Canadian women graduating from leading business schools start out with lower salaries then their male counterparts, according to a study.
The research, conducted by non-profit organization Catalyst, indicates that women graduating with a Masters of Business Administration will advance slower than men, and earn less throughout their careers.
Christine Silva, director of research and co-author of this study, said, “Even decades of creating opportunities for women, inequity is still entrenched in the workplace, and it starts with womens’ first jobs.”
Silva’s research showed that biases in the job market begin at entry-level positions. She explains that certain assumptions about the roles of women, their aspirations for a family, and other stereotypes can play a role in the way management views female employees. This can stunt or slow down a woman’s progress in the company.
The study states that 40 per cent of the workforce is female, but women represent less than 14 percent of corporate executives of top global companies, and only three per cent at are CEOs.
The problem is not that top Canadian companies don’t want to invest in training women 8212; many businesses have implemented programs to increase women “inclusivity.” As Silva explained, the problem starts with their first job, where women with MBAs will often work at entry level whereas men will receive jobs in mid-level positions.
Silva also explains that 25 per cent of women left their first jobs due to difficulties with the manager, compared to only 16 percent of men and on average women earned $4,600 less in their first job than men.
Companies are willing to invest more time and research to pinpoint the problem and increase women’s role in businesses, Silva said. But as of now, the study points to a problem with equality in the workplace.
“Seeing women with MBAs starting from behind is a problem and giving it time is not working.”
