Gender, work and health
Gender and sex play an important role in determining work experiences, as well as health experiences in the wake of a work-related injury or disease. (“Gender” typically refers to socially constructed roles, relationships, behaviours, relative power and other traits that societies ascribe to women, men and people of diverse gender identities. “Sex” is typically understood to refer to the biological and physiological characteristics that distinguish females from males.) IWH research seeks to understand these experiences—in particular the effects and outcomes of occupational exposures related to these experiences—in order to develop gender- and sex-sensitive policies and practices to improve the health of all working Canadians.
Featured
Research Highlights
Fatal drug overdoses more common among lower-income and unemployed Canadians
A new IWH study looked at how sociodemographic factors measured by the Canadian census were linked with drug overdose deaths.
Published: March 11, 2026
At Work article
Do women and men have different risks of getting an infectious disease from work?
According to an IWH systematic review of studies published between 2016 and 2021, women and men in the same jobs have similar risks of getting an infectious disease from work—with a few exceptions.
Published: December 9, 2025
Journal article
Journal article
The role of sex, gender, health factors, and job context in workplace accommodation use among men and women with arthritis
Published: Annals of Work Exposures and Health, February 2018
Journal article
Journal article
Association between psychosocial work conditions and latent alcohol consumption trajectories among men and women over a 16-year period in a national Canadian sample
Published: Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, January 2018
IWH in the media
Bad news: Now standing at work is killing you, too
Wait, what? It's been less than a week since we shared with you the grim news that sitting as much as you do will one day transform you into a helpless, miserable, immobile old person who can barely walk. Now, a team of Canadian researchers have found that people who primarily stand at work are twice as likely to develop heart disease as their chair-dwelling counterparts
Published: GQ, September 2017
At Work article
At Work article
Permanent work injury lowers women’s chances of marriage
Women experiencing a permanent impairment following a work injury are less likely than uninjured women to marry, says new research from the Institute for Work & Health.
Published: July 2017
Journal article
Journal article
An analysis of measurement invariance in work stress by sex: Are we comparing apples to apples?
Published: JASNH, January 2017
Journal article
Journal article
Male-female differences in work activity limitations: examining the relative contribution of chronic conditions and occupational characteristics
Published: Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, January 2017
IWH in the media
Sex, gender differences may cause higher risk of some MSK injuries among women: research
Women who do the same tasks as men often face a higher risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in their neck and upper limbs, according to McGill University's Dr. Julie Côté, keynote speaker at the 9th International Scientific Conference on the Prevention of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (PREMUS 2016).
Published: Massage Therapy Canada, September 2016
At Work article
Understanding MSDs with sex/gender lens
Women who do the same tasks as men often face a higher risk of MSDs in their neck and upper limbs, and this higher risk may be due to differences both in biology (sex) and social roles, activities and behaviours (gender).
Published: February 2016
Project
Project
Incidence of work-related aggression and violence in Canada
To effectively deal with workplace violence in Canada, we need to know how often it occurs, who is at highest risk, and if risk differs depending on work context or time of day. This project helped find these answers.
Status: Completed 2017
Project
Project
Developing an evidence base on sex/gender differences in the relationship between working conditions and injury risk, chronic illnesses and return to work
Are there important male and female differences in the assessment of work stress, the biological and behavioural reactions to work stress, and the relationship between work stress and risk of subsequent disease? This IWH study expects to find out.
Status: Completed 2018