Every March 8 reminds us of something simple: women’s rights move forward because people organize, mobilize, and care for one another. Volunteering is one of those quiet forces that holds society together. But if volunteering is to be a true tool for social justice, it must also be fair in how it shares responsibility, recognizes contributions, and protects the people who give their time.
Recent data shows that volunteering is changing. Statistics Canada (The Daily, “Charitable giving and volunteering in Canada, 2018 to 2023”, June 23, 2025) reports that 73% of people volunteered in 2023, down from 79% in 2018. Total volunteer hours (formal and informal combined) fell from 5.0 to 4.1 billion, a 18% decrease.
Statistics Canada also reports a decline in formal volunteering (within organizations): 32% participation in 2023 compared with 41% in 2018. For informal volunteering, Statistics Canada indicates that nearly 3 billion hours were contributed in 2023, and that the decline was “mainly attributable” to a decrease in the number of hours women devoted to informal volunteering (a 20% decrease).
This is not about guilt. It is a reminder that time and energy are not unlimited, and that women’s rights are also about living conditions: workload, mental load, financial insecurity, family responsibilities, safety, and access to services.
In Quebec, the Réseau de l’action bénévole du Québec (RABQ) highlights another key point: contributions are not distributed in a neutral way. In the Portrait des bénévoles et du bénévolat 2025 au Québec, the RABQ notes that women are more likely than men to take on support, accompaniment, or care-related tasks (23% of women vs 19% of men) and administrative tasks (24% vs 20%). These roles are essential, yet often less visible and less valued.
The same RABQ portrait also shows a meaningful difference in perception: women volunteers are more likely to agree that volunteering is essential to a just and balanced society (81% of women vs 72% of men). RABQ, Portrait des bénévoles et du bénévolat 2025 au Québec. In other words, women strongly carry the civic belief behind volunteering, and that commitment deserves recognition and protection.
So how can volunteering support women’s rights without reinforcing overload and invisibility?
1) Keep volunteering a real choice.
A real choice means people can adjust their involvement to their reality, without guilt or silent expectations.
2) Value what is essential, not only what is visible.
Support, listening, coordination, welcoming, and administration are the backbone of community action. Valuing them also means structuring them, sharing them fairly, and ensuring they do not always fall on the same people.
3) Share roles, including decision-making roles.
Social justice also depends on who holds leadership, governance, and visibility, not only who carries support work.
4) Remember this: volunteering cannot replace adequately funded services.
Civic engagement amplifies impact, but it must never justify chronic underfunding of resources that support women.
At the VBM, we believe in volunteering that strengthens collective power, supports organizations, and contributes to a more inclusive society. On March 8, celebrating women’s engagement also means ensuring it remains a lever for transformation, without overload and without invisibility.
References cited
Statistics Canada, The Daily, “Charitable giving and volunteering in Canada, 2018 to 2023”, June 23, 2025.
Réseau de l’action bénévole du Québec (RABQ), “Portrait des bénévoles et du bénévolat 2025 au Québec”, 2025.
To revisit the March 8th 2025 VBM's article: https://www.cabm.net/en/news-details/copy---march-8-2025-international-womens-rights-day
