Toronto – As we approach International Women’s Day on March 8, we continue to fight against the persistent gender pay gap that persists throughout Canada.

The gender pay gap refers to the difference in average earnings of people based on gender. It is a widely recognized indicator of gender inequities, and it exists across industries and professional levels. There are different ways of measuring the gap, but no matter how you measure it, the gap still exists.

The gender pay gap is worse for those who face multiple barriers, including racialized women, Indigenous women, and women with disabilities.

The UN’s Human Rights Committee (2015) has raised concerns about “persisting inequalities between women and men” in Canada, including the “high level of the pay gap” and its disproportionate effect on low-income women, racialized women, and Indigenous women.

According to Statistics Canada (2022)  as of 2021, the gender pay gap for full-time and part-time employees is 0.89, which means women make 89 cents of every dollar men make. The gender pay gap for full-time employees is 0.90, which means women make 90 cents of every dollar men make.

In 2021, female employees earned 11.1% less per hour than male employees, with the wage gap little changed compared with 2020.

Key Numbers

• 89 cents – what women working full-time and part-time make for every dollar men make
• 59.3% – percentage of white men’s earnings that racialized women make, on average
• 16% – percentage of women and gender diverse people with a physical disability who report being fairly paid compared to their peers
• 267.6 years – to close the economic gender gap worldwide, if present trends continue

(source: Canadian Women’s Foundation)

How can we eliminate the gender wage gap?

• Make closing the gender gap a human rights priority
• Legislate card check & promote access to collective bargaining
• Enforce and expand pay equity
• Increase the minimum wage
• Legislate equity compliance for workplaces and businesses
• Provide affordable, high-quality, universal child care
• End violence and harassment of women
• Table Pay Transparency legislation

Take action and send a message to your governmental leaders today to help close the gender wage gap.