Mr. Speaker, the percentage of women in the labour force has been decreasing since 1990. Women between 15 and 24 are the main victims. The Minister of Human Resources Development claims that his Youth Service Corps will help turn the situation around by allowing participants to spend $2,000 on child care when this money has already been earmarked for other purposes.
This measure discriminates against women since it is primarily women who have custody of children and nearly 60 per cent of these women live below the poverty line. Without a specific program to help them find jobs or go back to school, these women will not be able to get out of this intolerable situation. What is the government waiting for when it should be formulating a job-creation policy that takes these women's reality into account?