Question Period Note: Canada’s Position on Gender Indexes

How does Canada compare internationally on gender equality, and what work still needs to be done?

• The Government of Canada has committed to advancing gender equality, in order to ensure that no one is left behind.

• Canada serves as a global leader, as demonstrated in several international rankings.

• Canada ranked 8th out of 129 countries on progress towards gender-related targets in the Sustainable Development Goals. In the World Economic Forum’s latest Global Gender Gap Report:
o Canada placed 1st in North America
o Canada placed 19th overall – up 11 places since 2015.

• We know there is still more work to be done—ensuring that women’s voices are included in key decision making roles, in business and in government; closing the gender wage gap; increasing economic security; and preventing and addressing gender-based violence.

Across the world, countries are taking steps to advance gender equality, understanding that gender equality is not only a human right, it grows economies and benefits everyone.

Many international bodies and civil society organizations use gender indexes to rank countries’ progress towards gender equality. This allows countries to see how they are faring compared to others, and where there is room for improvement.

Overall, Canada performs well in global rankings on gender equality, with consistently high scores in the areas of education, and equality under law. For instance, in 2019, the OECD classified Canada as having a “very low level of discrimination” stemming from formal and informal laws, attitudes and practices that restrict access to rights, justice and empowerment based on gender. Equal rights under law have a notable impact on gender equality in educational attainment—an area where Canada shines. The World Economic Forum’s 2020 Global Gender Gap Report (WEF-GGR) ranked Canada 1st (tieing with 24 other countries) out of 153 countries on gender equality in educational attainment and 19th overall in economic participation and opportunity; educational attainment; health; and politics. According to this measure, Canada has closed just over 77% of its overall gender gap, with a narrowing of 3% since 2015.

The 2020 WEF-GGR ranked Canada three places lower than in 2018 – not because we are doing worse, but because we have not kept pace with improvements in other countries. For example, countries such as Spain and Latvia, whose rankings have increased 21 and 6 places since 2018, respectively, have experienced improvements in political representation, which has played a critical role in their advancement in the rankings. Like most countries, Canada has more to do in the areas of equal representation in business and politics; ending gender-based violence; and addressing the gender-wage gap. Other pressing concerns, include unequal access to housing, child care and reproductive health care services.

The Government of Canada is taking concrete actions to address these concerns. Including, appointing the first gender-balanced federal Cabinet, passing pay equity legislation, helping women create and grow their businesses, investing in affordable childcare, making it easier for families to share child care responsibilities, and launching Canada’s first ever strategy to prevent and address gender-based violence. It is also providing stable, predictable and flexible funding to women’s organizations; expanding shelters and transition houses; and providing employment support and newcomer integration supports.

None