Thank you for giving me the floor.
I would like to table a motion. Personally and on behalf of the NDP, I would like to remind the committee that it is our duty to ensure that government policies are fair and equitable for all Canadians. I would also like to remind everyone that the Standing Committee on the Status of Women must always have the status of Canadian women at the heart of our concerns.
A recent study, which concerns me greatly, states that the employment insurance reform will penalize even more women than men. The numbers are clear. In the early 1990s, 95% of unemployed individuals received employment insurance benefits. In 2010, 66% of men who lost their jobs received benefits, while only 54.7% of women did.
The situation is expected to worsen with the introduction of the current reform. The difference compared with the situation in the 1990s is 12%.
The members of this committee must recognize that Canadian women earn less than men. Immigrant women and women belonging to visible minorities are disproportionately represented in low-quality jobs. Women make up two-thirds of people working part time. They are often concentrated in vulnerable and seasonal employment sectors.
With a view to fostering a better match between good, well-paying jobs and women able to work, while ensuring better economic growth and optimal conditions for ensuring that Canadian women are reaching their full potential on the labour market, personally and on behalf of the NDP, I would like to table the following motion:
That the Committee conduct a study, following the current study, on the impacts of Employment Insurance reform implemented in spring 2012, on women's social and economic situations and particularly on immigrant women, aboriginal women, part-time workers and single parents.
Madam Chair, thank you for giving me this time. I will give Ms. Ashton the floor later.