Thank you, and good morning, members of the committee.
My name is Charlotte Kiddell, and I am the deputy chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students. The federation is Canada's oldest and largest national student organization, representing over 650,000 college, undergraduate, and graduate students from coast to coast.
I'd like to start by thanking you for inviting me to present today. I'm here to discuss how improving access to post-secondary education can be used as a tool to improve the economic status of women. I believe that post-secondary education is one of the best ways to raise people out of poverty, but only if it is accessible. Any strategy that aims to strengthen women's economic security must address the inaccessibility of post-secondary education in Canada. The federal government is in a unique position to take bold action to make this a priority.
Today, the average student accumulates $28,000 in public student debt during a four-year degree. While Canada's post-secondary education system is publicly assisted, many students cannot afford the high up-front cost of tuition fees and end up paying more for their education than their counterparts who are able to pay up front. As I will explain, the negative effects of our current post-secondary education system are gendered.
Today, Canada ranks among the top countries for its proportion of citizens with post-secondary training. Since the 1990s, women have also made up the majority of students enrolled in college and undergraduate university programs. There is much to be proud of. It has been shown time and time again that higher levels of education drastically improve employment rates, and as a result, economic security. However, to develop an effective strategy to strengthen women's economic security, it is important to explore what is currently required to pursue post-secondary education in Canada.
As we have seen a decline in public funding for post-secondary education since the mid-1990s, costs have increasingly been downloaded onto students. In fact, the revenue generated by tuition fees in post-secondary institutions has tripled since 2001, and average tuition fees have reached $6,373 this year. As some form of post-secondary education is now required for 70% of new jobs in Canada, students who cannot afford the high up-front cost of tuition must incur life-impacting levels of debt.
Student debt is disproportionately a women's issue. Today, women account for 60% of Canada student loan recipients. This reliance on student loans is further intensified for women from marginalized communities, including racialized women, indigenous women, and women with disabilities. In this inequitable, debt-based model, women who must take out a $30,000 student loan to finance their education will pay $10,318 more over 10 years than a student who can afford the high up-front costs.
After receiving their diplomas, women are also disproportionately forced to rely on the repayment assistance program to pay back these loans. To qualify for the repayment assistance program, you must earn less than $25,000 per year. Today, 66% of repayment assistance users are women. There are a number of reasons for this higher usage. First, while women continue to be more likely than men to pursue post-secondary education, this has not resulted in higher salaries. Women working full-time continue to make on average 87 cents for every dollar that a male full-time worker earns. Second, Statistics Canada data shows that women continue to be more likely to be precariously employed than men, including taking on part-time positions or temporary contracts. In 2014, the number of women in involuntary part-time positions was nearly double that of men. This feminization of precarious labour has also impacted women who pursue graduate degrees. A 2016 survey of sessional instructors in Ontario found that 60% of contract faculty are women, and on average, they make less than $20,000 per year for this work.
When discussing women's participation in the labour market, it is also important to acknowledge the experiences of members of trans communities. A research project conducted in Ontario between 2006 and 2010 found that though 44% of respondents had a post-secondary education, the median income of respondents was $15,000 per year as a result of employment barriers and discrimination. A strategy to strengthen the economic security of women must address the experiences of trans women across Canada.
Because of massive debt and an unfavourable labour market that underpays women and favours precarious, underpaid, and even unpaid work, many graduates struggle to fully participate in the Canadian economy. The pressure to pay back loans can impact career choices and result in graduates finding themselves underemployed and outside of their field, living pay cheque to pay cheque.
Higher education alone is not an adequate solution to women's economic insecurity. As long as women must take on these high levels of debt to pursue post-secondary education, we won't be able to truly address the gendered effects of this inequitable system. To strengthen women's economic security, the federal government must make post-secondary education accessible to all. High-quality, accessible, and tuition-free education may seem like a pipe dream to some, but luckily students have developed a comprehensive plan for the federal government to make this a reality. This includes restoring federal transfers to provinces and territories, and developing a fifty-fifty cost-sharing model with the provinces and territories to eliminate tuition fees for all students. This plan is laid out in the federation's most recent lobby document, which I have copies of here.
Lastly, a strategy to strengthen the economic security of women must also address barriers women experience once they are on campus. A significant barrier to both accessing and succeeding in post-secondary institutions is the prevalence of sexual violence, including sexual assaults, sexual harassment, and gender-based violence. Studies show that one in five women will experience sexual violence during their time on campus. Most sexual assaults occur during the first eight weeks of the school year. This is a significant barrier to learning, as all students on campus must feel safe in order to succeed in their studies. This discussion on women's security must include a strategy to combat sexual violence.
Am I at seven minutes? I'm almost done.
While I am encouraged to see the strides being made in some provinces and the recommendations put forward by this standing committee, students will continue to call for the federal government to be bolder in its commitments to combat sexual violence on campuses across the country, calling for a strong national action plan that mandates participation at all levels of government.
Thank you for your time.