Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Gender equality among federal judges and MPs incrementally improving: StatCan

The Parliament Hill Peace Tower is framed in an iron fence on Wellington Street in Ottawa on Thursday, March 12, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick The Parliament Hill Peace Tower is framed in an iron fence on Wellington Street in Ottawa on Thursday, March 12, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Share

While the proportion of women appointed as federal judges is incrementally improving—seeing an increase in 2022 from the year prior— parity has yet to be reached among federal court judges, according to new and updated data from Statistics Canada's Centre for Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics released Tuesday.

This data looking at gender distribution among federally appointed judges comes as part of an update to the "Gender Results Framework" meant to track gender equality in Canada. It also included the latest statistics on federal government leadership roles showing, as we know, that fewer women than men are members of Parliament.

"Gender equality for leadership and democratic participation provides a more balanced distribution of men and women at all levels of decision-making, an essential part of a fair and democratic society," said Statistics Canada

first released in January 2022, the proportion of women who were federally appointed judges in Canada increased from 43.8 per cent as of Oct. 1, 2021, to 45.3 per cent as of Oct. 1, 2022.

Comparatively, the proportion of men who were federally appointed judges decreased from 56.2 per cent to 54.7 per cent over the same time period.

Based on data from the Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs Canada, in 2021 of the 1,202 federally appointed judges, 676 were men and 526 were women. In 2022, the number of judges increased to 1,175, of which 643 were men and 532 were women.

The numbers show that the percentage of women in these roles in courts across the country varied.

For example, in both the Yukon and Northwest Territories 100 per cent of federal court judges were women in 2022, though there were just three positions. Whereas, in Saskatchewan 40.4 per cent of that province's 52 federally appointed judges were women, which is up from 35.7 per cent in 2021. 

PARITY REMAINS FAR OFF FOR WOMEN IN THE HOUSE

The figures issued Tuesday also show that as was assessed in the immediate aftermath of the 2021 federal election; gender parity in the House of Commons remains a far-off goal given the current rates of representation.

first released in March 2021, Statistics Canada notes that the majority of MPs continue to be men, though the number of women is on the rise.

The proportion of women who were members of Parliament increased from 29.4 per cent as of July 1, 2021, to 30.6 per cent as of July 1, 2022. This is a 1.2 per cent increase between the last Parliament and the current roster sent to Ottawa after the 2021 federal election.

And, while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has sought to uphold gender parity in the federal cabinet, Statistics Canada's figures show that that equity is marginal. Not including the prime minister, the Liberal cabinet continues to be 50 per cent men and 50 per cent women.

However, as the figures show when you factor in Trudeau, 48.7 per cent of cabinet are women. The agency is considering this an increase from 48.6 per cent as of July 1, 2021, and the percentage of men decreased by the same rate. This incremental percentage change is attributable to the size of cabinet itself increasing after the last federal election.

The purpose of gathering and releasing this information, Statistics Canada says is to be able to track the rates of gender representation in elected office and ministerial positions over time. 

IN DEPTH

Opinion

opinion

opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster

A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?

opinion

opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

An Edmonton man says he was in the wrong place at the wrong time when he was injured by members of the Edmonton Police Service last year.

BREAKING

BREAKING

The brother of a 27-year-old man who was fatally shot in Scarborough over the weekend has been arrested and charged in connection with his death, say police.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

Stay Connected