| Office of Women's Social and Economic Opportunity | |
| Native Name: | Office de la condition féminine |
| Preceding1: | Ministry of the Status of Women |
| Preceding2: | Ontario Women's Directorate |
| Preceding3: | Office of Women's Issues |
| Preceding6: | --> |
| Headquarters: | 900 Bay Street Toronto, Ontario |
| Minister1 Name: | Charmaine Williams |
| Minister1 Pfo: | Associate Minister 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.
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 However, in June 1972, this Act was repealed, and its provisions were incorporated into the Ontario Human Rights Code.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.
Key:
| Portrait | Name | Term of office | Tenure | Political party (Ministry) | Note | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minister responsible for Women's Issues | PC (Davis) | ||||||
| Robert Welch | |||||||
| Dennis Timbrell | PC (Miller) | While Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing | |||||
| Ian Scott | Liberal (Peterson) | While Attorney General and Minister responsible for Native Affairs | |||||
| Greg Sorbara | |||||||
| Mavis Wilson | |||||||
| Anne Swarbrick | NDP (Rae) | ||||||
| Marion Boyd | 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 | (first instance) | PC (Harris) | While Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs | ||||
| Helen Johns | While Minister of Citizenship, Culture and Recreation & Minister Responsible for Seniors Affairs | ||||||
| Dianne Cunningham | (second instance) 6 years, 247 days in total | ||||||
| PC (Eves) | |||||||
| Sandra Pupatello | 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 | While Minister of Children and Youth Services | ||||||
| Laurel Broten | 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) | ||||||
| Liberal (Wynne) | While Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs | ||||||
| Teresa Piruzza | While Minister of Children and Youth Services | ||||||
| Tracy MacCharles | 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 | |||||||
| Indira Naidoo-Harris | Styled as Minister of Women's Issues until February 14, 2017 | ||||||
| Harinder Malhi | |||||||
| Minister responsible for Women's Issues | PC (Ford) | ||||||
| Lisa MacLeod | While Minister of Children, Community and Social Services | ||||||
| Associate Minister of Children and Women's Issues | |||||||
| Jill Dunlop | June 24, 2022 | 3 years and 4 days | |||||
| Associate Minister of Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity | |||||||
| Charmaine Williams | June 24, 2022 | Present | |||||