Discrimination still remains a thorny issue in the world despite there being rules prohibiting it. Discrimination can be racial, ethnic or gender based among others. Human rights activist intensified their campaigns against institutional discrimination in the 20th century and where these efforts have borne some fruits, a lot remains to be done.
Canada is one that place that has made major strides in fighting discrimination. However, there are still some sectors that have to be patched up; gender inequality is still prevalent.Whereas discrimination against women in the society may have subsided, systemic and institutional discrimination is still rife. Women are more likely to access fewer benefits than men in a society that is still semi patriarchal. CEDAW, the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women, has decried the glaring inequalities facing women in the different fields. Most women are paid 71% of what their male counterparts get in the same jobs.
Most affected however are the aboriginal women who suffer systemic discrimination out of their gender situation and race (http://dawn. thot. net/cedaw3. html). A recent study conducted in the University of Toronto indicates that systemic discrimination against women is rife in the university departments especially in some facilities.
This just exemplifies the inequalities that have permeated the Canadian institutions (http://www. safs. ca/sept2000/useabuse. html ) Canadian women make up half of the countries working force but are still disadvantaged.Only 20% of top ranking jobs in both the public and private sector are for women while over 70% are in the lower income bracket are women.
This discrimination takes place even in the midst of tough legislations on gender inequalities. The application of these laws is more theoretical than practical. None has been touted as more discriminatory than the law as past court cases have indicated. These have been acting as big impediments to achieving equality in the society and workplace. Women in Canada have lobbied to the political leaders to tackle women discrimination.
They have also fought for the entrenchment of their demands in the legal system as well as tackling systemic discrimination inside the various public and private institutions. The Murdock case for example of 1975 received much hue and cry from women activists groups across Canada. The court decided Mrs. Murdock who had been married to a rancher could not expect a bigger settlement than what any ordinary wife could have, she could not get a share of what she had helped raise in the ranch. This case however triggered the need for reforming the marriage laws.
The ‘Persons’ case also exemplifies this discrimination against women. Murphy was appointed a police magistrate in the early 20th century and could have gone ahead to become the first lady senator but the term ‘qualified person’ in the law disqualified her. There was a masculinity undertone for the ‘qualified persons’ as the Supreme Court interpreted it. Although the appeal on October 1929 clarified that women were also included, Emily Murphy did not get to be appointed a senator, the successive prime ministers did not approve it.
Women in Canada have not taken the discrimination lying down; they have filed petitions and sensitized the fellow women on the issue. Since the mid of the last century, activism has increased and is fairly succeeding. The discrimination of the past like in the case of Viola Desmond, a black woman fined for sitting in a ‘no blacks’ seat in a theatre, are no more. The pay equity legislation of 2003 is also an indicator that these efforts have borne fruits.
Though some discrimination still persists, the future looks promising for women.
