Our solutions framework is guided by these core principles:

Gender equity

Many inequities between women and men have their roots in decisions about caregiving. Men still tend to take on fewer caregiving responsibilities, tightening the squeeze for women struggling to balance work and family. This was never clearer than during the pandemic, when disruptions to schools and child cares resulted in what was coined a ‘she-cession’. Gen Squeeze’s policy solutions will move Canada towards greater gender equity, by ensuring both women and men can access the joys and burdens of the labour market, and the joys and burdens of caregiving at home.

No poverty

Income supports for parents raising young kids should be high enough to ensure that no family lives in poverty. Lone parents and families with kids are among the groups most likely to experience poverty in Canada, with additional risks for marginalized and racialized groups. Younger people are now more likely to be economically vulnerable than older, thanks to stagnant wages and rising costs for things like housing and education. Gen Squeeze’s policy solutions target the financial squeeze on young families by promoting affordable child care and inclusive and adequate parental leave.