Royal Commission on the Status of Women (1967-1970)
The Royal Commission on the Status of Women was an investigation made in 1967 on the status of women in Canada, as means to provide recommendations to the government of changes to be made to increase the protection of women's rights and equality in all aspects of Canadian politics and society. After two years of investigation the commission released a report that outlined several of the most prominent inequalities that women faced in society: wage inequalities to men, job inequalities (women were significantly less often hired to positions of management than men) and more woman were reliant on social assistance and services. The commission made a total of 167 suggestions for improvements to the Canadian government, including;
- the establishment of training programs for government jobs that could be more accessible to women.
- create laws that made discrimination based on gender or marital status illegal.
- appoint more female judges in the court
- appoint more qualified female senators
- provide unemployment benefits for women on pregnancy leave.
- address issues related to birth control and daycare.
Click the photo above to view a short interview with the President of the Royal Commission, Florence Bird. When asked by the interviewer, "But do women have enough problems to justify a royal commission?" Florence Bird replies, "The women think so, and I think they are right" This simple statement is signifigant because it speaks to the importent idea that women - not men - are the only people who can truly understand the discrimination and unequal treatment that women receive. Many aspects of systemic discrimination against women are often so implanted in the everyday behaviour of individuals and institutions that it goes unnoticed by most. Therefore, if women are to believe that their problems justify a Royal Commission then who are men to tell them that their problems are not enough?