Change For Women In Canada

In the article Colonialism and First Nations Women in Canada by Winona Stevenson, the author explains the struggle First Nations women had keeping their culture alive. Upon arriving in America the Europeans suffocated the natives with their rationalisation of female subjugation. Reluctant to give up their traditions and honour the native-American women put up a fight, but their efforts would not be strong enough to triumph over the European missionaries. Stevenson chronologically explains their contact with the ‘colonial agencies'.

Between 1914 and today, Canada has changed for the better, as it becomes a more respectful country. There was a great change in women’s right shortly after WW1. Leaders such as the famous five fought for women’s right continuously. They achieved great success as women gained the right to vote and the right to serve in the Senate. Women were being respected as they were allowed to speak their mind and express their opinion, and were willing to participate in many other aspect of public life.

In The Feminist Mystique, Betty Friedan combats the notion that women could only find fulfillment and be successful by having children and taking care of the home. This book sparked a re-emergence in the feminist movement and is widely attributed for converting more supporters for the cause. Her book describes the unhappy status of women in the ‘50s and 60’s and found her proof by holding interviews with women and also researching many topics. She discusses topics such as the fact that men wrote the women’s magazines, early feminists, female education and how it was changing, and the lack of fulfillment housewives felt in their everyday duties. The Feminist Mystique is reputed to be one of the most influential books in the 1960s.

Before WWI, women had limited job options with low pay, such as teaching, leaving many women stay in their traditional roles as wives, mothers, and domestic workers. However, when men enlisted in WWI and the war effort needed workers to make supplies, ships, tanks, bombs, etc, many women found themselves doing the same jobs as men. When the men returned from the war, they took back their jobs, but this caused many women to no longer be satisfied by playing their traditional roles. This created consequences, were women fought for their right to vote, greater educational and job opportunities, be able to hold jobs with higher power, and improved labour laws and health care. After many challenges to get equal rights, most women were finally able to obtain a right to vote in 1919, and gain entry to higher job opportunities while being considered as ‘persons’ in 1929. Compare to Canada today, there is one thing that has continued throughout the years, and that is the fight for equality. However, the change is that women are no longer fighting for equal education and health care, but equal pay and the ability to hold higher positions. For example, in 1921, Agnes Macphail was the first woman elected to the House of Commons, resulting in 1 woman out of 235 seats. After the shift of values, Canada has taken some steps by

Rosemary Brown was a politician in Canada who worked tirelessly for the advancement of equality here. This quote shows her views and beliefs in her work; that equality was something that people must fight to achieve, then keep the opportunities and advancements open for those in the future. The fact that this was achieved in Canada makes the Women’s Movement defining in its importance. The progression Canada saw in the 1900s was important as firstly, the movement would have continuing effects on equality and culture in Canada. During the 1920s, women emphasized their efforts on social welfare policies, equal rights legislation, and the advancement of women in politics. The work of feminists during this time resulted in expanded rights for women in later years, proving again that the movement was important. Finally, due to the fact that women begun to play a major role in society, Canada saw prosperity economically and socially, displaying the necessity of the movement. So, due to the prevalent patriarchal values of the time, the women’s movement was necessary for improvement of Canada’s social, economic, and political climate in the 1900s.

After the French Revolution, the feminist movements have raised against domination of men and patriarchal society in Europe. There is no equality for women in the common world. Many Canadian women come out of their homes to work as an effect of First and Second World War. During the Second Wave Feminist Movement in 1970s, feminist writing in Canada starts to emerge and plays an active role in attacking the patriarchal society. Women have started raising their voice against domestic violence and for their rights. Canadian women also have fought for peace in the country and environmental issues. Aparna Basu states

Women being able to vote was a huge step forward for Canadian women, but even though they could run for certain political positions, they could not be Senators. During the early twentieth century women were not legally considered “persons” and could not be Senators (Women become Persons). This act of exclusion portrayed Canada as an immature nation. A milestone with significant importance occurred in the Persons Case. The first constitution of Canada was the BNA Act (British North America Act). In this constitution it referred to a group of people as “persons” but when one individual was referenced they used the word ‘he”. The constitution restricted women from holding public office. (History Canadian resources book) The act declared that “women are persons in matters of pain and penalties, but are not persons in matters of rights and privileges.” Therefore, women could be given the same penalties as men for breaking a law, but could not receive the same basic benefits that men could. Unfair legalities like this proves that Canada was

Women were also allowed to get educations and go into teaching and nursing positions. The Person’s Case was another highlight which demonstrates the advancements of women’s right in Canadian history. This case included five women who ultimately help transform the way women were seen. Emily Murphy played a significant role in establishing women’s rights which led to women being called “persons” in matters of rights and privileges. Furthermore, another female Canadian named Nellie McClung helped in getting the right to vote for women. Ultimately resulting in the May 24th, 1918 Act allowing all women 21 years of age or more in Canada the official right to vote even if they did not have the provincial license. The war brought many changes to Canada and around the world. Women were finally being recognized for their efforts and perseverance and acquiring new freedoms and improved rights for themselves. During the 1920’s, women became more involved in society and continued to participate in the work force. Women continued to make half the earning men were making at that time but by 1929 women made up about 20% of the workforce. The Women’s Labour League worked to defend women workers and the labour movement. They exposed shortfalls in the minimum wage laws and fought for equal pay, maternity care and a women right for birth control. Women were finally making their mark in government. By 1939,

Canadian workplaces today seem to be a fairly diverse place, with a blend of many religions, ethnicities, and genders present. However, although people preach affirmative action and melting pots in current times, many inequality and power issues still abound. One strikingly noticeable example is gender discrimination. Women in the workforce face many challenges like smaller wages, harassment, male privilege in hiring or promotions, and lack of support when pregnant or raising children. One half of the planet is women, and it can be assumed the same for Canada, but they still face judgment at work because they lack the authority to dispute against big corporations or even their male supervisor. It cannot be argued that

Since the 19th Century, women in Canada have fought political, legal, and social battles to find their place in Canadian society. From starting out in small, local organizations, to legal battles in the Supreme Court, Canadian women have come a long way. Unfortunately, it took a long time for many people to adapt to the changing roles of women, which made women still feel unequal compared to men. It is really striking to think that at one point society questioned if women could even be considered persons, just a small sample of the many changes women had to face through the course of history. This paper will analyze these changes experienced by Canadian women in that time period and how it affected their everyday lives.

The 1920s were a brutal time for Canada and most countries in the world. The Great War had just ended and soldiers were coming home to no work and minimal food. While the male soldiers were gone fighting the war, females took their place in factories, manufacturing war equipment and doing regular work that normally men would do. When the surviving soldiers came back, they were furious and wanted work to make money so most of the women were kicked out and replaced by the men. Women were obviously not happy about this and fought to make a change. One of the most notable feminists and successful female suffragists in Canadian history is Emily Murphy. She fought alongside four other feminists to create equal legal recognition as males and succeeded;

Health, a basic human rights an important factor for development. Though Women is most societies live longer than men because of biological and behavioural factors (WHO, 2009 p-xi) but WHO is worried that in some societies this factors are subdued by gender base discrimination 2009 report of WHO named “Women and Health stressed that the health needs of women and girls are different from men and are the needs are met far from the expected ones.

The proliferation of Canadian women’s movements, notably their redefining role in society, has had a profound propitious impact on Canada’s identity in the twentieth century. The contribution of Canadian women in the cultural life (sports, the arts and dance), the political impact from the leadership role of a female perspective (Nellie McClung) and women’s economic empowerment all contribute to the shape of Canadian history. Our current Canadian national identity has been shaped and developed by events from our past by our determination, doing the "impossible", staying dedicated and true. Also by doing what others thought we couldn 't, proving people wrong and being dedicated to our plans and outlines (Vimy Ridge). By gaining more independence, freedom, equality, rights and responsibilities . By being compassionate, sticking to your words and seeking for new rights (Pierre Trudeau). Even though there are so many past events that have shaped and developed our Canadian national identity, negative things have also done the same but in a negative way. We Canadians are proud of our accomplishments and achievements. We have shaped and developed a great Canadian national identity from the past which we are still making. We have made mistakes and we are still trying to mend those today. Overall our Canadian national identity has been shaped and developed by events in our past by achieving our recognition and milestones, the cultural life (sports,

It has been a long and hard journey in Canada to attain gender equality between men and women. Today, most people are unaware of the discrimination in workplaces, schools, and everyday life. Due to the Famous Five who lead the Persons Case that stated women as official persons, and many heroic individuals who lead the Women’s Suffrage Movement, women now have more opportunities than ever before. The Canadian Labour Movement has helped improve many citizens’ careers including those of women, protecting them from discrimination, violence, and harassment at work. Saskatchewan feminism has followed a similar path to Canada concerning women’s rights, most often categorized into three influential periods of time. The gender pay gap is the difference of money that men and women make, that is a crucial example of gender inequality. Gender stereotypes have limited the ability of men and women, judging them with false ideas through the media. All of these have played a major part of women’s rights and gender equality today.

Canada is regarded as one of the wealthiest industrialized countries in the world. This indication is contrary to the well-being reality affecting Canadians. Despite being part of the Organization for Economic Co-operation Development (OECD), Canada has lagged behind her otherwise wealthy counterparts in the industrialized countries being position 19 out of 22 nations (Breznitz and Zysman, 2013). This has been attributed to the precarious levels of poverty in a majority of Canadian households. The country has not recognized any official poverty measurement although other universal measures such as LICO is used for measuring relative poverty, a more determinable measure of poverty for wealthy countries.