Study: Waterloo Region is the worst place for women in Canada to live
Posted Jul 15, 2015 05:09:29 AM.
Last Updated Jul 15, 2015 10:35:53 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
If you’re a woman looking to get ahead, apparently Kitchener-Waterloo is the wrong place.
A study by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives has the region ranking dead last in places for women to live.
The report’s author, Kate McInturff, tells the National Post, “Women in Waterloo Region boast more education than men, but they don’t share equal access to leadership positions, they report higher levels of stress, and they post lower wages and employment levels than men.”
She points out that women are just a third of local politicians and managers in local businesses.
McInturff also notes that the top jobs for men graduating from the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University are in engineering and technology, where fewer women are hired and they make less on average than men.
Waterloo City Councillor Melissa Durrell says she was “shocked” by the report, but it’s a chance to focus on what we can do better.
“What are we doing right? How we can we continue to do more of that? How can we strive for equality?” Durrell asks.
“Because in the end, that’s how our community is going to be a true success, a great community to live in — when everyone feels equal and valued for their opinions and ideas.”
Durrell says one thing she believes strongly in is getting more women into the tech sector.
Community developer Jill Yuzwa isn’t surprised by the results.
She believes one problem is that women often feel they have to “think like a man” in order to succeed in the workplace, pointing out Pluto’s Mission Operations Manager Alice Bowman as an example of how you can succeed as a woman without sacrificing your identity.
“They refer to her as MOM, and she’s leading this entire team,” says Yuzwa. “She’s really bringing a feminine style to getting the job done, but yet, she’s an incredibly accomplished engineer.”
The cities are ranked based on five areas — women’s economic security, education, health, leadership and security.
Victoria, B.C. was listed as the best city in Canada for women.
