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.
• In the World Economic Forum’s 2021 Global Gender Gap Report Canada placed 24th overall – up 6 places since 2015.
• On Equal Measures’ 2019 Sustainable Development Goals Gender Index, Canada ranked 8th out of 129 countries on progress towards gender-related targets towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
• 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, the World Economic Forum’s 2021 Global Gender Gap Report ranked Canada 24th out of 156 countries. The report, now in its 15th year, benchmarks the evolution of gender-based gaps in four areas: economic participation and opportunity; educational attainment; health and survival; and political empowerment.

Canada ranked five places lower in this year’s report than in the 2020 Report, however Canada’s gender parity score in 2021 was the same as in 2020. This signals that the drop is due to the relative improvement of other countries – not because we are doing worse. For example, countries such as Lithuania and Belgium, whose rankings have increased 25 and 14 places since 2020, respectively, have experienced improvements in political representation, which has played a critical role in their advancement in the rankings.

• In the Economic Participation and Opportunity dimension, Canada ranked 40th overall, a drop from the 30th spot in 2020.
• In Educational Attainment, Canada tied first with many countries, the same as in 2020.
• In Health and Survival, Canada ranked 100th overall, gaining 5 spots compared to 2020. The Health and Survival subindex is the area where gender gaps are smallest on average, and countries’ performances are significantly more concentrated: scores vary among a concentrated set of values between just 93% and 98%.
• In Political Empowerment, Canada was ranked 29th in 2021, compared to 25th last year, even though Canada’s score was higher this year.

Equal Measures’ Global Report in 2019 introduced the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Gender Index. This tool examines the state of gender equality based on 51 indicators across the SDGs. Canada ranked 8th out of 129 countries, with highest scores obtained in areas such as health and strong institutions, and lower scores in areas such as climate action and partnerships for the SDG goals.

In 2019, the OECD’s Social Institutions and Gender Index 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.

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.

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