“Unpaid work is perhaps the biggest contribution that women make to the economy. In Canada unpaid work is estimated to be worth up to $319 in the money economy or 41% of GDP; globally the numbers skyrocket to $11 trillion US. Most unpaid work in Canada and around the world is performed by women.

In Canada, the 1996 Census was the first to collect data on unpaid work, marking a major breakthrough for feminists across the country and providing an example for other countries around the world. What do the statistics tell us? Women and men in Canada have similar total workloads but men spend most of their time, 4.5 hours a day, in paid work and 2.7 hours in unpaid work. For women, the statistics are reversed with 2.8 hours in paid work and 4.4 hours in unpaid work.2 Women perform 2/3 of the 25 billion hours of unpaid work Canadians perform every year and on average women spend twice as much time (2/3) on unpaid work as on paid work (1/3).” (Women and the Economy)

Our own PEI Advisory Council on the Status of Women was part of that ‘call’ for modifications to the Census to better reflect the realities of women and unpaid (and paid) work back in the mid nineties. Women and Unpaid Work.

Much progress has been made. Many federally and provincially funded programs have been developed and enhanced over the last 2 decades. Programs that move us forward as a society that support women, children and men equally. And there is more to do yet.

This from a CBC report, July 28th, 2010:

“2 … Number of formal complaints to the Privacy Commissioner about the long form received in 2006. One was resolved before an official investigation was launched. The second was determined to have been covered by the Privacy Act.

50 … Number of complaints the privacy commissioner has received about the census over the last 20 years.”

So what is the motivation to ditch the long form census? What could possibly be the reason? Money? Perhaps. But at what cost?

I believe the investment in the long form census is part of the cost of being Canadian. If by this meticulously gathered information it means better lives for Canadians, then the effort is worth it. It is obvious that Canadians are not complaining about it. In fact, I would argue that Canadians understand completely how important it is to be part of the census.

If it is not about money, then what? The lack of understanding and compassion for marginalized peoples of Canada? Or the inability see our country as unique and separate from the United States? How many former leaders are rolling over in their graves, or spinning in their office chairs, regardless of political stripe, wondering where we went off the rails?

This decision to get rid of the long form census is as much about economics as it is about doing the right thing. Appeasing to the far right with the notion of frugality and the heralded lack of compassion for anyone on the fringe, is, in my view, completely irresponsible and un-Canadian.

41% of Canada’s GDP is from unpaid work. Without that information we fail to properly serve the women, children and men of our great country.