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Office of Women's Social and Economic Opportunity

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Office of Women's Social and Economic Opportunity
Office de la condition féminine
Agency overview
Preceding agencies
  • Ministry of the Status of Women
  • Ontario Women's Directorate
  • Office of Women's Issues
Headquarters900 Bay Street
Toronto, Ontario
Minister responsible
Websitewww.ontario.ca/page/womens-social-and-economic-opportunity

The Office of Women's Social and Economic Opportunity, formerly the Ministry of the Status of Women (French: Ministère de la Condition féminine, between 2017 and 2018), Ontario Women's Directorate (French: Direction générale de la condition féminine de l'Ontario, prior to 2017) and Office of Women's Issues(French: Office de la condition féminine), between 2018 and 2022 is an office within the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services in the province of Ontario, responsible for women's issues including violence against women and economic inequality.

It is overseen by the Associate Minister of Women's Social and Economic Opportunity, a member of the Executive Council of Ontario (provincial cabinet). The current minister is Charmaine Williams, appointed in June 2022.

History

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The Women's Bureau was created in 1963 in the Department of Labour to foster fuller utilization of the female labour force. In December 1970, the Bureau was given responsibility for administering the Women's Equal Employment Opportunities Act. However, in June 1972, this Act was repealed, and its provisions were incorporated into the Ontario Human Rights Code. As a result, the Women's Bureau was transferred to the Ontario Human Rights Commission in 1972. Late in 1973, a Women's Program Division was created within the Ministry of Labour, and the Women's Bureau was transferred back to the labour ministry. In 1978, the Women's Program Division was disbanded, and the Bureau reported directly to the Deputy Minister of Labour.

The Ontario Women's Directorate was established by Premier Bill Davis in 1983, with the appointment of Deputy Premier Bob Welch as the inaugural Minister Responsible for Women's Issues. Glenna Carr was appointed as the first executive director of the Directorate. The Women's Bureau was transferred to the Directorate, and was eventually fully absorbed by the Directorate.

In January 2017, the Directorate was elevated by Ontario's first female Premier Kathleen Wynne to a new stand-alone ministry called the Ministry of the Status of Women, with a dedicated full minister titled Minister of the Status of Women. However, this elevated status was short-lived. In June 2018, Premier Doug Ford downgraded the ministry back to non-portfolio responsibilities, overseen by first the Minister Responsible for Women's Issues, then the Associate Minister of Children and Women's Issues and now the Associate Minister of Women's Social and Economic Opportunity.

List of ministers

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Key:

Portrait Name Term of office Tenure Political party
(Ministry)
Note
Minister responsible for Women's Issues PC
(Davis)
Robert Welch May 17, 1983 February 8, 1985 1 year, 267 days While Deputy Premier
Dennis Timbrell February 8, 1985 June 26, 1985 138 days PC
(Miller)
While Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Ian Scott June 26, 1985 September 29, 1987 2 years, 95 days Liberal
(Peterson)
While Attorney General and Minister responsible for Native Affairs
Greg Sorbara September 29, 1987 August 2, 1989 1 year, 307 days While Minister of Labour
Mavis Wilson August 2, 1989 October 1, 1990 1 year, 60 days
Anne Swarbrick October 1, 1990 September 11, 1991 345 days NDP
(Rae)
Marion Boyd September 11, 1991 June 26, 1995 3 years, 288 days While Minister of Education (until October 15, 1991), Minister of Community and Social Services (October 15, 1991 to February 3, 1993) and Minister of Justice and Attorney General (from February 3, 1993)
Dianne Cunningham June 26, 1995 June 17, 1999 3 years, 356 days
(first instance)
PC
(Harris)
While Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
Helen Johns June 17, 1999 February 7, 2001 1 year, 235 days While Minister of Citizenship, Culture and Recreation & Minister Responsible for Seniors Affairs
Dianne Cunningham February 8, 2001 April 14, 2002 2 years, 256 days
(second instance)
6 years, 247 days in total
While Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities
April 15, 2002 October 22, 2003 PC
(Eves)
Sandra Pupatello October 23, 2003 October 30, 2007 4 years, 7 days Liberal
(McGuinty)
While Minister of Community and Social Services (until April 5, 2006), Minister of Education (April 5, 2006 to September 18, 2006), Minister of Economic Development and Trade (from September 16, 2006)
Deb Matthews October 30, 2007 October 7, 2009 1 year, 342 days While Minister of Children and Youth Services
Laurel Broten October 7, 2009 February 11, 2013 3 years, 268 days While Minister of Children and Youth Services (until October 20, 2011), Minister of Education (from October 20, 2011) and Interim Minister of Children and Youth Services (from November 13, 2012)
February 11, 2013 July 2, 2013 Liberal
(Wynne)
While Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
Teresa Piruzza July 2, 2013 June 24, 2014 357 days While Minister of Children and Youth Services
Tracy MacCharles June 24, 2014 January 12, 2017 2 years, 202 days While Minister of Children and Youth Services (until June 13, 2016), Minister Responsible for Accessibility (from June 13, 2016)
Minister of the Status of Women
Indira Naidoo-Harris January 12, 2017 January 17, 2018 1 year, 5 days Styled as Minister of Women's Issues until February 14, 2017
Harinder Malhi January 17, 2018 June 29, 2018 163 days
Minister responsible for Women's Issues PC
(Ford)
Lisa MacLeod June 29, 2018 June 20, 2019 356 days While Minister of Children, Community and Social Services
Associate Minister of Children and Women's Issues
Jill Dunlop June 20, 2019 June 24, 2022 3 years and 4 days
Associate Minister of Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity
Charmaine Williams June 24, 2022 Present 2 years, 164 days
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