Final answer:
The gender wage gap in Canada has been declining since the 1990s due to increased education and changes in laws. A 2007 study found a 5% wage gap when controlling for similar qualifications and experience. However, systemic issues and occupational gender roles continue to contribute to the wage disparity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The trend of the gender wage gap in Canada since the 1990s has shown a gradual decline, indicating progress towards wage parity between men and women. Increased educational attainment among women, changes in law, and cultural shifts have contributed to this reduction. In the early 1970s, women received a considerably smaller proportion of higher education degrees, with only 44% of undergraduate college degrees and a smaller fraction of professional degrees such as law and medical degrees going to women. By 2014, the number of women receiving bachelor's degrees had increased to 56%, and nearly half of all law and medical degrees were awarded to women.
However, despite the gains in education and workforce participation, the wage gap persists, particularly in senior positions within large companies and in the U.S. Congress. A 2007 Department of Labor study found that when controlling for factors such as educational achievement, work experience, and occupation, the gender wage gap was around 5%. Nonetheless, the overall wage gap remains larger, with systemic issues such as career interruptions due to motherhood contributing to the divergence in pay. By 2021, women's pay was 83% that of men's in the United States, with notable differences across age groups and exacerbated by traditional occupational gender roles