Hamilton's rank on list of best cities for women? 13th, study says
Victoria, B.C., ranks first in large part due to its representation in politics
On a new list ranking Canadian cities on their quality of life for women, Hamilton sits right in the middle.
Hamilton ranks 13th in an index of several measures of women's employment, representation in leadership and poverty, published Thursday by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. That ranking was due in part to employment rates for women falling further behind men than the average nationwide. The index included Burlington, Grimsby and part of Niagara in the region.
Victoria, B.C., ranked highest, in large part due to the city having a female mayor, Lisa Helps, and more women than men on council.
Other factors that went in to the ranking:
While there's still a gap between what Hamilton men and Hamilton women take home in their paycheques, the gap is smaller in Hamilton than average, the study found.
Women have completed more education than men in Hamilton. One-quarter of city councillors are women across the region. (The Hamilton-only numbers look better for women; after Donna Skelly's election, six out of 15 councillors are women, or 40 per cent.)
Hamilton's placement in the study fluctuated considerably in recent years. The 2015 version of the study ranked Hamilton among the worst places to be a woman in Canada, 20th out of 25 cities. But the 2014 study ranked Hamilton 10th out of 20.
Kate McInturff, the researcher behind the study, said Hamilton improved its percentage of women in full-time employment and narrowed its wage gap between last year and this year.
At CBC Hamilton's recent "Made in Hamilton" event, Hamilton Centre MPP and leader of Ontario's New Democratic Party Andrea Horwath spoke about women wielding power throughout Hamilton's history.
