FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JANUARY 23, 2007

Charlottetown – Women’s Network PEI will be holding a communications workshop for members of its parental benefits advisory committee on January 24-26 at the historic Fairholm Inn in downtown Charlottetown. Members from all four Atlantic provinces will be attending, complete with it’s newest participant, Will Lorincz, who is two months old. Will’s mother, Tamara Lorincz, is very active in her native province of Nova Scotia working with various organizations on sustainability, social justice, fair trade and peace campaigns. "As a mother with small children, I know how important these benefits are and how difficult they are to get,” say Ms. Lorincz. "I have met many mothers in my community who have not been able to receive benefits.”

In January 2001, Human Resources Development Canada increased the parental benefits pay-out period to one year for eligible women and men. Since that time, Women’s Network PEI has undertaken original research projects on the new policy with a view to creating recommendations for the continued improvement of maternity and parental benefits. Research conducted by Women’s Network has indicated that there are inequities in the maternity and parental benefits currently available under the Employment Insurance Act. Due to their work histories and typical engagement in the work force, women in general are less likely to receive maternity and parental benefits. In particular, women who are arguably the most vulnerable of Canadian parents (such as single mothers, teenaged mothers, low income women, women with low education, immigrant women, visible minority women, Aboriginal women and women with disabilities) are even less likely to receive maternity and parental benefits because they are least likely to be eligible for EI regular benefits. Even those who are eligible for benefits often cannot take advantage of the wonderful opportunity to spend the critical first year with their newborn because of the low wage replacement or inadequate job protection.

One long term and ten short term recommendations were developed with the goal of increasing access to maternity and parental benefits and increasing the value of benefits for Canadian families. The next step is to communicate these recommendations and the research which has been conducted to key audiences and decision-makers.

“It is important to bring awareness to the Canadian public and policy makers that steps must be made to increase accessibility for maternity and parental benefits,” says Michelle Harris Genge, Co-Executive Director of Women’s Network PEI. “It is often assumed that once a woman has a child, she can go on maternity leave. Unfortunately, women who do contract, seasonal, or part-time work are less likely to be eligible for benefits. Self-employed women – with the exception of self-employed fishers – are simply not eligible at all. This accounts for 41% of all Canadian women who work.”

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For further information, please contact:

Michelle Harris-Genge, Women’s Network PEI
Phone: 368-5040
Fax: 368-5039
Email: wnpei@wnpei.org