Despite Canada’s commitment to gender equity through human rights legislation and policies, the country ranked eighth in gender pay disparity among 43 nations in 2018.

While gender wage gaps affect all women, they are particularly pronounced for those from marginalized communities. A 2015 United Nations Human Rights report raised concerns about “the persisting inequalities between women and men” in Canada, highlighting the gender pay gap and its disproportionate impact on low-income, racialized and Indigenous women.

Historical data reflects the persistence of these inequalities. The 2001 and 2016 censuses reveal that labour market inequalities in Canada have remained both gendered and racialized over the past two decades.

Racialized immigrant women are among the most disadvantaged groups in Canada’s labour force. They experience higher unemployment rates and lower incomes than racialized men, non-racialized men and non-racialized women, regardless of whether they are immigrants or Canadian-born.

Building on this evidence, my recent analysis of the 2021 census further illustrates the ongoing disparities racialized immigrant women face in the Canadian labour market — even among those with university education.

As of 2021, immigrants

© The Conversation