‘Alarmingly low’: percentage of women working for city dips, diversity report shows

The percentage of women in the City of Winnipeg’s workforce dipped slightly last year, extending a downward trend.

Women represented 26.32 per cent of the municipal workforce in 2024, a new workplace diversity report notes. That’s down from 26.37 per cent in 2023 and 26.91 per cent in 2022.

The number has fallen each year since at least 2019, when women accounted for 30 per cent of the city’s workforce.

“A focused effort is essential to make progress toward the target of 47.77 per cent,” the report notes.

The target would reflect women’s share of the labour force population.

For several years, the city has tracked representation of six equity groups among its staff, including Indigenous people, racialized people, women, LGBTTQ+ people, people with disabilities and newcomers.

In 2024, representation of all equity groups increased among the city’s nearly 10,800 employees from the previous year, except for women.

Coun. Sherri Rollins, the chairwoman of council’s human rights committee, said married women were historically prevented from working in city jobs, while much more recent workplace changes also play a role in their under-representation.

“The current reality sees us having … an alarmingly low participation rate,” said Rollins (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry).

Rollins, who is part of a Women at Work organization within the city that aims to combat employment barriers, said many female staff have been critical of a recent city policy.

The councillor said the city’s shift from allowing more remote work during the pandemic to mandating a minimum number of days spent at offices afterward led some women to leave city positions.

The city currently has a minimum requirement that staff work in the office at least three days per week.

If the city wants to retain women, it should re-examine those rules, Rollins said.

“We have to learn from the exits,” she said.

The report also found women and people with disabilities are the most under-represented among city employees of all the equity groups studied.

People with disabilities represent 5.74 per cent of the city’s workforce, well below their 36.23 per cent share of the labour force, the report notes.

Efforts are underway to help recruit and retain more diverse employees, the report noted. The city is also adding supports aimed at reducing barriers for people with disabilities, such as sound systems that better serve people with hearing loss, to try to make city facilities more accessible.

Rollins said she’ll seek more details on the city’s efforts to attract and retain a diverse workforce.

“I would like to see some of these numbers turn around,” she said.

Increasing the diversity of city staff remains an important priority, Rollins said.

“To deliver excellence in service, you have to reflect the population you serve. Without addressing equity, organizations risk perpetuating discrimination and not building a city for everyone,” she said.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

X: @joyanne_pursaga