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By the Numbers: Women in Canada

 

  • 17.4 million

Women and girls live in Canada

 

  • 1 in 5

Women and girls were born outside of Canada

 

  • 8.1 million (58.3%)

Women were employed in 2009

 

  • 72.9

Percentage of women with children under the age of 16 living at home who were employed in 2009, nearly twice the rate recorded in 1976

 

  • 71 

Percentage of women who have completed post-secondary education, compared to 64.5% of men

 

  • 56.2

Percentage of women 15 and over who have graduated high school, compared to 67.7% of men

 

  • 62.3

Women's labour force participation rate, compared to 71.5 percent of men

 

  • 57.9

Women's employment rate, compared to 65.4 percent of men

 

  • 45

Percentage of women working in rural and remote areas

 

  • 55

Percentage of women in the Canadian retail trade labour force. Only 8.9% of Chief Executive Officers in the retail industry are female

 

  • 21

Number of top 1000 public companies run by female CEOs as of 2010

 

  • 22

Percentage of women in Parliament (House of Commons)

 

  • 13.5

Percentage of female mayors

 

  • 36

Percentage of female legislators, senior officials, and managers

 

  • 57

Percentage of females in professional and technical positions

 

  • 65

Percentage of the average annual earnings ($30,100) that women earn of the $46,900 that men typically earn. The gender pay gap in Canada is among the worst in the OECD nations. On average, Canadian men are paid 20 percent more than their female counterparts

 

  • 84

Percentage of women’s average hourly earnings compared to wages for men

 

  • 14.4

Percentage of women living with low income after tax

 

  • 32.6

Percentage of women working in unionized jobs, slightly higher than men (30.3%). Unionization density is greater among women aged 55 and over (35%)

 

  • 39

Percentage of total registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) contributions made by women in 2008

 

  • 83 years

The average life expectancy of a baby girl born in 2006

 

  • Before 1947

A woman with Canadian citizenship who married a non-Canadian or non-British Empire citizen lost her Canadian citizenship

 

  • 65

Percentage of global spending that women control. By 2014, the World Bank predicts the global income of women will grow by more than $5 trillion

Sources: Statistics Canada study - Women in Canada, 2010; Catalyst; World Bank; Globe and Mail