Canadian Women’s Chamber of Commerce (CanWCC) has launched a three-year national advocacy and support strategy designed specifically for self-employed women and gender-diverse individuals, a segment of Canada’s economy that is among the most overlooked and underserved.
This strategy will drive recognition, data, policy frameworks, and support structures where none have existed before, said the Chamber.
Nancy Wilson
“Canada’s economic systems were not built with self-employed women in mind,” said Nancy Wilson, CanWCC’s Founder & CEO. “We are done trying to fit into models that don’t work. This strategy is about building something new–and demanding that governments, institutions, and decision-makers catch up.”
The Chamber said there are one million self-employed women in Canada. One in four or 250,000 of them are racialized, 54,000 are Indigenous; 180,000 live in rural areas.
“They are personal support workers, artists, cleaners, bookkeepers, tech workers, hair stylists, tradespeople, graphic designers and healthcare workers. They fuel local economies, create flexible work, and sustain families and communities–yet they remain largely invisible in economic policy, funding programs, and public discourse,” it said.
The organization said over 80% of its members are self-employed and they face persistent and systemic challenges, including:
- Lack of recognition and policy support: Most policies and supports are designed for small businesses with employees, leaving the self-employed ineligible for programs, without employment protections, and rarely included in government consultations.
- Lack of a safety net: Without employer benefits, paid leave, or stable income, self-employed individuals face increased risk from supply shocks and economic volatility.
- Wider pay gap: The gender pay gap is wider among the self-employed than in traditional employment. Self-employed women are paid 72 cents per dollar compared to self-employed men. Women who have employers make 87 cents on the dollar compared to their male counterparts.
CanWCC said it is working to ensure self-employed women are no longer treated as an afterthought but recognized as a powerful economic force.
If you would like to learn more, visit economicequity.ca.
Mario Toneguzzi
Mario Toneguzzi is Managing Editor of Canada’s Entrepreneur. He has more than 40 years of experience as a daily newspaper writer, columnist, and editor. He was named in 2021 and 2024 as one of the top business journalists in the world by PR News. He was also named by RETHINK to its global list of Top Retail Experts 2024, 2025 and 2026.
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