THRONE SPEECH 2020: THE ONLY WAY FORWARD IS WITH A HUMAN RIGHTS APPROACH

In response to the Government of Canada’s Throne Speech, FAFIA acknowledges the commitments made to address the social and health crisis of COVID-19 and its disproportionate impact on women in Canada, especially Indigenous women, racialized women, Black women, newcomer women, 2SLGBTQ women, and women living with disabilities. A feminist and intersectional approach is an important step towards the future. Canada must put forward a concrete implementation plan to fulfil Canada’s human rights obligations and ensure a just and feminist recovery.

A feminist recovery is not just an issue for women but is vital to Canada’s recovery as a whole. Canada cannot be a party to the rolling back of hard won social and political gains that women have made – in the labour force and beyond. FAFIA supports key commitments in the Throne Speech, like the creation of a task force to guide the creation of the National Action Plan on Women and the Economy, a national childcare strategy, and the urgent development and implementation of a National Action Plan to respond to the National Inquiry on MMWIG. But now is the time for action, these commitments must move forward tangibly. The next step is the Federal budget.

Read FAFIA’s briefing note outlining key recommendations forward on the Throne Speech here.