Canada has made measurable progress in women’s education and labour force participation, but the data also show persistent gaps in pay, leadership, employment access, and caregiving. For employers, these figures are not abstract. They describe the talent available to organizations, the barriers that can limit participation, and the workplace systems that influence whether people can contribute fully.
A complete workforce strategy must also recognize that gender is only one part of a person’s experience. Age, disability, race, ethnicity, Indigeneity, sexual orientation, gender identity, immigration status, and location can shape access to education, employment, advancement, and income.
Canada has a highly educated talent pool
Most working-age women in Canada hold college or university credentials and now outpace men in educational attainment, helping make Canada one of the most educated countries in the world. This is a major shift from 1976, when fewer than 30% of women had any postsecondary education.
The progress is also visible among Indigenous women. In 2021, 54% of Indigenous women aged 25 to 64 had completed a postsecondary qualification. However, the comparison with non-Indigenous women shows that access and outcomes are still unequal. Postsecondary completion stood at 54% for Indigenous women and 71% for non-Indigenous women, while 16% of Indigenous women held a bachelor’s degree or higher compared with 37% of non-Indigenous women.
The STEM pipeline remains another concern. In 2021, women represented 35% of STEM bachelor’s degree holders among Canadians aged 25 to 64. Women with STEM degrees were also more likely to be unemployed and to earn lower median salaries than men with STEM degrees.
Participation is rising but access remains uneven
The labour force participation rate for women aged 25 to 54 reached 85% in 2025, compared with 38% in 1976. Employment among Indigenous women in the same age group also increased from 63% in 2015 to 71% in 2025. Even with that progress, Indigenous women remained less likely to be employed than non-Indigenous women in 2025, at 71% compared with 80%, and that gap has changed little since 2019.
Disability also affects employment outcomes. In 2022, the employment rate was 84% for women aged 25 to 54 without disabilities and 73% for women with disabilities. Income and employment barriers are also evident for 2SLGBTQI+ people. About 18% of 2SLGBTQI+ people aged 25 to 64 were in Canada’s lowest income group, compared with 14% of straight, cisgender people.
In 2021, 30% of transgender women and 22% of transgender men reported being denied employment because of their gender identity. Earnings data from 2020 show another gap. Cisgender men aged 25 to 64 who worked full time for the full year earned $81,900, compared with $68,900 for transgender men, $67,800 for cisgender women, $66,000 for non-binary people, and $64,300 for transgender women.
Care responsibilities influence workforce participation
Affordable child care has produced measurable economic results. Since 2019, expanded affordable child care has increased Canada’s GDP by more than 1%, adding roughly $32 billion, while enabling more parents, especially women, to work. Canada’s Early Learning and Child Care program now provides high-quality, low-cost care to 900,000 children and saves families up to $16,200 per child each year.
Unequal unpaid care responsibilities remain significant. On average, women spend four more hours each week caring for adults and eight more hours caring for children than men. Those 12 additional hours reduce the time available for full-time work, career earnings, and rest.
When parents could not find child care in 2022, 38% changed their work or study schedules, 37% worked fewer hours, and 33% paid more than expected for care. These figures show why child care access is directly relevant to recruitment, scheduling, attendance, retention, and career progression.
Advancement and compensation still show major gaps
Women make up nearly half of Canada’s workforce, yet only 37% of managers are women and just 5% of Canadian companies have a woman CEO. Representation is even lower in senior management pipelines. Indigenous women account for 1%, Black women 1.8%, 2SLGBTQIA+ women 1.8%, and women with disabilities 3.5%.
Corporate board representation showed similar gaps in 2025. Indigenous women represented 1% of directors, Black women 2.5%, women with disabilities 1%, and 2SLGBTQIA+ women 1%.
Occupational concentration also matters. In 2022, 28% of women worked in the five lowest-paid occupations, compared with 16% of men. These jobs included sales and service, caregiving, and administrative support.
Canada’s gender pay gap remains the second highest in the G7. In 2025, women aged 25 to 54 working full time or part time earned 89 cents for every dollar earned by a man, with wider gaps affecting Black, Indigenous, and racialized women. The federal Pay Equity Act, adopted in 2018, established a framework for fair compensation in the federal public service and federally regulated institutions.
Women and 2SLGBTQI plus entrepreneurs are economic drivers
Women are majority owners of approximately 20% of Canadian businesses. Majority women-owned small and medium-sized enterprises generate more than $90 billion in annual revenue and employ close to one million people. Indigenous women are slightly more likely to own a business than non-Indigenous women, at 23% compared with 20%.
Canada is also home to more than 100,000 2SLGBTQI+ owned businesses. Together, they generate more than $22 billion in economic activity and employ more than 435,000 people. Organizations where women lead are 25% more likely to outperform peers in profitability and innovation.
Economic inequality continues later in life
The effects of unequal pay and opportunity can continue into retirement. In 2022, senior women earned 26% less than senior men. That gap was 34% in 1976, showing improvement but not equality. Senior racialized women remain the group of senior women most likely to live with low income or poverty.
Housing costs add further pressure. In 2021, 19% of senior women lived in unaffordable housing, compared with 14% of senior men. In 2018, 20% of senior women and 15% of senior men lived in households spending at least 30% of income on shelter. In 2024, the low-income rate was 30% among children in female-led lone-parent families and 27% among seniors living alone or with unrelated people.
Economic inequality continues later in life
The numbers point to practical priorities for employers. Recruitment must reach qualified people across different communities. Compensation should be reviewed for unexplained gaps. Promotion criteria and leadership pipelines should be transparent. Flexible work and scheduling practices should account for caregiving without limiting advancement. Accessibility and gender inclusion must be built into the employee experience rather than treated as separate initiatives.
Canada has a deep and increasingly educated talent pool. The next stage of progress depends on whether workplace systems convert that talent into fair access, meaningful advancement, equitable pay, and sustainable careers.
Source
Women and Gender Equality Canada Gender equality facts statistics and impact
https://www.canada.ca/en/women-gender-equality/gender-equality/facts-stats-impact.html
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