B.C. premier says 'we've still got work to do' on International Women's Day

On International Women's Day, B.C. Premier David Eby says his government still has "work to do" on achieving gender equity in the province.

Speaking alongside a panel of women Friday, Eby said the province has been working tirelessly to implement supports for women to access reproductive health services and get out of situations of intimate partner violence.

“Our province is far from perfect," the premier said. "One of the things I was thinking of was the explosion of gender-based violence we saw during the pandemic.”

Joining Eby, panelist Dalya Israel, executive director of Salal Sexual Violence Support Centre, acknowledged the work his government has done for victims, but said it isn’t enough.

“Our waitlist is back up to two-and-a-half years," she said. "It is true and I think the province has been working hard to bolster some of those services, but I have been starting to describe the need as a bit of a fire hose.”

Eby says his government has invested $29 million to support women experiencing intimate partner violence to receive legal aid. When asked about funding for organizations on the ground, he referred to Israel to answer the question.

"Some of the plans that have been put in the national action plan are super important, but we are going to have to start looking at not just the Band-Aid solution, but what happens further upstream,” she said.

She pointed to prevention and changing of attitudes to be able to achieve safety for victims of violence.

On the health-care front, Eby touted the recent announcement of provincial coverage of in-vitro fertilization services starting in April of 2025 as well as cuts to child-care costs by up to $900 a month.

He also noted it has been one year since the province introduced free birth control.