Is Canada More Gender Equal Than The US?
There is a growing awareness in different countries and communities on the importance of gender equality for a sustainable world. A few countries, including Canada and the US, have made massive progress with gender equality, especially regarding education, health, and economic opportunity. However, despite the progress recorded, gender inequality persists in different forms, especially in political representation, employment opportunities, and the pay gap in the workforce.
What Is Gender Equality?
According to the definition by UN Women, Gender Equality or Equality of Sexes is achieved when everyone, regardless of their gender, has equal rights and access to opportunities or resources. Many people, countries, and governments have seen the need to promote gender equality not just to put an end to discrimination and violence against women but also for economic prosperity. Thus, one of the major focuses of gender-equal policy is strengthening women’s economic and political participation and increasing the percentage of women in the workforce. However, not many countries have been able to achieve that.
Gender Equality in Canada and the US
Canada and the US score well on several metrics of gender equality as the government is working towards advancing equality concerning social, economic, and political lives. There have been dramatic changes in gender inequality over the past century in both countries. From employment opportunities to economic security and reduction in violence, many societies in Canada and the US are working to achieve gender equality. Women’s employment increased, a higher percentage of women are receiving their doctoral degrees, and many women are getting degrees in fields like tech, engineering, and accounting that men dominated. Furthermore, many organizations and workplaces are starting to implement policies to ensure equal employment opportunities.
To ensure greater gender equality results, the Canadian Government commissioned the OECD to assess the policy and institutional framework from a whole of government perspective. Also, in March 2021, President Biden signed an Executive Order to advance gender equality through the “full participation of all people — including women and girls — across all aspects of our society is essential to the economic well-being, health, and security of our Nation and of the world.” However, despite these feats, some research suggests that they are lagging when compared to other countries.
Comparing Gender Equality in Canada and the USA
The 2020 polling by Global Gender Gap Report from the World Economic Forum showed that Canada stands ahead of the US regarding gender equality. WEF ranks progress toward equality in 153 countries based on four major metrics: educational attainment, health and survival, economic participation and opportunity, and political empowerment. Based on this ranking, The US was in 53rd place, compared to 19th place for Canada.
Pay Gap:
Both Canada and the United States haven’t been able to close the pay gap between men and women. Canada ranks 18th among developed countries in this metric, while the United States ranks 45th.
Workplace Equality:
Some studies suggest that the United States is lagging behind other Western countries in the percentage of women engaged in the workforce. Also, according to a report from Citigroup, Canada is much better than the United States at getting women into the workforce, and women in Canada are more likely to work than their US counterparts.
Bottom Line
Gender equality doesn’t happen overnight, and no country has fully achieved it. However, based on the reports over the years, it can be conveniently said that Canada, on some metrics like workplace equality and economic participation, is more gender-equal than the US.
Finally, everyone has a role in promoting and ensuring gender equality is achieved. Therefore, societies, workplaces, businesses, and organizations need to model best practices that promote fairness and gender equality. It is time to unmute!