For all its wealth and its talk about gender equality, in 1997 Canada had the 5th largest wage gap between women and men full-time workers out of 29 OECD countries. It has literally had to be ordered by the courts to obey the law, use its own pay equity study, and pay its own women workers a fair wage. This is inaccurate. In 1984, those who worked over 10 hours per week or more could be insured, although not all were. Before the most recent changes, those working 15 hours per week or more could qualify for benefits.
Government admits that fewer women than men now qualify for benefits under the new system.
In 1997, Government made changes to the Unemployment Insurance system and renamed it Employment Insurance. However, anyone working less than 14 hours a week cannot accumulate the required number of hours because it must be done within a maximum of 52 weeks. The situation is severe for women who have a greater chance of being on the margins of the labour force, such as women with disabilities, Aboriginal women, visible minority women, young women and women re-entering the labour force. Maternity, parental and sickness benefits are paid through the Employment Insurance system, and are subject to the same restrictions. Not only have eligibility requirements been tightened to exclude more people, mainly women, but benefit levels have been slashed.