If you are a woman, there are some cities in Canada you should avoid by any means possible according to a recent study by the Canadian Center for Policy Alternatives that surveyed 25 Canadian cities. Toronto emerged tenth while Victoria was ranked the best.

Some of the factors that were considered for the ranking include the ease with which women can access economic and personal security, health, education, and leadership positions. The inequalities were partially attributed to gender-based discrimination.

The report of the study which was tagged, “The Best and Worst Places to be a Woman in Canada 2017” saw Windsor at the bottom of the list largely because of the major differences in employment between men and women, making it the last place women should dream to settle in Canada.

Toronto must be doing something right because their rating has moved up from eleventh of last year to the current tenth. Men and women are more likely to get a full-time job in Toronto than nationally. Also, women in Toronto have a slightly larger than average paycheque but still bring home $9,000 less annually than Toronto men, according to the study.

Montreal had a mid-rank of fifteen which can be considered to be fairly OK. In the scoring categories, Montreal performed modestly in employment and education. On the average, women have a higher wage bill in Montreal than their male counterparts. When compared to the national average, it is obvious women earn higher in Montreal than men.

This does not in any way mean that women make more money than men in Montreal. It only means that the women in Montreal enjoy “thinner than average wage gap” than most Canadian females in other cities. In general, Montreal women still earn 79% less than men.

The author of the study, Kate Mclnturff, a senior researcher at the Canadian Center for Policy Alternatives said in a news release,

“Statistics will never be a substitute for the full experience of lives lived. But as signposts they mark the spot where more attention is needed from our political leaders and policymakers. We hope they follow through.”

When it comes to education, Toronto is second to Ottawa by having a total of 28 per cent of women and men holding university degrees. Toronto is also a bit higher than the national average when it comes to women in leadership positions.

When it comes to life expectancy and health, women also have the edge in Toronto. The study revealed that women live slightly longer lives than men in Toronto. The life expectancy for women is 85 years against 80 years for men. Below is the serial list of the top 25 cities;

1.       Victoria

2.       Gatineau

3.       Hamilton

4.       Kingston

5.       Vancouver

6.       Quebec City

7.       St. John’s

8.       Sherbrooke

9.       Halifax

10.   Toronto

11.   Ottawa

12.   London

13.   Kelowna

14.   Abotsford-Mission

15.   Montreal

16.   St. Catharines-Niagara

17.   Winnipeg

18.   Edmonton

19.   Saskatoon

20.   Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo

21.   Regina

22.   Calgary

23.   Barrie

24.   Oshawa

25.   Windsor

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives is an independent, non-partisan research institute with interest on economic, environmental, and social justice.

What do you think about the ranking? For the women in the various cities, do you think it represents what you feel living in the cities? Share your views in the comment box.