• Français
Find Your Local Union
Subscribe to E-news
 
Login
Scholarships
Contact

UFCW Canada - Union Logo

Canada's Private Sector Union

  • About Our Union
  • Media & News
  • Resources
  • Issues
  • Action Centre
  • Join the Union
Women and Gender Equity

Help close the Gender Pay Gap today

UFCW Canada - Report to Ontario on the Gender Wage Gap

UFCW Canada submission to the House of Commons Special Committee on Pay Equity

UFCW Canada supports Equal Pay Day
#EqualPayDay

The gender wage gap is the difference in earnings between women and men in the workplace.

It is a widely recognized indicator of the economic inequality facing working women. A 2015 United Nations Human Rights report raised concerns about “the persisting inequalities between women and men” in Canada, including the “high level of the pay gap” and its disproportionate effect on low-income women, racialized women, and Indigenous women.

Canada is ranked as having the 8th highest gender pay gap out of a list of 43 countries examined by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

According to data from the 2016 Census, women in Canada earn nearly 30% less than men—a gap that's even wider for racialized, Indigenous, LGBTQ2S, and disabled women. As inflation and the costs of living soar, women are struggling to afford the basic essentials to support themselves and their families.

Women have historically faced significant barriers to achieving economic equality, including gender-based discrimination in hiring, promotion, and pay. While progress has been made in recent years, the gender pay gap remains persistently high. Women have higher levels of education and still make less than men on average. There’s a significant gap between what men and women earn in every industry and occupation.

Pay equity is not a privilege or a frill. It is the law. Discriminatory pay gaps are a violation of human rights, and human rights enforcement is not a partisan issue.

How can we eliminate the gender wage gap?

  • Make closing the gender gap a human rights priority
  • Legislate card check & promote access to collective bargaining
  • Enforce and expand pay equity
  • Increase the minimum wage
  • Legislate equity compliance for workplaces and businesses
  • Provide affordable, high-quality, universal child care
  • End violence and harassment of women
  • Table Pay Transparency legislation

 

 
  • <<< Issues
  • Women and Gender Equity
    • Women & Gender Equity Committee
    • Posters & Downloads – Women’s Issues
    • Important Dates & Events
    • Women in Canadian Labour History
    • End Gender Based Violence
    • Sexual Assault & Harassment
    • Women and Leadership
    • Mental Health
    • Gender Pay Gap
    • Make Child Care Accessible for all and Protect the Child Care Workforce
    • News
  • Join the Union
  • About Our Union
    • About Our Union
      • Find Your Local Union
      • National President
      • National Council
      • Constitution
      • Union History
      • UFCW Canada Annual Report
      • Brand Guidelines
      • Join UFCW Canada
  • Media & News
    • Media & News
      • News
      • Media
      • Subscribe to E-news
  • Resources
    • Resources
      • Stand for Canada, Shop UFCW-made
      • The National Defence Fund
      • Migrant Members
      • Union Training & Scholarships
      • Member Discounts
      • Health & Safety
      • UFCW Canada Equity Grant Program
  • Issues
    • Issues
      • Leukemia Fundraising
      • Political Action
      • Women and Gender Equity
      • Social Justice
      • The Union for Agriculture Workers
      • UFCW Pride – Union Pride!
      • Young Workers
      • Food Justice
      • Global Solidarity
      • Uber Drivers United
      • Conscious Cannabis
  • Action Centre
    • Action Centre
      • Affordability for All
      • Violence is not part of the job: Respect Frontline Workers!
      • Make Truth and Reconciliation a paid day of recognition and remembrance
      • Paid Sick Days Now!
      • End the Heritage Inn Lockout Now
  • Join the Union
    • Join the Union
      • Why UFCW Canada
      • Union Advantage
      • Union Facts
      • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Everything About Unions
      • Industries We Represent
      • Workplaces We Represent
      • How to Join a Union
      • Join Now

Login

FacebookXYoutube2Instagram

Copyright © 2025 UFCW Canada. All Rights Reserved
United Food and Commercial Workers Union
Canada's private sector union