Women’s Rights and Second Wave Feminism in 20th Century Canada

Feminism is defined by the pursuit of equality for all, not the dominance of women over men, represented by the motto "the rising tide lifts all boats."
Post-World War II, women were historically conditioned to find fulfillment solely through domestic roles: family, home, and children.
Betty Friedan authored The Feminine Mystique, which questioned whether women were satisfied with these traditional expectations, particularly as they became more educated and experienced in the workforce during the war.
Media like the $1950s$ commercial for Folgers and the television show Leave It to Beaver reinforced traditional gender roles, though show characters sometimes alluded to shifting ambitions.

The Women’s Liberation Movement of the $1960s$ and $1970s$ aimed to dismantle oppressive structures.
The birth control pill was legalized in Canada in $1969$ . This allowed women to control their reproductive health and participate more consistently in the workforce without the automatic assumption of leaving due to pregnancy.
This era saw a "sexual revolution," where women achieved greater autonomy over their bodies and choices.
Symbols of the movement included "bra burning" as a protest against restrictive social expectations and the adoption of more masculine clothing, like pants, in professional and educational settings.

Established in $1967$ and reporting in $1970$ , this commission, often called the Byrd Commission after chair Florence Byrd, investigated gender disparities in Canada.
Significant findings included legal and economic inequalities. An anecdote noted that a bank board justified the absence of women by stating they had "already picked the drapes," viewing women solely as decorative.
Key outcomes of the commission and subsequent activism include:
- Equal pay for work of equal value.
- Reform of family and divorce laws.
- Inclusion of unpaid household labor in divorce settlements, highlighted by the $1973$ case of Irene Murdoch.
- The right for First Nations women to retain their Indian status after marrying non-status partners, finalized in $1985$ .

The Charter of Rights and Freedoms was passed in $1982$ , enshrining equality rights in the constitution.
In $1988$ , the Supreme Court of Canada heard a challenge by Dr. Henry Morgentaler. The court struck down laws banning abortion, ruling they violated a woman's right to the "security of person" under the Charter.
Currently, Canada has no specific federal law governing abortion because the previous ban was removed and never replaced by the legislative branch.
Despite progress, a significant "pay gap" remains between men and women, often attributed to the systemic undervaluation of "female-dominated" fields like nursing compared to finance.

On December $6$ , $1989$ , a mass shooting occurred at Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal. A gunman killed $14$ women, specifically targeting them because he blamed women for his failure to enter the engineering department.
This event remains the deadliest act of gender-based violence in Canadian history.
Historical Significance of the Massacre:
- Triggered stricter gun control laws in Canada.
- Led to the establishment of the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women on December $6$ .
- Inspired the White Ribbon Campaign, organized by men to end violence against women.

Audience Member: Asked about the change in titles for women.
Instructor: Explained that the titles "Miss" (unmarried) and "Mrs." (married) historically signaled a woman’s value relative to a man. To subvert this, the title "Ms." was developed in the $1970s$ as a non-marital alternative, allowing women to maintain their identity without divulging marital status.
Audience Member: Asked why the pay gap persists despite legal changes.
Instructor: Discussed how societal value is often placed on making money rather than saving lives (e.g., investment advisors vs. nurses) and how women in the corporate world (like Dee Dee Myers under Bill Clinton) were historically paid less under the assumption they were not the primary breadwinners.
Closing Remark: The instructor shared a quote from author Margaret Atwood: "Men are afraid that women will laugh at them, and women are afraid that men will kill them."