Impact on women

Only 32% of unemployed women qualify for Employment Insurance (EI) benefits. The key reason is that the program doesn’t recognize that women have different patterns of paid work than men — because of their family responsibilities.  Furthermore, women are a lot less likely to have a workplace pension plan or private savings to rely on. For most retired women, OAS and GIS benefits are their sole source of income but the rates just are not high enough to maintain a decent standard of living.

Women are more vulnerable to the effects of an economic downturn. The majority of working women are in the unpaid informal economy and insecure forms of employment with lower earnings. That’s why in times of economic upheaval women often experience the negative consequences more rapidly and are slower to enjoy the benefits of recovery.

What initiatives do you think would help further women's economic equality and provide support during tough times?