By Kate Tucker, General Member
In 2018, the Canadian government officially marked the fourth week of September as Gender Equality Week. Gender Equality Week is an opportunity to raise awareness of the critical contributions women and gender-diverse communities to the growth, development, character, and identity of Canada; to celebrate the significant achievements and accomplishments that we have made in advancing gender equality, and to reconfirm our commitments to addressing persistent gender equality gaps in our country. Created in response to the #MeToo and Women's March movements, the overrepresentation of older women in poverty and women who face gender-based violence, the lack of effort to address inequitable pay for women and gender minorities, and the unsolved cases of Missing and Murdered Indigenous women, Gender Equality Week strives to both celebrate the accomplishments of women and gender diverse populations as well as amplify the need to continue working towards gender equality in Canada.
What is Gender Equality?
Gender Equality is the equal treatment of people of all genders- women, men, trans, and gender-diverse folks, so that we can all achieve our full societal potential. Gender equality does not just benefit women or gender-diverse folks. It promotes the opportunity for all people to live in a more accessible, fulfilling, and supportive environment. Gender equality has countless benefits, including increased fairness and justice, improved health and happiness, increased peace and security, and even contributed to expanded economic prosperity. Gender equality is a global issue, with countries worldwide offering varying degrees of gender equality in their societies. While some nations are advocating for the capacity for girls to attend schools, others are working to provide extended paternity leave- all of which contribute to building an equality-centred global community. To reap the complete benefits of gender equality, international action must be taken to support the initiative. However, acting nationally, such as the designation of Gender Equality Week, and locally with a global perspective allows other nations to consider their role in addressing gender equality.
Gender Equality Week Act
On the 21st of June 2018, the Gender Equality Week Act received Royal Assent. The bill discusses the desire to increase awareness of the significant contributions Canadian women (and gender-diverse populations) make to Canada's growth, development, character, and identity. It also acknowledges that equality and compassion for all individuals remain among Canada's foremost aspirations, and all Canadians are responsible for addressing women's social and economic challenges, which are fundamentally human issues. To that token, the Act emphasizes that all Canadians, particularly men and those who do not identify as women or gender minorities, are encouraged to be engaged during Gender Equality Week and throughout the year in achieving greater inclusiveness and gender equality in Canada.
The foundation for gender equality and the passing of this bill is rooted in the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which ensure that federal gender equality laws protect the right to equality. A legislative commitment to equality in all forms has not been around for long. In 1916, women in Manitoba became the first in Canada to vote in a provincial election. In 1929, women were officially included in the legal definition of "persons" due to the tremendous efforts of the Famous Five. In 1971, the Minister responsible for the Status of Women was created, and in 1977, the Canadian Human Rights Act was passed, forbidding discrimination based on sex. In 1985, the Indian Act was revised and reinstated Indian status for women who lost it through marriage to a man without a position. In 1993, Kim Campbell became the first and only woman to serve as Prime Minister of Canada. 2009, the first Trans March in Canada was organized during Toronto Pride. In 2015, the first full Minister of Status of Women position was created at the federal level, and the Government of Canada launched the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. In 2018 addition to the creation of Gender Equality Week, Women and Gender Equality Canada was legislated as a department with an expanded mandate to advance equality for sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression. Since then, further work has continued to improve gender equality in Canada and worldwide; however, a consistent and ongoing commitment to actional ways of improving equality is still strongly required for the foreseeable future.
Image inspired by Government of Canada’s Gender Equality Timeline
Gender Equality Week- What Can You Do?
This year, the fifth anniversary of Gender Equality Week in Canada, the theme for the week is United for Gender Equality: Stronger Together. The week's focus highlights commitment to inclusivity and equality by recognizing and celebrating the diversity within the country. The theme encourages unity among individuals regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, racial background, or level of education. It encourages reflection on what it truly means to work toward an equitable future.
There are a few ways that you can be involved in sharing the message of Gender Equity Week and celebrate both the accomplishments and ambitions in working towards gender equality.
Use the Gender Equality Week 2023 digital toolkit: The Canadian government has created a series of digital tools, including social media templates, a virtual meeting background, and various other resources to support you in demonstrating your participation in Gender Equality Week.
Review the Government of Canada Learning Toolkit for Gender Equality Week. This page has some great tools to support your learning about gender-based analysis, access resources for educators, review suggested research topics related to gender equality, and access suggestions for ways that you might connect with your community to discuss gender equality.
Talk about it! Gender Equality Week is intended to support an equitable future for us all. Women and gender-diverse people often find themselves discussing, or mentally taking note of, the impact that gender equality, or a lack thereof, has on our lives. This is a great week to not only show your commitment to gender equality but also consider how you and your network might support gender equality through your language and actions. Share your ideas with others and hold one another accountable!
Virtual meeting background from the Government of Canada’s Gender Equality Week 2023 digital toolkit.
Looking to the Future: Gender EQUITY vs. Gender EQUALITY
There is no doubt that gender equality has significantly progressed in the last century; however, it is still apparent that, as a society, we have a long way to go. When considering how you can support gender equality and make a difference for women and gender-diverse folks in your community, I urge you to consider the concept of equity and equality. Equality means that each individual or group is given the same resources and opportunities, which is undoubtedly the long-term goal5. However, equality may not be the first step in achieving the society we all want to see. Equity recognizes everyone has different circumstances and allocates the appropriate resources and opportunities to reach equal outcomes. Equity does not give every person the same thing; it gives them what they need to be successful. While the long-term goal of a similar playing field is often highlighted, to achieve this goal, women and gender-diverse folks often require more than that, thus emphasizing equitable practices as opposed to equality, at least until everyone has similar circumstances. Even within gender, considerations for intersectionality, such as race, education, and socioeconomic status, may require different approaches through an equitable lens. A commitment to gender equity is necessary for eventual gender equality. This International Women's Day 2023 article explains this concept further and provides excellent resources for learning about gender equity and equality.
Image Source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
As you and your community participate in Gender Equality Week this month, we encourage you to reflect on the progress made in the last century and consider what the next 100 years could look like for equity, equality, and inclusion in Canada and worldwide. Please let us know how you are engaging with Gender Equality Week; we love learning with you and look forward to continuing to support women and gender-diverse folks this week and every week.
1. Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission. Gender Equality Week. https://humanrights.novascotia.ca/news-events/events/gender-equality-week.
2. Singh, J. NDP Statement on Gender Equality Week. https://www.ndp.ca/news/ndp-statement-gender-equality-week (2018).
3. Government of Canada. Gender Equality Week Act. (2018).
4. Government of Canada. Gender equality timeline. https://women-gender-equality.canada.ca/en/commemorations-celebrations/gender-equality-week/gender-equality-timeline.html (2023).
5. International Women’s Day. Equality versus Equity: What’s the difference as we #EmbraceEquity for IWD 2023 and beyond? https://www.internationalwomensday.com/Missions/18707/Equality-versus-Equity-What-s-the-difference-as-we-EmbraceEquity-for-IWD-2023-and-beyond (2023).