Canada In The Federal Elections In 2000 example essay topic

"I do not want to be the angel of any home; I want for myself what I want for other women, absolute equality. After that is secured, then men and women can take turns at being angels". - Agnes Macphail The 20th century has been a period of rapid and far-reaching change for many women, but life for women in some parts of the world still remains harsh. Even where females have experienced great advances like those in Canada, there are still some similarities between their economic role today and the role of women in the 1900's. During the 19th and 20th century, attempts were made to define and extend human rights, but most of these struggles ignored or denied the rights of more than half the human race - women. It was unsurprising that this is the case because at the time, Canada was a patriarchal society, a society in which men have more power than women, readier access than women to what is valued in the society, and, in consequence, are in control over many, if not most aspects of women's lives.

It wasn't until the women's movement that has touched the lives of most Canadian women and has transformed the structure of their daily existence; it was this movement that eliminated the fact that Canada was a patriarchal society and improved the economic role of Canadian women. Since the 1960's women have undertaken a strong assault on Canada's system of power and the nation now claims to be an equal society and emphasizes significantly on equality amongst all but are we all actually equal? Has the glass-ceiling effect been broken at last? That question still remains unclear, but what will remain clear is that once women take up positions where men are unwilling to work, distinguish themselves independent from men in the labor force, and begin to set their desire of exploration for their interest in politics, equilibrium between the two sexes will finally be established.

The changing economic roles of women have improved little with regards to the average earnings of women. The average earnings of employed women today are still considerably lower than those of men despite the nation's declaration that it is an equal country with equal pay amongst all. In 1998, employed women had average earnings of just $23,900, a figure that was only 64% that of all men with jobs. Even when employed on a full-time, full-year basis, the earnings of women remain below those of their male counterparts. In 2002, full-time employed women earned only 71% of what men earned. Furthermore, women receive lower returns for their education than those of the opposite sex.

Even female university graduates employed full-time, full-year earned only 70% as much as their male colleagues in 1998. One result of the fact that the earnings of women are well below those of men is that the overall incomes of women remain well below those of men. In 1998, the average annual pre-tax income of women aged 15 and over from all sources was $20,800, just 61% the figure for men, who had an average income of $33,000 that year. In 1995, the average income of visible minority women was $16,600, compared to $17,100 for other women in Canada, and $23,600 for visible minority men. Women still earn more than $5000 a year less than the visible minority men. The need to better address the wage gap in Canada is clear; it is a fundamental aspect of improving women's economic independence, and to ensure a new millennium that is fair and equitable for all Canadians.

Although women failed to create a pay equity between the supposed "dominant" sex and them, women are slowly catching up to the men in similar work areas and are also filling an area where men are not willing to work. The majority of employed women continue to work in occupations in which are still considered traditional female occupation. In 1999, 70% of all employed women were working in teaching, nursing and related health occupations, clerical or other administrative positions, and sales and service occupations. This compared with just 29% of employed men. Simultaneously, women have increased their representation in several professional fields in recent years. For example, in 1999, women made up 49% of business and financial professionals, up from 41% in 1987 and Toronto Census Metropolitan shows that 56,550 females versus the 42,270 males are employed in the retail industry.

There has also been substantial growth in the number of women employed in diagnostic and treating positions in medicine and related health professions. In fact, women made up almost half (47%) of all doctors and dentists in 1999, up from 44% in 1987. Women have also increased their share in managerial positions. In 1999, 35% of all those employed in managerial positions were women, up from 29%. As Canada progresses into the future, it can be assured that more women will be shattering what is known as the glass-ceiling and "many more [will be] chipping holes in it". Although women continue to play an ever more vital role in not only our society but our economy as well, it is this that contributes to the escalating numbers of marital dissolution and the breakdown of families in Canada.

In the past, families managed to put clothes on their back, food on the table, and a roof over their head with a single person employed, most often if not always the father. Today, families with both parents working are the norm. A family in today's world must work now 65 to 85 hours per week just to maintain the same standard of living provided by a single father who worked 45 hours per week 20 years ago. When people are left with no choice but to work longer hours to make ends meet, there is less time for daily chores, children, leisure, and care for the elderly. This leads to approximately two-thirds of working mothers and one-half of working fathers to experience high levels of stress and leave couples who work to spend on average a total of just 12 minutes a day talking to each other. Furthermore, couples today spend 40% less time with their children as parents did two decades ago.

As a result, family breakdown and divorces are the consequences. Today fewer than 40% of children can expect to be born to married parents who had not had lived together before marriage and now over 25% of our children will experience parental separation before they are six years old. The impact on children is devastating. Children born out of marriage or affected by separation and divorce are more likely to experience lower new-born health, lower educational achievement, increased exposure to crime, lower levels of job attainment, increased dependency on welfare, and a greater risk of being sexually abused. As well, Statistics Canada concluded that violent crimes accounted for one in five youths between the ages 15 to 17 a Criminal Code offence. This is 41% higher than it was a decade earlier.

Teenagers from divorced families are 4.6 times more likely to commit suicide. Moreover, children from single-parent families are roughly twice as likely to receive special education as children from two-parent families. It is necessary to understand that although the role of women is indeed improving, society must realize that there are serious consequences to not only marriage itself but the young. It is extremely obvious that women have come a long way as successful professionals. Shifts in childbearing patterns and family size have been accompanied by the dramatically increased participation of married women and mothers in Canada in the labor force. Prior to the Second World War, married women generally did not work outside their homes, except in family businesses or farms.

Family was a women's central career. Marriage alone was sufficient reason for an employer to fire a woman employee until recently in Canada. The first half of the century has seen a dramatic change in women's work-force participation between single and married women nation-wide. In 1931, 43.8% of single women and 3.5% of married women worked compared to the 64.6% of single women and 50.5% of married women that worked in 1981. Life in the workplace has become much more diversified as an increased number of women have made their presence in many industries and professions. Since 1998, 58% of university graduates were women, thus resulting in an outnumbered of educated women than men.

Women are not only making a difference and contributing their rightful part in politics but contributing greatly to the Canadian economy through an increase in their interest in independency. Women now have more opportunities and are able to seize them, accounting for a 97.8% increase in the number of women owning and operating their own businesses from the early 1980's to the early 1990's. It is expected that as the 21st century gets underway, about half of Canada's new companies will be started by women. In addition, women are creating jobs - between 1989 and 1997, women accounted for 82% of the growth in self-employment with paid help. Looking at numbers, it is clearly evident that the female component of the working community is quickly increasing. In the face of society, these achievements are significant, proving to them that women indeed can do better outside of the home.

Since Ancient times to this very day, women have had few roles in politics worldwide. Power and justice was held mainly in the hands of males since the theory of politics was first developed. In Canada, this issue is no less evident. Instead of sharing the responsibilities of governing the nation and participating in the political world as equals, women were encouraged not to "worry their pretty little heads with politics". It was believed that the appropriate role of women is to be. ".. a helpmate for man, but with totally different duties and vocations". Undoubtedly, this portrayal of women still lingers amongst the Canadian society despite the many efforts of feminists.

Oppression and exploitation of women will continue to carry on from the past, to the present, and the future unless further action is taken. Since even the second women's movement in the 1960's, women have contributed little in politics. Only 1.9% of the MPs were women in 1962, 1.5% in 1963, and 0.4% in 1968. Indeed, the reason behind such low numbers is the belief that women do not belong in the political world.

Why does this idea of women being unable to comprehend politics still exist? Why are women still cast into the shadows of men in the political world? Since Confederation in 1867, only two females were appointed Governor General of Canada out of the twenty-six Canadians that served this prestigious position. Furthermore, only one female, for a mere five months, has ever held office as the Prime Minister of Canada and only two females have ever held office as premiere compared to the 259 males across Canada who had the opportunity to have been given such a title. Today, women constitute more than half the population of Canada but unfortunately, statistics show that women account for only two out of ten candidates.

Also, in last June's federal election, the 65 women elected represent 21.1% of the 308 MPs. This is the barest increase from the total of 20.6% reached in both the 2000 and 1997 federal elections. During the campaign, women accounted for 23.2% of candidates - a minimal increase over the 2000 federal election where women accounted for 20.7% of candidates. Despite the measures that were taken to encourage party leaders to nominate more female candidates during the June 2004 federal elections, only 12% of the Conservative Party candidates and 24% of the Liberal Party candidates were women.

It can be concluded that more than half of Canada's population is underrepresented in the political body - the body that makes the decisions regarding our health care, environment, income, security, and other important matters. Although women are still underrepresented, many women are trying hard to increase their existence in the political world. This was made possible when the agreement between men and women on the appropriate roles for women had begun to break down at the turn of the century. This was most apparent during the struggle for women's suffrage rights, when women attempted to participate in the public sphere of politics through the vote and strived to be recognized legally as persons. Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta were the first provinces to grant women voting rights in 1916, with British Columbia and Ontario following in 1917. This grant finally allowed women a role in democracy.

Women had broken down many huge barriers in politics and are slowly becoming active members of parliament and are party leaders and candidates for many positions in the government. At the turn of the century, it would have been considered appalling and literally a sin if women ran for government but today, it is welcomed and encouraged in society with opened arms. In 1921, only four female candidates ran in the federal election compared to the whopping 373 women candidates all across Canada in the federal elections in 2000. That is a 93% increase in female candidates, a remarkable recovery and triumph for women indeed. Another great accomplishment is that women have already occupied 30% of the seats as Senate and another 20% have already occupied the seats in the House of Commons. Likewise, some of the most prominent and prestige positions in Canada are ruled by females; the Chief Justice in the Supreme Court of Canada is the one and only Right Honorable Beverley Mclachlan, the first female Chief Justice of Canada's highest court of appeal and taking Canada a step closer towards feminists' goals to establishing equality.

Clearly not as many women as men run for positions in politics but those that ran did well. Women have made successful Mayors and Reeves across Ontario. Mississauga, Kingston, Ottawa, and Toronto just to name a few have had exceptional women mayors and in recent elections, Joanne Savage became the first woman mayor of West Nipissing. Although the progress is slow, feminists continue to be optimistic for their future. It is clear that women are playing an increasingly important role and that their presence in politics and elsewhere in society is one of the greatest achievements in history.

With great effort, determination, and the right attitude, women today are finally able to thrive for their goals in society, taking on an active role in politics, and proving their independency from men. The continuing improvement of a women's role in society has and will continue to benefit the Canadian economy. Throughout the past couple of decades, women now play a significant role in politics and becoming less dependent on men. Moreover, they are willing to take jobs in areas where men have no desire to be in at all. Although there has been a significant improvement for women, there will always be a glass-ceiling unless we end the traditional manners in which we are used to and accept the values of women reflected in today's society. Women should do what they believe is fair and right and not listen to the voices of society; they should do their own thinking and decide what is best for themselves.

No matter what the work is, females will continue to improve their role in the economy. We must believe that anything is attainable as long as we believe. When this is achieved, equilibrium between man and woman will be accomplished. Work Cited List 1.

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