Gender Inequities Persist in Canadian Post-Secondary Education and the Workforce – The Conference Board of Canada

Press Release

Ottawa, April 19, 2018 — Although women make up over half of post-secondary graduates, they continue to be underrepresented in senior decision-making roles, certain academic and professional fields, and the workforce. Additional efforts also need to be made to include more Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, LGBTQ2S, and racialized Canadians. A new report by The Conference Board of Canada examines the status of gender equity, diversity, and inclusion in Canadian higher education and business.

Gender Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: Business/Higher Education Perspectives summarizes insights from the February 2017 Quality Network for Universities meeting and the latest Census data on gender equity and post-secondary education (PSE).

“The inequities that persist on campuses and in work communities mean that Canada is not harnessing the full capacity of its population or leveraging the talent of all Canadians,” said Dr. Matthew McKean, Associate Director, Education, The Conference Board of Canada. “Achieving greater equity, diversity, and inclusion would have wide-ranging benefits for Canada. Ethically, it is also the right thing to do,” says McKean.

Highlights

• In Canada, women obtain 56 per cent of bachelor’s degrees and 51 per cent of master’s degrees. They also make up a majority of college graduates, at 58 per cent.
• Women and other equity groups continue to be underutilized and underrepresented in senior-decision making roles, certain academic and professional fields, and the workforce.
• Creative tools like design thinking and strategic foresight can be leveraged to address implicit bias—or bias based on unintentional assumptions—and develop solutions to equity challenges.
• Creating equitable and inclusive environments requires a systematic rethinking of equity, diversity, and inclusion on the part of institutions, including the establishment of benchmarks and progress measures.

environment that fosters gender diversity will require a systematic rethinking Although the gender gap in educational attainment favours women, gender imbalances vary widely by degree level and discipline. Women obtain more bachelor’s degrees than men (56 per cent) and while they earn 51 per cent of master’s degrees, they claim just 38 per cent of doctorates. Of note, women make up 58 per cent of college, CEGEP, and other non-university certificate and diploma holders.

Women continue to be significantly underrepresented in high-earning STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) fields. At the university level, they represent 32 per cent of graduates in mathematics, computer and information sciences, and just 20 per cent of graduates in architecture, engineering and related technologies.

Just as gender inequities are present in post-secondary attainment, they are also evident in labour force participation and outcomes. Despite comprising 48 per cent of the labour force in Canada, women are consistently underrepresented in senior leadership positions. Likewise, other equity groups, including visible minorities and Indigenous people, are under-represented on senior leadership teams at Canada’s universities. Equity, diversity, and inclusion at the top begins with increasing access to and resources for education, from K12 through PSE, and work for women, Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, LGBTQ2S, and racialized Canadians.

The report offers key recommendations for increasing gender equity and diversity including:

• There is both an ethical and a business case for increasing gender equity.
• Efforts to increase diversity and inclusion must begin at the top.
• Students and external forces put pressure on PSE institutions to become more diverse and inclusive.
• Steps must be taken to reduce implicit bias in PSE institutions.
• Design-based solutions can play a significant role in addressing implicit bias.
• Diversity initiatives must include targets and measurement of progress towards targets.

For more information contact

Corporate Communications
613-526-3280
corpcomm@conferenceboard.ca

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