By Tracey Bodnarchuk, Founder & CEO, Canada Powered by Women
Canada’s long-overdue conversation about energy may have been sparked by politics in the United States, but this isn’t about Trump. It’s about something far bigger. It’s about the strength of Canada’s economy — today, tomorrow, and for the next generation.
For too long, energy has been treated like a regional issue. Or a technical one. Or something best left to industry or government. But for millions of Canadian women, energy has become personal. It’s tied to the cost of groceries, to whether their kids can find good jobs, and if the country they’re proud of can take care of itself.
This week Canada Powered by Women released national research that brings this into sharp focus. The findings reflect the views of 42 per cent of women in Canada, or 21 per cent of Canada’s general population.
Across the board, engaged women are placing energy at the center of how they think about prosperity, security, and Canada’s future:
- 83 per cent say expanding and strengthening Canada’s energy sector is critical to economic growth
- 85 per cent support building pipelines and refining capacity within Canada
- 73 per cent support expanding oil and gas production for export
We have commissioned national research for the last three years to understand how women are thinking about affordability, infrastructure, innovation, energy and long-term prosperity. This engaged audience has grown from 3.7 million in 2023 to 5.6 million in 2024 and it now stands at 6.7 million.
We listen across regions to understand where consensus is building, and expectations are changing. In the last year alone, support for oil and gas as an economic driver has increased by 20 points — an astounding shift that represents 1.1 million more women.
We know the women we speak with are informed and engaged. They follow the news, talk about policy, and care deeply about the direction this country is heading. A whopping 97 per cent say they are likely to vote in the federal election which is higher than Canadians on average (87%).
This is no longer a quiet conversation. It’s a national one out in the open and engaged women are not looking for platitudes.
If a political party is serious about forming government, it must understand this: Canadian women expect details. They want more than alignment on issues. They want clear energy policy that executes on their priorities of economic and energy independence in a timely manner.
One of the clearest examples of this expectation is the growing conversation around a national energy corridor. Politicians often say they support the idea, but don’t explain how it will work.
When women learn there is no pipeline going east to west connecting Western and Eastern Canada, and that Canadian oil and gas travels through the United States for refinement before returning home, support for energy independence and new infrastructure including building pipelines and refining capabilities increases substantially.
After hearing this, 90 per cent of engaged women say they support strengthening Canada’s energy independence, 80 per cent want an energy corridor fast-tracked and the same number say its urgent Canada’s regulatory system be improved to get infrastructure including pipelines going now.
This isn’t just an Alberta or Saskatchewan sentiment, either. Ontario and Quebec have seen some of the most significant increases in support.
Women are practical. They want to know what infrastructure we need, how trade decisions affect pricing, and whether policy can actually be executed. They also understand the value of export; nearly three-quarters (73 per cent) support expanding oil and gas production for export, seeing it as a way to grow trade, support public services, lower emissions and strengthen Canada’s global position.
They want policy transparency, especially around economic impact. Eighty-nine per cent of engaged women support reducing Canada’s reliance on U.S. trade.
Energy security and economic resilience are now seen as two sides of the same coin.
And when they understand both the direction and the outcome of a policy, and agree with it, they will double-down on their support of it. But when information is vague, incomplete and doesn’t articulate economic impact, their confidence in the policy will fade or they may oppose it.
That’s why we’re not just publishing research. We’re in the midst of a national tour where we’ve been speaking at boards of trade and chambers of commerce across the country, we’re hosting working sessions with Deloitte and PwC later this month and in May, and meeting women where they are.
These aren’t just discussions. They’re idea-generating workshops that will shape a national report to be shared with every major political party, policymakers, media outlets and Canada Powered by Women’s members and women in general.
We’re not a lobbying group or think tank. We are a platform for the unignorable voices of women we amplify and a trusted resource for those shaping policy.
When 85 per cent of women say Canada’s energy sector is essential to long-term prosperity, they’re not talking about GDP.
They’re talking about pride in living in a country with a thriving energy sector — one that 78 per cent of engaged women say helps make Canada the best place to live, work, and raise a family. Pride in using our resource strengths responsibly, in being part of something that works, and in providing leadership at home and abroad.
Here’s what we’re asking —
If you’re a political leader, a policymaker, a candidate, or part of a party team: read the research. Learn about what women care about then respond with clarity and transparency.
We’ve done the work. We’ve gathered the insights and we’re sharing them with you.
If you are a policymaker or someone who wants to lead this country, this is what is expected from women coast, to coast, to coast.
Let’s work together to build a Canada that reaches our potential today and for generations to come.