Calgary ranked #23 – or third worst – on a list of the 25 best and worst cities in Canada to be a woman, in a new report released today by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
The rankings are based on five areas: economic security, leadership, health, education and personal security. Apparently Calgary has some work to do in nearly all areas to level the playing field.
Wage inequality is a primary reason for our city’s disappointing ranking. Despite women in Calgary being among the most educated in Canada, they earn about 42 per cent less annually than men, according to a recent Parkland Institute study.
Secondly, when examining City Council, we don’t have to look hard to see a lack of elected women – only two out of 15 are women. And women in politics do make a difference. The United Nations says that a critical mass of at least 30 per cent women is needed before legislatures produce public policy representing women’s concerns and before political institutions begin to change the way they do business.
Amy Kaler, a sociology professor at the University of Alberta, speaks to one badly needed policy change in an interview with Global: “If I had to name one policy change, one political change that could go some way towards closing the gap between men and women in terms of economic power, I would say accessible, high-quality childcare.”
Kaler points to Quebec, which has three cities in the top 10 and offers generous parental leave and highly subsidized childcare, as a model of what other parts of Canada should strive for.
Changes in child care policy would give women, who are still generally the primary care givers or custodial parents, a better opportunity to participate in the economy.
Lastly, when we look at women’s security in Calgary, we find we still have a long way to go. Calgary Police report more than 16,000 domestic violence related calls every year, with approximately 80 per cent of victims being female. Last year, the YWCA Sheriff King Home emergency shelter supported 233 women (and 257 children) fleeing family violence, and ours is certainly not the only shelter in the city.
High family violence rates also occur in Edmonton, contributing to its #24 ranking in the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives’ findings, which indicates gender inequality is not just a big issue in our city, but also provincially. Statistics Canada says Alberta’s family violence rate was the fourth highest in Canada in 2013.
The report is as a reminder that gaps still exist between men and women in communities across Canada; however, with the right choices and policies, these gaps can be closed.
