EI was supposed to put money in the pockets of the unemployed so that they could continue buying to counter the effects of the downturn in the economy, as we all know. FAFIA submits that increasing women's access to EI benefits and increasing EI benefit rates will promote women's equality and their ability to contribute to their communities and local economies through increased purchasing power.
In 2008, the 52nd UN Commission on the Status of Women concluded that “investing in women and girls has a multiplier effect on productivity, efficiency, and sustained economic growth”.
FAFIA is also concerned about women's access to Service Canada. This is a pretty practical concern. In order to submit an EI claim when filing for the first time, claimants must either file in person at a Service Canada office or apply online. While we recognize that Minister Finley has recently announced a commitment of $60 million to increase administrative capacity of the EI program, we would also ask that consideration be taken to serve those who do not have Internet access or do not live near a Service Canada centre. Since most rural and remote communities do not have public transit, it can be very difficult to get to the nearest Service Canada centre. Those people who do not have access to a vehicle--in most cases women, because of their traditionally lower incomes--have to rely on others for transportation; as well, if they don't have Internet access, then of course they can't make their initial claim online.
I take as an example a woman I know well from my home community in rural Nova Scotia. She had no Internet access at home. Also--and I don't want to be ageist--she is an older woman and did not know how to file her claim online. In order to file her EI claim, she had to drive 40 kilometres to the nearest Service Canada centre. Luckily she had her own car. If she hadn't, she would have had to rely on the goodwill of others, because there is no public transit in her community, and normally taxis can be very costly in rural communities, if they're available.
Once she arrived at the Service Canada centre, she was directed to their computers. The agents there offered her no assistance because everything has to be done online. Luckily a fellow claimant offered assistance. This was a stranger.
This is not a system that should be based on goodwill; rather, it should be based on service, as the name of the program would imply. The services must be made more accessible to claimants. The woman in Nova Scotia, as well as many others in her community and in communities across Canada, can be better served by taking a more proactive approach in reaching them. This is as basic as having part-time people working in communities to help people file their claims. It is taking a more practical approach to ensure more people are reached.
As well, I want to underline the fact that access to affordable, accessible child care is a real benefit to women's economic security, as well as to their ability to participate fully in the paid workforce and to be eligible for EI benefits should they lose their jobs.
The five recommendations that we'd like to put forward are joint recommendations from FAFIA and CRIAW.
We would like to see an elimination of the two-week waiting period before people receive their benefits.
We would like to lower the eligibility requirement to 360 hours, regardless of region, and I understand that other witnesses before the committee have made the same recommendation, as our sister organizations have.
As a starting step, we would like to see the benefit level increased. We recommend 60% of wages over the best 12 weeks of employment; however, some of our sister organizations are recommending higher replacement rates, and we would certainly agree with that.
We would like to see the number of weeks for recipients to receive EI increased to 50 weeks. This increase would reduce the number of the exhaustees who may have to turn to social assistance for support should they not find replacement employment, which is very likely in this economic downturn.
As well, as per CEDAW recommendations delivered in November 2008 to Canada, we would like to see social assistance rates increased across the country to adequately meet the needs of low-income Canadians, namely women, to meet the real costs of their food, housing, and clothing.
Thank you very much.