# Office of Women's Social and Economic Opportunity

The Office of Women's Social and Economic Opportunity, formerly the Ministry of the Status of Women (French: Ministère de la Condition féminine, between 2017 and 2018), Ontario Women's Directorate (French: Direction générale de la condition féminine de l'Ontario, prior to 2017) and Office of Women's Issues(French: Office de la condition féminine), between 2018 and 2022 is an office within the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services in the province of Ontario, responsible for women's issues including violence against women and economic inequality.
It is overseen by the Associate Minister of Women's Social and Economic Opportunity, a member of the Executive Council of Ontario (provincial cabinet). The current minister is Charmaine Williams, appointed in June 2022.

## History

The Women's Bureau was created in 1963 in the Department of Labour to foster fuller utilization of the female labour force. In December 1970, the Bureau was given responsibility for administering the Women's Equal Employment Opportunities Act. However, in June 1972, this Act was repealed, and its provisions were incorporated into the Ontario Human Rights Code.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 in 1972. Late in 1973, a Women's Program Division was created within the Ministry of Labour, and the Women's Bureau was transferred back to the labour ministry. In 1978, the Women's Program Division was disbanded, and the Bureau reported directly to the Deputy Minister of Labour.
The Ontario Women's Directorate was established by Premier Bill Davis in 1983, with the appointment of Deputy Premier Bob Welch as the inaugural Minister Responsible for Women's Issues. Glenna Carr was appointed as the first executive director of the Directorate. The Women's Bureau was transferred to the Directorate, and was eventually fully absorbed by the Directorate.
In January 2017, the Directorate was elevated by Ontario's first female Premier Kathleen Wynne to a new stand-alone ministry called the Ministry of the Status of Women, with a dedicated full minister titled Minister of the Status of Women. However, this elevated status was short-lived. In June 2018, Premier Doug Ford downgraded the ministry back to non-portfolio responsibilities, overseen by first the Minister Responsible for Women's Issues, then the Associate Minister of Children and Women's Issues and now the Associate Minister of Women's Social and Economic Opportunity.

## List of ministers

Key:
| | Portrait | Name | Term of office | Term of office | Tenure | Political party (Ministry) | Note |
| | Minister responsible for Women's Issues | Minister responsible for Women's Issues | Minister responsible for Women's Issues | Minister responsible for Women's Issues | Minister responsible for Women's Issues | PC (Davis) | |
| | | Robert Welch | May 17, 1983 | February 8, 1985 | 1 year, 267 days | While Deputy Premier |
| | | Dennis Timbrell | February 8, 1985 | June 26, 1985 | 138 days | PC (Miller) | While Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing |
| | | Ian Scott | June 26, 1985 | September 29, 1987 | 2 years, 95 days | Liberal (Peterson) | While Attorney General and Minister responsible for Native Affairs |
| | | Greg Sorbara | September 29, 1987 | August 2, 1989 | 1 year, 307 days | While Minister of Labour |
| | | Mavis Wilson | August 2, 1989 | October 1, 1990 | 1 year, 60 days | |
| | | Anne Swarbrick | October 1, 1990 | September 11, 1991 | 345 days | NDP (Rae) | |
| | | Marion Boyd | September 11, 1991 | June 26, 1995 | 3 years, 288 days | NDP (Rae) | While Minister of Education (until October 15, 1991), Minister of Community and Social Services (October 15, 1991 to February 3, 1993) and Minister of Justice and Attorney General (from February 3, 1993) |
| | | Dianne Cunningham | June 26, 1995 | June 17, 1999 | 3 years, 356 days (first instance) | PC (Harris) | While Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs |
| | | Helen Johns | June 17, 1999 | February 7, 2001 | 1 year, 235 days | PC (Harris) | While Minister of Citizenship, Culture and Recreation & Minister Responsible for Seniors Affairs |
| | | Dianne Cunningham | February 8, 2001 | April 14, 2002 | 2 years, 256 days (second instance) 6 years, 247 days in total | PC (Harris) | While Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities |
| | | Dianne Cunningham | April 15, 2002 | October 22, 2003 | 2 years, 256 days (second instance) 6 years, 247 days in total | PC (Eves) | While Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities |
| | | Sandra Pupatello | October 23, 2003 | October 30, 2007 | 4 years, 7 days | Liberal (McGuinty) | While Minister of Community and Social Services (until April 5, 2006), Minister of Education (April 5, 2006 to September 18, 2006), Minister of Economic Development and Trade (from September 16, 2006) |
| | | Deb Matthews | October 30, 2007 | October 7, 2009 | 1 year, 342 days | While Minister of Children and Youth Services |
| | | Laurel Broten | October 7, 2009 | February 11, 2013 | 3 years, 268 days | While Minister of Children and Youth Services (until October 20, 2011), Minister of Education (from October 20, 2011) and Interim Minister of Children and Youth Services (from November 13, 2012) |
| February 11, 2013 | | Laurel Broten | July 2, 2013 | Liberal (Wynne) | 3 years, 268 days | While Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs |
| | | Teresa Piruzza | July 2, 2013 | June 24, 2014 | 357 days | While Minister of Children and Youth Services |
| | | Tracy MacCharles | June 24, 2014 | January 12, 2017 | 2 years, 202 days | While Minister of Children and Youth Services (until June 13, 2016), Minister Responsible for Accessibility (from June 13, 2016) |
| | Minister of the Status of Women | Minister of the Status of Women | Minister of the Status of Women | Minister of the Status of Women | Minister of the Status of Women | |
| | | Indira Naidoo-Harris | January 12, 2017 | January 17, 2018 | 1 year, 5 days | Styled as Minister of Women's Issues until February 14, 2017 |
| | | Harinder Malhi | January 17, 2018 | June 29, 2018 | 163 days | |
| | Minister responsible for Women's Issues | Minister responsible for Women's Issues | Minister responsible for Women's Issues | Minister responsible for Women's Issues | Minister responsible for Women's Issues | PC (Ford) | |
| | | Lisa MacLeod | June 29, 2018 | June 20, 2019 | 356 days | While Minister of Children, Community and Social Services |
| Associate Minister of Children and Women's Issues | Associate Minister of Children and Women's Issues | Associate Minister of Children and Women's Issues | Associate Minister of Children and Women's Issues | Associate Minister of Children and Women's Issues | Associate Minister of Children and Women's Issues | |
| | | Jill Dunlop | June 20, 2019 | June 24, 2022 | 3 years and 4 days | |
| Associate Minister of Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity ||||||
| | | Charmaine Williams | June 24, 2022 | Present | 2 years, 242 days |