Thank you, Madam Chair.
I want to thank the witnesses for being here this morning. It's very worthwhile to hear about the position of women in the economy. I'm convinced that the economic recovery must be feminist, because the pandemic has disproportionately affected women. It's a matter of mathematics. Women have been more affected, so more measures must be identified to encourage them to return to their position.
I don't know where to start, but I'll speak to you, Mr. McCreadie. Do women encounter any specific challenges in their search for funding? We're hearing more and more about the importance of setting up specific programs for women entrepreneurs, so for women's entrepreneurship.
How has the funding of women-owned businesses been particularly affected by COVID-19, and how were some emergency programs inadequate during the pandemic? For example, many women entrepreneurs were unable to access the Canada Emergency Business Account for the reasons that you identified. These are often very small businesses.
How can the Canadian government ensure that women, in their search for funding, receive assistance to overcome these additional challenges?