How two Alberta grantees are adapting to an economic downturn
When oil prices collapsed last year, the Canadian economy took a hit after a slow recovery from the 2008 recession. In Alberta, one of the hardest-hit provinces, some sectors have seen rounds of layoffs and self-employment has risen.
So, it may come as no surprise that community organizations such as Momentum, in Calgary, and Women Building Futures, in Edmonton, have been seeing greater demand for their economic development programs.
Over the past 20 years, women have been the biggest driver of household income growth in Canada. During that time, more women have joined the workforce and their incomes have slowly grown, so you would expect that women’s levels of poverty have dropped accordingly—but that’s not the case. Why?
Is poverty a problem in a well-off country like Canada? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. Especially for women.
Women living on a low income face many barriers to financial stability and independence. When childcare arrangements fall apart or there’s not enough money to pay a dental bill, a woman can find it difficult to finish an economic development program, even when she’s worked hard to earn a spot.
