Financial toxicity is a huge burden that anyone already going through a cancer diagnosis shouldn't have to face. For women, I think it's particularly important. Because of socially constructed roles, they may already be at higher risk of losing their livelihoods, of being underpaid and of being unemployed.
Deep consideration is needed into what their financial situation is already, and then, if we top that up with a cancer diagnosis, what does it look like? We have experiences of cancer patients who have shared that “we're precariously employed” or “we have contract jobs”, and I think the contingent labour market is one that is on the rise. That disproportionately affects women.
It's about due consideration in terms of how the employment structures are set up and the financial implications for women when they are faced with a cancer diagnosis. Does that mean they are left unemployed? Does that mean they do not have benefits, which, as we discussed earlier, are needed to access the support services they need for a good quality of care, treatment and survival?
The employment insurance sickness benefit is one that I have studied particularly. In terms of the 15 weeks, if I can quote one of the patients in the study, “It's like a slap in my face.” It does an absolute disservice to their quality of life given that cancer treatment is not for 15 weeks. It is at least 26 weeks of treatment followed by a year of recovery. That means supporting them through that journey with financial means so that they are not having to pick and choose between medicine, gas and food, or making sure that they have a good pathway to return to good employment that supports them financially—and with benefits—as they recover.