COVID-19 has affected all Canadians, but women have been disproportionately affected. In the labour market, women were hit earlier and harder, and their jobs continue to recover more slowly.

“The COVID-19 recession has disproportionately affected women. Long-standing gender inequities have only been amplified over the course of the pandemic and put decades of hard-fought gains for women in the workplace at risk. Through Budget 2021, the Government of Canada seeks to build a recovery that gives all women in Canada the ability to fully participate in our economy.” 
- The Honourable Jim Carr, Special Representative for the Prairies

“The commitments made by our Federal Government in the 2021-22 Budget are warranted and applauded, to help reverse the spiralling ‘she-cession.’ The Budget reflects the principle that investing in women’s re-engagement in the workforce, and in women entrepreneurs in our country, will not only advance equality and inclusion, but will also enhance contributions to the GDP, and accelerate economic recovery and growth.”
- Prabha Mitchell, CEO of Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan (WESK)

• Budget 2021 includes $101.4 billion over three years in proposed investments as part of the Government of Canada’s growth plan that will create good jobs and support a resilient and inclusive recovery. Key measures include:

  • Establishing a Canada-wide early learning and child care system, in partnership with provincial, territorial, and Indigenous partners, which will help all families access affordable, high-quality, and flexible child care no matter where they live, and no longer shoulder the burden of high child care costs. The budget proposes new investments totaling up to $30 billion over the next five years. Combined with previous investments, a minimum of $9.2 billion per year ongoing will be invested in child care, starting in 2025-26.
  • Extending emergency supports to bridge Canadians and Canadian businesses through to recovery, including:
    • Extending the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy and Lockdown Support until September 25, 2021.
    • Extending the number of weeks for important income support for Canadians, such as the Canada Recovery Benefit and the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit.
  • Enhancing Employment Insurance sickness benefits from 15 to 26 weeks.
  • Increasing Old Age Security for seniors age 75 and older to provide them with better financial security.
  • Supporting small and medium-sized businesses through several transformative programs, such as:
    • A new Canada Digital Adoption Program that will assist over 160,000 businesses with the cost of new technology. And it will provide them with the advice they need to get the most of new technology with the help of 28,000 young Canadians who will be trained to work with them.
    • Allowing Canadian small businesses to fully expense up to $1.5 million in capital investments in a broad range of assets, including digital technology and intellectual property. This represents an additional $2.2 billion investment in the growth of Canada’s entrepreneurs over the next five years.
  • Revitalizing Canada’s tourism sector through $1 billion to help tourism businesses recover and support festivals and cultural events that provide jobs and growth in many of our cities and communities.
  • Supporting women, Black Canadians, and other underrepresented entrepreneurs who face barriers to launching and owning businesses through $300 million to enhance initiatives like the Black Entrepreneurship Program and the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy.
  • Establishing a $15 federal minimum wage.
  • Enriching the Canada Workers Benefit, which will support about 1 million more Canadians and lift nearly 100,000 people out of poverty. This will result in additional support of $8.9 billion over six years for Canada’s low-wage workers.
  • Helping to build, repair, and support 35,000 affordable housing units for vulnerable Canadians through an investment of $2.5 billion and a reallocation of $1.3 billion in existing funding.
  • Investing $17.6 billion in a green recovery that will help Canada to reach its target to conserve 25 per cent of Canada’s lands and oceans by 2025, exceed its Paris climate targets and reduce emissions by 36 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030, and move forward on a path to reach net-zero emission by 2050.
  • Closing the gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, supporting healthy, safe, and prosperous Indigenous communities, and advancing meaningful reconciliation with First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation through an historic investment of over $18 billion. 
     

Related products

• Budget 2021: A Recovery Plan for Jobs, Growth, and Resilience
• Budget 2021: Address by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance

Associated links

• Fall Economic Statement 2020: Supporting Canadians and Fighting COVID-19
• Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan

Media may contact:

Annie Cullinan
Press Secretary
Office of the Special Representative for the Prairies
Annie.Cullinan@prairies.gc.ca

Media relations
Privy Council Office
613-957-5420