Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA)

Municipalities’ emergency responses to the COVID 19 pandemic are raising concerns about the lack of equity and inclusion in the crisis. While many cities have taken various positive steps, such as including diverse voices in emergency response planning, arguably, women continue to fall through the cracks. The disproportionate impact of the pandemic on women, and particularly women experiencing socio- economic marginalization, is well-documented in research from Canada and around the world. In these unprecedented circumstances, cities should be urged to apply an intersectional gendered lens on equity and inclusion to all phases of planning and implementation of COVID 19 emergency responses. This can ensure that any emergency response takes into consideration the full diversity of women, men, and gender-diverse people. The speakers will describe what the City for All Women Initiative (CAWI) in Ottawa has been advocating for during COVID 19. They will also share some of the helpful measures taken by that city