The Quebec government’s landmark Pay Equity Act will mark its 30th anniversary on November 21, 2026. Adopted unanimously by the National Assembly in 1996 and coming into effect in 1997, the law aimed to eliminate gender-based wage discrimination, a battle that began decades earlier with grassroots movements and legal challenges.
The origins of the legislation stretch back to 1975, with the adoption of the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, which included a provision for equal pay for work of equal value. Although, according to former Quebec Labour Minister Louise Harel, the right was largely asserted on a case-by-case basis through court challenges brought by unions. “It was claimed piece by piece through challenges in court brought by unions,” Harel said.
Momentum built throughout the early 1990s. In 1991, a petition bearing over 60,000 signatures was presented to the National Assembly demanding legislative change. The issue gained further prominence in 1995 when pay equity was included among the core demands of participants in the first “Bread and Roses” march, organized by the Fédération des femmes du Québec.
The following year saw a surge of women elected to the Quebec legislature, creating a critical mass of support for the issue. Harel, who spearheaded the legislative effort, worked alongside her parliamentary assistant, Marie Malavoy, and a coalition of approximately ten Quebec Liberal and Parti Québécois members to persuade their male colleagues of the necessity of a comprehensive law. “All were in agreement with the principle, but we encountered a lot of resistance, people saying, ‘It’s not the time, it will be expensive…,’” Harel recalled. “But we’re talking about the billions that are escaping women for the work they do!”
The Pay Equity Act ultimately passed with the support of both the Parti Québécois and the Liberal Party. Harel draws a direct line between the passage of this law and earlier milestones in Quebec’s feminist legislative agenda, including the 1964 Act respecting the civil rights of married women, the 2015 Act concerning end-of-life care, and the 2021 Act to establish a specialized court for sexual violence and domestic violence cases – all spearheaded by female legislators who forged cross-party consensus.
Louise Cordeau, president of the Conseil du statut de la femme du Québec, emphasized the significance of this collaborative leadership. “It’s a form of very meaningful leadership for the adoption of these laws. We can be proud of this solidarity of women that advances legislation in favour of equality.”
The law requires employers with ten or more employees – excluding those under federal jurisdiction – to evaluate jobs based on skill and responsibility, regardless of gender, and to correct any wage disparities. These evaluations must be renewed every five years. Employers found non-compliant face potential criminal prosecution and fines ranging from $1,000 to $45,000, as well as public disclosure of their non-compliance, according to the Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST), the body responsible for enforcing the law.
While progress has been made, significant gaps remain. In 1998, the wage gap stood at 17%. By 2025, it had narrowed to 9.9%, representing a loss of over $6,600 annually for the average female worker in Quebec – equivalent to four months’ rent for a three-and-a-half apartment in Montreal, according to the Observatoire québécois des inégalités (OQI).
“We have seen some progress… But if we continue at this rate, it will be very long,” said Nathalie Guay, director general of the OQI, whose recent analysis, “Equal Pay: Appointment in 2060?”, projects that, at the current pace, full pay equity will not be achieved for decades.
Harel acknowledges the law’s limitations, noting that small businesses, which employ over 70% of Quebec’s workforce, are exempt from its provisions. She also points to the continued undervaluation of internships in traditionally female-dominated fields. Cordeau echoed this concern, stating that the undervaluation of traditionally female occupations – such as healthcare, social services, and education – persists.
Guay argues that achieving true pay equity requires a broader societal shift in the valuation of female-dominated professions. “When we look at certain sectors where the pay gap between men and women is not very high, we find that the salary is lower when there are a lot of women, for example in the healthcare sector. We need to encourage girls to choose ‘masculine’ careers, but it’s also important that female careers are more valued.”
