Will we ever reach equal pay?

Last week, we were hit with the alarming statistic that the gender pay gap has tripled since 2021 and we have a lot to say about it. The Dais at Toronto Metropolitan University unveiled a compelling report authored by Viet Vu and Angus Lockhart, detailing that the gender pay gap, along with other minority pay gaps, not only persists but is widening.

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Between 2016 and 2021, Canada’s tech industry soared with record-breaking investments in tech and a surge of leading AI applications. However, the gender pay gap increased by 300%, with men pocketing an extra $20,000 annually by 2021. Despite women remaining in tech and even increasing their presence by 10.5%, they’re still earning significantly less than their male counterparts. And no, it’s not because they’re taking more career breaks to start families.

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The wage disparity can be seen across different experience levels and job roles. For women of colour and other underrepresented groups, the situation is even bleaker. Intersectionality means these women face wider pay gaps and more hurdles in their careers. Here are some numbers:

• Women without children are still paid 14% less than their male counterparts.
• Indigenous tech workers face a substantial pay gap, earning $14,000 less on average than non-Indigenous tech workers annually.
• Black Canadian tech workers face the largest disparity in salaries, earning $22,045 less on average than tech workers with no visible minority identity.
• 90% of tech leaders in Canada identify as men.
• Text our Tech Bro SOS hotline at 709-300-2423 for some more pay gap statistics.

This data points to the root of the problem – the Canadian tech sector devalues women.

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So what can we do as women in tech? You cannot change a system unless you are in the system. To dismantle a system that works against us we need to be a part of it. This means more women in leadership roles and promoting and sponsoring other women into decision-making roles. We need women at the top to ignite meaningful change.

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What can men do? It’s time for largely male executive teams in tech to make real change as well. Pay transparency should be the norm – we need men to share their salaries so we can identify underpaid roles compared to male counterparts. Men in leadership and hiring positions must acknowledge their role in perpetuating these disparities and take decisive action to rectify them.

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What steps can organizations take?

• The “Canadian work experience” requirement needs to go – it’s often used to lowball salaries.
• Pay bands need to be more realistic and precise. Salary ranges with a 20K+ gap are inherently inequitable as they allow for stigmas and bias to weigh into wages.
• Organizations need to measure and track data on equitable pay across specific teams. This needs to be viewed as less of a 'nice to have' but rather a target. Toast exists because we noticed that businesses didn't view gender imbalance as a business problem, however this IS a business problem.

Closing the gender pay gap isn’t just fair; it’s smart business. It could pump an extra CAD 7.5 billion into the economy annually. Let’s stop the performative DEI efforts and acknowledge the pervasive pay inequities in the Canadian tech sector. We must take conscious steps to promote, pay, and value women in tech. Until then, our marathon towards equal pay continues.

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Team Toast 🥂

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