Gender Equity Data Analysis – Inequities in the Larger Health Research Enterprise

Methods: The data in this section were obtained from the University and College Academic Staff System (UCASS) survey that was conducted by Statistics Canada from 2006/07 to 2010/11. The survey was cancelled in 2011, but it has recently been reinstated, so additional data should be available shortly.

On average, there are 1.85x more male professors than female professors at Canadian universities. It does not start off this way. There are comparable proportions of men and women who study health research up until the doctoral stage, at which point women start to leak out of the academic pipeline.

Further gender inequities are apparent in the broader health research landscape when Canada Research Chair (CRC) program data is analyzed. Over the past 15 years, the success rates of both males and females who are nominated to the CRC program has been identical (approximately 91%); however, institutions nominate 2.3x more males than females to the program.

Canadian University Faculty by Gender

Long description
2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11
Males Females
Percentage of university faculty 66.6% 65.8% 65.2% 63.8% 63.4% 33.4% 34.2% 34.8% 36.2% 36.6%

The gender gap grows over the academic career stages from assistant professor (1.24x) to associate professor (1.70x) to full professor (3.55x).

Assistant Professor

Long description
2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11
Males Females
Percentage of university faculty 57.1% 56.2% 55.4% 54.1% 53.6% 42.9% 43.8% 44.6% 45.9% 46.4%

Associate Professor

Long description
2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11
Males Females
Percentage of university faculty 64.0% 63.4% 63.0% 62.4% 61.7% 36.0% 36.6% 37.0% 37.6% 38.3%

Full Professor

Long description
2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11
Males Females
Percentage of university faculty 79.7% 78.7% 77.8% 77.2% 76.6% 20.3% 21.3% 22.2% 22.8% 23.4%

Source: Statistics Canada (University and College Academic Staff System (UCASS))

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