From February 28 to March 2, 2025, we surveyed Canadians and Americans on issues facing women today, in the lead up to International Women’s Day.
Some key highlights of our survey include…
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Eight-in-ten Canadians believe it’s easier for women today than in the past, but a majority still feels there’s a lot of work to be done and many are concerned about the rise of the Right and what that means for women in their community. Looking at the United States, perceptions are even more dire with less feeling it’s easier for women today and more concerned with what the rise in conservative government means for women’s rights in their circles. Even more alarming is the fact that the difference in opinions between the genders is even greater in the US.
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An area where we can make a difference is with policy. Unfortunately, just one-quarter of women in Canada and one in five women in the US feel their lives have improved because of recent policy shifts. In Canada, men and women reflect similarly on their experiences, whereas in the US men are more likely to feel their lives have recently improved due to policy changes than women.
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Similarly, fewer women than men feel confident that the healthcare system will be there for them as a man/woman. This divide is no different north of the border where Canadians take pride in their national healthcare system than it is in the US.
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Men and women have different POVs on the division of labour in their households, be it caregiving or childcare, household chores, or the mental load. Men are more likely to feel things are fairly split; women not so much. Moreover, a significant proportion of women report experiencing extreme stress or burnout as a result of all that is expected of them.
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Men and women are also unlikely to see eye-to-eye on gender based societal expectations. Approximately three-quarters of women believe women and girls face more societal expectations to conform than boys vs. approximately half of men. And, when we asked parents about how kids are treated, moms and dads have very different opinions.
Methodology
This web survey on the economy was conducted from February 28 to March 2, 2025, with 1,548 Canadians and 1,002 U.S. residents, 18 years of age or older, randomly recruited from LEO’s online panel.
A margin of error cannot be associated with a non-probability sample in a panel survey. For comparison purposes, a probability sample of this size yields a margin of error no greater than ±2.50%, (19 times out of 20) for the Canadian sample and ±3.10%, (19 times out of 20) for the American sample.
