Canada: Discrimination in British North America Essay

Abstract

This paper aims at discussing fully whether women faced thorough discrimination and marginalization in Northern Canada. This thesis must defend the rights of women and indicate whether women acquired those rights or were denied them in the historical period. In this paper, I will at the main reasons that support the argument that women were discriminated against during the 17th and 18th centuries or whether it is a mare perception according to the thesis itself.

Introduction

In the 17^th and 18^th centuries, North America was controlled by a British colony. During this period, women’s discrimination was highly practiced. Women’s discrimination and marginalization have been there since time immemorial. In many countries, especially in Africa and Muslim territories, the woman was regarded as a creature that was created for the benefit of man and as a servant to man. Therefore, male dominion continued to escalate in many countries. However, in developed countries, women have risen to a higher level in social-economic development even in the political arena. Various bills have been passed to safeguard the rights of women and protect them from domestic violence and sexual abuse. By then, this was not given a priority historically.

Aim

To analyze women’s discrimination and marginalization in the 17^th and 18^th centuries, and to investigate whether they were severely discriminated in the social-economic development.

Subproblems

• Did gender equality feature in the stated historical period?
• Did the discrimination of women in Canada harm the social-economic development?
• Did male chauvinism dominate the historical period and if so is there any improvement?

Executive discussion

It is very precise to say that women encountered severe discrimination in Northern Canada but it is quite recommendable to say that women were not given chances to spearhead any formidable project in the male-dominated territory; therefore they faced major discrimination and gender inequality. When the word “severe” is used it means that even the slightest honor and recognition could not be awarded to any woman. This is very true (chapter 13, page 283). According to this chapter, women were highly discriminated against and marginalized. Besides being discriminated against, they were marginalized because they were not allowed to move freely country-wide. They were supposed to attend to domestic work from morning till evening when they would go home to prepare meals for the husbands and children. According to this chapter, during the 18^th century, women if given a chance we’re able to play major roles in social-economic development country-wide.

But due to male chauvinism women were accorded minor positions in the running of Upper Canada services. The luckiest women were employed as school teachers but they could not be given a bigger ministry to lead. In addition to that, to make the matter worse, they were being given half the price of wages that could be given to males. This is severe discrimination and abuse of human rights. It is very ironic to see that by 1851, women just occupied one-fifth of the school tutors in northern Canada. This is a lower ratio or figure bearing in mind that women occupy a bigger percentage of the entire population as compared to men.

In social-economic development, women from Upper Canada played a major role, (chapter 13, and pg 283). But due to discrimination and the lowering of women’s dignity, women could not be given enough chances to exercise their freedom and contribution toward economic development. Therefore, they were not given a chance to contribute to economic growth both technologically and industrially. The only area that they were allowed to contribute toward the economy was through doing the hardest and tiring jobs such as bearing human resources worker force (children), rearing them, and working on the gardens to grow food and cash crops. After doing all that work, the husband enjoyed harvesting the crops and selling them without rewarding or appreciating the major work that was done by the peasant farmers (women).

Accordingly, women were not allowed to enroll in medical schools and the law profession (chapter 13, 283). Besides that, they were not allowed to vie for civic and parliamentary seats or elevated to be ministers. This was a major blow to Upper Canada because women were also capable to deliver as well. It is astonishing to learn that the main purpose of denying women chances to contest for parliamentary and civic seats was just for men to maintain gender equality and to continue dominating over women (Richard Jones, 2004 chapter 13 pg 283 pg 1). It is very perfect to say that Upper Canadian women faced major discrimination because, in 1849, a law was passed to exclude women from exercising their vote in general elections.

But from the courage demonstrated by Isabel Mackenzie, (Francis and Smith 2004 pg 283) it is apparent that they could deliver. Isabel defeated her husband and women were able to endorse or sign an election petition besides being denied a chance to access law schools. It is not good to assume that women could do nothing. They were able to manage the farms and attend to family matters during the American Revolution of the 7^th century. In 1760, Elizabeth Simcoe contributed largely to the development of Upper Canada. But they suffered a lot at the hands of the insurgent and even some of them were tried and prosecuted without any concrete evidence.

The paradox is that women were being manipulated in a male-subjugated power organization in which their female inferiority, continuous reliance, and dependence were the perceptions of men. Women were not given even a chance to make suggestions or to contribute to male’s ideas. According to part 3, pg 282, in mid-18th-century women in Canada were highly marginalized. Their work was believed to attend family chores such as childbearing, child upbringing, and to assist others (husbands) socially.

In the 18th century, women were highly discriminated against in that they were deemed to perform domestic work that had a low salary scale as compared to males who accorded themselves fatty jobs (articles by Morgan and Van Kirk I and II, 7^th edition). Their work was to clean house utensils, knitting, and weeding (part 2 pg 282). Men and boys were allowed to go freely and work in the wider field. From this analysis, it is possible to conclude that men and boys had a better chance to enroll in schools, to hunt for better jobs, and to become enlightened about world development while women and girls knew nothing about the outer world. Therefore, answering the mentioned subproblems, there was no gender equality in the 17^th, 18^{th, and} even 19^th centuries.

Chapter 4, pg376 indicates that women in Northern Canada were discriminated against severely. Men dominated the region and occupied first-class jobs while women were employed as subordinate staff. The luckiest women were employed as school teachers. However, the irony is that they were assigned lower classes that accommodated young children. In other words, women were offered tedious jobs with lower salary scales as compared to men.

According to chapter four, in 1846, women were paid the same wage as junior servants and were treated as minor creatures that contributed little toward economic growth. Fortunately, Scotia passed a law to protect married women. The law allowed women to divorce their husbands legally if they were mistreated.

This was major gender discrimination since women and girls were denied a chance to improve their living conditions. According to chapter 13, it is indicated that women were the only people who had special rules and regulations to control them. (Richard Jones, 2004 chapter 13 pg 282). This is very unethical since Upper Canada could have drafted a section of laws to control all individuals without gender discrimination. According to this chapter, women were regulated by rules, ethnic background, cultural norms, and laws passed by males, state officials, denomination leaders, and legal experts to culminate the rights of women. This is very sad even in the current world.

It is very discouraging to learn that there was a British common law that placed and treated woman as a servant to their fathers, brothers, husbands and they were allowed to obey and serve their masters with all due respects. There was no even a single penal code to protect women. A married woman had no right to engage in a contract or to say that she owned anything in her homestead. Everything belonged to men. A woman had no right to claim any property after a divorce. Men had the power to marry wives and to treat them the way they wanted. The only clause to safeguard women was a legislature to control divorce but men could play about with that law to override women.

In addition to that, to make the matter worse, men had the right to dispose of their properties to whomever they wanted; even a strange could become the inheritor of your properties as a woman. To emphasize more on female discrimination, it is almost inhuman to punish females because of giving birth to an illegitimate child. This was too sad and inconsiderate since the father of the child was not being questioned. Therefore, naughty boys and men could impregnate ladies and disown them to suffer more harm as they face the law because of bearing a bustard and as they struggle alone to rear the child. This was very unfair because the siring fathers did not suffer the consequences.

Conclusion

After analyzing the chapters on women’s discrimination in Northern Canada, I have realized that it is very precise and accurate beyond any reasonable doubt to say that women encountered severe discrimination and marginalization in the 17^th and 18^th centuries in Upper Canada. As mentioned earlier, developing countries and Islamic territories still do not recognize women as creatures that should have equal rights as men. In many countries especially in Africa, male chauvinism and dominion still reign against women. Fortunately, developed countries have laws that greatly protect the rights of women. In developing countries majority of these laws have not been implemented. They are just pending bills that await parliamentary approval. Since most legislative are men, it becomes very hard to amend or pass female-related bills.

Mechanisms to protect and upgrade the rights of women should be encouraged. Several women have been performing better than men in many disciplines and professional fields. Therefore, they should be given a chance to exercise their rights and to discover their talents all the same as men.

References

1. Francis R and Richard J (2004) Women experience in Upper Canada, Academic University Press, and New York.
2. R.Veinot (2005), law and women in Canada: 1850-1910, Nova Scotia.
3. Jane Orrington, (2005), women’s experience in Northern Canada, chapter 3 &4
4. Morton and Guilford (2007) Rugged women in British North America, Miller New York.