Oxfam Canada welcomes commitments to feminist green recovery in Throne Speech
OTTAWA – Oxfam Canada applauds the government’s commitments to an intersectional feminist and green response to COVID-19 in the latest Throne Speech. Some of the major highlights include:
- The promise to establish a pan-Canadian childcare system, and investing in the care sector through providing more accessible long-term care solutions for seniors and supporting care workers
- An Action Plan for Women in the Economy that recognizes the disproportionate impact of the economic crisis on women
- A national action pan on gender-based violence, including a specific call to action to accelerate the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
- Investing in more overseas development assistance to support COVID-19 recovery in the Global South
- Tackling systemic racism by redoubling the efforts of Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy and introducing justice-sector reforms
- Tackling climate change by exceeding Canada’s 2030 climate goal and legislating net-zero emissions by 2050
Diana Sarosi, Director of Policy & Campaigns at Oxfam Canada said:
“The throne speech recognized the disproportionate impacts of the pandemic on women, racialized and Indigenous communities, and those living in the Global South, and the need for targeted action. COVID-19 has laid bare the inequalities shaping our societies and structures, but also opens up the opportunity for transformation. The commitments made lay the path for a just feminist green recovery towards a more equal, sustainable and inclusive future. We now need to see the necessary investments in the next federal budget to ensure these commitments are fully implemented, but also greater engagement with the feminist movement to ensure policies are grounded in the realities of women in all their diversity.”
Oxfam sent a letter to the Prime Minister in advance of the speech highlighting key priorities for a feminist green recovery.
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