Format:
Report
Publication Date:
23 May 2006
AVAILABILITY
See description field below.
Excerpts from press release from Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action (FAFIA) and National Association of Women and the Law:
In Concluding Observations released yesterday in Geneva, the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights expressed great concern about persistently high rates of poverty among women, Aboriginal peoples, African Canadians, people with disabilities, youth and single mothers. The Committee reviewed Canada's 4th and 5th periodic reports on its compliance with the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights during its 36th session, which ended in Geneva on Friday.
"The Committee concluded that Canada is failing to fulfill the rights in the Covenant, including the right to an adequate standard of living, despite Canada's wealth and economic prosperity," said Shelagh Day, who was at the review to represent FAFIA, a broad alliance of women's and human rights groups, and the National Association of Women and the Law. "The Committee is also concerned that Canada's human rights deficiencies have a discriminatory impact on the women who are already significantly disadvantaged."
"The Committee has made important recommendations to Canada. If implemented, these steps would immeasurably improve women's lives," said Day. These include:
…
- Establishing social assistance rates at levels that provide a decent standard of living;
- Stopping the clawback of the National Child Benefit Supplement from families on social assistance, the majority of whom are single mother-led families;
- Supporting adequate child care services.
- Increasing minimum wages throughout Canada to a level enabling workers and their families to enjoy a decent standard of living;
- Providing effective access to employment insurance benefits, unionization and labour standards protections for workers in the precarious, low-wage sector, who are predominantly women;
- Eliminating exploitation of women domestic workers admitted to Canada under the federal Live-In Caregiver Program;
- Ensuring that in all jurisdictions women are paid equal pay for work of equal value in both the public and private sectors;
- Providing greater access to Employment Insurance benefits and improved benefit levels to all unemployed workers.
…
Documents:
- Complete text of press release in html
- FAFIA and the National Association of Women and the Law made a joint submission to the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. This submission available in pdf.
- UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights report in pdf
In Concluding Observations released yesterday in Geneva, the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights expressed great concern about persistently high rates of poverty among women, Aboriginal peoples, African Canadians, people with disabilities, youth and single mothers. The Committee reviewed Canada's 4th and 5th periodic reports on its compliance with the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights during its 36th session, which ended in Geneva on Friday.
"The Committee concluded that Canada is failing to fulfill the rights in the Covenant, including the right to an adequate standard of living, despite Canada's wealth and economic prosperity," said Shelagh Day, who was at the review to represent FAFIA, a broad alliance of women's and human rights groups, and the National Association of Women and the Law. "The Committee is also concerned that Canada's human rights deficiencies have a discriminatory impact on the women who are already significantly disadvantaged."
"The Committee has made important recommendations to Canada. If implemented, these steps would immeasurably improve women's lives," said Day. These include:
…
- Establishing social assistance rates at levels that provide a decent standard of living;
- Stopping the clawback of the National Child Benefit Supplement from families on social assistance, the majority of whom are single mother-led families;
- Supporting adequate child care services.
- Increasing minimum wages throughout Canada to a level enabling workers and their families to enjoy a decent standard of living;
- Providing effective access to employment insurance benefits, unionization and labour standards protections for workers in the precarious, low-wage sector, who are predominantly women;
- Eliminating exploitation of women domestic workers admitted to Canada under the federal Live-In Caregiver Program;
- Ensuring that in all jurisdictions women are paid equal pay for work of equal value in both the public and private sectors;
- Providing greater access to Employment Insurance benefits and improved benefit levels to all unemployed workers.
…
Documents:
- Complete text of press release in html
- FAFIA and the National Association of Women and the Law made a joint submission to the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. This submission available in pdf.
- UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights report in pdf