Help close the Gender Pay Gap today

UFCW Canada - Report to Ontario on the Gender Wage Gap

UFCW Canada submission to the House of Commons Special Committee on Pay Equity
UFCW Canada supports Equal Pay Day
#EqualPayDay

The gender wage gap is the difference in earnings between women and men in the workplace.

It is a widely recognized indicator of the economic inequality facing working women. A 2015 United Nations Human Rights report raised concerns about “the 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.

Canada is ranked as having the 8th highest gender pay gap out of a list of 43 countries examined by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

According to data from the 2016 Census, women in Canada earn nearly 30% less than men—a gap that's even wider for racialized, Indigenous, LGBTQ2S, and disabled women. As inflation and the costs of living soar, women are struggling to afford the basic essentials to support themselves and their families.

Women have historically faced significant barriers to achieving economic equality, including gender-based discrimination in hiring, promotion, and pay. While progress has been made in recent years, the gender pay gap remains persistently high. Women have higher levels of education and still make less than men on average. There’s a significant gap between what men and women earn in every industry and occupation.

Pay equity is not a privilege or a frill. It is the law. Discriminatory pay gaps are a violation of human rights, and human rights enforcement is not a partisan issue.

How can we eliminate the gender wage gap?