OTTAWA, ON, March 8, 2025 /CNW/ – The Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, issued the following statement for International Women’s Day:
“Today, on International Women’s Day, we celebrate the strength, achievements, and voices of women across Canada. Their stories shape our communities, inspire change, and move us closer to a future where equality and opportunity are truly shared by all.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme, Strength in every story, reminds us that listening to and amplifying women’s voices – especially those facing barriers – is essential to building a more inclusive future. When women and girls have opportunities, they drive innovation, support the economy, and create lasting change.
While progress has been made, there are women who still face barriers that impact their education, career advancement and their income. For instance:
- Women’s wages have grown steadily since the 1990s, yet in 2024 women earned 89 cents for every dollar earned by men, suggesting a pay gap of 11%.
- The pay gap is even larger for racialized, Indigenous, and immigrant women.
- Women continue to be overrepresented in low-paying industries and occupations and underrepresented in high-paying ones.
- In 2018, Canadian women made up 59% of minimum wage workers, a proportion virtually unchanged since 1997.
- In 2021, women made up 35% of STEM bachelor’s degree holders among Canadians aged 25 to 64.
- Furthermore, women with STEM degrees are more likely to be unemployed and have lower median salaries than men with STEM degrees.
- In 2022, women reported spending four hours more on average in a week looking after care-dependent adults and eight hours more on average in a week caring for children compared to men.
Whether it’s supporting women in business, leadership, culture, or safety and security, all of us play a role in advancing equality. Progress doesn’t happen on its own – it requires action from all of us. Over the past year, Women and Gender Equality Canada has invested approximately $140 million to support the work of women-led and women-focused organizations. These projects are advancing efforts to address systemic change, improve women’s ability to contribute to Canada’s economic security and growth, end violence against women and girls, and encourage women’s participation in leadership and decision-making roles.
This International Women’s Day let’s celebrate the women and girls who inspire us and keep fighting for a future where every woman’s voice is heard and valued. Join the conversation and share their stories using #IWD2025.”
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