Seven in Ten (70%) Canadians Believe Gender
Inequality Exists in Canada

Toronto, ON - In anticipation of International Women's Day, a new Ipsos poll provided exclusively to Global News in Canada has revealed that seven in ten (70%) Canadians `agree' (21% very much/49% somewhat) that there is `currently an inequality between men and women in terms of social, political and/or economic rights' in Canada. Three in ten (30%) `disagree' (9% very much/22% somewhat) that this inequality exists. Interestingly, men (68%) and women (71%) are nearly equally as likely to agree that there is gender inequality in Canada.

Comparing Canada against 22 other countries shows that Canada - with 70% agreeing that inequality exists - is roughly on par with countries like the United States (73%), Italy (70%), and Great Britain (69%). Most likely to believe that inequality exists in their country are residents of Sweden (88%), Mexico (82%), South Korea (81%), Turkey (81%), Peru (81%) and Brazil (80%). Least likely to agree are those living in Russia (47%), Germany (61%), Argentina (65%), and Belgium (66%).

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Focusing on Canada, the belief among 70% that inequality exists is in stark contrast to the near consensus (94%) that agrees (73% very much/21% somewhat) that they believe in equal rights for men and women and that women should be treated equally to men in all areas based on their competency not their gender. Just 6% of Canadians disagree with this premise.

Despite the fact that most Canadians feel that an inequality exists, a majority (76%) of Canadian women, specifically, still `agree' (22% very much/54% somewhat) that in Canada they have `full equality with men and the freedom to reach their full dreams and aspirations', while one quarter (24%) `disagrees' (5% very much/19% somewhat). Still, with only 22% `agreeing' very much, there appears to be some skepticism among women that they're on a level playing field with men.

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted between Jan 22 and Feb 5, 2016. For this survey, a sample of 1,002 Canadians from Ipsos' online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within +/ - 3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had all Canadian adults been polled. The credibility interval will be wider among subsets of the population. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

Sean Simpson
Vice President
Ipsos Public Affairs
416.324.2002
[email protected]

About Ipsos in Canada

Ipsos is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos' marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

To learn more, please visit ipsos.ca.

About Ipsos

Ipsos is an independent market research company controlled and managed by research professionals. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has grown into a worldwide research group with a strong presence in all key markets. Ipsos ranks third in the global research industry.

With offices in 86 countries, Ipsos delivers insightful expertise across six research specializations: advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, public affairs research, and survey management.

Ipsos researchers assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media and they measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos has been listed on the Paris Stock Exchange since 1999 and generated global revenues of e1,669.5 ($2,218.4 million) in 2014.

Visit ipsos.com to learn more about Ipsos' offerings and capabilities.