivors often experience employment discrimination and are pushed into unstable work arrangements that leave them vulnerable to further harm.
But the most insidious form of financial control is economic abuse—a tactic where abusers manipulate access to money, employment, credit, and financial information to isolate and entrap their partners. Survivors report having bank accounts emptied, credit ruined, and income stolen or monitored by abusers. And when they try to leave, their economic dependency becomes a barrier to safety.
The Fight for Equal Pay Is a Fight for Freedom
For survivors, closing the pay gap is not about luxury—it’s about survival. Without access to income, housing, and employment, women are forced to stay with their abusers or risk poverty, homelessness, and losing custody of their children.
That’s why programs like AWARE at BWSS are so critical.
AWARE at BWSS: Advancing Women’s Awareness Regarding Employment
The AWARE program at Battered Women’s Support Services (BWSS) helps women move beyond the cycle of trauma and violence by building economic independence through employment. AWARE is grounded in a trauma- and violence-informed approach that honours survivors’ experiences and resilience.
At BWSS’s office in Vancouver, AWARE offers women a safe space to identify their skills, define their personal and career goals, and build community. It’s flexible and responsive—recognizing that women are often balancing child care, legal systems, housing instability, and healing from violence.
AWARE’s holistic approach includes:
- Understanding and overcoming the impacts of abuse, with a focus on values, boundaries, conflict resolution, and safety planning.
- Counselling and coaching, with up to 10 hours of individual and group support.
- Academic development including basic computer skills, First Aid, Food Safe, and Serving It Right.
- Clothing and accessories through My Sister’s Closet, BWSS’s social enterprise, which provides outfits and accessories for job interviews.
- Career and individual exploration, including resume building, interview skills, and action planning.
- Employment skills training, such as teamwork, communication, and understanding workplace dynamics.
Women can self-refer and join AWARE through a continuous intake process, making it accessible and adaptive to each woman’s situation.
To apply or learn more, call AWARE at 778-628-1867 or email Claudia@bwss.org.
Let’s Be Clear: Equal Pay Is Not Just a Women’s Issue
Equal Pay Day is not just about cents on the dollar. It’s about dismantling the systems that keep survivors poor and dependent. It’s about valuing care work. It’s about refusing to normalize economic abuse. And it’s about demanding political and policy changes that prioritize safety, equity, and justice.
At BWSS, we know from decades of front-line experience that economic justice is safety. And until the wage gap is closed, survivors will remain at risk—not just of poverty, but of violence.
This Equal Pay Day don’t be distracted by the backlash. The pay gap is real. It’s measurable. And it’s a matter of life and death.
