In April this year two eminent scientists Judy Illes and Dr Catherine Anderson, resigned from the selection committee of Canadian Science and Engineering Hall of Fame to protest the lack of willingness to recognize the contribution of women to the sciences. Interestingly, no woman has been nominated for induction into the Canadian Science and Engineering Hall of Fame in the past two year.
The resignation followed Harper government’s own admission in 2014 Budget report that women continued to remain under-represented in a number of disciplines, including mathematics, computer science, architecture and engineering. Women also participated to a much lower degree than men in apprenticeship programs: in the 2010–11 academic year, only 13 per cent of registrants were women. Further, women continued to be under-represented in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields in Canada, as in other OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries.
It isn’t surprising to see Tory government refusing to con-center on women’s issues.
Tory candidate Irvine Carvery gave the debate on Women’s Rights & Gender Equity a deliberate miss. Prime Minister Stephen Harper too eluded women’s debate, organised by a coalition of 175 groups, by pleading lack of time.
Wouldn’t it pique someone’s curiosity, why should rallying amidst women, who statistically beat men in voter share, intimidate the incumbent government?
Especially going by 2011 election voting pattern it emerged that women up to age 64 tended to vote more (59.6%)) than men (57.3%) in most jurisdictions. Same was the case in 2008.
One is led to speculate will Harper be better off in unpretentiously letting discussion about women fade? The dismal numbers say so. With no impressive numbers to flaunt on women’s development and the numbers depicting crime against women startling, Harper running from women’s issues will work to the advantage of Tories.
The specifics on Tory-led economy devoted to the fairer sex give out a dispirited story.
2006, the first year of the Tories, was spent wrecking social policies.
Reportedly, that year Harper declared a cut of $1 billion funding, the principal casualty of which became the department on Status of Women (SWC). This resulted in the closure of around 12 offices. The women’s program of SWC were primarily aiding women’s groups to undertake research and advocacy by encouraging women’s active participation in policy development and systemic change.
The cut meant that several women’s organizations that once received funding through the women’s program either had their funding cut or eliminated completely. This also affected around 41 women-focussed programmes and organisations.
In 2006 Harper’s government also ended the Court Challenges Program, a significant source of financial assistance for court cases that advanced equality rights guaranteed under Canada’s Constitution and inadvertently benefited women.
The National Council on Welfare (NWC) also had its funding eliminated in the 2012 Budget.
Referring to Kim Pate from the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies, the rise in women serving federal sentences is directly related to cuts in social services, social programs, health care, education—all the programs that traditionally help level the playing field for those who are most impacted. By “those”, we often mean, of course, indigenous peoples, women, poor people, and those with mental health issues.
According to Correctional Service Canada data published in 2011, 27% of women incarcerated were convicted of a drug-related offence.
On one hand refusing to talk about the 1,181 reported incidents of aboriginal female homicides and inconclusive missing aboriginal females, on the other, decrying the practice of wearing of hijab by Muslim women, has brought to light misplaced priorities of Tories.
Canada’s stands on 23rd-place on the UN’s Gender Inequality Index ranking. The women in Canadian work force are battling gender inequality, the gap being double the global average.
With no clear blueprint for women’s development in the coming election, Harper is better off evading women.
