On Saturday, May 1, women on Denman Island dropped a banner at the Denman Island BC Ferries west terminal reading “#Women Demand Guaranteed Livable Income.”
Denman Island resident Suzette Cullen was among those involved in the action, and said it’s time to speak up about the inequality when it comes to gender-based pay differential.
“This is a very good time to speak up and speak out and try to do something about the horrible inequalities in our society,” she said. “During this pandemic, we have seen government actually support people that need it. We want to see (that) it continues. I think guaranteed livable income can create long-lasting positive effects for women and us all.”
The banner dropping on Denman was part of a province-wide day of action, led by the BC Women’s Alliance. Women dropped banners that demanded guaranteed livable income in locations across the province, including Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo, and Kelowna.
Last month, the Liberal Party endorsed a resolution calling on the federal government to develop and implement universal basic income.
According to Jacqueline Gullion, an organizer with BC Women’s Alliance, a return to the ‘old normal’ post-COVID will not be acceptable.
“As the federal and provincial governments plan for economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, we insist on women’s entitlement to better than a ‘return to normal’ since for many, the ‘old normal’ was based on economic and other inequalities of women, Indigenous people, and people of color,” she said. “Women require monumental, urgent change, including here in B.C. We have a chance to build a just future for women and for all, starting with a guaranteed livable income.”
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