Status of Women committee  Exactly.

Status of Women committee  I hope that the help provided women will improve, precisely because I wish to work as long as possible. Given my condition, I must make choices, but I want to continue working. We need more normal avenues than a reduction in the number of hours or of the waiting period if we want to have a life.

Status of Women committee  There may be some people who chose to just sit around, but that is not my case.That is not what most women choose. I did not choose to stay at home; I had no choice. I became an informal care giver because of the monetary aspect, but I do not believe that people choose to stay at home and sit around.

Status of Women committee  Probably. When I received the medical papers, I applied for a program which I think was tied to employment insurance. The purpose of this program was to help people with an illness find a new job. Things dragged on because the people in charge had to wait to get their grants, and this and that.

Status of Women committee  Thank you.

Status of Women committee  My name is Micheline Dépatie, and I am from Saint-Hyacinthe, in Quebec. I am single. I have been in the labour market since the age of 15. Among other things, I worked 39 hours a week for 25 years in a grocery store. We went through a labour dispute following a management demand that we be available seven days and seven evenings, without any guaranteed number of hours.