Monday, January 21, 2008
Women’s experiences of social programs for people with low incomes
Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women (CRIAW) recently released a fact sheet on women’s experiences of social programs for people with low incomes, based on their research interviewing women in Vancouver, Calgary, and Winnipeg.
This fact sheet examines funding procedures that have negatively affected Canada’s social programs and the lives of millions of children, women and men, providing an overview of policy shifts over the last decade, voices from women clients directly, and recommendations. Some key points:
The CRIAW fact sheet recommends that federal and provincial/territorial governments understand the difference between written policies and real life experiences, such as the ones expressed in the article. They argue that this would establish methods in developing progressive policies that would eliminate poverty and injustices that will ultimately benefit the growth of the economy and Canadians.
View and/or download the fact sheet from the CRIAW web site.
This fact sheet examines funding procedures that have negatively affected Canada’s social programs and the lives of millions of children, women and men, providing an overview of policy shifts over the last decade, voices from women clients directly, and recommendations. Some key points:
- Reliance on welfare has drastically increased from preceding years as a result of federal cut back in benefits, funding and the elimination of federal programs. At the same time, fewer Canadians are accessing the funds, not because of reduced need but because of tightened eligibility criteria.
- The federal government requires no basic standards for social programs across provinces, and the main common attribute is in complexity of systems, with many rules that are misunderstood or misapplied by caseworkers.
- The majority of people who rely on social assistance benefits in Canada are mostly likely to be women, children and people with disabilities. They are looked down upon for their reliance on social assistance and yet they do not receive adequate support from the government that will focus on getting them into the paid labour force and off social assistance, such as affordable child care, safe and affordable housing, and access to training and education. Systems in fact frequently punish recipients for trying to improve their economic security, such as the tragic story of Kimberley Rogers who was charged with fraud for receiving welfare benefits and taking out a student loan to upgrade skills.
The CRIAW fact sheet recommends that federal and provincial/territorial governments understand the difference between written policies and real life experiences, such as the ones expressed in the article. They argue that this would establish methods in developing progressive policies that would eliminate poverty and injustices that will ultimately benefit the growth of the economy and Canadians.
View and/or download the fact sheet from the CRIAW web site.
Labels: Issues_and_Trends, Resources_and_Research
