According to a new study from Statistics Canada, women executives earned about 56 per cent less on average than men executives and this pay gap widened even further for racialized women, who earned about 32 per cent less than non-visible minority women. This study was based on the most senior levels, marital status, number of children, education, backgrounds, sector of work, job title, and professional networks. 

“One of the study’s most shocking findings concerned the number of racialized women in executive roles. There were so few Indigenous executives – both men and women” (Doolittle R. & De Luigi E. 2021) Other findings include the most common groups not represented were South Asian and Chinese, with fewer executives being Black and Filipino, the researchers found that visible minority women were five times less likely than non-visible minority women to work at one of these American-controlled companies. Lastly, Women who were in executive positions were less likely to be in a relationship – about 80 percent of women executives were married or in a common-law relationship, compared with 90 percent of men – or to have children. 

These stark statistics from Statistics Canada’s new study about the gender divide encourages us as a federally incorporated charitable non-profit organization based in Peel Region, to continue to be committed to building anti-racism anti-oppression (ARAO) – diversity equity inclusion (DEI) competency in the human services sector to support a deeper understanding and recognition of the gender inequalities with sectors across Canada particularly corporate Canada. The Regional Diversity Roundtable (RDR) is founded and led by Varsha Naik, executive director who is a professional Social Worker, a racialized self-identifying minority woman with decades of work focused on systems change in the human services sector nationally and internationally. The team at RDR is deliberately ethnically, racially, and gender diverse to reflect our commitment to anti-racism anti-oppression (ARAO) – diversity equity inclusion (DEI) and be a reflection of the sectors, organizations, and communities we support. 

It would be negligent of me as a racialized, disabled trans man to not centre my own identity while writing on this topic on behalf of the Regional Diversity Roundtable. (RDR) I want to take this moment to recognize the male privilege I now hold within the workplace even within a sector that has made anti-racism anti-oppression (ARAO) – diversity equity inclusion (DEI) as a priority.

Written by: Logan Wong (SSW, BSW, MSW Candidate) – RDR ARAO-DEI Education Program Coordinator 

Reference: Doolittle R. & De Luigi E. Women in executive roles make 56 per cent less than men, study shows May 19, 2021 Globe and Mail (online) https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-gender-and-diversity-gaps-persist-in-corporate -canada-new-statistics/