Blog

Support for women critical to Canada’s economic recovery Saturday, September 12, 2020

The Cambridge Chamber of Commerce and Ontario Chamber of Commerce have released The She-Covery Project: Confronting the Gendered Economic Impacts of COVID-19 in Ontario.   This policy brief lays out a path to Ontario’s economic recovery offering practical recommendations to confront both immediate and longer-term challenges faced by women.   “With women’s labour force participation at a record low, decades of progress towards gender equality are at stake,” said Rocco Rossi, President and CEO, Ontario Chamber of Commerce. “This is not only a watershed moment for women but for Ontario’s economy and society more broadly, as women’s participation in the labour market is a precondition to its fulsome economic recovery and future prosperity.”   “The economic impacts of the pandemic were direct and immediate for women in Ontario,” said Cambridge Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Greg Durocher. “Temporary business shutdowns during the state of emergency most severely affected sectors that predominantly employ women. Restrictions on schools and paid child-care facilities have shifted additional hours of unpaid family care onto parents, and this work has largely been taken up by mothers.”   Major takeaways from the report include: Leadership and accountability begin with a commitment from stakeholders to set collective targets, reward diversity, include women in decision-making bodies, and apply a gender and diversity lens to their strategies, policies, and programs for recovery. Child care requires a short-term strategy to weather the pandemic and longer-term, system-wide reforms to improve accessibility and affordability. Workforce development initiatives should focus on defining critical skills, accelerating women’s reskilling, and ensuring their skills are utilized – with a focus on increasing their participation in skilled trade, technology, and engineering roles in fast-growing sectors. Entrepreneurship should be understood as a pathway to economic growth, and an inclusive ecosystem is critical to supporting women entrepreneurs. Flexible work arrangements are one way to level the playing field for women and improve organizational outcomes.   For more, see the report at:  https://occ.ca/wp-content/uploads/OCC-shecovery-final.pdf

Posted By: Brian Rodnick at 11:35 AM

Comment on this post: add a comment

Share and Subscribe:

Tags: The Chamber Cambridge Chamber of Commerce Success Ontario Chamber of Commerce Blog Canada Ontario Leadership Economy Growth Education Personal Growth strong economy

Contributors

Latest Posts

Show All Recent Posts

Archive

Tags

Everything Manufacturing Cambridge Events Spectrum New Members Taxes Region of Waterloo The Chamber Property Taxes Government Waste Cambridge Chamber of Commerce Networking Success Di Pietro Ontario Chamber of Commerce Greg Durocher Scott Bridger Food Blog Canada Ontario Cambridge Memorial Hospital Business After Hours Discounts Member Benefits Affinity Program Web Development Visa, MasterCard, Debit Big Bold Ideas Politics Elections Municipal Provincial NDP Liberals PC Vote Majority Christmas Homeless Leadership Oil Sands Environment Rail Pipelines Keystone Canadian Oil Canadian Chamber of Commerce Small Business Next Generation Cyber Security Millennials Energy Trump Washington Polls US Congress Bresiteers Trade NAFTA Europe Economy Growth Export Minimum Wage 15 dollars Bill 148 Cost Burdens Loss of Jobs Investing Finance Canada Capital Gains Exemption Tax Proposal MIddle Class Member of Parliment Unfair Changes Small Business Tax Fairness COVID-19 Mental Health Self-isolation Social Distancing Ways to Wellbeing Education Conestoga College Online Training Business Owners Personal Growth Communicate Young Professionals Workplace Communication Stress Emotionally and Physically Animals Pets Lockdown CEWS Employee Relief Employee Benefit Cambridge 50th Anniversary Celebrating Cambridge ToBigToIgnore Small Business Week Support Local Buy Local Business Support Waterloo Kitchener YouGottaShopHereWR Responsibility Culture Workplace Antiracist Inclusion Diversity Racism Federal Election Services Autonmy Professional Salary Wages CERB Workers Jobs Guidelines Health and Safety Etiquette Fun Inperson Members Golf Tournament GolfClassic Business Business Trends Home and Garden Garden Pools Home Improvements Backyarding Renos Summer Airlines Business Travel Bad Reviews Reviews Consumers Competition Bureau Dining Out Expert Advice Outdoors Economicrecovery BBQ Vaccines Community vaccinations Conferences Virtual Visitors Sportsandrecreation Spinoff Screening Kits Tourism Trends Productivity Engagement Remote working EmploymentStandardsAct Employees Employers Policies Employment Contracts Legal Public Health Virtual Ceremonies SMEs Health Canada Prevention Rapid Screening Health Entrepreneurs Building social networks Storytelling Video The She-Covery Project Child Care Workplaces Contact Tracing Time Management Pre-Budget Modernization Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) Budget Ontario’s Action Plan: Protect, Support, Recover Federal Government Hotels and Restaurants Alcohol Tax Freezethealcoholtax Canadian Destinations Travel Grow your business Sales and Marketing Digital Restructure Financing Structural Regulatory Alignment Technological Hardware Digital Modernization RAP (Recovery Activiation Program) Support business strong economy Shop Cambridge Shop Local #CanadaUnited Domestic Abuse Family Funerals Weddings Counselling Anxiety Pandemic Getting Back to Work UV disinfection systems Disinfection Systems