The face of change for women throughout Canada; Lady Aberdeen the wife of Governor general, John Hamilton-Gordon, a equalise that believed men and women deserved equal rights as both were human, got encouraged by many life experiences that led Lady Aberdeen with an understanding that women and girls should deserve an education as it not only affected their life but also the people around them and the individuals they were married to. Her tribute towards Canada made many individuals change their way of thinking towards the act of women in a political stance.“These ladies,” Lady Aberdeen stated, “were ready to go forward if they could find a president who would be outside all party politics and creed rivalries, and who would yet be sympathetic with all the different sections of thought and work with which women of various races and creeds were connected throughout the Dominion.” Someone, they hoped, like Lady Aberdeen. “I found myself elected President of a newly-formed National Council of Women of Canada,” she said.
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,
The antebellum market revolution transformed a subsistence economy of scattered farms and tiny workshops into a national network of industry and commerce. In other words, it took the work that most people did in their homes, and made them more efficient through factories. On the other hand, the Second Great Awakening was a religious revival characterized by emotional mass “camp meetings” and widespread conversion. It influenced many things including the women’s movement. Although women were still considered inferior to men, the role of women in family, workplace, and society evolutionized as a result of the antebellum market revolution and Second Great Awakening in the years 1815-1860.
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
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'.
Justin Trudeau is said to have revolutionized the structure of the Canadian Parliament this past November with his policy for a gender-balanced cabinet. For the first time in Canadian history, the Canadian Government sits with a 50% female, and a 50% male cabinet as a reflection of Canada’s diversity (Murphy). Yet what may have stunned citizens even more than the country’s step towards gender equality, was Prime Minister Trudeau’s explanation for the gender parity: “because it’s 2015” (Murphy). Despite it being the 21st century, a century that strives for gender equality in all areas of life, the political arena still “appears somewhat stuck in time” (The Canadian Press). That is to say, gender equality in the political sphere is far from
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.
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.
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.
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
Through the Contemporary Women’s Issues in Canada course, various topics related to gender inequality were discussed. Due to a long history, of sexism and misogyny in many aspects of Canadian society, outdated behaviours and thoughts have prevailed in many aspects of society. Three main topics that are central to achieving gender equality are gendered violence, gender roles and socialization, and child care.
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;
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.
Gender inequality has been a long part of Canada’s history with men being the dominant decision makers. Women have had to fight long hard battles and overcome numerous obstacles to prove themselves and demonstrate that they are equal to men and not inferior. Over the course of a century women have achieved suffrage and have become increasingly visible in the political and economic sectors. Despite all the achievements women have made barriers remain in effect leaving women at a social, economic and political disadvantage even in the twenty-first century. The primary obstacles in achieving gender equality are the noticeable absence of women in authoritative economic and political positions, unfair social stereotypes that are still
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.
Our society has the belief that women have always been portrayed as weak, emotional, and powerless. Throughout this article by Tavia Grant, it shows how women do not get the same opportunities men receive. Statistically shown, women are still earning less money than men regardless to the amount of education they possess (Grant). Women are accepted to hold obligations regarding family tasks while the men do the providing in the family. The article shows the disadvantages women have in Canada compared to men, however, it also shows gender inequality and gender discrimination.