International Women’s Day 2011

It’s International Women’s Day. A time to reflect on how far we have come and to look at where we still need to go. There will be many articles and tributes to significant women in the news today. But there are many more women who will not make the news because their contribution is not deemed news worthy. They are often heroes only to their own families. And even then they are not always given the recognition and appreciation that they are due. Single mothers struggling to raise their children with dignity. Mothers trying to balance work and family. Daughters, granddaughters and nieces caring for aging relatives. Over 40 years ago, the Royal Commission on the Status of Women recommended a national childcare program. Today availability of regulated childcare spaces for children under 5 is at a dismal 20%. In 2008, the government announced a new program to help seniors and their families cope with their ongoing care instead of forcing them into nursing homes. Instead, homecare waiting lists are longer than ever, with many ending up back in hospital or even dying before proper care is made available. Families(women) are now left struggling to cope with ever increasing care issues with minimal, if any, assistance or, if they can afford it, paying for it out of their own pockets. We may never be able to afford complete in-home care for everyone, but given that our productivity growth has not kept pace with other Western countries and one of the easiest way to increase that productivity is to make full use of everyones’ abilities, does it not make for good economic policy to provide systems that allows women to contribute completely and reach their full potential?  A recent Canadian study on the cost-benefit of public investment in quality child care shows a return of $2.54 for every dollar invested. An increase of less than $10,000 in after tax family income would translate into $76 billion (that’s with a “b”) in tax revenue for the various levels of govenment. Enough to fund the dayare program PLUS the healthcare recommendadtion of the Romanow Commission PLUS our commitments of the Kyoto Accord. Isn’t it time we let the govenment know that this is not just what we want but that this is what we need…NOW.