International Women’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate and elevate all of the women around us – staff, physicians, patients, loved ones – but at PHSA, it goes deeper than just one day. 

As part of our organizational mandate, we have a responsibility – each and every day – to move forward in a good way by investing time and effort in advancing equity, diversity and inclusion, using a Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) lens. 

Across PHSA, there is important work underway. 

We are:

• Focused on high-quality care for the women we serve as patients and clients
  
• Furthering education and the empowerment of women’s voices when it comes to their health
  
• Advancing research related to equitable health outcomes for women
  
• Committed to creating safe, violence-free environments for work and patient care
  
• Dedicated to ensuring equal opportunities exist for the women of our workforce
  

Our role

We extend our sincere appreciation to all PHSA team members who are leaning into initiatives that support this work, and thereby leading positive change. 

We have made strides forward as an organization, and as society, but there is still much to do. We all share responsibility for progress.

As a care and service provider, we must start from a place of recognizing there continue to be disproportionate health-care experiences and health outcomes for women in comparison to men – in particular, for women who are marginalized and racialized. 

As an employer, we must recognize that bias continues to exist – knowingly or unknowingly – against women and ensure there are equal, meaningful opportunities for all women to learn, grow and lead throughout their careers.

Our promise

On behalf of the executive leadership team, I affirm PHSA’s commitment to furthering gender equality for our workforce and for all those we serve. 

We collectively honour, acknowledge and raise our hands in appreciation to all women, and to the intentional work that members of our workforce are doing to further equality, bringing us closer to a world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination. 

 David Byres, president & CEO, PHSA, on behalf of the executive leadership team