Women, Work and Pensions A Gendered View on Canadian Pension System

Abstract

This paper explores the gender inequality of pension income in Canada and its relation to the pension policies. In particular it examines the Canadian pension system (CPS) through a gender lens. By selecting a series of gender-sensitive indicators, it addresses the gendered dimensions of pension policies and compares unequal pension outcomes between senior men and women. It argues that the CPS is not as women-friendly as it appears to be, mainly because it embraces a ‗universal worker‘ gender assumption in pension provisions. In other words, structural constraints operating in the labor market and families create barriers to pension equality between men and women.