This year, the Canada Post is undergoing a review. “The goal of the Review is to help put Canada Post on a self-sustaining footing, while providing valuable services for Canadians well into the future.”
A big part of the review is consulting with Canadians. You can contribute your perspectives via mail, email and social media. #CPReview2016
Get all the info on the Canada Post Review website.
The TWCA submitted a letter on our views of the future of Canada Post. See what we submitted below.
Dear Taskforce Members
The Toronto Women’s City Alliance (TWCA) submits the following gender based submission to the Canada Post Review.
In 2004, a diverse group of women formed TWCA to end the growing silence of women and girls’ voices from political agendas at the local, provincial and federal levels. We have requested that a gender lens be applied when developing policies, budgets and practices. A gender lens examines how people of all genders and gender expressions are impacted by policies, decisions and programs. A gender lens allows for an intersectional understanding of gender, incorporating an understanding of race, First Nation identity, class, accessibility, age, sexuality, ability, ethnicity, faith, etc.
Women represent half of society, more than half in most cities, and a substantial majority amongst the elderly and persons with disabilities. Canada is a signatory to the 1979 UN Convention to end all discrimination against women (CEDAW). All levels of government, should therefore strive to eliminate systemic discrimination against women.
Women continue to face persistent discrimination because of women’s:
– lower levels of income restricting our ability to feed and house ourselves and those depending on us;
– lower levels of power, being politically represented and influencing decisions affecting our lives;
– disproportionate burden of caring and domestic responsibilities, and
– heightened vulnerability to all forms of violence, especially sexual violence and harassment.
We know that Canada Post can take a stronger stance at eliminating gender discrimination by recognizing the disproportionate harm imposed on women by some of its proposed policies and practices, responding in a way that promotes gender equality and thus becoming a future leader for gender equality. Here’s how:
- COMMUNAL MAILBOXES DISCRIMINATE AGAINST WOMEN
– The disproportionate domestic and care giving responsibilities of women makes it very difficult to leave the home, especially when caring for small children, or dependant relatives who cannot be left alone. Readying small children or dependents to make the trek to the communal mailbox, especially in winter is a major undertaking.
– Women have less access to cars than men. Therefore getting to the communal mailbox often has to be on foot.
– Travelling on foot to communal mail boxes is not an accessible option for elderly persons and persons with disabilities, and can often be often be painful, even more so during winter conditions of darkness, snow and ice: many roads do not have sidewalks and are not ploughed.
– Elderly women are less likely to communicate via social media or internet. They depend far more on letters and postal services.
– Women are more affected by sexual violence and harassment, at home, work and in public places. Marginalized women and women from visible minorities are even more vulnerable to such violence. Trips to the communal mailboxes potentially expose women to more risks.
– Women who are recent immigrants depend more on postal services to stay in touch with their overseas families
Therefore, we strongly urge Canada Post to recognize the disproportionate harm imposed on women if door-to-door delivery is discontinued, and urge Canada Post to reinstate this basic human service to all Canadian residents.
- WOMEN WOULD BENEFIT GREATLY BENEFIT FROM POSTAL BANKING
– As profitability, rather then service, determine the policies of Canadian private banks, branches get closed and communities are left without access to banking.
– As with communal mailboxes, women with all their intersectionalities, would disproportionately benefit from an accessible, public, not-for-profit banking system.
– We support the assertions of CUPW and CPAA that postal banking creates good jobs and accessible banking opportunities for the most vulnerable, especially in Canada’s rural and remote communities.
Therefore, we strongly urge Canada Post to re-instate postal banking.
- POSTAL WORKERS TO SERVE AS EXTENDED SOCIAL SAFETY NET
Postal carriers, especially in rural and isolated areas, are in a unique position to recognize if “something is not right” at a certain address. Overflowing mailboxes, broken/open doors or windows, garbage not taken out, smells, noises, could be reported to authorities or next of kin.
Therefore, we suggest that postal workers’ roles in community safety should be explored, encouraged and reflected in pay.
- IMPORTANCE OF WAGE PARITY
– As a Crown Corporation, Canada Post should serve as a leader in implementing wage parity policies, consistent with being a signatory to CEDAW.
– We understand that for many years rural postal workers, who are predominantly women, have received lower wages than both their male and urban counterparts respectively
Therefore, we ask that Canada Post end all wage discrimination.
On behalf of TWCA,
Regula Modlich
Member
Steering Committee
