Why Canada Is A Just Society For Women

Despite the various forms of injustice women in Canada have faced both in the past and as well as today, Canada has been a just society for women and still continues to be a just society for women today, considering Canada has given women equal employment rights as men, women in Canada have the same political rights as men, and Canada has supported the feminist movement both in the past and today while also ensuring the rights of women were protected both in the past and throughout modern day.

Firstly, Canada has been a just society for women considering that Canada has given women the same rights as men regarding employment. To begin, before World War II, women did not have the same rights to employment as men did. As a result, women in Canada were at a major disadvantage when it came to simple things such as getting a job and receiving fair, equal treatment while at work. However, following World War II as well as the rise of the second wave feminist movement, Canada has implemented many laws dedicated to ensuring women were not at a disadvantage compared to men in terms of recieving equal employement rights and pay. For example, one of the most important, significant, and earliest acts Canada had passed dedicated to protecting women’s employment rights was the Female Employees Equal Pay Act of 1956. Overall, the purpose and intention of this act was to make sure women were not facing discrimination and or experiencing an indifference of their pay soley based on their gender alone. (Elizabeth 2). This meant that it was illegal to give a woman less pay than a man doing the same job, and therefore this would satisfy the purpose of ensuring that women were not discriminated against and being paid less strictly because of their gender.

As a matter of fact, if any employer did not follow this law, they would actually be fined a maximum amount of one hundred dollars, and if a corporation broke this law, they would face a fine of five hundred dollars. (Elizabeth 4). “Every person who does anything prohibited by this Act or who refuses or neglects to do anything required by this Act is guilty of an offence and is liable on summary conviction (а) if an individual, to a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars, and (b) if a corporation, to a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars” (Elizabeth 4). For this reason, if the government of Canada was willing to literally make it illegal and against the law for women in Canada to receive less pay as men, (not to mention even fining those who broke this law) without a doubt it is clear that Canada’s prime goal and focus was to overall improve fairness towards women, thus making Canada a just society for women. Another law Canada had implemented to make sure women received the same employment rights as men was creating The Employment Equity Act in 1995. However, the difference between this act and the Female Employees Equal Pay Act was that this act focused on ensuring women of all ethnicities and those with disabilities were given equal employment opportunities equal to white women who were not obviously not subject to racism (laws-lois.justice.gc.ca). By implementing these acts, Canada would ensure that all women regardless of colour were not a victim to discrimation or injustice when it came to the areas of receiving employment (not being denied employment based on colour), as well as getting an equal pay as men, therefore leading to the fact that Canada was most definitely a just society for women.

Secondly, Canada has been a just society for women considering that Canada has given women the same rights as men regarding participating in politics. Whether this be the fact that women were given the right to vote just like men, or that women were allowed to become a political leader in the same way a man could, Canada was doing everything it could to ensure that the country was being a just society towards women. To begin, during the 1920s and the first wave feminist movement, Canada had given white women the rights to both be able to vote, as well as be able to run for office (canada.ca). This meant that even before World War II, white women were at no disadvantage compared to men when it came to political rights - both men and women simply had equal abilities to both vote throughout elections as well as run for office.

Considering that white women clearly were given the same rights as men in politics, this shows that Canada was a just society towards women. However, while in 1918, although white women were given the right to vote and run for office, minority groups as well as Aboriginals did not have these rights similar to white women. However, after World War II in 1947, Canada finally made it legal for all women regardless of their ethnicity or colour to be able to vote in all elections as the Federal Elections Act was changed. Considering that just like men, all women were granted the same political rights that men had by the 1960s, Canada was most definitely a just society towards women.

Lastly, Canada was a just society towards women because Canada supported various feminist campaigns accross Canada while also ensuring the rights of women were protected.

In the end, Canada was most definitely a just society towards women as Canada granted women equal employment rights as men, women in Canada were given the same political rights as men, and lastly Canada was a just society towards women due to the fact that Canada has supported and still continues to support the various feminist movements taking place accross Canada while also ensuring that the rights of women were protected.