Women in the 2012 Alternative Budget

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This month the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) released its Alternative Federal Budget 2012: A Budget for the Rest of Us.

This year’s Alternative Federal Budget (AFB) talks about investment in public programs, job creation, and infrastructure that would  benefit all Canadians and still balance the books.

The CCPA’s budget has a significant portion focussing on health and the health care system and the effects of poverty on health, noting that, “Greater investment in the determinants of health can also produce healthier citizens, more able to contribute to their maximum potential.”

The AFB also talks about how women are still lagging behind men economically, and how gender-based violence has significant negative impacts on the economy.

Here are some of the comments on how women and girls fare in Canada: 

“The Canadian gender pay gap is now the fifth-largest among twenty-two OECD countries. In Canada, women with full-time jobs earn 23% less than men.”

“The World Health Organization and other national health agencies, including Health Canada and the Centers for Disease Control have demonstrated that gender-based violence has a significant negative impact on the economy.” 

“Canada cannot afford to leave women out of its recovery strategy. Nor can the budget fail to address the shameful levels of violence and poverty experienced by women and girls in Canada because they are women and girls.”

The complete budget document and two-page summary are available on CCPA’s website in both English and French.