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Advocacy brief: Addressing gender-based discrimination in the Employment Insurance Act 

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Addressing-Gender-Based-Discrimination-in-EI

Citations:

    [1] Statistics Canada, “Proportion of workers in full-time and part-time jobs by gender, annual” (9 January 2026), online: Statistics Canada:  <https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1410032703>.

    [2] Jessica Gill, “Employees with low pay, 2024” (18 August 2025), online: Statistics Canada <https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/14-28-0001/2025001/article/00002-eng.htm>.

    [3] See House of Commons, “Modernizing the Employment Insurance Program: Report of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities” (June 2021) (Chair: Sean Casey) at 51.

    [4] Statistics Canada, “Part-time employment by reason, annual (x 1,000)” (9 January 2026), online: Statistics Canada:  < https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1410002901&pickMembers%5B0%5D=1.1&pickMembers%5B1%5D=3.3&pickMembers%5B2%5D=4.1&cubeTimeFrame.startYear=2021&cubeTimeFrame.endYear=2025&referencePeriods=20210101%2C20250101>.

    [5] Jeannine N. Bailliu & Danny Leung, “Economic and Social Reports: Measuring the value of women’s contribution to the Canadian economy: New insights based on recent work” (22 February 2023), online: Statistics Canada <https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/36-28-0001/2023002/article/00001-eng.htm>.

    [6] Statistics Canada, “Reason for leaving job during previous year, annual (x 1,000)” (9 January 2026), online: Statistics Canada:  <https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1410012601&pickMembers%5B0%5D=1.1&pickMembers%5B1%5D=3.1&pickMembers%5B2%5D=4.2&pickMembers%5B3%5D=5.3&cubeTimeFrame.startYear=2021&cubeTimeFrame.endYear=2025&referencePeriods=20210101%2C20250101>.

    [7] Ricardo Tranjan, “Towards an Inclusive Economy: Syncing EI to the Reality of Low-wage Work” (June 2019) at 22, online (pdf):Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives <https://policyalternatives.ca/wp-content/uploads/attachments/Towards%20an%20Inclusive%20Economy-7.pdf> [perma.cc/2HH6-ST5X].

    [8] Sandy Besporstov & Amanda Sinclair, “Estimating the economic value of unpaid household work in Canada, 2015 to 2019” (17 March 2022), online: Statistics Canada   <https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/13-605-x/2022001/article/00001-eng.htm>.

    [9] Melissa Moyser & Amanda Burlock, “Time use: Total work burden, unpaid work, and leisure” (30 July 2018), online: Statistics Canada  <https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/89-503-x/2015001/article/54931-eng.htm>.

    [10] Statistics Canada, “Proportion of workers in full-time and part-time jobs by gender, annual” (9 January 2026), online: Statistics Canada:  <https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1410032703>.

    [11] Jessica Gill, “Employees with low pay, 2024” (18 August 2025), online: Statistics Canada <https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/14-28-0001/2025001/article/00002-eng.htm>.

    [12] Katherine Scott, “Work in progress: Women in Canada’s changing  post-pandemic labour market” (May 2024) at 11, online (pdf):Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives <https://policyalternatives.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/National%20Office/2024/05/Work%20in%20Progress.pdf> [perma.cc/8QCA-LW2K].

    [13] Statistics Canada, “Employment Insurance Coverage Survey, 2024” (29 October 2025),  online: Statistics Canada <https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/251029/dq251029a-eng.htm>.

    [14] Ruth Rose, “Let’s Eliminate Discrimination Against Women in Employment Insurance: Brief to the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA)” (April 2021), online (pdf): House of Commons <https://www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Committee/432/HUMA/Brief/BR11240855/br-external/ConseilDinterventionPourLaccesDesFemmesAuTravail-10416287-e.pdf / https://www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Committee/441/FINA/Brief/BR12563924/br-external/MouvementAutonomeEtSolidaireDesSans-Emploi-10810074-e.pdf> [perma.cc/B999-RJGA].

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