Nearly five million people in Canada currently live in poverty. The federal government committed to tackling this unacceptable reality in 2018 in Canada’s first ever Poverty Reduction Strategy, which aims to reduce poverty by 50% by 2030. In 2019, the government passed several historic pieces of legislation on poverty reduction, affordable housing and disability rights. In December, the government promised to implement national pharmacare, which would help women, who are more likely to be in jobs without drug coverage, afford essential medication.
Women with disabilities are two times more likely than able-bodied women to experience domestic violence, violent crime and sexual assault. The federal and provincial governments must provide more stable funding for women’s shelters so to help them invest in accessibility.
Canada’s new Anti-Racism Strategy was launched in June 2019 and outlines $45 million of existing, redirected and new federal funding for various initiatives under the banner of anti-racism. Black women are disproportionately affected by poverty, with poverty rates two times higher than white women. While Canada has made some efforts to promote inclusion and diversity in employment, it needs more intentional measures to recognize and combat anti-Black racism specifically.
