international womens day gender wage gap

International Women’s Day – Gender Wage Gap in Canada

March 8 is International Women’s Day – A day to Celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women and to Pledge to Take Action to Continue the Advance of Gender Parity.

Despite many advancements for women globally, the progress towards gender parity has slowed. The World Economic Forum has reported that gender parity may not be achieved until 2133.

In Canada, we are still struggling with the gender wage gap. Despite advancements since the 1960s, the wage gap has plateaued in recent years. Statistics Canada reports that women earn approximately 73 cents for every dollar earned by men. The gap is even greater for Indigenous women and women of colour.

The reasons for the wage gap are complex. In the past, education was cited as a major reason contributing to the disparity between men and women’s wages. This is no longer the case as the number of post secondary graduates are approximately equal for men and women. However, women still tend to work in occupations that traditionally have lower wages than men. For example, men dominate STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields. Even in careers where women dominate, such as nursing, men still earn more on average. Another contributing factor to the wage gap relates to women leaving the workforce for childcare responsibilities. When women take time off for childcare they give up salary and growth potential, often at a critical time in their careers. In many organizations there is considerable secrecy around salaries which may contribute to the disparity. If women knew they were earning less than a colleague,  they would be motivated to negotiate a salary increase.

What can your organization do to tackle this issue:

  • Review your wages and establish equality,
  • Consider a transparency policy for wages,
  • Support both men and women, who take time off for childcare responsibilities,
  • Implement mentorship programs that target men and women for leadership roles,
  • Encourage women to enter traditional male dominated fields by offering internships to new graduates.

To find out about International Women’s Day events happening in your community go to the International Women’s Day website.

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Carol Irwin

Carol works with our clients to develop and improve HR policies, procedures, employee programs, and solve difficult people management issues.

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2 thoughts on “International Women’s Day – Gender Wage Gap in Canada

  1. The issue in the wage gap between men and women as we all know it is very prominent in the field of show business but in the Philippines, in terms of corporate jobs, women are paid according to the position that they are applying for like executive positions or rank and file. Recruitment firms in Manila are more concerned whether if the candidate can deliver the task regardless of the gender.

    1. In Toronto, Canada recruitment firms are also in the business of matching the candidate to the position regardless of gender. Finding a qualified candidate who is the best fit for the role is the goal. The gender wage gap is a much larger social problem worldwide. Engaging in discussion about the issue is one way to build awareness and encourage change.

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