Forum #1: Impact of COVID-19 on Women and the Economy

Eight dynamic speakers will discuss the obstacles and opportunities COVID-19 has created for women in the economy. Youth, grassroots activists and new Canadian panellists will challenge thinking from intersectional perspectives. The importance of First Nation women’s leadership, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and the Canadian Women's Foundation's innovative approach to COVID recovery will deepen the discussion.

The private sector has contributed studies on the impact of COVID-19 on women in the workforce. For example, McKinsey & Company/LeanIn annual report on "Women in the Workplace" maps realities in the pandemic era and the Royal Bank of Canada Report "Pandemic Threatens Decades of Women’s Labour Force Gains" highlights challenges."

Propelling the women’s movement forward, YWCA Canada in collaboration with the Gender and the Economy Institute at Rotman published a challenge to Canada to build a ‘new normal’ post-COVID: "A Feminist Economic Recovery Plan for Canada".