“With women holding 6 of 10 provincial premier posts, we ought to be asking ourselves, ‘Why not advance more women into senior business leadership?’”
The report also found that more than one-third (35.9 percent) of public FP500 companies have no women whatsoever among their senior officers—including firms such as Viterra Inc., Bank of Montreal, Leon’s Furniture Ltd., and Husky Energy Inc.
Women Fare Worst in Alberta, Best in Nova Scotia
Only 12.5 percent of women in Alberta held senior positions, the lowest in Canada, the research found, followed by Saskatchewan (13.6 percent) and Newfoundland and Labrador (15.4 percent).
The low ratio of women senior officers working in these province’s resource-based economies reflected larger industry trends. Industries with the lowest representation of women in its top ranks included agriculture, forestry, hunting and fishing, mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction.
The highest ratio of women at the top, however, was 24.3 percent in Nova Scotia, followed by Manitoba (22.8 percent) and Ontario (20.7 percent).
Industries with the highest percentage of female senior officers include accommodation and food services, health care and social assistance, and public administration.
Diversity an Asset to Growing Businesses
According to Catalyst research, there is a strong case for increasing women’s representation in business leadership. For example, Fortune 500 companies with more women officers on average financially outperform those with fewer women officers and are more philanthropic, the research found.
“Despite the [census] results, we see progress in organizations where advancing women to senior leadership is an essential and integrated part of the business strategy,” says Johnston.
If businesses seek growth—either locally or worldwide—they must hire workforces with diverse perspectives in order to challenge outdated ideas and adapt to new environments, according to Ernst & Young, ranked one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for the past six years.
