Office of Women's Issues
Office de la condition féminine
Agency overview
Preceding agencies
  • Ministry of the Status of Women
  • Ontario Women's Directorate
Headquarters900 Bay Street
Toronto, Ontario
Minister responsible
  • Jill Dunlop, Associate Minister of Children and Women's Issues
Websitewww.ontario.ca/page/ministry-status-women

The Office of Women's Issues (French: Office de la condition féminine), formerly the Ministry of the Status of Women (French: Ministère de la Condition féminine, between 2017 and 2018) and Ontario Women's Directorate (French: Direction générale de la condition féminine de l'Ontario, prior to 2017), 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

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 However, in June 1972, this Act was repealed, and its provisions were incorporated into the Ontario Human Rights Code.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

Key:

Portrait Name Term of office Tenure Political party
(Ministry)		 Note
Minister responsible for Women's Issues PC
(Davis)
Robert WelchMay 17, 1983February 8, 19851 year, 267 daysWhile Deputy Premier
Dennis TimbrellFebruary 8, 1985June 26, 1985138 days PC
(Miller)		 While Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Ian ScottJune 26, 1985September 29, 19872 years, 95 days Liberal
(Peterson)		 While Attorney General and Minister responsible for Native Affairs
Greg SorbaraSeptember 29, 1987August 2, 19891 year, 307 daysWhile Minister of Labour
Mavis WilsonAugust 2, 1989October 1, 19901 year, 60 days
Anne SwarbrickOctober 1, 1990September 11, 1991345 days NDP
(Rae)
Marion BoydSeptember 11, 1991June 26, 19953 years, 288 daysWhile 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 CunninghamJune 26, 1995June 17, 19993 years, 356 days
(first instance)		 PC
(Harris)		 While Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
Helen JohnsJune 17, 1999February 7, 20011 year, 235 daysWhile Minister of Citizenship, Culture and Recreation & Minister Responsible for Seniors Affairs
Dianne CunninghamFebruary 8, 2001April 14, 20022 years, 256 days
(second instance)
6 years, 247 days in total		While Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities
April 15, 2002October 22, 2003 PC
(Eves)
Sandra PupatelloOctober 23, 2003October 30, 20074 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 MatthewsOctober 30, 2007October 7, 20091 year, 342 daysWhile Minister of Children and Youth Services
Laurel BrotenOctober 7, 2009February 11, 20133 years, 268 daysWhile 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, 2013July 2, 2013 Liberal
(Wynne)		 While Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
Teresa PiruzzaJuly 2, 2013June 24, 2014357 daysWhile Minister of Children and Youth Services
Tracy MacCharlesJune 24, 2014January 12, 20172 years, 202 daysWhile 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-HarrisJanuary 12, 2017January 17, 20181 year, 5 daysStyled as Minister of Women's Issues until February 14, 2017
Harinder MalhiJanuary 17, 2018June 29, 2018163 days
Minister responsible for Women's Issues PC
(Ford)
Lisa MacLeodJune 29, 2018June 20, 2019356 daysWhile Minister of Children, Community and Social Services
Associate Minister of Children and Women's Issues
Jill DunlopJune 20, 2019June 24, 20223 years and 4 days
Associate Minister of Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity
Charmaine WilliamsJune 24, 2022Present1 year, 198 days
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