CANADA NEWS RELEASE: Federal Funding to Help Increase Opportunities for Women and Build a More Resilient Economy for Everyone in Canada

Mississauga Board of Trade
Mississauga Board of Trade

Published

November 1, 2024

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NEWS RELEASE

Federal Funding to Help Increase Opportunities for Women and Build a More Resilient Economy for Everyone in Canada

November 1, 2024

Women and Gender Equality Canada
TORONTO, ONTARIO – Women continue to face persistent pay equity challenges, underrepresentation in high-paying jobs, a disproportionate load of caregiving responsibilities, and a lack of pathways for career growth. Unlocking economic and leadership opportunities for women will lead to a more prosperous and resilient economy for everyone in Canada.Today, the Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, announced up to $100 million for 163 projects to improve economic and leadership opportunities for women across Canada.

This funding will address systemic barriers to women’s economic participation and success, including harassment, discrimination, limited access to mentors and networks, and lack of flexible work arrangements. The projects will advance gender equality through one or more of the following ways:

  • Changing gender norms and attitudes by working to change beliefs, assumptions, and stereotypes based on gender and other identity factors.
  • Supporting changes to authority, voices at the table, and decision-making power by working to address power imbalances to ensure women are part of the dialogue and solution.
  • Increasing networks and collaboration by building and strengthening partnerships to work across sectors and break down silos.
  • Encouraging more effective and equitable sharing of resources by sharing, mobilizing, and redistributing resources to support equality.
  • Changing policies and practices by creating, changing, or removing policies and practices to address sexism and other barriers to gender equality.

This funding supports Women and Gender Equality Canada’s continued work to advance equality with respect to sex, sexual orientation and gender identity or expression through the inclusion of people of all genders, including women, in Canada’s economic, social, and political life.

Quick facts

  • Women’s wages have grown steadily since the 1990s, but disparities persist. In 2023, women in Canada earned 0.88 cents for every dollar earned by men, suggesting a gap of 12%. The pay gap is wider for: racialized, Indigenous and immigrant women.
  • Women occupy only 30% of senior management positions and just 35% of other management positions.
  • Women were majority owners of just 17% of small and medium-sized businesses in 2020.
  • Women’s labour force participation reached a record high of 85.7% in July 2023, however women are concentrated in low-wage occupations – 28.2% of women work in the five lowest paid occupations.

Additional Resources

Media Contacts

Angie Rutera
Communications Assistant
Office of the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth
Angie.Rutera@fegc-wage.gc.ca

Media Relations
Women and Gender Equality Canada
819-420-6530
FEGC.Media.WAGE@fegc-wage.gc.ca

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