Thread by @gilmcgowan

Women and COVID: “Women at the front-lines have been under immense pressure from Day 1. From mothers and health-care workers, to teachers and grocery clerks, this last year has placed a disproportionate burden on women.” #IWD2021 #AbLeg #abpoli #cdnpoli calgaryherald.com/opinion/column…

In addition to being disproportionately represented in front line jobs, women have also suffered a disproportionate share of job losses. As a result of what economist @ArmineYalnizyan accurately calls the “she-cession” women in Alberta have lost 30 years of labour market gains.

https://twitter.com/armineyalnizyan/status/1368306577854377988

A new report shows that almost half a million women who last their jobs as a result of the pandemic still hadn’t returned to the workforce by January 1. 200,000 are now classified as “long-term unemployed.” thestar.com/business/2021/…

Why have women lost so many more jobs than men in the COVID recession? Partly, it’s because of the sectors that have been hardest hit by the pandemic. Take a look at this chart from Statistics Canada. Most sectors have recovered, but the ones that have not employ a lot of women.

Women have also dropped out of the labour force in MUCH, MUCH higher numbers than men to support children who have are attending classes virtually. The stress of juggling work & family has always fallen disproportionately on women; now it’s much worse. thetelegram.com/news/local/iwd…

This is why more & more people are acknowledging that child care needs to be looked at, in the words of Elizabeth Warren, as vital social infrastructure — which like other infrastructure needs to be provided by the state and funded collectively by taxes. cnn.com/videos/politic…

The good news is that, here in Canada, the federal govt appears to be listening. As a result of years of lobbying by many activists & groups, including the AFL, Fin. Minister @cafreeland today announced the creation of a Taskforce on Women & the economy. canada.ca/en/department-…

This high-powered taskforce, includes the amazing @ArmineYalnizyan (of “she-cession” fame); the great U of C economist @LindsayTedds; prominent labour/progressive activist @MornaBallantyne and the impressive BCNDP politician and leader Carol James (to name just a few).

We at the AFL are pumped to work with the federal govt on these initiatives — and determined to continue fighting the Kenney govt whose “complete lack of an intersectional gender lens when addressing COVID-19 has only made things worse,” @siobhanvipond afl.org/alberta_women_…