Canadian farm gender pay gap still wide but narrowing

The gender pay gap among farm operators has been steadily decreasing over the past two decades.  It still needs a long way to go, but at least it is headed in the right direction.

A recent Agriculture–Population Linkage study from Statistics Canada, which combines data from the Census of Agriculture and the Census of Population, highlights the trend. In 2020, the gap was nearly equal to the national average for all Canadians aged 16 and over.

This shrinking gap is notable in an industry where women’s earnings were traditionally much lower compared to men’s. The formula used to calculate this gap considers wages, salaries, and commissions, excluding farm operators who do not receive such payments.

It’s important to note that the study didn’t account for unpaid activities like child rearing, which could affect annual earnings.

By 2020, the gap had reduced, with women farm operators earning 28.4% less on average than their male counterparts, an improvement from the 35.2% gap in 2000. This trend mirrors the decrease in the overall Canadian gender pay gap.

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Photo by Zoe Schaeffer on Unsplash

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