Ontario. Women's Bureau

• Women's Bureau

The Women's Bureau was created in 1963 to foster fuller utilization of the female labour force. It fell under the jurisdiction of the Manpower Services Division of the Ontario Department of Labour, from 1966 to 1972. In December 1970, the Bureau was given responsibility for administering the Women's Equal Employment Opportunities Act. However, in June of 1972, this Act was repealed, and its provisions were incorporated into the Ontario Human Rights Code.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 (OHRC) in 1972. Late in 1973, a Women's Program Division was created within the Ministry of Labour, and the Women's Bureau was transferred over to this jurisdiction from the OHRC. In 1978, the Women's Program Division was disbanded, and the Bureau reported directly to the Deputy Minister of Labour.

In May 1983, a Minister Responsible for Women's Issues was appointed and the Ontario Women's Directorate was established. Shortly thereafter, the Women's Bureau was transferred to the Ontario Women's Directorate, under the jurisdiction of that minister. In 1984, however, the staff and functions of the Women's Bureau were fully absorbed by the Directorate and the Bureau ceased to exist.

The Women's Bureau was an information service and resource centre for people interested in the employment status of women in Ontario. Activities of the Bureau included: providing advice to employers in the private sector wishing to implement equal opportunity programs; advising the government on women's issues; providing labour legislation information through speakers and publications; conducting research into the status of women in Ontario's labour force; providing outreach programs to serve low-income, immigrant and Native women; and operating a Resource Centre for public research purposes.

RAD: Rules for Archival Description, 2nd edn (2008)

2026-11-16: migrated to AtoM

Bell and Pascoe. The Ontario Government: Structure and Functions (1988)

Canadiana Name Authorities, 1996-12- 24

KWIC Indexes

Archivist(s):
R. Anger