Inroduction
In January, Oxfam revealed that 2 billionaires own more wealth than the bottom 30% of the Canadian population. Rising economic inequality has the most negative consequences for women, who continue to make up the majority of the world’s poor. Around the world, and in Canada, women make up the vast majority of the lowest-paid workers, many in jobs that offer minimal security and physical safety. We therefore call for progress in the following 5 areas.
1. The Government must ensure women make living wages
2. The Government should make pay equity a priority
3. The Government must comprehensively address violence against women
4. The Government must invest in the care economy
5. Addressing women’s economic insecurity requires domestic and global leadership
We are calling on the government to seriously consider corporate accountability as part of its feminist agenda and commission a study to look at specific ways in which the government can move forward in this area. We are also calling on the government of Canada to gradually increase its international assistance envelope to meet the UN target of 0.7% and invest 20% of all Canadian aid to advancing women’s rights and gender equality, including women’s labour rights and economic empowerment.