In the era of #MeToo and #TimesUp, women are pressing for leadership and empowerment like never before. Ontario recently launched the first Women’s Economic Empowerment Strategy in Canada, and Part 2 of It’s Never Okay, A Gender Based Violence Strategy. Harinder Malhi, Ontario’s Minister of the Status of Women lays out a roadmap for women in Ontario – from breaking down barriers such as the gender wage gap, to ending violence and sexual harassment, and speaks to why, more than ever, strong leadership is important for women’s futures.
Harinder Malhi was first elected to the Ontario legislature in 2014 as the MPP for Brampton-Springdale.
Malhi currently serves as Minister of the Status of Women. She was previously Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, and before that Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister Responsible for Women’s Issues. She was a member of the Select Committee on Sexual Violence and Harassment. The committee’s mandate was to make recommendations on improving prevention strategies and the response to Ontarians who have experienced sexual violence and harassment.
She was a school board trustee who represented Brampton wards 9 and 10 for the Peel District School Board for more than three years.
Malhi has lived and worked in the Brampton area for nearly 20 years, and is actively involved in many community organizations. She was an administrator for summer camps and volunteers with municipal, provincial and federal organizations. She also supports non-profit organizations such as the Canadian-South Asians Supporting Independent Living Association (CSASIL) in Brampton, and collects donations for local shelters and food banks.
