A new CIBC study finds that through a pandemic where working and going to school from home are the new norm, Canadian women are balancing a challenging set of responsibilities including childcare, their own careers, and playing a lead role in family finances.

The survey found that responsibilities for children are significantly higher for women than men in most Canadian households. This includes supervising schoolwork for children (65 vs. 38 per cent) and childcare (60 vs. 28 per cent), a split that remains high even for women who are employed full-time. 

These additional responsibilities extend to household finances. Six out of ten (61 per cent) women polled say they take care of paying the household bills, while a similar number (59 per cent) are in charge of household budgeting. Close to half plan long-term savings goals for their families (49 per cent) and are in charge of deciding how to invest their household’s money (48 per cent).