Women’s History Month—October 2024

October is Women’s History Month in Canada. The theme for 2024 is “Women at Work: Economic Growth Past, Present, and Future.” Much has been done but enormous progress remains to be made toward a better, more inclusive Canada.

Why create laws if they are applied only to a privileged group of people in Canada? The fight for equality continues, as people are still excluded based on their gender, economic situation, social status, skin colour, language, origin, physical and mental health, age, sexual orientation, or functional limitations. We can’t affirm total equity in 2024, but our ongoing advocacy keeps the flame of hope alive.

Inequalities persist, despite our denunciations over time are likely to be diminished, erased, or not fully recognized. Social inequalities impact all aspects of life, including health, education, employment, and the environment. This psychological manipulation over a long period of time has caused and will continue to cause intergenerational trauma. Generational trauma transmits traumatic experiences or stressors from one generation to the other. Risk factors that follow intergenerational trauma include heart disease and cancer, which are higher in women than in men. Cultural and social factors add to that risk, not to mention other lower outcomes that come with being Indigenous. Is it really a coincidence? Those with privilege have traditionally kept those with less privilege from power and decision-making. This leaves the less privileged with more chores at home, responsibility for the family’s well-being, and often more involved with the extended family. Those with less privilege are also the primary victims of harassment and discrimination in the workplace. They represent most victims of domestic violence, sexual violence, and crimes against the person.

In 1952, women in Ontario won the right to pay equity, a significant step towards gender equality in the workplace. In 1956, the federal government made wage discrimination based on sex illegal, further advancing women’s rights in Canada.

Some women in Canada were granted the right to vote in 1918. Finally, in 1960, all women in Canada, including Indigenous women, were granted the right to vote nationwide.

Other important dates for women living in Canada

• 1977 The Canadian Human Rights Act was adopted and created the Canadian Human Rights Commission, which aims to assess complaints about non-compliance with equal pay.1982: The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is adopted. Through its Bill of Rights, the Charter guarantees equality between the sexes.1986: The Employment Equity Act comes into force: In federal workplaces, an employer cannot refuse employment, benefits, or promotion to an individual for reasons unrelated to his skills. Discrimination based on sexual orientation was prohibited in 1996.
• Gender expression and gender identity are now protected under the Canadian Human Rights in 2017.

Roxanne Cloutier is a member of the Status of Women Provincial Standing Committee.