Thank you very much. On behalf of Every Woman’s Centre, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to present this brief to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance.
As a women’s centre, we are very interested in the education and employment opportunities for women and adolescent girls. In our capacity as a women’s centre, we see hundreds of women who are struggling to make ends meet for their families in a system that does not provide the necessary tools to seek meaningful employment or to further their education.
Geographically, the area we serve is Cape Breton Island, which is made up of a small declining urban population, a large rural area, as well as coastal communities. The area has many social and economic problems, such as unemployment—as noted further in the brief, our unemployment rate has reached as high as 17.3%—a lack of adequate and affordable housing, poverty, out-migration, an aging population, a lack of resources for adequate health care, and little or no transportation. Those are just some of the issues we face. We are particularly concerned about the persistence of poverty.
I will move ahead to our recommendations so that I have a chance to get them in.
Our first recommendation is that the federal government adopt a national poverty reduction strategy, recognizing that poverty reduction is not just the responsibility of any one political party. A national poverty reduction strategy is the responsibility of the Government of Canada and must be endorsed by all political parties through legislation. Any framework for poverty reduction should outline action plans, timelines, and measured outcomes with a reporting-back system to the people of Canada in a timely manner. It should be developed in full consultation with those who are living in poverty.
The development of a national poverty reduction strategy must consider the specific needs of women who are living in rural communities and should involve two major areas--namely, adequately meeting people’s basic needs and supporting people’s efforts to develop their skills and capacities by providing the necessary tools so that they are able to fully participate in community life.
Recommendation two is that any moneys provided by the federal government to stimulate the economy be viewed through a gender lens. The millions of dollars that have been announced through the stimulus package offer very few opportunities for women. Most of the money is designated for building infrastructure. It is well known that only about 7% of women work in construction and non-traditional jobs.
We have more women working in low-income jobs who are paid to be poor. Their wages don’t allow them to look after their basic needs or those of their families. Poverty is not just about welfare; it is about creating sustainable employment so that those who work are not poor.
Money should be spent to help create job opportunities, which in turn will boost spending. By putting money in the pockets of low-income families, we are assured that the money will be spent to buy the necessities, not invested in offshore businesses.
For women to take advantage of employment opportunities, there needs to be meaningful training offered in their home communities and then jobs available where they can use this training. There needs to be an integrated, multi-dimensional approach to providing training programs that focus on community development.
The third recommendation is that a national housing strategy be developed that is adequately funded to build homes and to build community capacity. Based on Statistics Canada data, Canada Mortgage and Housing reports that 15% of households in Nova Scotia are in core housing need. This means that 52,000 households in Nova Scotia experience housing issues related to affordability, sustainability, and adequacy.
Current affordable housing programs do not reach people in the greatest need. Owning your own home is simply out of reach for the many thousands of families who are living with low income, and this is especially true for lone-parent families headed by women. Banks and mortgage companies refuse to lend money for housing to low-income women. Those who manage to save enough money for a down payment are still unable to purchase a home because of the closing costs associated with the purchase. These costs are not included in the mortgage.
The revitalization of the housing market could be a great boon to the economy. Trades training programs and a government guarantee for loans could be directed to women, who are then able to form cooperatives to build and repair homes in their communities. The benefits of owning your own home, as opposed to spending a lifetime paying rent to a landlord, are immeasurable.
I have not been able to attach a financial figure to any of these recommendations, but I do see the costs associated with not providing adequate resources to families, through health care costs, the justice department, and mental health and addiction services.
I welcome any questions. Thank you.