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Transition binder one for the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth

Table of contents

Women and Gender Equality – Overview

State of Women’s Equality in Canada

Since 2015, the Department for Women and Gender Equality Canada has:

Invested more than $575M in the Women’s Program to support equality-seeking organizations including those working to improve women’s economic security and leadership.

Prioritized programs to prevent and address GBV, including investing in promising practices, bolstering the capacity of Indigenous women’s and 2SLGBTQI+ organizations, preventing and addressing human trafficking, supporting crisis hotlines, engaging men and boys and commemorating Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

Worked with partners to deliver key initiatives to address critical issues impacting women, including developing and implementing a National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence, launching the Menstrual Equity Fund pilot, and supporting the Government in building an Early Learning and Childcare System (ELCC).

Education and skills development

Highlights and Gaps

  • More women obtained a bachelor’s degree than men (4.4 million vs. 3.7 in 2021)Footnote 1 
  • 70% of working women have postsecondary qualification compared to 55.5% of men (highest in G7)
  • Of Indigenous women, Inuit had lower high school completion rates at 49% compared to First Nations (67%) and Métis (78%), in 2021Footnote 2 
  • Women remain underrepresented in STEM fields, entrepreneurship, and leadership positions and overrepresented in the service, health, and care sectorsFootnote 1

Government Initiatives

Apprenticeship Strategy

Canada Apprentice Loans

Future Skills

Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Program

Union Training and Innovation Program

Gender-based violence

Highlights and Gaps

  • 44% of women reported having experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) at least once in their lifetimeFootnote 3 
  • The rate of sexual assault increased by 51% in the last decadeFootnote 4 
  • Some groups more likely to report IPV:
    • Women with disabilities (55%)
    • LGB+ women (67%)
    • Indigenous women (61%)
    • Low-income women (57%)Footnote 3   
  • Almost six in ten (56%) Indigenous women have experienced physical assault while almost half (46%) of Indigenous women have experienced sexual assaultFootnote 5 

Government Initiatives

It’s Time: Canada’s Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence 

National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence

MMIWG and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan

Economic participation and prosperity

Highlights and Gaps

  • Women earned 89 cents for every dollar earned by men in 2024 - earnings gaps exist across all major occupationsFootnote 6 
  • Women’s labour force participation reached a record high of 85.7% in July 2023Footnote 7 
  • Women are concentrated in low-wage occupations – 28.2% of women work in the five lowest paid occupationsFootnote 8 
  • The pay gap is wider for:
    • Racialized
    • Indigenous
    • Immigrant womenFootnote 9 
  • 71.9% of part-time workers were women in 2023 - many cited childcare as the reasonFootnote 10 

Government Initiatives

ELCC

Canada Child Benifit

Pay Transparency

Proactive Pay Equity

Racialized Newcomer Women Pilot

Women Entrepreneurship Strategy

Youth Employment and Skills Strategy

Poverty reduction, health and well-being

Highlights and Gaps

  • In a 2023 survey, one in four women and girls who menstruate had to decide between purchasing menstrual products and essentials, e.g. food or rentFootnote 11 
  • Despite regression in the U.S., Canada continues to uphold universal access to abortion servicesFootnote 12 
  • 27.5% of single mothers lived in unaffordable housing (2021)Footnote 13  
  • Disparities in women's health research, funding, & care remain - women (8.9%) were more likely than men (6.9%) to report unmet health care needsFootnote 14

Government Initiatives

Housing 2030 Action Plan

National Housing Strategy/Affordable Housing Fund’s Rapid Housing Stream 

National Women’s Health Research

Sexual & Reproductive Health Fund

Menstrual Equity Fund

National Pharmacare Plan

National School Food Program

Leadership and democratic participation

Highlights and Gaps

  • Women occupy only 30% of senior management positions and just 35% of other management positionsFootnote 15 
  • Canada formed its first gender-balanced Cabinet in 2015, with women holding key portfoliosFootnote 16 
  • 13% of senior management positions were held by members of visible minorities in 2023Footnote 17 
  • Women were majority owners of just 17% of small and medium-sized businesses in 2020Footnote 18 
  • Only 30.5% of Members of Parliament were women in 2024Footnote 19 

 

 

Government Initiatives

Children in the House and Parental Leave for Parliamentarians

Public Service Employment Act amendments

50-30 Challenge

State of 2SLGBTQI+ Sector in Canada 

There have been numerous gains made towards 2SLGBTQI+ equality in Canada in recent decades, and federal support to the 2SLGBTQI+ sector, through WAGE, has been significantly enhanced. Despite this progress, 2SLGBTQI+ people experience persistent inequities in areas including housing, employment, accessing healthcare and within families/ social circles.

Housing and Poverty

2SLGBTQI+ people are more likely to be in core housing need and to experience homelessness.

  • 25% to 40% of all homeless youth are 2SLGBTQI+, even though they make up 10.5% of the youth population
  • In 2020, 12.0% of trans women, 12.9% of trans men, and 20.6% of non-binary people lived in poverty

Safety and Security

There has been an uptick in police-reported hate crimes and protests at 2SLGBTQI+ events.

  • Police-reported hate crimes targeting sexual orientation increased 233% from 2020 to 2023
  • Drag story times, pride celebrations and other 2SLGBTQI+ community events are being met with protests

Health

2SLGBTQI+ people experience health disparities and report discrimination accessing health services.

  • Gender-affirming care is considered lifesaving for trans people but access is uneven across Canada.
  • 52.2% of LGB people reported experiencing difficulties in functional health

Employment

2SLGBTQI+ people are more likely to occupy the bottom personal income quintile.

  • 72% of Two-Spirit, trans and non-binary people have experienced workplace discrimination

Key issues and challenges

  • There are nearly 1.3M 2SLGBTQI+ people in Canada. Despite advancements in data collection on 2SLGBTQI+ communities, significant data gaps remain.
    • Disaggregated data is needed to address policy gaps. Data gaps include census data on sexual orientation, and data on Two-Spirit and intersex people.
  • Some issues (e.g., provision of healthcare and education) fall under provincial jurisdiction and there are uneven approaches to addressing 2SLGBTQI+ considerations across the country.
    • Currently, there is no federal-provincial-territorial structure dedicated to discussing 2SLGBTQI+ considerations.
  • Mis/disinformation is contributing to the general public’s understanding of 2SLGBTQI+ realities and needs (e.g. lack of awareness surrounding gender-affirming care).
    • There is a risk that some people are entering into discussions concerning 2SLGBTQI+ rights/ inclusion without accurate information.
  • The 2SLGBTQI+ community sector, which has been at the forefront of advocacy, has experienced limited capacity. However, this is changing with new federal investments.
    • While past relationships with governments have been defined by legal challenges, in recent years, the Government of Canada has started engaging collaboratively in addition to providing funding to the sector.
  • Many countries are rolling back legal protections for 2SLGBTQI+ communities.
    • The new US administration has issued several Executive Orders which would restrict the rights of trans and non-binary people.

 

 

Federal Progress - Legislative Reform:

Canadian Human Rights Act

Sexual orientation and gender identity and expression included as prohibited grounds of discrimination.

Employment Equity Act

Work underway towards including 2SLGBTQI+ people as designated employment equity group.

Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan Initiatives:

Community Support

Provided $1.5M in funding in 2023-24 and 2024-25 to help Pride organizations cover increasing security costs at Pride events.

Investing up to $75 million directly in communities through capacity-building and projects-based funding.

Data Collection

Releasing Census data on trans and non-binary people in 2022. Statistics Canada is examining adding sexual orientation data in Census 2026.

Conducting new data collection and research, including through a National Survey on 2SLGBTQI+ communities.

Enhancing engagement with Indigenous, P/T and international partners, and the 2SLGBTQI+ sector

References for the 2SLGBTQI+ Sector in Canada

A Decade of Action to Advance Gender Equality in Canada

Canada has established a foundation for gender equality through a set of policy and legal frameworks

Timeline

 1967

  • Royal Commission on the Status of Women was created.

 1971

  • The Commission’s 1971 report led to the creation of the Status of Women Agency.

 1977

  • Canadian Human Rights Act protects against discriminatory practices.

1982

  • Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms sets out those rights and freedoms that necessary in a free and democratic society.

1995

  • Employment Equity Act requires federal employers to increase the representation of women, Indigenous peoples, members of visible minorities, and persons with disabilities.
  • Canada endorsed the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and committed to conduct Gender-based Analysis on all policies and programs.

2018

  • The Canadian Gender Budgeting Act ensures budgetary decisions with full consideration of their gender and diversity impacts.
  • The Gender Results Framework represents the Government of Canada’s vision for gender equality.
  • Act to establish the Department for Women and Gender Equality came into force.
  • The Pay Equity Act was established to ensure women and men receive equal pay for work of equal value in federally regulated sectors.

Advancements in gender equality

Canada’s policies and programs have contributed to important results for women.

Action

  • Created a nation-wide system of affordable early learning and childcare
  • Invested in a Women’s Entrepreneurship Strategy
  • Employment Equity Act, and requirement for federally regulated organizations to close their gaps
  • Pay Equity and Pay Transparency legislation
  • Children in the House and Parental Leave for Parliamentarians

Key results

  • Canada’s labour force participation rate for women in their prime working years reached a record 85.7 per cent in 2023
  • Increase women-owned businesses access financing, networks, and expertise to start up, scale up, and access new markets  - women have accessed WES programs and services over 316,700 times
  • Canada is the only G20 country to have achieved gender parity in executive public service positions (as of 2022)
  • This legislation protects pay equity for approximately 1.4 million workers in Canada. Employers who are subject to the Act will post their first pay equity plans in fall 2024
  • Gender parity was attained in Cabinet with women holding key portfolios, and female MPs increased to 30% (from 25% in 2015)

About women and gender equality Canada

Women and Gender Equality (WAGE) Canada was established as a federal department in 2018. It grew out of the federal Status of Women agency, which was founded in 1976.

When it became a department in December 2018, WAGE was given an expanded mandate:

  • To lead the advancement of equality for women and 2SLGBTQI+ people.
  • Promote Gender-Based Analysis Plus across the federal government – with the objective to address the systemic inequalities based on sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and ensure the inclusion of women and 2SLGBTQI+ people in every aspect of Canada’s social, economic, and political life.

WAGE acts as a convener, knowledge builder, and capacity builder

Convenor: Lead a coordinated approach to advancing women’s and 2SLGBTQI+ equality

Knowledge Broker: Bring forward evidence-based practices to inform decision-making

Capacity Builder: Play a role in empowering equality-seeking organizations and other stakeholders

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2025-07-11

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