Issue:

The issue is the gender wage gap in Canada.  This issue is an important topic because it is frequently brought up (in politics, more specifically), but not really examined very intensely. Women have to learn to grow up with the false idea that they aren’t as valuable to the workforce as men, whether that is a conscious thought or not. It is important to examine this issue as best as we can.

Why Should We Care?

Some Reasons Why We Should Care Are: First, since women have a lower earning power, they are more likely to fall into poverty. Second, in 2018 female workers for ages 25 to 54 earned $4.13 an hour less than their male counterparts. Third, on average women earn about $5,700 (12%) less than men almost a year after graduating and $17,000 (25%) less than men the fifth year after graduation. Fourth, it takes about 15.5 months for a woman to earn how much a man earns in 12 months. Fifth, a woman with at least one child makes about 85 cents for every dollar a man with at least one child makes. Sixth, women often have to choose between having a family or pursuing their careers, while men continue to maintain their careers and have a family. Seventh, When a woman has a child she will probably experience something called the “motherhood penalty”, where the wage gap increases and the woman’s lifetime earnings are substantially affected.