One-Third of Canadian Women Consider Quitting Jobs and The She-Covery Project in Ontario
“A landmark national survey shows a third of Canadian women have considered quitting their jobs to take care of home responsibilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conducted by Pollara Strategic Insights in partnership with The Prosperity Project, the cross-country survey of more than 1,000 adults found two-thirds of respondents – working men and women – agreeing that it has been stressful managing children, family and work during the lockdown. However, a third of women have considered quitting their jobs, compared to less than 20% of men.”
“‘We need collective strategies and actions to address the pressures that are forcing so many women to think about leaving the workforce,’ said Pamela Jeffery, founder of The Prosperity Project – a volunteer organization created to ensure Canadian women are not left behind in the COVID-19 recovery. ‘Many families are dual-income and if that changes, the economic consequences will be catastrophic.’ This research, Jeffery notes, confirms the critical importance of childcare – a key focus of The Prosperity Project’s national policy advocacy efforts.”
The Prosperity Project, September 10, 2020: “One-third of Canadian women consider quitting jobs,” by Kanishka Punjabi
CTV News, September 12, 2019: “One-third of working moms mulled quitting their jobs due to COVID-19: survey,” by Erica Alini
CBC News, September 13, 2020: “What is a woman's work worth? Pandemic deals 'enormous setback' to equality in workforce, says freelancer, by Joanne Seiff
RBC Economics, July 16, 2020: “Pandemic threatens decades of women’s labour force gains” (5 pages, PDF)
The Prosperity Project website
The Prosperity Project Initiatives: “The Prosperity Project™ is developing 5 important initiatives to ensure women are not forgotten during the pandemic – and are not left behind when we recover. These range from helping non-profit organizations that focus on women meet funding challenges to creating a new household spending index to highlight spending patterns, and illuminate the role women play, and the confidence they have, in Canada’s economy. You are invited to join us.”
“Hey students, want to make a difference?: We’re looking for students to volunteer and help support the work we are doing. Interested?” Then send your resumé to: [email protected]
Tackling the She-Cession Critical to Canada’s Economic Recovery
“The COVID-19 crisis is having a disproportionate economic impact on women, with women’s labour participation rate falling to its lowest in 30 years. Existing systemic inequalities have been further exacerbated by recent shut-down measures, resulting in what some economists are calling a “she-cession,” as more women have lost their jobs and fewer women than men are re-gaining employment. As schools begin to reopen, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce releases its latest report, The She-Covery Project: Confronting the Gendered Economic Impacts of COVID-19 in Ontario. This brief lays out a path to Ontario’s “she-covery” by offering practical recommendations to confront both immediate and longer-term challenges.“
Ontario Chamber of Commerce, September 9, 2020: “The She-Covery Project: Confronting the Gendered Economic Impacts of COVID-19 in Ontario,” by Claudia Dessanti Senior Policy Analyst (40 pages, PDF)
