Lana Oconnell
Over the last few decades, there has been a significant increase in the number of women enrolling in Canadian universities. In the early 1950s, only 22% of students enrolled in Canadian universities were women. Since then, that number has risen steadily, with women outnumbering men in higher education. In 2020, 57% of university students in Canada were women, and in 2021, around 1.2 million women were enrolled in post-secondary institutions in Canada compared to about 931,220 men. This trend is not unique to Canada, as a similar pattern can be observed in several European countries. Various factors contribute to this gender gap in university participation, including academic performance, study habits, parental influences, and access to different programs.
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What You'll Learn
Women's enrolment in Canadian universities has been increasing since the 1950s
There are several factors that have contributed to this shift. One study found that in 2003, 38.8% of 19-year-old women had attended university compared to 25.7% of men, a gap of 13.1 percentage points. The main factors contributing to this difference were overall marks, performance on standardised reading tests, and the amount of time spent on homework, which together accounted for almost 60% of the gap. Parental educational expectations for boys and girls also played a role, making up 8.5% of the difference.
Another factor to consider is the association between parental education and university participation. While this association is seen for both girls and boys, it is slightly stronger for girls. Girls from higher-income families are more likely to attend university than those from lower-income families, and parental income has been found to have a weak association with university participation for boys. Additionally, women tend to have a wider choice of disciplines and are more likely to be accepted into programmes with limited enrolment. They also tend to achieve higher grades and outperform men once enrolled.
The increasing enrolment and graduation rates of women in Canadian universities have led to a majority-female student population on most campuses. This shift has been welcomed as a positive development. However, the under-representation of men in higher education is also a cause for concern, and interventions are being proposed to address this issue. Overall, the trend of increasing women's enrolment in Canadian universities since the 1950s reflects a positive step towards gender equality in education.
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In 2020, 57% of Canadian university students were women
One key factor is academic performance. In 2003, 38.8% of 19-year-old women had attended university, compared to only 25.7% of men, with differences in overall marks, performance on standardised reading tests, and time spent on homework contributing to this gap. Women tend to achieve higher grades, which grants them access to a wider range of programs and increases their likelihood of being accepted into competitive programs. Additionally, parental educational expectations differ between genders, with higher expectations for girls, contributing to the gender gap.
Parental education levels positively influence university attendance for both genders, although the association is slightly stronger for girls than boys. Socioeconomic factors also play a role, with girls from higher-income families having a notable advantage over those from lower-income backgrounds in terms of university attendance. Boys, on the other hand, show no significant difference in university attendance based on family income levels.
The gender gap in Canadian universities is not an isolated phenomenon. Similar trends have been observed in Quebec and around 15 European countries, indicating a broader pattern of female dominance in higher education. This shift has sparked discussions and research into the underlying causes, with some speculating about the potential impact of economic incentives and other factors.
While the increasing enrolment of women in Canadian universities is a positive development, the under-representation of men has become a cause for concern. Addressing this issue requires long-term interventions, starting from early childhood and focusing on prenatal care, preschool programs, and rethinking traditional educational practices.
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Women have access to more programs than men
Women have made significant progress in terms of education and schooling in Canada over the past few decades. In 2021, around 1.2 million women were enrolled in post-secondary institutions in Canada, compared to about 931,220 men. This trend is not new, as early as 2003, 38.8% of 19-year-old women had attended university, compared to just 25.7% of men.
Women are also more ambitious when it comes to their educational goals. Among students aged 15 to 24, 86% of women indicated that they want to pursue a bachelor's degree or above as the highest level of education desired, compared to 78% of men. This trend holds true even when accounting for age and current level of education. For instance, among those aged 15 and older, women were 4.4 percentage points more likely than men to set a bachelor's degree or above as their desired highest level of education.
Despite their ambition, women are also more likely to report obstacles preventing them from achieving their desired level of education. In 2016, 34% of women reported encountering some form of obstacle in achieving their desired level of education, compared to 27% of men. This trend persists even when accounting for age and current level of education. For students aged 15 to 24, women were 10.8 percentage points more likely than men to experience obstacles.
Women are also more successful in completing their degrees and are more likely to pursue graduate studies. In 2008, women accounted for over three-quarters of graduates in education and health sciences programs. In the humanities, visual and performing arts, communications technologies, social and behavioural sciences, and law, roughly two-thirds of graduates were women. The proportion of female master's graduates has also been increasing, surpassing the 50% mark in 1997 and reaching 54% in 2008. At the PhD level, female students remain in the minority, but their proportion has increased significantly, climbing from 32% in 1992 to 44% in 2008.
While women are more likely to enrol in and complete university programs, they still face challenges in terms of economic benefits. Even with the same level of education, women's employment earnings are on average lower than men's. Additionally, certain fields continue to have low proportions of female graduates, such as architecture, engineering, and related services, where only 22% of graduates were women in 2008.
In conclusion, while women in Canada have made remarkable strides in education and have access to more programs than men, they still face obstacles and inequalities, particularly in terms of economic benefits and representation in certain fields.
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Parental educational expectations are higher for girls
Over the last few decades, there has been a significant increase in women's educational attainment in Canada. According to the 1971 Census, 68% of 25 to 29-year-old university graduates in Canada were male. By 1981, women had more or less caught up, with only 54% of graduates being male. This trend continued, and by 1991, women had become the slight majority, comprising 51% of graduates. In the 2001 Census, 58% of all graduates were women, and by 2006, this number had increased to 60% of university graduates between the ages of 25 and 29. This dramatic reversal on Canadian university campuses has sparked interest in understanding the factors contributing to this gender gap in university participation.
One factor that has received attention is the role of parental educational expectations. Research suggests that parental expectations play a significant role in determining children's higher education participation. Girls are generally assessed as more likely to attend university compared to boys. For instance, in a study by Koshy et al. (2019), it was found that families in which fathers hold trade qualifications are less likely to expect their children, especially sons, to pursue higher education. This is often attributed to the broader options available for young males in certain vocational education systems.
In terms of parental expectations, mothers tend to be more positive about their daughters' university prospects than fathers, while for boys, there is no significant difference in expectations between mothers and fathers. Additionally, when it comes to parental income, there is a stronger association with university participation for girls than for boys. Girls from higher-income families are more likely to benefit from higher parental income, giving them an advantage over girls from lower-income families. This advantage is less pronounced for boys, as boys across all income quartiles are equally likely to attend university.
Furthermore, parental education level is a strong predictor of children's educational attainment. More educated parents are better equipped to guide their children through the education system, provide academic support, serve as role models, and tend to have higher economic stability. This intergenerational mobility in education is particularly notable in Canada compared to other OECD countries. The children of immigrants, especially those from Asia, Africa, and Latin America, tend to outperform both their parents and non-immigrant peers in educational attainment. However, there is variation within this group, as Black youth are less likely to have a post-secondary certificate, diploma, or degree.
While parental educational expectations are higher for girls, it is important to note that girls also face more obstacles in achieving their desired level of education. In 2016, 34% of women reported encountering obstacles, compared to 27% of men. This trend persists when considering age and current education level; among students aged 15 to 24, women were 10.8 percentage points more likely than men to experience obstacles in achieving their desired level of education.
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Women are more likely to enrol in Humanities
In 2021, around 1.2 million women were enrolled in Canadian post-secondary institutions, compared to about 931,220 men. This trend of higher female enrollment in Canadian universities has been observed over the last 30 years. In 1971, 68% of 25 to 29-year-old university graduates were male. By 1991, women became the slight majority, comprising 51% of graduates. This majority grew over the years, with women making up 58% of all graduates in 2001 and 60% of university graduates between the ages of 25 and 29 in 2006.
Several factors have been proposed to explain why women are more likely to enrol in humanities programs at Canadian universities. One factor is the implicit bias of teachers, who may spend more time and effort providing comprehensive constructive feedback to male students in math and science subjects, while female students may receive more encouragement and support in humanities-related subjects. This bias also exists in the home, where parents may encourage their sons to engage in activities typically associated with STEM, such as providing them with screwdrivers, while encouraging their daughters to pursue activities related to the humanities, such as baking cakes. This gender stereotype is further perpetuated by societal expectations of masculinity and femininity, where boys who show interest in "feminine" pursuits like art or literature may be ridiculed or bullied.
Another factor influencing the choice of study field is the "male flight" phenomenon, where the increasing presence of women in a field or career may cause men to move away from it. This has been observed in the legal profession, for example. Additionally, gendered socialization may play a role, as male and female children are handled and spoken to differently from birth. Male babies are more likely to be encouraged to take risks and are spoken to in lower, more assertive tones, which may influence their subject choices as they grow older.
Biological factors may also contribute to the preference for certain fields of study. An experiment with rhesus monkeys showed that male monkeys preferred "typically male" toys, such as wheeled vehicles, while female monkeys did not show a preference for these toys. This suggests that biologically defined preferences may influence the educational choices of human children as they shape their family and school environments.
While the factors influencing the choice of study field are complex and multifaceted, it is clear that societal expectations, gender stereotypes, and biological factors all play a role in shaping the educational preferences of young women and men.
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Frequently asked questions
In 2020, 57% of university students in Canada were women.
No, in the early 1950s, only 22% of students enrolled in Canadian universities were women. Since then, the number has risen steadily.
According to the 2006 Census, 60% of university graduates between the ages of 25 and 29 were women.
There are several factors that contribute to the gender gap in university enrolment:
- Women tend to have higher overall marks and perform better on standardised reading tests.
- Women tend to spend more time on homework.
- Parental educational expectations tend to be higher for girls than for boys.
- Women have a wider choice of disciplines and are more likely to be accepted into programs with limited enrolment.
No, the gender gap in education is not unique to Canada. It also exists in the 15 or so European countries for which data is available.
