You've Come a Long Way, Baby? Persistent Gender Inequality in University Enrolment and Completion in Canada, 1979–2004

Abstract

We examine 25 years of Statistics Canada data on university undergraduate enrolment and gradation rates from 1979 to 2004 by employing field-specific indices of association that measure the under- or overrepresentation of women in a particular field relative to the gender composition in all fields. Our findings reveal patterns of convergence and divergence but, most consistently, of steadiness with respect to gender integration. An overall index of association for undergraduate enrolment indicates that over 25 years gender segregation has decreased by only 5 percent. The comparable figure for degree completion is 13 percent. Spectacular increases in enrolment and completion by women have not been translated into gender integration within most fields of study, suggesting that different structures of opportunities within higher education continue to perpetuate gender inequities in the labour market.