The federal government is giving $100 million to women’s organizations. Will it end the ‘shecession’?
Why It Matters
Experts say COVID-19 has set back progress on Canadian gender equity, from workforce participation to gendered violence and more. Meanwhile, the organizations meant to support women and change sexist systems are struggling themselves. A $100 million project-based fund is helpful, but is it enough?
The Liberal government’s newly announced $100 million Feminist Economic Response and Recovery Fund is a definite win for Canadian organizations supporting women and nonbinary people, says Anjum Sultana, director of public policy and communications at YWCA Canada, but it might not be enough — or structured in an optimal way — to dig the women’s rights and support sector out of COVID-19’s devastation.
What is the fund?
Announced February 11, the Feminist Economic Response and Recovery Fund will dole out a total of $100 million to organizations working on three key objectives: “economic security and prosperity” for women and girls, promoting women’s leadership, and “ending gender-based violence.”
The fund’s focus is on initiatives that aim to create systemic change, defined as addressing or removing “the root barriers pr
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