policy

The House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women invites the public to submit written briefs for the Committee’s study on The Economic Security of Women in Canada. The Committee will be examining how to improve women’s economic security and ensure the equal participation of women in the Canadian economy. The Committee will examine:

• the factors contributing to the higher incidence of poverty among women than men;
• the elements that influence women’s income, including the gender pay gap and occupational segregation;
• the effect of unpaid care work, as well as part-time and precarious work, on women’s economic security;
• the effect on women’s economic wellbeing of federal income security programs, such as Employment Insurance and the Working Income Tax Benefit; and
• the measures and strategies that can be used to increase women’s entry, participation, retention and representation in economic leadership positions. These positions include those in the private and public sectors, on corporate boards, and in the sphere of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The Committee requests that the submission of written briefs focus on the aforementioned topics and that the briefs include specific recommendations on how the federal government can improve women’s economic security and leadership in Canada. The deadline for the Committee to receive written briefs from the public, in either official language, is Wednesday, March 15, 2017.

Briefs should not exceed two pages in length (approximately 1000 words). Briefs should be sent electronically to the Committee Clerk at FEWO@parl.gc.ca or submitted online through the Committee’s website. Please see the Guide for Submitting Briefs to House of Commons Committees for further information.

Selected individuals and organizations may be invited by the Committee to provide additional information following their initial briefs. The Committee looks forward to hearing from Canadians on this important topic. The Committee will release a final report, with recommendations, that will propose steps the federal government could take to improve women’s economic security in Canada and ensure their equal participation in the Canadian economy.