Question Period Note: Women's Economic Security

What is the government doing to improve women’s economic security?

•Every person should have the opportunity to contribute to, and benefit from, Canada’s economy.
•Yet too many women – particularly single mothers, Indigenous women, Black and racialized women, women with disabilities, and older women – still face barriers like lower pay, working in lower-paid jobs, more unpaid caregiving responsibilities, and higher rates of gender-based violence.
•To increase women’s economic security and prosperity, Women and Gender Equality Canada supports organizations working to break down the systemic barriers impeding women’s economic participation and leadership opportunities.
•To make life more affordable, Women and Gender Equality Canada is improving access to essential menstrual products for low-income households through the Menstrual Equity Fund national pilot.

•Women are less likely than men to participate in the labour force, which can contribute to their economic insecurity into their senior years. In 2024, the labour force participation rate of core-working aged men (25 to 54) was 92.0%, compared to 85.1% for women in the same age group. In addition, 70% of part-time workers were women, many of whom cited childcare as the reason.

Gender Wage Gap:
•In 2024, Canadian women earned 87 cents for every dollar earned by men. Intersectional factors demonstrate even wider wage gaps, especially when considering indigeneity and immigration status.
•The ‘motherhood penalty’ or ‘parenthood gap’ also widens the gap in pay as women who have a child see their earnings not increase at the same rate as they do for men in the same jobs.
•A number of factors explain the gender wage gap, including:
o Gender segregation in education fields: Despite some improvement in women’s enrollment, gender segregation in post-secondary fields of study remains, both in apprenticeship and university curricula.
o Industry and occupational gender segregation in the workplace: The distribution of women and men across industries where male-dominated professional occupations are typically associated with much higher average wage.
o Care responsibilities: Limited access to child and elder care, combined with persistent gender norms, means women take on more unpaid caregiving. This often leaves them with less time for paid work, contributing to their overrepresentation in part-time or temporary jobs and limiting opportunities to take on more demanding roles.
o Societal norms and biases: Gender norms, stigma and other discriminatory practices continue to influence the value of jobs and wages, with work done by women being undervalued.

Menstrual Equity Fund Pilot:
•Many people are unable to access menstrual products due to financial limitations or other barriers. Marginalized populations such as refugees, those who are homeless, sex workers, trans and non-binary people, Indigenous communities, people with disabilities, and people living in rural, remote, and Northern communities face additional barriers to accessing menstrual supplies and are at greater risk of period poverty.
•Since September 2023, Food Banks Canada has been leading the national Menstrual Equity Fund pilot, to help address the barriers related to menstrual equity and period poverty.
•Food Banks Canada has procured and distributed more than 70 million menstrual products between September 2023 and February 2025, reaching approximately 3.5 million instances of individuals across Canada. Education and awareness activities has resulted in close to 300 resources being scaled and directly impacting over 35,000 Canadians through various workshops and events.
•In December 2024, WAGE accessed $60 million in funding over two years, starting in 2025-26, to extend the MEF pilot. Due to pilot success, Food Banks Canada will continue as the lead for the pilot extension.

GBV and the Economy:
•GBV is estimated to cost Canadian businesses millions of dollars due to productivity losses, including absenteeism, employee turnover, and increased demand for employee assistance programs.
•Victims and survivors of gender-based violence often miss work, underperform, and leave jobs entirely, leading to significant disruptions in employment and lost economic output. Victims and survivors also miss out on promotional and educational opportunities, limiting economic growth opportunities

International:
•WAGE engages on women’s economic security in various multilateral international fora, including but not limited to the United Nations, the G7, the G20, and the Inter-America Commission of Women.
•Priorities for the Department in these spaces include the care economy, addressing the gender pay gap and pushing for equal pay for work of equal value, and advancing women’s entrepreneurship and women’s leadership.

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