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

A man and a woman work together to push a trolley through a warehouse
At Work article

Review synthesizes differences between men, women in injury risks and outcomes

Men and women may be part of the labour force in similar proportions, but many industries and occupations are still dominated by one sex/gender or another. A new systematic review at IWH looks at differences between men and women in work exposures and injury/illness outcomes.
Published: May 20, 2022
Journal article
Journal article

Changes in work factors and concurrent changes in leisure time physical activity: a 12-year longitudinal analysis

Published: Occupational and Environmental Medicine, February 2020
Journal article
Journal article

Male/female differences in the impact of caring for elderly relatives on labor market attachment and hours of work: 1997-2015

Published: The Journals of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, February 2020
Journal article
Journal article
Journal article

Men and women at work in Canada, 1991-2016

Published: Labour & Industry, January 2020
Journal article
Journal article

Do differences in work disability duration between men and women vary by province in Canada?

Published: Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, September 2019
A silhouette of two palms held upward, cupping the sun
At Work article

Psychosocial work conditions linked with both positive and negative mental health

Greater job control, job security and social support at work not only lower the risks of mental disorders; they may also raise the likelihood of flourishing mental well-being.
Published: July 2019
A silhouette of two palms held upward, cupping the sun
Research Highlights

Psychosocial work conditions and mental health

Having positive mental health is not the same as having no mental illness. The two are related, but distinct, concepts. A study by IWH suggests that better psychosocial work conditions—greater job security, job control and social support—can have greater influence on one more than the other.
Published: June 2019
A professional woman pushes an older person in a wheelchair in the outdoors
Research Highlights

Gender differences in the impact of eldercare on work

Women are much more likely than men to stop working, to work part time and to temporarily take time off work in order to care for an older relative. These differences are seen even after taking into account factors such as marital status, having children, hours of work, pay level, job tenure, and status as main wage earner in the household.
Published: June 2019
Close-up image of shattered glass window
At Work article

Workplace violence against women rising, driven by growing rates in education sector

Men working in health care were once the group most at risk of workplace violence. These day, it's women working in education who face the highest risks of being assaulted on the job.
Published: April 2019