It’s been a roller-coaster year for Ewa Krempa.
Due to COVID-19 cutbacks, the single mother lost her job for four months. It was unexpected.
“It was a lot of juggling to do over that last year, I’m not going to lie,” said Krempa.
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She eventually returned to work but had to leave again in December 2020 when she became sick with COVID-19.
Krempa recovered but is now unable to work because of an injury. She is hoping to return to her job in May.
Adding to the Edmonton woman’s stress is the monthly $1,100 fee for her daughter’s daycare.
“It’s quite a bit of money.”
Krempa said the newly announced $30-billion federal childcare program would help ease her financial burden.
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“I can’t wait for the government to give us some extra help,” she said.
But post-COVID employment for many Canadian women looks uncertain.
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RBC economists said nearly half a million Canadian women who lost their jobs during the pandemic hadn’t returned to work at the start of 2021.
More than 200,000 are long-term unemployed. That’s no job for at least 12 months.
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The RBC data also showed women absorbed 65 per cent of job losses in accommodation and food services, the hardest hit industry during the pandemic.
Jill Arnott teaches in the Women and Gender Studies department at the University of Regina. She said women need to be included in the economic build-back.
“When half of your population can’t participate, that’s not good for your economy.”
Arnott said lesser pay than men has kept women out of the workforce and for many, they had no choice but to stay home because the cost of childcare is too prohibitive.
“For women, it’s a very real obstacle that prevents women from being able to participate equally in the economy.”
“We know all over the globe, when women and girls have access to education — and that means not having childcare as an obstacle — economies flourish, communities flourish, entire countries flourish,” said Arnott.
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Arnott said it’s time a national program focused on the part of the population disproportionately bearing the burden of childcare.
“The potential is huge. It’s a game-changer, 100 per cent.”
For the sake of her daughter, Krempa is hopeful that childcare help will be delivered soon.
“I’d be able to take her to swimming lessons, give her some extra things.”
