Transcript: ICTC’s Appearance Before the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women’s Study

"Madam President, honourable members of the Committee, thank you for inviting me to appear today.

I am Lissa Matyas, Vice-President of Capacity Building and Innovation at the Information and Communications Technology Council, or ICTC. ICTC is a neutral, not-for-profit national centre of expertise with the mission of strengthening Canada's digital advantage in the global economy. We specialize in digital labour market research, workforce development, and helping Canadian businesses adopt emerging technologies. Our goal is to ensure that technology is utilized to drive economic growth and innovation and that Canada's workforce remains competitive on a global scale.

I would like to approach today's discussion through the lens of Canada's economic prosperity and global competitiveness.

Artificial Intelligence represents an extraordinary opportunity to improve Canada's productivity, strengthen our industries and create new sources of economic growth. But Canada cannot realize its full potential if we fail to mobilize the talents and entrepreneurial capacity of half our population.

Women are not simply beneficiaries of Canada's AI transformation. They are essential to driving it.

And the stakes are increasing.

ICTC's latest research examines AI exposure across 505 occupations, covering the vast majority of Canadian employment.

By June 2026, AI appeared in 26.5% of digital economy job postings, more than four times the proportion just one year earlier.

Yet our research reveals important gaps in how women are positioned to participate in this transformation.

First, Canada risks undermining its overall workforce effectiveness if we fail to prepare workers for AI-driven change.

• Women hold 62.7% of employment in 10% of occupations with the highest AI task exposure. These roles include bookkeeping, payroll administration, and data entry, where AI could increasingly automate routine tasks. However, this exposure does not inherently mean job losses. Rather, it represents a critical opportunity to augment the capability of these workers by equipping them with AI, thereby driving higher-value output and ensuring Canada's broader economic potential is realized. 

Young women deserve particular attention.

• Our research finds that 64.3% of employed women aged 15 to 24 work in occupations where AI is far more likely to automate and substitute their core tasks entirely rather than augment or support their work, yet women are the highest educated segment of the demographic in Canada. Because this systemic displacement disproportionately targets early-career roles, we must ensure young Canadians continue developing the skills and experience needed to become tomorrow's professionals and leaders.

Second, Canada cannot afford to leave significant pools of talent on the sidelines.

• Women represented only 32.9% of Canada's digital economy workforce in the second quarter of 2026, and when it comes to leadership roles, this percentage drops to 30%. This number has not increased over the last 20 years.

• Among 55 digital occupations studied, women held just 10.6% of jobs combining high AI exposure with greater potential for AI to complement human work.

• Women entrepreneurs face greater barriers to financing, investment networks and resources needed to grow and scale their businesses. Historically, only about 4% of venture capital funding has gone to women-founded companies, compared with the overwhelming majority going to male-founded or mixed-gender founding teams.

• Women also experience unequal access to AI training and opportunities: Women often receive less encouragement and support to develop AI skills, potentially limiting their ability to benefit from emerging technologies.

This is not simply a representation gap. It signals an economic opportunity Canada has yet to fully capture.

At ICTC, we are working across the entire talent and business development pipeline:

We introduce girls to digital skills and hands-on technology experiences, strengthening Canada's future talent pipeline. We also have a program focused on Advancing Women's Leadership to help Canadian businesses develop and retain leadership talent. We also help women entrepreneurs build networks, access expertise, funding and pursue business growth. We are also developing new initiatives to equip female CEOs and business leaders to become champions of AI adoption within their organizations. 

Our objective is to help businesses move beyond experimenting with AI toward practical industrial implementation that increases productivity, improves competitiveness, and enables them to scale.

Third, Canada needs trusted AI systems that businesses and Canadians can confidently adopt.

Bias and discrimination in AI are not only social concerns. They can also undermine recruitment decisions, exclude qualified talent and weaken confidence in emerging technologies.

Responsible AI governance, including the participation of women and 2SLGBTQI+ communities, is therefore essential to effective adoption.

I would like to conclude with five recommendations.

First, make AI skills development and workforce transitions a central pillar of Canada's economic strategy.

Second, accelerate practical AI adoption among women-led businesses and small and medium-sized businesses through technical assistance, leadership training and implementation support.

Third, ensure AI governance supports trust, effective adoption and access to the full breadth of Canadian talent.

Fourth, strengthen women's participation in AI innovation and commercialization by improving access to growth capital, research partnerships, procurement opportunities and scale-up support for women-led technology companies.

Fifth, expand pathways for women into AI research, technical leadership, entrepreneurship and executive decision-making, ensuring that Canadian women help shape the technologies and industries of the future.

Madam Chair, Canada's future prosperity will depend not only on our ability to develop artificial intelligence, but on our ability to deploy it successfully across our economy. At a time of shifting trade dynamics and growing global competition, we cannot afford to leave half our talent on the sidelines. If Canada is going to compete and win, we need the whole team on the ice.

Thank you. I look forward to your questions."