HIST 102, Alexander College: Canadian Women and Economic Development

This essay explores the historical experiences of Canadian women, focusing on the evolution of their rights and the economic factors that shaped their lives. It examines the discrimination faced by Indigenous women and the impact of gender roles on employment, property rights, and voting rights. The paper analyzes the impact of feminist movements, including first, second, and third-wave feminism. The essay also analyzes the role of the economy in Canada's growth, highlighting the impact of industries like transportation, chemicals, and petroleum. It discusses the economic boom of the 1920s, the development of the social welfare system, and the impact of industrialization on employment opportunities, including the involvement of women in the workforce after World War II. The essay concludes by acknowledging the progress made while highlighting the persistence of gender inequality and economic disparities.

Running head: HIST 102
HIST 102
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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HIST 102
Topic 2
The history of Canadian women consisted of rigorous upheavals, historical experiences
with the changing laws and regulations that shaped their lives. Indigenous women had to face
much more challenges in comparison to upper-class women in colonial French and British North
America. Even after being an essential part in the First World War and Second World War
simultaneously, discrimination in perspectives of gender roles, employment, land and property
rights, voting rights, proper wages were dominant. Although, in the 1990s there were gradual
changes in women rights in case of family, politics and employment1. The thesis of the study will
examine the changes in the rights of Canadian women, as well as exploring the factors that
changed the status of women in Canadian Society.
Women were often discriminated because of the myth that women should stay at home,
and their only role is of being a faithful, dutiful wife and a mother to his children. Indigenous
women of Canada were not preferred in labor works and were highly discriminated due to
gender. Therefore, many scholars have presented the argument that due to the gender divisions,
women were discouraged from working.
Due to discrimination of women in hiring them in hard labor jobs, 70% of the women
were working in traditional jobs like teaching, nursing, clerical in a much lower wage, than men
earning more in lower posts. During the time of 1960-1980, women were devoid of voting rights,
equal wage rights, and land and property rights2. Women who were working had to manage
1 Christopher Hyland, “Canadian Women-1960-2000”, hist 102, Position and status of women change in Canadian
Society during 20th century, Alexander College, 2020
2 Blake, Raymond B., Jeffrey A. Keshen, Norman J. Knowles, and Barbara J. Messamore. Conflict and
Compromise: Post-Confederation Canada. University of Toronto Press, 2017 (https://utorontopress.com/us/conflict-
and-compromise), pp-247-248)

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household works balancing both personal and professional life; this created many problems in
achieving higher career perspective for women. This led to women earning 26 percent less than
men do and lower wages for women are still a problem in the present century as well.
In case of politics, women being elected in parties, is comparatively less even in the year
2015, standing in the 50th Position in the inclusion of women in politics. The discrimination led
to women protesting through the various social and feminist movement, which marks three
relevant sections in history, First wave feminism in the year 1880-1920, Second wave in 1960 to
the beginning of 1980, and the third in 1990 until present date. The first wave of feminism
included the fighting for rights in grounds of "family law reform”, suffrage, making the women
voting rights finally in the year 1918 federally, and in 1916 to 1940 in provinces legalized. In the
second wave of feminism movement, sexual harassments were put forward, leading to more
liberal rights for women and children, especially for accessing birth control pills which were not
legalized up till 1969, in 1980 this law was also liberalized, empowering women with the right to
control their bodies3. The newly revised laws women a pathway for achieving career
perspectives, and involving in politics and joining labor force. There was a gradual change seen
in women rights, as in the year 1976, it was observed that 40 percent of the women under 16 was
in the workforce. These changes became more necessary, due to the increase and changes in the
economy, which created the necessity for women involvement in earning equally with men. As
women were given deserved rights, there was a change in the Canadian family, increasing the
divorce rate, and more women became more inclined to being a single parent.
3 Belshaw, John. 2016. "Canadian History: Post-Confederation". Bccampus.
https://opentextbc.ca/postconfederation/.

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Therefore, it can be concluded that although equal rights are provided to men and
women, gender equity did not get an ultimate success and discrimination is still dominant all
over the world. There were wage problems, and even, many educated women were paid less than
their male counterparts were paid.
Topic 3
According to statistics, the primary industries that Canada depends on to increase their
economic stability is transportation, chemicals, oils and minerals, food products, petroleum and
gas including earning of $585 billion export business approximately in the year 2018. The thesis
point of this essay is to analyze the role of the economy in growth of Canada, further
exemplifying the positive and negative aspects of economic growth on Canadians in the 20th
century.
It has been estimated that the "Laurier boom", in 1920, made a rapid expansion of
agricultural businesses and export businesses, which gave a boost to the Canadian economy. It
has been continued from then to the 20th century, as the development of the social welfare system
was encouraged shortly after World War II in 1945, which helped in addressing the social and
economic inequalities4. 1920 also marked a developmental area in the technological and
automobile industries that created more substantial employment opportunities, raising the
economy broadly. Although the rise in the economy was only providing profit to the rich people,
farmers were not much benefitted. Nevertheless, the increase in economy gave a right to
kingship to the white Americans, who discriminated the Black American. Therefore, it can be
said that rise in prosperity, demanded more civilization leading to colonization, leaving the Black
4 Christopher Hyland, “Canada and the Second War-1939-1945”, hist 102, role of economics in creation of Canada
today, Alexander College, 2020

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American lesser chances of getting employed, as well people residing in rural areas were less
affected or benefitted by the economy rise.
The entry of Europeans in the 16th century in Canada also made them go through dynamic
changes5. The changes included Atlantic fishery, fur trade, increased urbanization, development
of factories and technological advances paced up the economy. Especially the establishment of
factories for oil, natural gas helped in increased export and import businesses, as well as
providing employment to many people.
After World war II, many women also involved in labor works, as wages increased, due
to the increase in factories6. It was stated in Veteran Charters in the year 1945 that more than
100,000 people were again trained in more than 100 different trades. Moreover, approximately
75,000 people qualified from Government farms, and 54,000 people, including women, acquired
free education in universities. By this it can be understood, that fast industrialization and
technological advancement helped in increasing educational and learning standards, which
helped eventually in getting better employment opportunities, standardizing the economy as well
as the socio-cultural aspect of Canadian people
From the above discussion, it can be understood that, although economic growth brought
many changes in living standards, the development overlooked the actual hard workers who
brought the economy rise, such as farmers. The increase in the economy also created social and
cultural divisions, mostly affecting the black Americas, as they were discriminated in every
aspect of life. Due to their caste, color and the linguistic difference they were denied of jobs as
5 Belshaw, John. 2016. "Canadian History: Post-Confederation". Bccampus.
https://opentextbc.ca/postconfederation/.
6 Blake, Raymond B., Jeffrey A. Keshen, Norman J. Knowles, and Barbara J. Messamore. Conflict and
Compromise: Post-Confederation Canada. University of Toronto Press, 2017.

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well as housing facilities, tremendously increasing the poverty even though Canada is the place
for the highest economy in the world.
Bibliography
Belshaw, John. 2016. "Canadian History: Post-Confederation". Bccampus.
https://opentextbc.ca/postconfederation/.
Blake, Raymond B., Jeffrey A. Keshen, Norman J. Knowles, and Barbara J.
Messamore. Conflict and Compromise: Post-Confederation Canada. University of Toronto
Press, 2017, pp-191-192
Blake, Raymond B., Jeffrey A. Keshen, Norman J. Knowles, and Barbara J.
Messamore. Conflict and Compromise: Post-Confederation Canada. University of Toronto
Press, 2017, pp-247-248
Christopher Hyland, “Canada and the Second War-1939-1945”, hist 102, role of economics in
creation of Canada today, Alexander College, 2020
Christopher Hyland, “Canadian Women-1960-2000”, hist 102, Position and status of women
change in Canadian Society during 20th century, Alexander College, 2020