Many racialized women work in retail and service sectors which have been hardest hit in the pandemic. (iStock)

Pandemic recovery leaving racialized women behind, say tax reformers

Canada’s economic recovery from the pandemic is leaving the poor behind while the rich get richer, say members of the Tax the Rich Campaign. It emphasises that the latest government figures on employment show that the impact of COVID-19 has been worse for women since more of them occupy precarious and, often, unsafe work. Women make up half the workforce in the retail and service sectors which have been hardest hit by the pandemic. 

The campaigners note that racialized women face the brunt of the economic crisis. They quote a report from RBC that shows that as of February 2020, Arab women faced the largest employment gap  as they are 14 per cent more likely to be unemployed than are non-racialized women. The gap also applied to Southeast Asian women (12 per cent), Latin Americans (6.8 per cent), South Asians (5.9 per cent) and Black women (three per cent).

Those facing the largest employment gap are said to be Arab women, Southeast Asian women, Latin American women, South Asian and Black women. (iStock)

A call for tax justice

In light of this, the campaigners renew their call for tax justice “to avoid deepening class distinctions along racial lines.” They are asking for a wealth tax, a closing of tax loopholes and a tax on excess profits, saying Canada needs the revenue this would generate to invest in the future of all Canadians. They suggest the money could be used for such things as a national childcare and early learning program, the creation of decent jobs in a clean economy, bolstering social supports and expanding Canada’s publicly-funded health care system. 

The Tax the Rich campaigners call on Canadians to sign their letter urging the finance minister to include progressive tax measures in this year’s budget and build back an economy for all. And they urge Canadians to get involved in their movement and share information about the Tax the Rich campaign on their social media channels.

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