Single parents are at a significant disadvantage in society but are often ignored in the conversation about families’ needs in school, work, and government support. Single mothers are at an even bigger disadvantage as they face the distinct difficulties of being a single parent, as well as the distinct discrimination and disadvantages that women face in society.

 In Canada, 1 in 5 families are single parent families and 81% of those single parent families are single mothers (Statistics Canada 2015). Single mothers, on average, make 40% less money than single fathers (Statistics Canada 2021).

In Canada, in 2019, 23% of single parent families lived in poverty. 26% of single mothers lived in poverty, compared to only 12% of single fathers (Statistics Canada 2022).

Lone mothers and fathers, on average, are less likely to be employed than their couple counterparts. In 2014, 69% of single mothers were employed, compared to 75% of mothers in couples (Statistics Canada 2015). 82% of single fathers were employed, which is significantly more than single mothers, but still lower than fathers in a couple, who were 90% employed (Statistics Canada 2015). 78% of single mothers, who were employed, worked full time, averaging 35 hours a week. 93% of single fathers, who were employed, worked full time, averaging 40 hours a week (Statistics Canada 2015). 4.8 million Canadians live in poverty, and almost 25% of those people are children (Statistics Canada 2017). Children of single parents are more than 3 times as likely to live in poverty (Statistics Canada 2017). 39% of children of single parents live in poverty (Statistics Canada 2017). Children of single mothers are also more likely to live in poverty, compared to children of single fathers. 42% of children of single mothers live in poverty, compared to 26% for single fathers (Statistics Canada 2017).