Equality in Action explainers: Women in the economy

Listen in for what you need to know in 3 minutes.

You may have heard the term “women in the economy” quite a bit lately. But what does it actually mean? 

With more women working than ever before, you may even be wondering – why are we still talking about this?

Welcome to Equality in Action explainers – a series where we break down what you need to know about a topic in 3 minutes or less.

In short, “women in the economy” refers to how women participate in and contribute to economic activities like jobs, business, and finances. It highlights how we need equal opportunities, fair pay, and support for women to thrive economically, just like men, to build a fair and strong Canada.

While it's true that women in Canada are working more than ever, in fact in 2024, 85% of women aged 25 to 54 were employed,^{Footnote 1}  women are still facing major barriers in the workplace that are holding them back from their goals.

For example, the gender pay gap still exists in Canada. Women only earn 90 cents for every dollar earned by a man for the same work or in comparable roles.^{Footnote 2}  That’s unfair.

Also, the “glass ceiling” is still in place for many women, which means there are different challenges that prevent them from being promoted into top jobs in management. 

Women make up nearly half the workforce but only 36% of them are managers^{Footnote 3}  and shockingly, just 5% of Canadian companies have a woman CEO.^{Footnote 4}  On top of that, when women get into these positions, they’re still being paid less than men at the same level.

Women often do more of the work that is unpaid, like caring for family or cooking and cleaning. On average, women spend four more hours per week caring for adults and eight more hours per week caring for children, in comparison to men.^{Footnote 5}  That means that women have less time to be able to work full-time, earn more money over their careers, or even just take a break. What would you do with 12 more hours a week?

What does all of this mean in the bigger picture? A huge loss for Canada. Studies have shown that Canada’s gross domestic product, a key measure of a country’s economic health and size, could be $150 billion higher if women’s economic participation matched men’s. Missing out on women’s full contributions to the economy holds us all back.

So, what can you do about it?

• A great start is supporting women-led and owned businesses.
• Also, think about how unpaid work can be shared more equally at home.
• If you have a business, make sure that you’re doing what you can to make your policies for hiring, pay, leave, and promotion equitable. 

Inclusive workplaces, fair policies, and strong communities and economies don’t happen by chance. We each have a role to play in making that vision a reality for all people in Canada.

Additional reading

• Gender equality
• Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics Hub
• Apply Gender-based Analysis Plus to your work